Environmentalist Duncan Stewart said he will be using his new platform as a “freeman” of Dublin city to “embarrass” politicians who are not acting in the best interest of the environment and the welfare of future generations.
Mr Stewart was speaking ahead of a ceremony in the Mansion House on Wednesday evening where he, and Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg, were awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin by Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy.
While Mr Stewart attended the event, Ms Thunberg, who is based in Sweden and does not fly because of the carbon emissions produced by the airline industry, did not. She did, however, delegate two representatives of the youth climate strike movement in Ireland, Jessica Dunne and Sumaya Ahmed to attend on her behalf.
Mr Stewart, who until recently presented the long-running Eco Eye television series said he was “shocked, embarrassed, undeserving,” but “thrilled to see the environment being given a platform at long last – and I mean at long last because we have major problems in Ireland with the way we disregard climate change”.
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He said he had great admiration and regard for Ms Thunberg and criticised attempts by some politicians to “create a split” between her and the Green Party.
A number of Independent city councillors had said Ms Thunberg’s nomination amounted to “greenwashing” of the poor record of the Green Party in Government.
“These politicians are playing to an audience for votes, they are only interested in getting elected or staying in power and they will knock everything else to get in power. In my view these people are not acting for their children’s future,” Mr Stewart said.
“Greta Thunberg and the Green Party are very much on the same focus. We have to stop this negative publicity by politicians. Now I have the freedom of Dublin to really embarrass these politicians to make sure they don’t ever get elected again.”
Mr Stewart also criticised Fine Gael and Sinn Féin for what he said was their failure to support EU nature restoration laws. He also blamed the electorate for continuing to support parties who were not making a stand for the environment.
“There is no sign of Ireland meeting its 51 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and every year we miss we are digging the hole deeper and it’s going to be harder and harder to get out of this situation.,” he said.
“It’s not just politicians who are to blame for this, our electorate don’t seem to care about the environment. When it comes to elections we don’t see this becoming the priority issue it deserves. It is the most existential challenge ever faced by human civilisation and Ireland needs to wake up; we are not performing, we are a laggards in Europe, we as a society need to start acting responsibly.”
As a freeman of the city he said he would “speak out much louder and much more clearly, even if it’s not through television, I will be bringing this information and supporting those who are making the efforts to make the change”.
The environmentalists were nominated by Ms Conroy, whose term as lord mayor comes to an end next week, due to their efforts to help us tackle “the most pressing global problem of our time,” she said.
“Humans are suckers for lies” and “tarted-up half-truths” that the world has always faced climate change. “Science advises us that if we succumb to these notions we are done for,” she said.
“I am honoured to present The Freedom of the City to Duncan Stewart and Greta Thunberg. This award is the highest Civic honour Dublin city can bestow. It is a privilege for me to confer the Freedom on these two very deserving recipients, both of whom I admire greatly.”
Both recipients received gifts from the Lord Mayor. Mr Stewart was presented with Ready to Fly a sculpture made from 4,000-year-old bog oak by Irish artist Tony Downey, while Ms Thunberg will receive a “nature-inspired” drop pendant made from three “gum nuts” suspended from a hand-forged hoop by Iris jeweller Shimara Carlow.
