Sir, – I write on behalf of Friends of the Earth regarding Bobby McDonagh's article "We want to have our cáca milis and eat it on issues of climate and Irish unity" (Opinion & Analysis, December 20th).
Mr McDonagh’s article provides some food for thought but does not cover the full plate when it comes to Irish attitudes on climate action.
At the outset, we very much agree with his points that there is a need for politicians to move beyond vague aspirations and demonstrate political courage and for the electorate to recognise such leadership at the ballot box.
Where our analytical palates perhaps differ is the article’s implication that there may be a lack of acceptance or support for certain climate actions among the Irish people.
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For several years the contradiction between “ambitious objectives and strong objections to taking practical steps” has primarily been seen, not among the public, but within the walls of Leinster House (and certain government departments), despite legal obligations. It should be noted that, unlike questions of future Irish unity, we now have an improved legislative framework on climate in the form of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 which can hopefully provide a “coherent and thought-through approach”.
In relation to “cost-free aspirations”, it is now incumbent on Government to make clear that, such is the scale of the climate crisis, failing to prioritise near-term measures carries significantly worse burdens for society than that of investment in reducing emissions. It is also important that allowing time for appropriate assessment of measures does not become the politics of predatory delay, whereby the need for change is accepted but substantive action is deliberately kicked to touch.
In relation to polling, we expressed our concerns to this newspaper in October regarding the framing and phrasing of certain polling questions on climate measures. We noted that the proposed actions were largely superficial and negative and we therefore reject the latest assertion that these are the “most obvious possible measures”. However, we welcome the more detailed Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI polling results in December which show not only a high degree of support for Government climate action, but also that a majority are willing to make changes even if it involves some inconvenience.
We would add to this the EPA’s recently published report Climate Change in the Irish Mind, a comprehensive study of Irish people’s attitudes, preferences and behaviours. This representative survey of 4,000 people is a treasure trove of information. It shows a significant public awareness of the climate crisis, as well as strong support for Irish climate action, including for climate policies across agriculture, energy and transport. The results, broken down by gender, age, education and area, are essential reading for everyone, particularly politicians and the media.
In short, while the task facing Government is far from simple, there is much more meitheal among the Irish people when it comes to climate action than a basic desire for the cáca milis. – Yours, etc,
JERRY MacEVILLY,
Head of Policy,
Friends of the Earth,
Dublin 2 .