About this Event
ICLO-NLS 12th Study-Day
Date: Saturday 7th February
Venue: Teacher's Club
36 Parnell Square W, Rotunda, Dublin 1, D01 T6V6
Time: 10 am to 4.30 pm [lunch included / Registration from 9.30am]
Hybrid Event - In Person & Online
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THE HEAT IS ON
Psychoanalytic and Interdisciplinary Engagements with Global Warming
ICLO’s 2026 Study Day seeks to address the very complex question of Global Warming and our multiple individual and collective responses to this phenomenon of our time. Here the scientific evidence is unequivocal and states that, without radical changes in fossil fuel consumption (highly unlikely), there will be a likely rise in Global temperature of at least 3% by the end of the 21st century.
The approach is necessarily interdisciplinary given the complexity of this topic which not only involves science but also has social, political, economic and ethical dimensions to it. Moreover, it raises questions concerning how psychically, as speaking beings, we are currently, and in future may be able to respond to an issue of such magnitude. Here, for example, there is the shock of encountering the idea that nature, the natural world, is not a stable, dependable entity, but rather is reactive to our presence in it - our way of life involving the use of natural resources - that has created the world as we know it today.
The question of how we individually and collectively take responsibility for this situation looms large, for even when we accept that humanity is facing an urgent threat, the pathway to effective action is not only often unclear but is also actively disputed. The latter is evident in the various forms of “denialism” that are widespread in society today. For example, studies show that 15% of adult Americans directly deny that Global Warming is happening, while a larger percentage of the public are sceptical of its impact and of the science behind it. Here a Yale University Study (2024) found that 29% of adult Americans believe that Global Warming is caused by natural changes in the environment rather than being human-caused. It is clear that political and economic interests have both promoted and contributed to denialism by, for example, situating so-called “environmentalists” as anti-capitalist, or even, unpatriotic. Additionally, and via psychoanalysis, we know that it is subjectively difficult to face harsh realities, especially when doing so arouses anxiety or induces feelings of helplessness. In such circumstances, and as Freud pointed out, the psyche seeks to defend itself, uses defence mechanisms that distort, deny or repress an unpalatable truth.
During this Study Day we will hear from a number of experts on topics such as, the multiple impacts of Global Warming on our future environment, on ways in which human activity is directly implicated in this and on how, at a global level, it is imperative that issues such as climate justice are addressed. Psychoanalytic contributions will offer a range of perspectives on how we need to understand and make use of our subjective and socio-cultural responses to this imminent crisis.
Organising Committee: Alan Rowan - Lorna Kernan - Miles Link - Claire Hawkes
Date: Saturday 7th February
Venue: Teacher's Club
36 Parnell Square W, Rotunda, Dublin 1, D01 T6V6
Time: 10 am to 4.30 pm [lunch included / Registration from 9.30am]
Hybrid Event - In Person & Online
In Person €60/Students €40
Online €40/Students €20
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Teachers Club:36, Parnell Square West, Dublin 1, Ireland
EUR 22.42 to EUR 65.33
