Sir, – Well done to Frank McDonald (“25 years of trying to save the world”, Weekend Review, November 28th) on his masterly summary of how we have struggled to address climate change. He reminds us that it is 20 years since Angela Merkel, as a scientist and young German minister for the environment, played the critical role in putting greenhouse gas emission reductions on the global agenda. She subsequently provided political leadership for successful EU efforts; between 1990 and 2012, EU28 greenhouse gas emissions fell by 19 per cent, while GDP rose by 44 per cent.
My grand-daughter Grace (6) and her generation depend on Mrs Merkel and the rest of our leaders finding a way in Paris that finally allows us all to both prosper and avoid catastrophic climate change. Posterity will treat them kindly if they succeed. – Yours, etc,
FRANK J CONVERY, PhD
Chief Economist
Environmental
Defense Fund,
New York.
Sir, – COP21 will generate copious and detailed press coverage. But what will it change? If you judge a country’s commitment to act on climate change by its actions, Ireland is not overly concerned.
If we are serious about acting to reduce carbon, we should take action where it is possible and do it as soon as possible.
First and foremost, we should stop burning coal and peat to generate electricity and we should burn gas instead.
Second, we should plan to invest (as and when we can afford it) in a substantial increase in public transport (bus, rail and light rail) so as to reduce private car usage. This is the only significant short-term option readily available to us to reduce petroleum consumption.
Finally, we should work to change Europe’s pretty hopeless energy policy. Instead of financially penalising EU countries that do not meet the European Commission’s arbitrary targets for renewable energy, we should begin to tax carbon across Europe while financing research.
A market-based solution to carbon reduction is far more likely to emerge through a carbon tax rather than through subsidisation of technologies chosen by European civil servants.
What is clear is that neither wind nor solar can deliver the solution to large-scale, low-carbon, base-load electricity generation, the continuing requirement for which is inescapable; all the more so if electric cars take off.
I hope that the energy White Paper to be published in the coming months contains more than platitudes about “empowering energy citizens” and a call for yet more wind farms. – Yours, etc,
EAMONN O’REILLY,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.