Introduction

In this episode, Eamonn Ryan deliberates on the collective leap which individuals and nation states need to make for a sustainable, habitable future. He argues that individuals cannot be faced with moral choices about the environment on a daily basis. Instead, he indicates that it is through sound governance that environmental habits are nurtured effectively. Ryan also persuasively demonstrates the importance of everyday language and stories for an environmental consciousness. The task for the individual and the national collective is akin to the leap a salmon makes. A habitable future rests on going against the current of traditional and normative modes of behavior.

Eamonn Ryan

Eamonn Ryan is the leader of the Green Party in Ireland. As the Minister of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources between 2007 and 2011 he played a central role in national projects on sustainable energy and transport infrastructures for the country. In recent years he has been closely associated with the North Seas Offshore Grid Initiative. Ryan recognizes the importance of narrative in envisioning environmental futures and has been responsible for large scale public gatherings to raise awareness of climate change and related environmental issues in Ireland.