Barry McMullin

@autofac.bsky.social

1799 Followers 492 Following

Stranger in a strange land - aren't we all? Engineering academic #Decarbonisation #ComplexSystems. #CarbonAbolitionist #AndACyclist he/his Why "autofac" you say? Well ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autofac And: http://www.eeng.dcu.ie/~mcmullin/

Movie poster for "The Empire Strikes Back". Heading: "The Star Wars Sags Continues." Photomontage of characters, with Han Solo embracing Leia Organa as foreground.
Screenshot of footer of Irish Times website still prominently promoting their account on X.
Image of lego Orient Express train, with period figurines, displayed on mantlepiece...
Sir, Celestine O Reilly (Letters, August 18th) references Ryanair's plans to add 600,000 seats to Irish winter schedule and asks: 'What kind of insanity is this?' in the face rising temperatures and numerous forest fires. I ask the same question of the Irish Times when they publish articles such as Martin Doyle's piece about Safaris in South Africa (Saturday 16th August). This piece openly encourages lavish holidays in the pursuit of pleasure seeking, without giving any reference whatsoever to the environmental cost of such activities. The world is in the grip of an existential crisis in the form of the climate emergency. Isn't it time that mainstream media took some responsibility for this man made problem? At the very least, please stop trying to make it worse! Yours etc Colette Mc Namee
Planetary challenges Sir, – Minister for Public Expenditure Pascal Donohoe, recently shared his reflections on two books dealing, in different ways, with the planetary scale challenges currently facing global human civilisation (“Paschal Donohoe on books that advise how to run our economies and save the planet,” July 26th). These challenges are triggered by a rapidly unfolding clash between the physical realities of a finite planet and political aspirations for unending growth in economic activity, with its seemingly insatiable appetite for more and more material and energy throughput. I’m no economist, but as a professional engineer, I know a thing or two about physics and chemistry: especially that they do not bend to wishful thinking. While apparently acknowledging these harsh realities, Minister Donohoe concludes that an agenda of stabilising (and then reducing) global economic activity is neither “credible” nor “achievable”. This is on the basis that – in his view – such a vision would be rejected by voters in any democratic society. Minister Donohoe is a highly experienced and respected politician, so his assessment of political feasibility must be taken seriously. But then we are between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Physics and chemistry will certainly not yield. To say that human societies, nonetheless, cannot learn to live good lives within planetary limits thus represents a counsel of despair. I, for one, refuse to accept that counsel. – Yours, etc, PROF BARRY McMULLIN, Dublin City University, Dublin
Photo of pull up display stand with heading of Irish Government "Department of Environment, Climate and Communications", and a graphic with caption "Working Together". The graphic is a stylized map of northwestern Europe, showing a slightly exaggerated island of Ireland together with a part of continental Europe (Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, sliver of Sweden). Great Britain has simply been altogether omitted.
Irish Times headline: "Ryanair quietly drops carbon offset option for passengers on its flights..." Photo of smiling CEO Michael O'Leary, clutching a report entitled "Ireland's cleanest and greenest aviation group: Ryanair".
Photo of sunset over Houlgate, Normandy: dramatic high (cirrus?) cloudscape with many shades of blue, white, gold, orange, red. The art of pure nature.
Image of interrail ticket for this day so far (not over yet!). 6 trains already: Bregenz (dep 07:17) - St Margarethen - (arr 07:34, dep 07:43) - St Gallen (arr 08:04, dep 08:28) - Zûrich (arr 09:27, dep 09:34!) - Basel (arr 10:30, dep 10:51) - Mulhouse Ville (arr 11:14, dep 11:56 - Paris (due 15:15).
Photo of street name reading "Zeppelinstrasse" ("Zeppelin Street" in English).
Photo of modern airship in sky over Friedrichshafe, with slogan "ZF: Next Generation Mobility - NOW!". "ZF" denoting the "Zepellin Foundation".
Interrail trip statistics to date: 8 trains (of 52 planned), 1660km (of 7619 planned), 10 places (of 21 planned). Time on trains: 15 hours, 42 minutes.
Panorama of curved glass frontage of Strasbourg train station. Effectively opaque: original classic facade entirely invisible.
Two cups of coffee and two delicious looking French pastries!
Departure board at Chester showing London service delayed by 10min...
Almost empty sea and sky panorama with diminutive wind turbines just visible on horizon.
Station name board in Wales: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Scene on platform 2, Holyhead station: train standing ready for departure.
View back over Holyhead port from headland close to North Stack. Sunshine, sea, winding hill path into the distance...
View of Holyhead harbour: bright sunshine, clm seas, mist in background.
View of two tall industrial chimneys, painted in red and white, against blue sky and still waters of Dublin bay in foreground...
Two rather heavily laden Brompton folding bicycles, waiting in bright sunshine for early morning departure.
Satirical cartoon. Background: vague skyscrapers shrouded in black smoke. Foreground: clearly immiserated father and kids huddle on the ground around a tiny campfire. Father saying: "Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders."
Bart Simpson chalkboard: "end point emissions are not the same as GHG budgets"