Tag Archives: global warming

John Tyndall – Ireland’s Greatest Climate Scientist

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Paddy Morris

Science in 1861 was very different to now, and entire fields of study and concepts that are now taken for granted – quantum physics, the theory of relativity, continental drift, the big bang, DNA, the uncertainty principle, black holes, an … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus | Tagged climate change, CO2, environment, global warming, History, Ireland | 3 Comments

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

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Paddy Morris

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 climate, climate change, economics, environment, global warming | 61 Comments

Decreasing carbon emissions without affecting the quality of life

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Paddy Morris

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 carbon, climate, climate change, CO2, emissions, global warming, Sustainability | 4 Comments

15 Reasons to be (Mildly) Optimistic about COP15

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Paddy Morris

As the Copenhagen conference progresses, I thought it might be worthwhile to take a brief look what’s the various different countries have offered, and reasons why there is some room for optimism about a decent deal being done… 1. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming | Tagged Barack Obama, carbon, China, climate change, CO2, Copenhagen, emissions, environment, EU, global warming, Ireland, US | 6 Comments

To the last drop?

Posted on November 10, 2009 by John Gibbons

Take a minute or two to study the chart below. It is just issued by the International Energy Agency, an industry-centric organisation not prone to engaging in eco-alarmism. But this is alarming, truly shocking in fact. The dark blue chart … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Nuclear, Sustainability | Tagged carbon, climate change, emissions, Energy, global warming, nuclear, Peak Oil | 31 Comments

The Anthropocene draws to a close

Posted on October 8, 2009 by John Gibbons

The term Anthropocene was coined by Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen a decade ago to describe the new ‘Era of Man’, a distinct geological epoch shaped almost entirely by our actions and impacts. “The Anthropocence has yet to be accepted as … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Media, Sustainability | Tagged Anthropocene, Arctic, climate change, CO2, Crutzen, David McWilliams, emissions, famine, global warming, John Gibbons, methane, New Scientist, permafrost, RTE, species loss, Sustainability | 4 Comments

Where have all the fish gone? (we ate them)

Posted on September 22, 2009 by John Gibbons

The world’s oceans are in deep, deep trouble. Industrialised fishing, in full swing since around 1950, has in essence waged a war against the marine ecosystem. And the bad news is: we’re winning. Species extinctions, population crashes and vast disruption … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Media, Sustainability | Tagged Achim Steiner, collapse, extinction, fishing, global warming, marine, maritime, oceans, overfishing, population, sharks, species loss, Sustainability, UN, UNEP | Leave a comment

Where will you be when the lights go out?

Posted on September 13, 2009 by John Gibbons

Prices in Ireland have, mercifully, started to ease back from the highs of a year or two ago, yet some things remain extraordinarily cheap. The two things that contribute probably more than anything else to our overall well-being, comfort, security … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear, Sustainability | Tagged carbon, climate change, electricity, emissions, extinction, famine, global warming, John Gibbons, MacKay, nuclear, Sustainability | 1 Comment

They haven’t gone away, you know

Posted on April 21, 2009 by John Gibbons

Some extraordinary recent findings from an 11-year Gallup tracking poll of US public opinion regarding global warming. The question was framed as follows: ‘Thinking about what is said in the news, in your view is the seriousness of global warming … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Media, Sceptics, Sustainability | Tagged fear, Gallup, global warming, Limbaugh, propaganda, Rebublican | Leave a comment

A night to remember

Posted on November 5, 2008 by John Gibbons

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 2008, Barack Obama, climate, election, FOE, global warming, Hillary Clinton, Ivana Bacik, McCain, Obama, Oisin Coughlan, president, US | 1 Comment

The waiting is very nearly over…

Posted on November 3, 2008 by John Gibbons

OCD is the term that could be used to describe a new political creature, the Obsessive Compulsive Democrat. As we now enter the last day before what has perhaps been the world’s longest (and certainly most expensive) election campaign, OCD … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming | Tagged Barack Obama, climate change, Democrats, election, global warming, Hillary, IPCC, McCain, Palin, Republicans, US | 1 Comment

Half-baked Alaskan science bears closer scutiny

Posted on October 5, 2008 by John Gibbons

They say the first casualty in war is the truth. The same surely applies to elections, and none more so than the crucial US election on November 4th next. Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin has shown a startling contempt for … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sceptics | Tagged Bush, climate change, CO2, Energy, environment, Exxon Mobil, global warming, Newstalk, Palin, sceptics | Leave a comment

In Spain, no rain means real pain

Posted on May 14, 2008 by John Gibbons

Right now, there is a tanker somewhere in the northern Mediterranean, heading for Barcelona from its home port of Marseilles. Its cargo is due to be connected to a brand new pipeline installed in the dock area of the Catalan … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged Australia, Barcelona, drought, global warming, Murray-Darling, rain, scarcity, Spain, water shortage | 4 Comments

Some like it hot?

Posted on April 7, 2008 by John Gibbons

Climate sceptic Bjorn Lomborg was in Dublin last Friday telling the folks at the IMI national management conference that everything’s just honky dory on the climate front – a business-as-usual message that was no doubt eagerly lapped up by that … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Sustainability | Tagged Arctic, climate change, GISS, global warming, ice melting, IMI, James Hansen, Lomborg, NASA | 4 Comments

Watch out, Gaia’s about…

Posted on March 22, 2008 by John Gibbons

At 88, James Lovelock is for many people the Grandfather of the modern ecology movement. He today is admired and despised by people in the general ‘green’ movement in about equal measure. Apart from a highly successful career as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged climate change, Gaia, global warming, James Lovelock, overpopulation | 2 Comments