Monthly Archives: October 2010

Of climate, slavery and tobacco

What, you might well ask, could climate change, slavery and tobacco possibly have in common? Quite a bit, it appears. The article below, courtesy of The Daily Climate, reports on a new study that compares current attitudes on climate change … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Sustainability | 7 Comments

Crutzen’s tough medicine for a sick planet

Arguably one of the most significant figures of the last two centuries was in Dublin last night, where he presented a lecture in TCD, organised by the Royal Irish Academy. The man in question is Prof Paul Crutzen, the brilliant … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity, Global Warming, Habitat/Species | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Critical Time For Climate Law: Transformation or Decline?

“An Irishman’s heart”, according to Geroge Bernard Shaw, “is nothing but his imagination”. One interpretation of this wonderful double entendre is that as a people we are characterized by a creative approach to problem solving, artistic, ingenious, and flexible. This … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming | 11 Comments

Energy constraints will collapse global economic recovery

We may rail against the regulators, politicians, and others who failed to understand and manage past  risks, but we are just as culpable for our  failure to engage with severe, well-signposted, imminent ones. Impassioned arguments over bank nationalisation, the austerity-stimulus … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Energy, Global Warming, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The economics of climate change: discounting the future, ignoring the poor?

Economists looking at climate change face a difficult task, with uncertain climate models, chaotic climate systems and possible catastrophic threshold effects. Often, when looking at the impacts of climate change different mitigation/adaptation options and emission scenarios will be looked at, … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Global Warming, Sceptics | Tagged , , , , | 61 Comments

Science trumps journalism

Article below appears in the current edition of ‘Village’ magazine. It is a response of sorts to an unusually poor contribution in a previous edition by a journalism lecturer in an article purporting to offer critical insights into the interplay … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability | 16 Comments