The solution for too long has been to treat the symptom and add to the number of cars moving short distances on dangerous roads. We need to tackle the root of the problem and ensure that our roads are no longer dangerous – for children cycling to school down rural roads or adults cycling to work in Salthill.

Farming is a vital part of our economy and society, but in its current form it does not work on many levels. By its nature, farming exists within ecological systems. It is both dependent on ecological services (for example biological pollination, provision of clean water and nutrient cycling) and impacts upon the ecosystems in which it exists.

Sometimes it takes walking along a road to experience a conversion, other times a cycle may be what it takes to lead to an ecological conversion. Last week I was lucky enough to have to opportunity to visit Utrecht on a study cycle tour. I took my time with travelling making my way via sail… Read more »

The earthquake of destruction that the invasion of Ukraine triggered has reverberated with a series of aftershocks for the global economy as grain shortages and threats to energy sources make an impact on our previous stability.

Cycling offers the most cost-effective mode of transport in the neighbourhoods where most people in Ireland live. It has associated benefits for local business, public health, and personal wellbeing.

The language differs, with the IPCC referencing integrated planning, systems thinking, and cross-sectoral perspectives as well as social dimensions, but the fundamental similarities to integral ecology are plainly visible.

The recent escalation in military activity along the Ukraine border highlights the particular ways in which war particularly interacts with energy. A lot of wars, in one way or another, are related to access to energy, particularly fossil fuels.

Travelling to COP was a worthwhile experience. Participating in the different aspects of it, the pilgrimage to Glasgow, the climate justice march and the Blue Zone offered different experiences and I come away with a slightly better knowledge of the mechanisms behind these international dialogues.

I don’t think the importance of bogs for climate action, especially in Ireland, can be overestimated.

Discussions at times got slightly heated and a little salty but I came away from the discussion with an appreciation of the hard work that must be done on a one-to-one level and by the drafters of the text, while simultaneously being very grateful not to have to do it. The meeting closed with an expectation that a ‘landing zone’ (a set of compromises that will allow a deal to be concluded) could be found.