In a recent interview, permaculture teacher Albert Bates discusses Rudolph Steiner and Biodynamics: Click here for MP3 Albert defends Steiner on the basis that Anthroposophy has created a “tribe” which he sees as a good thing. In reality, Anthroposophy is more like a cult, which obscures its intentions, and is doing untold harm in persuading [...]
We have had fun with this latest SkeptEco Podcast, this time addressing the contentious issue of Genetic Engineering. I attended an Earth Day conference organized by Sustainable Ireland (now Cultivate) about 10 or 12 years ago in Maynooth which brought together anti-GE activists Vandana Shiva and Dr. Mae-Wan Ho with a representative from Monsanto. There [...]
The second edition of the new SkeptEco podcast is up! This week the SkeptEco team- Eoghain, Christina, Michael and myself talk about why we started the podcasts, the relationship between science, rationality and the environmental movement, and what other topics we might cover in later episodes. http://skepteco.wordpress.com/
Book review: Requiem for a Species Why we resist the truth about Climate Change Clive Hamilton Earthscan 2010 Hdbck 286pp Climate change is here with us now and the processes and feedbacks already underway will guarantee at least a global average of a further 4 degrees warming this century no matter what we do, with [...]
Just got back from a short trip to Dublin to see controversial environmentalist Stewart Brand and Booker-prize winning British author Ian McEwan speak at the speak at the Dublin Writers Festival. They were discussing their respective books “Whole Earth Discipline” and “Solar”. Apparently the two writers have known each other for some time. Their recent [...]
The first episode in a new podcast SkeptEco has just been launched. The SkeptEco team has chosen an old favorite for our launch: Can Organic farming Feed the World? with Eoin O’Callaghan, Naomi Fein, Christina LaPerle, Graham Strouts and Michael Wellock The SkeptEco podcast came out of a study group that has been meeting around [...]
Book Review: Whole Earth Discipline An Ecopragmatist Manifesto by Stewart Brand Atlantic Books 2009 316pp “Civilization is at risk, but civilization is the problem”. Stewart Brand is one of the iconic founders of the environmental movement, an original old hippy whose influence on the boomer generation should not be understated. With his latest book Whole [...]
I paid a short visit to my parents in the UK during the Winterval, but by the time I got there I had developed full-blown tonsillitis and spent most of the time feverish and delerious in bed. Fortunately I was able to get to a doctor who took my temperature, peered down my throat, made the [...]
Sunday, November 29, 2009
This week’s Pod Delusion features a fascinating interview with the wonderful Ariane Sherine, creator of the Atheist Bus campaign and editor of the one essential Christmas gift this year, The Atheists’ Guide to Christmas. The Atheists’ Guide is a brilliant anthology of atheist and science writing, comedy, fiction and even a section on silly party [...]
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Book Review: The Heretic’s Guide to Vegan Cookery Warning! Not suitable for Breatharians Andy Murray The Good Elf Press 2009 187pp Astrology is an amazing tool to run your life by, without having to waste time with the fraudulent pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo of Science. Astrology explains wars, thunderstorms and plagues. We can even use it historically. [...]