Category Archives: Energy

Out of his depth in Deepwater thinking…

Posted on November 12, 2010 by John Gibbons

According to a tweet from John Gormley in the last couple of hours, a climate change bill will finally make its way to the Cabinet next Tuesday (16th). Much credit here is due to Labour’s Liz McManus, rapporteur on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus | Tagged Conor Lenihan, deepwater horizon, Eamon Ryan, Oil, renewables | 12 Comments

Energy constraints will collapse global economic recovery

Posted on October 14, 2010 by David Korowicz

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 Energy, ESRI, Feasta, Hirsch, Korowicz, Nama, Peak Oil | 15 Comments

Driving an Electric Car

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Paddy Morris

I was fortunate enough to test-drive the Nissan Leaf this week, and thought I would post some first impressions. The car itself is very comfortable, and for anyone used to a Prius (or any automatic), it drives exactly like a … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Sustainability | Tagged carbon, CO2, Electric Cars, electricity, Peak Oil | 5 Comments

Argument versus Proselytising: Developing and defending a rational debate on energy and survival.

Posted on April 11, 2010 by Tony Kinsella

The debate on climate change faces a number of inherent handicaps. Human nature is perhaps the most important. At our best, we deal reasonably well with the present and the immediate future. If next Christmas seems remote, our abilities to … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Sceptics, Sustainability | Tagged Climategate, CRU, denial, Energy, Peak Oil | 3 Comments

Ireland among most vulnerable to peak oil

Posted on April 8, 2010 by John Gibbons

HERE’S A conundrum: restarting global economic growth will, by definition, push up energy costs. Rising energy costs will in turn choke off that economic recovery, leading to a fall in energy prices. Try to restart growth again, and the brick … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Tagged Energy, Feasta, Forfas, Hirsch, Korowicz, Peak Oil | Leave a comment

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

Doing our best versus doing what’s required

Posted on March 3, 2010 by John Gibbons

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 advocacy, Al Gore, climate, IPCC | 5 Comments

Do you believe in miracles?

Posted on February 15, 2010 by John Gibbons

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 climate, collapse, Energy, nuclear, Peak Oil, Sustainability | 7 Comments

Time for prosperity without growth

Posted on December 22, 2009 by James Nix

If there’s one book you read this winter make it Tim Jackson’s Prosperity without Growth. We can have a stable climate and leave enough resources for future generations. Or we can continue with the fantasy of perpetual economic growth, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Energy, Global Warming, Sustainability | Tagged affluenza, consumerism, consumption, debt, economics, growth, James Nix, lending, The Spirit Level, Tim Jackson | 6 Comments

21st Century Swords to Plowshares: From Megatons to Megawatts

Posted on November 28, 2009 by Paddy Morris

Currently, hydropower provides 6% of the USA’s electrical power, and solar, biomass, wind and geothermal combined provide 3%. Dismantled nuclear weapons provide 10%. The ‘Megatons to Megawatts’ programme was instituted in the 1990s as a means to secure the weapons … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Nuclear | Tagged electricity, Energy, nuclear, Peak Oil | 7 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

A fair wind for renewable energy sector?

Posted on October 12, 2009 by John Gibbons

The Green Party seems to have snatched an unlikely victory at the weekend – they somehow maneuvered themselves from being pinned between the proverbial rock and a hard place and wriggled free with party unity intact and a hatful of … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Irish Focus | Tagged Andris Piebalgs, Arklow Bay, car, carbon, CO2, Eamon Ryan, elect, electricity, Energy, fossil fuels, Green Party, interconnector, supply, wind, wind farms | 6 Comments

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

Posted on September 18, 2009 by John Gibbons

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 carbon, climate, climate change, Energy, environment, John Gibbons, pollution, species loss, Sustainability | 2 Comments

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

Climate camp – Shannonbridge

Posted on August 24, 2009 by John Gibbons

Last week’s Climate Camp in Shannonbridge drew around 150 people to a site right beside the Shannonbridge peat-burning power plant. The week, which included workshops, bog walks and practical sessions on sustainability, culminated in a Day of Action on Saturday … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, Habitat/Species, Irish Focus, Sustainability | Leave a comment