As our approach to the climate emergency is informed by Laudato Si’, our Social Theologian Kevin Hargaden has created Homily Notes to be used in church to accompany the day’s readings, or by lay persons as a reflection for prayer. On Friday, September 20th the School Strikes for Climate will take place around Ireland as… Read more »

On Friday, September 20th, there will be a Global Climate Strike, a protest led by school students who are calling on everyone to make their voice heard and demand action on the climate emergency. Ciara Murphy is joining them. “I’ll be one of the thousands of people marching on Friday 20th September because I want… Read more »

Hundreds of homeowners have been left high and dry by the SEAI retrofit scheme. Kevin Hargaden asks if the Government is really as invested in climate breakdown mitigation as it should be? The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) launched a pilot programme in 2017 to experiment with how best to approach the mammoth task of… Read more »

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on land use was published today [8 August 2019]. It paints a stark but familiar picture of the impact human activities are having on the environment. The report, which draws on contributions from over 100 leading scientists from 52 countries across the world, highlights the need for… Read more »

Ireland’s bogs are more than a distinctive feature of the landscape, they are a part of our identity. Restoring them is important for biodiversity, cultural and ecological significance, as well as in the fight against climate chaos, says Dr Ciara Murphy.

When published on 19th July 2016, the Irish Government’s Rebuilding Ireland action plan for housing and homelessness described the Irish housing sector as ‘dysfunctional and under-performing’. Three years later, by practically every metric, the crisis has deepened, leading Peter McVerry SJ to label it ‘an abject failure‘. Rebuilding ‘Rebuilding Ireland’, our analysis of the plan,… Read more »

The Irish Government has resorted to using the ‘money message’ tactic to kill off the Climate Emergency Measure Bill which would have banned gas and oil exploration in Irish waters. This decision is a catastrophic error of judgement which demonstrates that the current Government does not have the required leadership capacity to face the global… Read more »

A response to the Department of Finance consultation on Carbon Tax, from the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice. 

The Climate Action Plan completely ignores the fact that we need to adapt to climate breakdown now, not at some undefined future date. Ireland is already experiencing extreme weather events including flooding, drought and extreme snow-fall. But the Government’s plan for adaption is concentrated on building resilience through plans, strategies and support. It is a… Read more »

The Climate Action Plan considers the environment as a resource to be managed, not a gift to be cultivated, says social theologian Kevin Hargaden, who contrasts the Government’s approach with that contained in Laudato Si’.