With the recent cold snap and the presence of Storm Rachel on our shores, Ireland has seen some challenging weather in the last few weeks alone. It has also been reported that 2014 has been the warmest year on record. The question that arises is one that has faced a lot of controversy in the past, are these changes in weather natural or are they caused by climate change?

In the centre of this controversial storm is Penn State climatologist, Michael Mann, an accidental and reluctant public figure who was flung to fame when he and his colleagues published The Hockey Stick Graph. This easy to understand graph extends records of temperature back in time and shows that the rise in temperature the earth has been experiencing in the last number of years has never been seen before on this scale.

Mann brings the reality of global warming down to a personal level, reporting that Ireland has one of the highest per capita carbon emissions in the world. Tune into Futureproof this Saturday to find what could happen to Ireland if climate change continues in this way and what we, as a country can do to fight global warming.