Sir, – The recent kerfuffle over the proposed banning of oil exploration off the coast of Ireland reminds me of what Kevin Myers described as “epidemiological rain-dances”, the ineffectual yet sacrosanct rituals prescribed to try to inhibit the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
As Matthew Glover points out (Letters, June 13th), crude oil is fungible, therefore allowing unrestricted oil imports from the global oil markets while banning oil from nearby is simply pointless and probably counterproductive. It’s akin to a fastidious restaurant patron insisting on a gluten-free main course but following up with a regular flour-based dessert, a scenario all too familiar in these times of fads and social media-driven self-righteousness. – Yours, etc,
PAUL KEAN,
Dublin 8.