Following the recent announcement of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, there was a flurry of press releases from councillors and senators, vying to have their names associated with this data.
All of them quoted information of which the majority of people are already aware:
We know our world is heating up at an alarming rate.
We know the polar cap is melting faster than in previous decadee.
We know sea levels are rising and that we have more severe weather conditions, ie, flooding, hurricanes, raging fires, etc.
We know that burning fossil fuel to generate electricity, heat our homes and provide transportation is one of the main causes of emissions.
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Cllr Noel Larkin.
What our councillors, senators, ministers, and TDs are not telling us, is what is required from us. They are repeatedly giving us the same information, but not the solution! So, how do they propose we implement change?
Carbon tax and home heating
When we look at carbon emissions, the Government's solution is to bring in a carbon tax. This is an extra tax on Income earners, without any gain, just like the USC, VAT, and PRSI. So how does a carbon tax assist us in finding a new way of heating our homes?
We are being asked not to use oil, gas, coal, turf, briquettes, or timber, so how will we heat our homes?
The Green Party has requested we burn properly dried, good quality timber in our open fires. If the timber is wet, instructions on how to dry the timber will be supplied and must be followed.
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Who is going to ascertain whether or not the timber is properly dried and of good quality, without burning it first? Who will police the burning of these timber products? Who will prevent people travelling out to rural areas to purchase turf from people who have turbary rights to harvest and sell the turf? What are we supposed to burn in our fireplaces, in the absence of wood, turf, coal, briquettes?
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan suggested there were multiple options - perhaps he could enlighten us, and also explain the cost implication to households, before ramming through this new ludicrous law.
Retro-fitting homes
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To install a new 'air-to-water' system, which runs on electricity, in an existing home, costs c€20,000. For this system to run efficiently, the insulation in the house needs to be upgraded, costing between €10,000 to €15,000. Windows and doors also need to be upgraded, which can cost c€15,000.
This results in a total average house upgrade cost of €50,000. The maximum grant from the Government is €8,000.
So, as well as paying a new carbon tax, hard-pressed home owners will also need to find €42,000 to heat their homes.
Repeated failures of our successive Governments in tackling the problem of carbon emissions have us now in a position where we are forced to spend huge sums of money to solve the situation.
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Meanwhile, the cessation of turf and briquette production, and banning them in our peat burning power stations, is the epitome of stupidity, as we are now importing briquettes from Poland to power the ESB plants. Is Polish peat better, cleaner burning than Irish peat?
If our Government is serious about retro-fitting existing homes with environmentally friendly heating systems, perhaps a grant of €40,000 would be more appropriate, depending on the requirement of each home. Otherwise it is only paying lip service to the looming problem.
Electric vehicles
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Cars, trains, trucks, buses, boats, ships, and planes all need to cease using fossil fuels, and our deputies in Dublin are advocating we 'go electric', eliminating the use of petrol and diesel. So, let's all 'go electric'. The 500km range of electric cars cost, on average, €55,000. The Government will give a €7,500 grant to individuals who purchase a new electric vehicle. The Government gets a minimum €20,000 from every new car (VRT, VAT, car tax, etc ).
If they were serious about change, why not reduce or remove these charges? Currently only private individuals can avail of the grant. Companies cannot - why not?
The end result is surely the removal of all petrol and diesel vehicles emitting pollutants, buty does that mean we suspend all forms of transport of goods and services until a solution is found? What will power our trucks and ships to transport goods?
Also, with everyone going electric, more electricity will need to be generated, therefore, is the solution to burn more Polish briquettes?
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The Minister for Transport, and Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Communications, Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan TD, was asked how people in rural Ireland, with no access to public transport, could make the changes which he was advocating.
His answer was incredible: "Let's say a local village where there's two or three hundred families...let's have 30 cars which we share...there will always be one available even if it's a short walk to pick it up, or you could cycle down to the local collection point.”
The Minister does not seem to realise that a central point in a rural area could be 10 miles away.
What happens when you get there and there is no car? Cycle home again I guess. There seems to be a serious lack of political intelligence in positions of influence in this country! Can it be deduced that the Green Party's councillors and senators subscribe to these ideals?
Drinking water
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Demand for drinking water outstripping supply is a global problem which should not be neglected. We are at an environmental tipping point which will bite us hard. Do we take our water management seriously?
We are probably lucky here in Ireland, particularly in the West, that we get enough rainfall so water shortage is not posing a problem. However, after a short spell of hot weather, our reservoirs begin to get low and water usage needs to be curtailed.
Low water levels in our reservoirs were reported recently. This leads to high levels of toxicity present in the remaining water. The more water in the reservoir, the more diluted the toxins become.
Is this really what we expect or accept in our water supplies?
Who has the solution?
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In my opinion, I do not believe our current Government, or Opposition parties, are capable of dealing with climate change and implementing a robust plan to guide us through the next 10 years.
All parties are more interested in scoring political points off each other and getting someone to resign some position or other, only to be replaced by similar ilk.
As a nation do we want to, or should we have to suffer, incredible stupidity in Dail Eireann, and the Seanad, almost on a daily basis?
Over the next few years, one of the most important questions we will face is the scale and scope of Government action on climate change, which will generally define the speed with which we move to a low-carbon economy. This challenge cannot be solved without an overarching body, bringing expert guidance and solutions which will work, instead of the half-baked ideas that we are currently being given.
Noel Larkin is an Independent city councillor representing Galway City East.
