Author Archives: John Gibbons
Political disconnect from environmental reality remains
When it came to climate and environmental issues, the political parties’ manifestos were a mixed bag indeed. On a positive note, these issues have moved from being almost universally ignored as recently as the 2016 election, to being front-and-centre in … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus
Tagged Election 2020, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Green Party, Sinn Fein
1 Comment
Climate Change is (Sort of) Affecting Ireland’s Election
My pre-election analysis of where the parties stood on the climate issue was published on Desmog.uk. LAST MAY, Ireland was among the first countries in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency. In September, over 20,000 students took … Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Global Warming, Irish Focus
Tagged Election 2020, Frank Mitloehner, Green Party, IFA, Sinn Fein
1 Comment
Mitigate, Adapt, or Suffer – stark choices in Election 2020
Below, my article, as it appeared on Green News on January 24th, ahead of Election 2020. GENERAL ELECTION 2020 must be the ‘Climate Election’. As the global climate and biodiversity emergency deepens, it is surely inconceivable that Irish politics can … Continue reading
Out of the frying pan? A tumultuous decade draws to a close
The hottest month ever recorded on Earth occurred in July 2019, during what has been yet another year of record-shattering extremes. France was hit this summer by two ‘once-in-500-year’ heatwaves in rapid succession. Expect extreme weather to dominate the 2020s. … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Media, Psychology
Tagged Amazon, Climate Strike, Greta Thunberg, JOCCA, Lorenzo
1 Comment
RTÉ finally spins spotlight onto concerted climate action
Over the last decade and more, I’ve been in an uncomfortable position regarding RTÉ. On the one hand, I’ve long been a stout defender of public service broadcasting as a vital bulwark against total domination of our media landscape by … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sceptics
Tagged Climate Week, DCU, Irish Times, JOCCA, RTE
1 Comment
Meat & dairy sector turns to chemical industry PR playbook
Below, my article as published on the investigative website, Desmog UK on October 4th. Ireland’s meat and dairy industries have been feeling the heat, both from a public turning increasingly towards vegetarian and vegan options as concern over the environmental … Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture, Agriculture, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Pollution, Sustainability
2 Comments
How flawed logic puts the world in danger
Below, my review of ‘The Irrational Ape’ by David Robert Grimes, which was published in the Irish Times on September 22nd last. In an era of fake news, with crackpot theories and conspiratorial nonsense ricocheting around social media at dizzying … Continue reading
Posted in Irish Focus, Media, Psychology, Sceptics
Tagged David Robert Grimes, Homeopathy, Quacks
1 Comment
Why you should take to the streets with your children
Below, my article as it appeared in the Irish Times on September 20th, to coincide with the Student March for climate, which saw some 20,000 take to the streets of Dublin, with thousands more joining protests in cities and towns … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media, Sustainability
Tagged Children's Strike, Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thunberg, OPEC
1 Comment
The Story of the Decade – Media and Climate Change
Below, my piece as commissioned as one of a series of retrospective articles to mark the 10th anniversary of the Irishenvironment.com website, run by Bob Hernan. THIS TIME 10 years ago, the portents for real climate action seemed genuinely encouraging. … Continue reading
2029 – A letter from the future
We live in consequential times. “What we do over the next 10 years will determine the future of humanity for the next 10,000 years”, is how former UK chief scientific advisor Prof David King put it recently. There is no … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Psychology, Sceptics, Sustainability
Tagged Arctic, heatwave, IPCC, Long Emergency, permafrost, Village Magazine
5 Comments
Drafting a roadmap for a climate-altered world
I was delighted back in May to receive an email from Andy Revkin letting me know he was coming to Ireland in early June and offering to meet up for a chat when he was in Dublin. We spent a … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Media, Psychology
Tagged Andrew Revkin, Dot Earth, New York Times
1 Comment
Rout of global biodiversity comes with a heavy price tag
Below, my article as it appeared in the summer edition of ‘Irish Wildlife’, the magazine of the Irish Wildlife Trust, an organisation well worth supporting. I gave a one-hour presentation followed by a Q&A at an IWT ‘Green Drinks’ event … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Sustainability
Tagged Biodiversity, EO Wilson, Irish Wildlife Trust, Luquillo
1 Comment
Thirty years closer to the End of Nature
Below, my review of ‘Falter’, the new book by veteran environmental writer, Bill McKibben, as it appeared in the Irish Times in May. UNLESS you’re an economics graduate or a billionaire, chances are you may have never heard of Ayn … Continue reading
Eerie media silence as climate breakdown gathers pace
Below, my article as it appeared in the Irish Times on April 26th last. BY ANY objective standards, the global climate and biodiversity crisis should be front page news almost every day. Rationally, you would expect updates on the battle … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Irish Focus, Media
6 Comments
A society of altruists, governed by psychopaths
Below, the article I filed for Village magazine’s first edition of 2019, which appeared in the middle of March. The Guardian’s George Monbiot has long been the gold standard for excellence in environment and climate reporting, analysis and campaigning. Like … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Media, Psychology, Sustainability
Tagged George Monbiot, QUB
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