In recent weeks the news and media have been filled with reports about protesters demanding action on climate change.
There’s so much information and misinformation floating about, is it any wonder we all find ourselves confused and dazed. Often burying our head in the sand hoping that others will bring about changes which the world sorely needs.
Are you like me I wonder. Head down peddling like mad to keep your life going and only looking up occasionally, seeing some of these looming environmental issues and agreeing that something really needs to be done, before then returning to your own personal turmoils.
I admit to being very poorly informed as to the bigger global picture. Yes I comment on the outdoors world around me as I see and experience it, but I feel I am a really small voice in a big pond.
I know things aren’t good but I’m unsure who I raise my concerns to, or where to place my voice, what protest to join and to be honest, what facts I should believe and trust. Like politicians I place my hopes and trust in the hands of activists, the people you see protesting and generally being presented as trouble makers by the general media.
One such powerful, eloquent and exceedingly well informed activist is John Gibbons. Based in Dublin, John has been writing and speaking about environmental and climate-related issues for the last decade and more. This included a two and a half year stint as weekly environmental columnist with the Irish Times. He also maintains an environmental blog at ThinkOrSwim.ie
He was invited recently to talk at the March Green Drinks event hosted by The Dublin Branch of The Irish Wildlife Trust.
Fellow Ireland based podcaster with a passion for all things outdoors, Tommy Sera, (Podcast Tommys Outdoors.com) attended the event and recorded his talk. As you’ll hear a talk full of passion, facts, irony and humour. It also isn’t short on adult language too, so listen with care.
This is a longer than average podcast, but one I hope every lover of the outdoors and the world in general should listen to. Please listen right through to the Q&A at the end and if you have any comments I would be interested to hear them below. Maybe we can get to talk with John direct if there’s enough follow up to this.
ThinkOrSwim is a blog by journalist John Gibbons focusing on the inter-related crises involving climate change, sustainability, resource depletion, energy and biodiversity loss