“It’s too ******g late!” shouted Tommy Tiernan from the stage of the Abbey Theatre.

I never thought I’d be quoting Tommy Tiernan in the Farmers’ Journal. The comedian was one of a number of speakers at the last of a series of events organised by the “Climate Gathering” group. The concept was great in bringing together a broad range of people.

Agriculture usually takes a bashing in the majority of public climate discussions. Meat in particular gets blamed for nearly all our ills. One lady went a little extreme when she suggested we should “keep other animals off our plate” as they were “extended members of our family”. I tactfully decided to not engage on the night. There are too many who latch onto every issue just to further their own aims, a bit like the twitter extremists who have infiltrated the #farm365 hashtag. I’ve been called a pervert and a balding old rapist for practicing AI!

Archaeologist Michael Gibbons gave an intriguing slide show on how, many generations ago, the farmers of Connemara carved out a living while coping with a growing population and rising sea levels. One example was a sandy beach filled with neat rows of carefully placed rocks and boulders. The idea was to provide a place for seaweed to grow, which could then be harvested as food and fertilizer. The ingenuity in adapting and making a barren area productive was celebrated.

Have no fear

The current generation of farmers need to be just as innovative. However I wonder how I would be treated if I started placing boulders on my local beach without first checking for rare snails. I would also be stopped from removing beach material as it is now a Special Area of Conservation.

While we must be sensitive to the other animals with whom we share the planet, we do need to continue to adapt. Sea levels are rising, the human population is rising, land must be used to its best ability.

Modern food and energy production was well represented across the series of seminars but too many are afraid of change. Dealing with climate change means learning from history, not returning to the past.

Technology and mechanisation offers so much. Nothing should be ruled out just because of fear. Farmers have a fear of synthetic food putting us out of business, though I wouldn’t currently be worried as it looks like costing twice as much as real food. Many have fears of chemicals and GMOs, wind turbines and mobile phone masts, while using the latest digital technology to complain.

Who knows where science and ingenuity will bring us in the next generation. It’s never too late or too soon to try – Tommy Tiernan was only joking.