Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan has issued a stark warning of climatic Armageddon unless there is a dramatic reduction in global emissions. Marie O'Halloranreports.
"If we ignore this challenge the threat posed is beyond any catastrophe, war, famine or natural disaster which occurred on the planet for hundreds of millions of years," he told the Dáil during a debate on climate change.
Global temperatures should not go beyond a 2 degree increase, which would require a stabilisation of emissions within 15 years, followed by a reduction of at least 50 per cent over the next 45 years. "This will require a 50 per cent reduction in developed countries, which are historically responsible for most of the emissions which remain in the atmosphere for at least 200 years, and for us to consider cutting our emissions by 60 per cent to 80 per cent over this period."
As a "leading emitter of greenhouse gases, we have a responsibility to do our bit", he said.
"While the Chinese and United States governments have crucial roles, if we do not lead they will not take part in the solution."
Mr Ryan said Ireland was one of the most exposed countries in the world in terms of dependency on fossil fuels, especially oil.
"Approximately 90 per cent of our energy comes from imported fossil fuels. The average in the European Union is 64 per cent."
Mary O'Rourke (FF, Longford-Westmeath) told the Minister that he needed to "infuse the Cabinet with your messianic zeal".
Ms O'Rourke said party members expressed the view that they were "glad the Green Party is in Government because they somehow feel green issues will be looked after. This is not good enough."
She also said it was fraudulent that the Kyoto Protocol "allows for countries to purchase carbon credits, a concept with which I have great difficulty. That is a cop-out."
Labour spokeswoman Liz McManus said the climate change challenge would fail unless it was led by the Taoiseach.
"The inconvenient truth is that we cannot depend on the Green Party Ministers to bring about the transformation needed."
She said "they will not be able to turn the tanker around unless there is a fundamental change from all the relevant ministries".
Sean Barrett (FG, Dún Laoghaire), chairman of the new Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, said that starting with small steps "will lead to big things".
It would help "to switch off lights or computers when they are not needed. Every evening we see lights blazing in government departments, yet politicians lecture everybody else on the need to conserve energy."
Sinn Féin spokesman Arthur Morgan said wave and tidal energy were two areas with huge potential. However, they received just €1.4 million in State-sponsored research funding.
This suggested that "work on this sector is still of a very minor scale, and that there is no real indication that energy production from wave and tidal generation will increase to the extent it must if the targets are to be achieved".
John Deasy (FG, Waterford) said there was "an elephant in the room" in the energy debate.
When people attempted to discuss "the cleanest and potentially the most cost-effective energy source - nuclear energy - as a solution, people around here run for the door like frightened children".
He added that the Minister had no idea how much nuclear power would cost "because no one has undertaken a comprehensive study in this country on the cost and cost-effectiveness of a nuclear plant".
"The new reactors are built in 14 months, not an extraordinary period."