Letters

Reaction to Cop28

Finding the right solutions

Wed Dec 13 2023 - 01:30

Sir, – Nobody wishes climate change to be taking place. However, Irish representatives at Cop28 – in particular, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan and Elder Mary Robinson – are demonstrating a level of naivety in their proposed solutions; and are using arguably bogus, or at least vague ideas, in science to support their position.

While it is agreed that science has revealed that humans caused climate change, there is no precise consensus on what specific scientific and technological solutions are required to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees by 2050. In essence, current proposed solutions sound extreme – a sledge hammer to a walnut, so to speak.

We are talking about an entire planet, and our science is not sophisticated enough to reveal an optimal path to clamping temperature rises in stated timelines. Therefore, solutions being proposed by many climate change activists are based on broad principles only, and not on specific and optimal solutions. Many see these proposals as potentially risky, too expensive and, indeed, not capable of fixing the problem.

Cop28 president Al Jaber is not entirely incorrect in his argument that, as he says, “there is no science behind the need to reduce fossil fuel burning...” For example, we could continue to burn fossil fuels if we found other technological capabilities to offset the carbon dioxide build-up caused by fossil fuels. And that would solve the climate change problem.

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It is not an unreasonable position to take to argue for a future that includes fossil fuels; after all, climate change aside, essentially all advancements in the world have been powered by fossil fuels. Climate change activist solutions sound extreme; and while they may argue that the issue is extreme and urgent, there is no guarantee that they will solve the problem. And, as Al Jaber has indicated, there is a risk that implementing such solutions may take the world back to the caves.

Both Eamon Ryan and Mary Robinson are arguing in generalities and, indeed, may be championing the demise of important global systems hard won over the centuries. – Yours, etc,

KEVIN NOLAN,

Dublin 16.

Sir, – Why have a Cop28 climate summit in Dubai when all we need is Cop On? Very simple. – Yours, etc,

RICK DAVITT,

Cork.

Sir, – It seems clear from watching Cop28 that we have sold our souls to the fossil fuel producing nations. Now we are just haggling over the price. – Yours, etc,

DAVE ROBBIE,

Booterstown,

Co Dublin.