Ireland's position in the Atlantic means we must work hard to tackle climate change

In Paris, an army of scientists and policymakers from around the world are grappling to produce a strategy to combat climate change. 

In Ireland, I’m sitting at my desk flinching as a storm batters the window. I’m wondering about the connection between the two events.

Climatologists are slow and cautious. Meteorologists are a bit more helpful. They not only forecast weather, they also record it and their records show that, beyond question, Ireland is already being affected by climate change. Between 1980 and 2008 the average temperature in this country rose by 0.4 degrees. Less than half a degree centigrade over 30 years doesn’t sound like a lot but it’s actually very significant, and so is the fact that the rate of increase is accelerating.