‘The Path to Paris: Can we save humanity?’
Series of talks in Cloughjordan to prepare for the Paris climate summit.
We are on the eve of what is perhaps the most important summit ever held by the world’s political leaders. As scientists alert us with ever greater insistence to the damage we are doing to the environment, to the climate and to livelihoods by our carbon-intensive lifestyles and societies, the Paris climate summit next December may be the last chance to agree an international treaty that could save humanity. Will it finally begin a process to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thereby limit climate change and the damage it is doing around the world?
This series of talks is designed to inform the general public about the issues involved. All are welcome.
The series opens on Thursday, October 8thwith the moral case for climate change through examining Pope Francis’s encyclical letter On Care for our Common Home.
Fr. Donal Dorr, expert on Catholic social teaching and author of Option for the Poor and the Earth: Catholic
Social Teaching among numerous other books will speak on the title: ‘An Inspiring Call to Contemplation and Action: The Ecology Encyclical of Pope Francis’.
Two weeks later on October 22nd the scientific case for climate change is presented drawing on the latest reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The speakers are two scientists from the University of Limerick, Dr. Colin Fitzpatrick and Dr. Ken Byrne, UL. Dr. Byrne is a member of the IPCC. They will speak on: ‘Principal findings of the 2013-14 reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’
The talk onThursday, November 5thturns the focus on the major climate summit in Paris which begins on November 30th and goes on until December 11th. OisinCoghlan, director of the Friends of the Earth who has attended many such climate summits and will be attending the Paris summit, will speak on ‘Prospects for Climate Action: Paris and beyond’.
Finally, on Thursday, November 19th two speakers will examine how we are currently addressing climate change. Prof. John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth will ask ‘How is Ireland doing?’ while DrRónán Kennedy, of the School of Law in NUI Galway and a member of Cloughjordanecovillage will critically assess the current approach of addressing climate change through legal treaties, asking: ‘Legal approaches: how adequate?’
All the talks take place in the MacDonagh Heritage Centre, Main Street, Cloughjordan, beginning at 8:15 and ending around 10:00.
Information: Peadar
Kirby 086-2076207 or peadar.kirby@gmail.com
Peadar Kirby is Professor Emeritus of International Politics and Public Policty and the University of Limerick and chair of the board of Cloughjordan ecovillage.