New Dail must legislate to tackle climate change
10 Jun 2007
Stop Climate Chaos, an umbrella group of Irish aid, environment, faith and youth organisations, has called on the incoming government to introduce legislation to reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 3% a year.
The recently formed coalition [1] is holding an Umbrella Action Day at 3pm at the Martello Tower on Sandymount Strand in Dublin today. Billed as a fun, family day out with a serious message, the crowd will raise their umbrellas in a call for a law to protect the climate. Speaking ahead of the event, Oisín Coghlan, Director of Friends of the Earth, said: "Today's event is a chance for the public to send a message to the government that we want to see real action to cut Ireland's climate pollution. Bring an umbrella, bring the kids and a picnic, do a biodiversity survey and have some fun, but above all show the government you want Ireland to do its fair share to prevent climate chaos."
What that fair share is has become clearer after the G8 deal on Thursday, which will see the US join UN talks aimed at halving global emissions by 2050. EU Heads of Government, including Bertie Ahern, have already said achieving that goal will mean richer countries cutting their emissions by 60 - 80%. "The sort of reductions Ireland needs to make can't be made overnight, and they certainly can't be made at the last minute. That's why Stop Climate Chaos wants to see legislation that cuts pollution step-by-step, year-by-year until we reach our target. If we start now that means cuts of about 3% a year," Mr Coghlan added.
The G8 talks on climate change and Africa remind the world that it is the poorest communities on Earth, who have done least to cause climate change and are least able to withstand its impacts, who are being hit first and hardest. In Bangladesh alone, tens of millions of people could lose their homes and livelihoods to flooding from sea-level rise and storm surges if we let climate change run out of control. ENDS Notes
1) The members of Stop Climate Chaos are: ActionAid, Afri, An Taisce, Cap and Share, Christian Aid, Climate Action Ireland Platform (CAIP), Comhlámh, Concern, Cultivate, Eco-Congregation, Eco-Unesco, Feasta, Friends of the Earth, Gorta, Kimmage Development Studies Centre, Methodist Church in Ireland - Council of Social Responsibility, National Youth Council Ireland, Oxfam Ireland, People Against Climate Change, Students Against Climate Change, Trócaire, Voice. 2) At today's Umbrella Action Day event Choreographer Muirne Bloomer and some dancers will lead the crowd in an umbrella demonstration to the strains of the Beach Boys "Wouldn't it be nice". 3) Stop Climate Chaos makes three demands of the incoming government: - Ensure Ireland does its fair share to prevent climate chaos by immediately bringing in a climate change law which provides for an annual carbon budget and 3% year on year reductions in Irish green house gas emissions.
- Push for an international agreement to keep the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius or less. This means that global greenhouse gas emissions must reach their peak and begin to decline irreversibly within 10 years.
- Support developing countries to adapt to the unavoidable effects of climate change.
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