Sir, – I have observed and participated closely in the Irish energy and climate change debate over recent years and am heartened to see the rise in associated discussion in The Irish Times, particularly as a result of the COP21 climate change summit in Paris.
as a scientist, citizen and father, I see the protection of our planet for future generations as our shared number one priority. However, our national energy policy is a shambles and shows no signs of improving through the soon to be published White Paper on energy. Major vested interests continue to have the most influential voices.
The Department of Energy and successive governments remain convinced that using wind energy almost exclusively as our renewable energy source is the best path forward. However, the Environmental Protection Agency clearly reported in 2013 that even if we achieve our nominal target of 40 per cent electricity through renewable sources by 2020, that we will achieve less than half of our corresponding greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.
As New Scientist magazine stated earlier this week, more than half of carbon emissions come from industry, transport, agriculture and buildings. These are the areas where we are found seriously lacking in our energy approaches.
What the powerful wind energy lobby endeavours to keep quiet is that the variability and intermittency of wind energy, in addition to lack of viable energy storage solutions, result in the need for our fossil fuel-based energy plants to run in cycling mode in the background for when there is either too much or too little wind. This inefficiency results in only a marginal reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, when using wind energy as the primary renewable energy source.
The obvious starting point for us nationally and globally is energy usage reduction and not expansion of energy generation. This approach saves money, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and actually creates jobs, such as retrofitting buildings to reduce energy needs.
Every citizen in this country needs to get the unspun facts and contribute to the energy and climate change discussion. It’s critical to our future. – Yours, etc,
DARYL KENNEDY, PhD
Raharney,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – Your editorial of December 5 on the climate change conference in Paris rightly highlights the fact that the rhetoric of the conference "must give way to action" to curb global warming.
An Taisce finds fault with the fact that Ireland is seeking an exemption for agriculture. It advocates that Ireland shuts down its beef production in large areas of the country and convert the land to forestry.
Your editorial says that instead of asking for major cuts in agriculture, the alternative could be to “make meaningful commitments . . . on eliminating peat and coal-burning power plants and on fossil fuel extraction, including fracking”.
As any action is going to have a big impact on the livelihoods of many Irish people, this debate is going to get much more attention in the years ahead.
Decisions on what actions are necessary are not going to be easy. – Yours, etc,
A LEAVY,
Sutton,
Dublin 13.