Sir, – Speaking recently in the European Parliament, the Taoiseach spelled out his deep unhappiness at his own Government’s wholly inadequate response to climate change. “As far as I am concerned, we are a laggard. I am not proud of Ireland’s performance on climate change . . . There are lots of things that we intend to do so that we can meet those targets.”
As evidenced in the Dáil by Leo Varadkar and his Government colleagues’ attempt to prevent the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill going to committee stage, one of the things he is not prepared to do is to release his Government’s firm embrace of the fossil fuels that have brought about the climate emergency we now experience. The logic of the science and the morality of the international commitments are incontrovertible. We cannot both meet our commitments to our EU and global partners to stay well below 2 Celsius of average global temperature rise while also permitting further exploration for fossil fuels. This is a contradiction in terms, a betrayal of those already deeply impacted by the consequences of our historic and current emissions and an abandonment of future generations. The most central obligation of any public representative is the protection of citizens. This action fails that test. – Yours, etc,
PHILIP KEARNEY,
Chairman,
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Climate Change Committee,
An Taisce,
The National Trust
for Ireland,
Tailors’ Hall,
Back Lane, Dublin 8.
Sir, – I wonder if Bríd Smith and the other TDs who voted to ban fossil fuel exploration in Irish waters will be selling their cars, giving up flying and heating their houses, or is it simply more hypocrisy along the lines of sending our toxic waste abroad and refusing to countenance clean nuclear power while using nuclear power generated abroad? – Yours, etc,
KIM ROBERTS,
Killimer, Co Clare.