The British Empire controlled China by means of the opium trade, eventually generating 13 million addicts which led to 2 Opium Wars. In 1839, on Lin Zexu, imperial commissioner's, orders, pits were dug and seized opium was poured into them along with lime and salt to render it unusable. Hong Kong was ceded to the British in 1842 and was always a port of refuge, a paradise within reach, due to continuing turmoil in mainland China. This former refuge is today a city of protest.

Former Irish President/Professor Mary Robinson, well regarded by the mostly Irish audience, was introduced by Professor John Sweeney who presented the facts on climate change to the attendees at the GIAF First Thought Talks, Bailey Allen Hall, NUIGalway. Ireland produces as much CO2 as the 400 million poorest people in the world. The constant 410ppm of atmospheric CO2 in the northern hemisphere where there is a constant flux due to equal sea and land compares with a decreased

Currently, the United States insults its allies; it is run by big corporations who care only about profit; big pharmaceutical and insurance companies take billions out of the healthcare system for shareholders; armament companies suppress gun control legislation, which should remove assault weapons from the streets; lobbyists corrupt the political process; women's reproductive rights are threatened; children arriving in the US are taken illegally from their parents and held i