Climate Change Strategy Up in Smoke as ESB sticks to

Thursday April 10, 2003 14:49

by Graham Caswell - Green Party

Press Release

The Green Party has claimed that the Government must immediately rewrite their Climate Change strategy following the decision by the ESB to maintain Moneypoint as a coal fired power station.

Green Party Energy spokesperson, Eamon Ryan TD, said today, "Irish greenhouse gas emissions are soaring way beyond our agreed Kyoto limits. As a result we face massive financial penalties if we do not change our ways. Five million tonnes of CO2 is emitted from Moneypoint power station each year. The Government's overall climate change strategy required a reduction of 13 million tones of CO2 from current usage. A key element of the Government's strategy was based on the ESB switching to gas at Moneypoint. This was a cornerstone of the Government's climate change strategy.

"The ESB's decision to stick with coal can be understood on the basis of security of fuel supply considerations. Yet most new power stations are fueled by gas which have lower CO2 emissions. The problem with gas is that it is
likely to experience volatile price fluctuations as the fuel economy comes to an end. We will also find ourselves at the end of a long and fragile gas pipeline from Siberia.

"So where is the Government's alternative energy plan? CO2 emissions are Ireland's main contribution to greenhouse gases which come mainly from power generation, 37% and transport, 22%. Yet in both these areas the Government is
overseeing significant emission increases rather than reductions.

"Despite having the best wind resources in Europe Ireland's record for building new wind generating stations is still only a fraction of the development in other countries. The Government refused to invest in the same transmission
connections to wind farms that they provided for polluting plants such as Moneypoint. For example, Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy has cut the tax incentives for alternative energy generation which initially encouraged people into the business."

"Our CO2 emissions from Transport are expected to have increased by 180% by 2010 and despite the Climate Change Strategy commitment to a modal shift towards public transport we are now spending five times more on new roads which will encourage people into their cars. Meanwhile our Minister for Finance has paid lip service to the need for environmental energy taxes. In reality, at EU level, Charlie McCreevy and his Department are blocking moves toward a common approach to the introduction of a CO2 tax. The Tanaiste is even more publicly sceptical about the merits of energy taxes."

"This ESB Moneypoint decision has effectively led to the scrapping of the Government's Climate Change strategy. The Green Party is now challenging the Government to outline the precise details of how Ireland is to meet its commitments."

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Comments (4 of 4)

Whinging is more effective

by anon

Fri Apr 11, 2003 15:45

You're right, Badman. Whining and whinging and complaining and occassionly marching up and down O'Connell street shouting with the usual crowd is much more effective than involvement in politics could ever be.

I mean, its not even necessary to understand politics to dismiss it and concentrate on more important and effective strategies, like talking shite in the pub.

Thank you for your very valuable contribution.

The american model

by Gaillimhed

Thu Apr 10, 2003 16:25

The american model once again: increase and subsidise fossil fuel consumption, obstruct national and local environmental initiatives, dismantle public infrastructure and erode democracy.

Pathetic Right Wing Lip Service

by Chris - Amsterdam

Thu Apr 10, 2003 16:16

Yet again our right wing government is exposed for it's total disregard of environmental issues.
There is no long term strategy concerning the environment that is not the token lip service we are all accustomed to by now. How can McCreevy (and the rest of the government) possibly justify a cut in tax incentives for renewable energy investment? What this means is they have absolutely no interest in encouraging the sector,which must only be described as pathetic.

Sheesh

by Badman

Thu Apr 10, 2003 15:59

Graham, why not add all your press releases as comments to a single article. They are clogging up the newswire.

You could call your article:
"The greens demand that the government do something that they're not going to do in order to make it appear that the greens are doing something"

I think that'd be a good catch-all for all future Greenie press releases.

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Climate Change Strategy Up in Smoke as ESB sticks to

Comments (4 of 4)