Madam, - The "bystander effect" is a common psychological phenomenon. The effect suggests that if a person knows that many other people are aware of a problem, he or she is less likely to take action to solve it.
Climate change suffers from the biggest bystander effect of them all. If everyone else knows about it, let someone else do something.
The Bali climate change conference tried to draw the world community together to address this urgent issue, with little success.
In the past Ireland has taken a lead on other international initiatives such as the millennium goals and the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GDP for development aid.
Today Irish citizens produce 17 tonnes of CO2 per capita. In these terms we are the fifth largest emitters in the world. If we are not prepared to make an effort to change, how can we expect others to do so?
- Yours, etc,
GAVIN HARTE, Dartmouth Square, Dublin 6.