Sir, – I think that whilst we all agree that as mere custodians of the planet we should at the very least be handing it on to future generations in the same state that we found it.
Sadly this will not be the case until drastic actions are taken as a matter of urgency and so the Climate Action Plan was produced to much fanfare this week.
The plan, if implemented, will result in many changes to the way we live and additional costs to most of society.
Therefore it must be sold to the public, to this end Tánaiste Leo Varadkar appeared on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland yesterday to give it the big sell.
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However when faced with a difficult line of questioning he retorted by accusing the interviewer of being “negative” .
This coming from the Tánaiste and leader of Fine Gael, traditionally the guardians of the public purse, does not fill me with much hope that the Government will be able to sell the necessary actions to the public.
We need much more leadership from our leaders on this critical issue. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY O’DUIBHIR,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Our Government has published its plan to contribute to the management of the world climate crisis over the next eight years, currently being discussed at Cop26.
We are pumping raw sewage into our rivers and the sea at this moment. What chance have we got of completing the world climate crisis plan if we cannot even deal with the safe disposal of our raw sewage and the provision of fresh drinking water, which on a number of occasions has had to be boiled or bought in plastic bottles. Are we not entitled to a secure clean water system and to know that our raw sewage is being dealt with in a way that fish in our rivers and bathing in our seas are completely safe.
I’m afraid I have little confidence in the Government to come even close to succeeding in achieving their plan to save our environment.
– Yours, etc,
KENNETH TOWNSEND,
Greystones, Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Full marks to the Government for setting out Ireland’s Climate Action Plan. By its very nature such a plan cannot address every aspect to everybody’s satisfaction.
However, we all now have a “route map” which should not be treated as a political manifesto, but as means of survival. In that regard Opposition TDs should not seek to make political capital, and instead unite with the Government on this single critical issue.
– Yours, etc,
MIKE CORMACK,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.
Sir, – It would appear that an objective of the revised Climate Action Plan is herd impunity.
– Yours, etc,
EOIN HOLMES,
Westport, Co Mayo.
Sir, – The “Tragedy of the Commons” is that if I remove some of my sheep my neighbours will simply increase theirs and over-grazing will continue. Messrs Putin, Modi and Xi are not shepherds, but they sure understand the principle.
– Yours, etc,
BILL BAILEY,
Ballineen, Co Cork.