Since we first colonized this island about 10,000 years ago, we have engaged in two huge clearances of nature. The first was the elimination of the native woodlands; we cleared our natural endowment to such an extent that only a few solitary and meager residues remain. This loss only becomes apparent when one visits countries…

The Critical Constraint Living is about dealing with constraints – physical, economic, social, emotional, psychological and environmental. And a successful life is about knowing which constraints are critical, which are the ones we can do something about, and acting accordingly. Justus von Liebig (1803-1873) was a German chemist who created the modern laboratory. He was…

When elected members of local authorities are faced with the possibility of a transformative development in their areas, they have two choices.  They can initiate a process of becoming seriously informed of the technical, economic, social and environmental implications, engage on the basis of such information with key stakeholders and the general public, and then…

Economics is the science of choice. The job of economists is to take away the punch bowl just when the party gets going.  It’s perhaps the only field where, the more they get it wrong, the more their services are in demand – perverse incentives on a grand scale. In Ireland, the Minister for Public…

The late Roy Geary loved to tell the story of the following interaction with his wife when he was director of the Central Statistics Office.  She complained to him about the ever rising cost of groceries. He responded that the latest statistics in regard to the Consumer Price Index showed that prices in real terms…