Sir, – As we approach the end of the Decade of Centenaries, one wonders if today’s political leaders give much thought to what history will have to say about their legacies in years to come.
Politics is disproportionately focused on short-term thinking. Combatting climate change requires thinking in the long term, and acting in the short term.
When it comes to politics, it is all too tempting for politicians to ignore the plight of our fellow global citizens – particularly the poor – and the plight of those who will follow us, both in Ireland and across the globe.
Will the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin in particular be able to look themselves in the mirror in years to come and say that they did everything they could to contribute to halting the climate and biodiversity crises that they were on full notice of?
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“If we don’t step up urgently, future generations will not forgive us”, then-taoiseach Micheál Martin exhorted at Cop27 last year. “Across the world, we are witnessing the reality of a changing climate – record temperatures, wildfires, floods, and droughts. What were once exceptional events are now occurring with increased frequency and ferocity”, he said.
In 2019, Ireland declared a climate and biodiversity emergency. This declaration was endorsed by the Government and Opposition parties without a vote. Yet we had the highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the EU in the second quarter of last year. Moreover, we had the highest increase in emissions across the EU in the third quarter of last year compared to the same period the year before.
And still our emissions continue to climb.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has predicted the we will not achieve our legally binding target of a 51 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.
Instead, it estimates a 29 per cent reduction.
Do our political leaders not wonder if future generations will look at their photos, as they themselves might look at photos of the leaders from the revolutionary period, and think: “The science was clear. They knew. They made plans, but they didn’t lead or act with real urgency. They were consumed with chasing the votes of people who are now long gone, who do not have to deal with this catastrophe”?
History is watching. – Yours, etc,
ROB SADLIER,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Accepting a small proportion of nuclear energy does not mean abandoning renewable energy. We need a mix of energy sources; renewable and nuclear can work well together. Nuclear fission is the best way forward (unless or until nuclear fusion is achieved).
Unless Ireland is prepared to accept, and support, a proportion of low-carbon nuclear energy on our electricity grid, irregular renewable systems will proliferate, requiring increasing levels of natural gas baseload.
The Citizens’ Assembly in 2016 set the scene of nuclear neglect by omitting it from debate on “How to make Ireland a leader in tackling climate change”. Nothing has changed.
The EPA has noted (very recently it must be said) that transformational change is needed to deal with climate change; also, that there’s little hope of meeting commitments for 2030 even if we implement present ambitious renewable energy plans. So where are they on removal of the two legal barriers to nuclear energy? – Yours, etc,
Dr ANNE BAILY,
Carrick-on-Suir,
Co Tipperary.
Sir, – Understandably at this time of the year, when wind power is at its minimum production capacity, nuclear power is promoted as an alternative.
If there were to be agreement immediately to embrace nuclear power and the money found to build a nuclear power plant, we are currently talking about a, at least, 20-year period for it to become operational.
My opposition to nuclear is not cost or time.
Since the 1960s, there has been a nuclear accident practically every decade and I believe that even a minor nuclear mishap would be devastating for Ireland. Chernobyl still has a 1,000 square mile exclusion zone, and the area around the plant, once home to 120,000 people, is now mostly deserted.
Given the record of projects like metro rail and the national children’s hospital, I just wouldn’t have confidence that we would be safe if State agencies were to be in charge, which I assume they would have to be.
There is sufficient gas in our waters, with investment and expertise in existing companies, to provide transitional security in our energy needs.
We have to stop trying to be “best boys in class” regarding the EU and, although a major challenge, climate change.
We must be realistic and pragmatic and prioritise the needs of the people of Ireland. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN CONNOLLY,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4.