Tag Archives: climate

Fine Gael and climate change – what’s the story?

Fine Gael will almost certainly comprise all or most of the incoming government, therefore what they have to say about policy matters a hell of a lot more than FF, Sinn Fein or the Greens, none of whom are likely … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | 13 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

A burning question

Fair play to Duncan Stewart. He was in combative form on Saturday’s Marian Finucane Show on RTE radio. The subject of his interview was the one hour documentary film special, ‘A Burning Question’, which airs this Tuesday (29th) at 10.10pm … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Decreasing carbon emissions without affecting the quality of life

There are a couple of simple ideas, which if implemented could make deep and long term cuts in our carbon emissions, while maintaining (or even increasing) the quality of life for all. In no particular order, they are: 1. Immediately … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Energy, Global Warming, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Doing our best versus doing what’s required

Yesterday afternoon, I was one of a panel of four from the ‘environmental’ field who met under the ageis of Common Purpose with a group of around 25-30 senior figures from the world of business, finance, the semi-state sector and … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Sceptics, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Now there’s an App to zap the sceptics

The always useful site Skeptical Science, with its handy list of the most common arguments used by climate change sceptics and detailed rebuttals of them, is now available as an iPhone app. So next time a discussion occurs and one of … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Media, Sceptics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Do you believe in miracles?

Bill Gates is for many the Dr Evil of the corporate world. His Microsoft behemoth has had a stranglehold on the world’s personal computer market for the last two decades, and wrung hundreds of billions out of users in the … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

OMG, what if the deniers are actually right?

Fat chance, of course, that the climate change deniers/liars from the assorted propaganda factories will, in the end, miraculously turn out to know more about climate science than, well, all of climate science. But hey, when we’re told that natural … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Media, Sceptics, Sustainability | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Repeat after me: Weather is NOT climate!

Oh dear, here we go again. An editorial in the Irish Times yesterday was headlined ‘Global cooling’. It began: “So much for all of that guff about global warming! Are world leaders having the wrong debate? We are experiencing the … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Latest recruit to Confederacy of Climate Dunces

One by one, they’re coming out of the woodwork. Occasional climate sceptic William Reville was the latest to re-surface, this time in his weekly Irish Times column. I read it with dismay; I genuinely have no problem with him having … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

John The Apostle Walks The Plank

Hell, it seems, hath no fury like a broadcaster scorned. After my recent adventures with RTE’s Pat Kenny, it was only a matter of time before the veteran broadcaster would try to even the score for what he no doubt … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics | Tagged , , , , , , | 46 Comments

Full steam ahead!

While the mud flies to the left and to the right, now, with just 12 days to the opening of the COP15 climate conference in Copenhagen, looks like it’s all hands on deck, women and children first, etc. etc. as … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Hot air, melting ice, ticking clock

Hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting Declan Ganley of Libertas until yesterday. Well, Declan is of course a stickler for accuracy, so perhaps ‘encountering’ would be a more accurate term. The brief encounter occurred around noon yesterday, as I was … Continue reading

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Which part of ‘conserve’ don’t conservatives get?

Let’s hear it for Connie Hedegaard. Connie who? She’s the Danish minister for climate and energy and, crucially, will host the UN-sponsored global climate treaty negotiations in Copenhagen this December. That puts her in the hottest of hot seats in … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity, Energy, Global Warming, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A night to remember

The last 24 hours has passed by in a blur, punctuated by less than 3 hours’ sleep. It was 6am today before we could drag ourselves away from TV screens and assorted laptops, to drift off, still smiling, into a … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Irish Focus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment