A Chara, - The smug spin in Government circles that the devastating threat of climate change is under control is far from the truth.
Records for heavy rain, flooding, hurricane and typhoons - as well as drought and duststorms - are increasingly being broken. Reports in this week's Irish media alone mention "10 million Chinese affected by typhoon", "thousands homeless after hurricanes in Florida", and "flash floods bring chaos to Derry".
The dramatic rise in insurance claims worldwide is also part of this trend.
Research proving that rainfall is becoming heavier in Britain and Ireland will come as no surprise to anyone caught in heavy rain recently. Dr Jim Osborn of the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia has found that, in the 1960s, 7 per cent of all rain fell as heavy rain, whereas during the 1990s 15 per cent of rainfall was classified as heavy. As atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, the weather at mid-latitudes will continue to become wetter.
The catastrophic effects of unfolding climate change are worse than any terrorist attack. Avoiding this nightmare scenario of tragic loss of life requires a cut of 60 to 80 per cent in current CO2 emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The Kyoto Protocol is a tiny first step aiming at a 5.2 per cent global reduction in 1990 CO2 levels by 2012 at the latest. Far from even complying with the generous derogation given to Ireland (allowing an increase of 13 per cent), the latest greenhouse gas emissions here in 2002 were 29 per cent above the 1990 level, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
Meanwhile, the Irish Government continues to deny the gravity of current climate change. By failing to reward and develop low-energy economic activity in Ireland this Government is guilty of being party to an unspeakable crime against humanity worldwide. - Yours, etc.,
TREVOR SARGENT,
Leader/Ceannaire,
Green Party/Comhaontas Glas,
Dáil Eireann,
Dublin 2.