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Climate action demonstration in Dublin in March RollingNews.ie

Ireland just became the second country to declare a climate emergency after a 'strange' Dáil vote

Climate activist Greta Thunberg described tonight’s move as “great news”.

IRELAND HAS BECOME the second country in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency this evening. 

The move comes after a Fianna Fáil amendment to the Oireachtas report on Climate Change was accepted by both sides of the Oireachtas without a vote. 

Earlier this week, the Green Party moved a Dáil motion to declare a climate emergency after the UK did the same earlier this month. 

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said tonight’s declaration came under somewhat “unusual circumstances” after he moved the Fianna Fáil motion in the Dáil without any of the party’s TDs being present in the chamber. 

Ryan added that “it will be of little meaning unless we are now willing to act on the recommendations of the Committee.”

Commenting on tonight’s vote – for which less than 10 TDs were present – Ryan said: “It was strange. I moved the Fianna Fáil amendment and the motion as amended was agreed, without anyone calling a vote in opposition to it.”

“Still glad it was agreed,” he said. “Time for climate action now.”

Deputy Green Party leader Catherine Martin TD has said “the Government has to act now and take concrete steps to change course on climate. Ireland is going to miss its climate targets and this will have devastating impacts for our environment, our planet and our children.”

Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD Hildegarde Naughton, who heads up the Climate Action Committee, tweeted following tonight’s vote: “We now have cross party support in declaring a climate and biodiversity emergency.”

“Action now needed,” she said. 

The move comes following Extinction Rebellion climate change protest in London last month and a landmark UN report earlier this week which concluded that nature is at more risk now than at any other time in human history with over one million animal and plant species in danger of extinction.

Ireland’s attempts to tackle climate change have made headlines repeatedly in recent months. 

Ireland’s performance in taking action against climate change was ranked the worst in Europe in a report published in December

The Climate Change Performance Index ranked Ireland 48th out of 56 countries, with a score of 40.84, far below the EU average of 60.65.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has previously described Ireland as a “laggard” on the issue as it will miss emission reduction targets and faces significant EU fines. 

Reacting to tonight’s vote, 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg welcomed Ireland’s climate emergency declaration. 

She tweeted: “Great news from Ireland!! Who is next? 

“And remember: #ClimateEmergency means leaving fossil fuels in the ground.” 

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102 Comments
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    Mute Ole dan tucker
    Favourite Ole dan tucker
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    May 9th 2019, 11:13 PM

    Now taxpayers, trousers down and bend over

    846
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    Mute Renton Burke
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    May 9th 2019, 11:33 PM

    @Ole dan tucker: and to top it off, we have no plan for reduction of burning carbon, but have great plans for purchasing carbon credits. Just checked ESB for example had started to claim carbon credits for converting vehicles to battery. errr… you guys burn the fuel to make this. But you’re right – levies all round and nothing changes!

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    Mute Honeybee
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    May 10th 2019, 12:08 AM

    @Renton Burke:
    Carbon credit fraud in the EU: how does it work? – The Irish Times
    https://www.irishtimes.com/…/carbon-credit-fraud-in-the-eu-how-does-it-work-1.388…
    BoI and Ulster Bank used in tax fraud carbon credits trading – Irish Times
    https://www.irishtimes.com/…/boi-and-ulster-bank-used-in-tax-fraud-carbon-credits-tr…

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    Mute Cormac McKay Dublin
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    May 10th 2019, 1:57 AM

    @Ole dan tucker: it’s either do it now or kiss a happy retirement good bye because it will every man and woman for themselves

    10
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    Mute Michelle McCabe
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    May 10th 2019, 6:31 AM

    @Ole dan tucker: exactly. Just another excuse to tax tax tax

    49
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    Mute Zippy
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    May 10th 2019, 7:08 AM

    @Ole dan tucker: yep and no lube!

    23
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    Mute Michael Kavanagh
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    May 10th 2019, 7:25 AM

    @Ole dan tucker:
    Maybe the bit of Eco Virtue Lube will take the sting out of it ……. ouch!

    8
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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    May 10th 2019, 9:52 AM

    @Cormac McKay Dublin: Do what now ? Let 10 TDs pass climate legislation that will result in nothing more that an excuse to raise carbon taxes ? Raising energy costs for struggling families does not result in using less energy and reducing Co2 emissions. It results in families struggling even more and increasing revenue for the Government. If people could afford to change to electric cars or more efficient and cheaper to run home heating systems, don’t you think they would ? Loading more taxes on their shoulders will only make it less likely that they can make changes to the way they use energy. Though we could always go with the Extinction Rebellion model for a cleaner world, and on cold winter nights have the family huddle around the single candle they use for heat and light.

    25
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    Mute Liam Neeson
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    May 9th 2019, 11:27 PM

    All TDS will be cycling to work from Monday and no more world wide travel junkets so…

    342
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    Mute Joe Murphy
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    May 10th 2019, 12:03 AM

    @Liam Neeson: Here here lead by example.All state cars to be Nissan Leafs,Renault Zoe’s

    169
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    Mute Liam Kelly
    Favourite Liam Kelly
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    May 10th 2019, 10:46 AM

    @Joe Murphy: You obviously havnt seen the fossel fuel generators that have to suppliment the electric car charging ports.

    The whole electric car fiasco is yet another fossel fuel burning disaster.

    40
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    Mute this_is_ireland
    Favourite this_is_ireland
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    May 9th 2019, 11:13 PM

    Irish politicians: there’s Climate emergency in the UK…. hmmmm we are close to the UK….therefore there must be one here too… quick to the bat mobile and announce one here too

    336
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    Mute Marty
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    May 10th 2019, 7:58 AM

    @this_is_ireland: I live in the UK and it seems lately everything the UK does we follow suit a few weeks later

    59
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    Mute conor Murphy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:08 AM

    @Marty:
    It’s a pity we don’t try and leave this mobster gang they call the E.U.

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    Mute Sandra Duffy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:20 AM

    @conor Murphy: I glad we don’t. The EU has been the most successful cooperation of diverse countries in the history of civilisation. It has brought us social and working and conditions that are half a century ahead of those in the US. And far greater food and environmental protections to boot.

    50
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    Mute Al.Dunne
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    May 10th 2019, 9:07 AM

    @Marty: except leave the EU that is

    4
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    Mute Al.Dunne
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    May 10th 2019, 9:07 AM

    @Marty: except leave the EU that is

    3
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    Mute Jack
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    May 10th 2019, 11:02 AM

    @Sandra Duffy: unfortunately Sandra some don’t remember what Ireland was like before we joined Europe…

    13
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    Mute Emmet Noonan
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    May 10th 2019, 12:20 PM

    @conor Murphy: Yeah then we can deal with stable genius Trump and Theresa Mayhem.

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    Mute Honeybee
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    May 9th 2019, 11:59 PM

    The climate emergency can line up behind the housing emergency, the health service emergency, the education emergency, crime and policing emergency, public overspending emergency on the national children’s hospital,the broadband emergency ,the fair deal and carer’s emergency etc etc etc and to think all of ten TD’s were present for the latest emergency,we just roll over from one emergency to the next , all solutions amount to taxes , beware of the greens.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    May 10th 2019, 12:21 AM

    @Honeybee: The Climate and Extinction emergencies trump all others.

    96
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    Mute Dave Harris
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    May 10th 2019, 12:41 AM

    @Honeybee: there’s a Climate Emergency- and all you can think of is taxes.
    Shame on you

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    Mute Honeybee
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    May 10th 2019, 1:05 AM

    @Dave Harris: Why would you say that Dave, I am simply pointing out that some lives are fraught with more pending realities , I am sorry if you do not understand the implications.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 10th 2019, 1:26 AM

    @Honeybee: the Greens screwed motorists by ensuring road tax is the highest in Europe when they backed Brian Clown’s FF government.

    66
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    May 10th 2019, 7:30 AM

    @Dave Harris: Blaming ordinary people for this “Climate Emergency” is no more than an excuse to impose more tax, which will do nothing to change anything, and impose lifestyle controls which are of much more importance for governments.
    100 companies/corporations are responsible for 71% of the serious greenhouse gas emissions. That is what has to be tackled before one cent of tax is imposed.
    https://www.sciencealert.com/these-100-companies-are-to-blame-for-71-of-the-world-s-greenhouse-gas-emissions

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    Mute Guy Walton
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    May 10th 2019, 7:51 AM

    @Honeybee: I think even at this point you are missing the severity of the situation. If nothing is done it will lead to mass migration of human populations and the fractures this causes in society will undoubtedly lead to war or even genocide.

    16
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    Mute Dermot Foley
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    May 10th 2019, 8:07 AM

    @Honeybee: no it can’t. What’s the use of sorting any of that out if there’s no earth to implement them? Get your priorities straight.

    10
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    Mute Jimmy Carroll
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    May 10th 2019, 8:33 AM

    @Dave Harris: the sooner climate change comes the better, Irish climate is crap

    14
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    Mute Dave Harris
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    May 10th 2019, 9:08 AM

    @Jimmy Carroll: is it though? Sure the rain is an inconvenience but Ireland is blessed with a moderate climate without huge hurricanes, really cold weather, endless droughts, high temperatures etc.

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    Mute Liam Kelly
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    May 10th 2019, 10:47 AM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: brainwashed zombie

    8
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    Mute Geraldine Fenton
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    May 10th 2019, 12:06 PM

    @Honeybee: climate change is a smoke screen for the real problems and Ireland ratio to the rest of the world is

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    Mute Tim Pot
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    May 10th 2019, 1:42 PM

    @Gus Sheridan:

    can you provide an example of how you were ‘screwed over’ because I looked into this and most people would pay the same or more if they had kept it the way it was.

    1
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    Mute Dermot Foley
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    May 9th 2019, 11:14 PM

    Pardon my cynicism, but this means absolutely bugger all unless there’s some definitive action that follows this up. We can spend billions on broadband for the countryside (which we will never own) but do next to nothing to educate people on positive steps to stop climate breakdown. Go figure.

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    Mute wormtubes
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    May 9th 2019, 11:23 PM

    @Dermot Foley: just an excuse for more taxation.

    278
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    Mute Finbarr Whelan
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    May 9th 2019, 11:25 PM

    10 TDS in the Dail for a vote ? I wonder where everyone was

    174
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    Mute Garreth Mc Mahon
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    May 10th 2019, 12:42 AM

    @Finbarr Whelan: reducing their carbon footprint by not being there

    86
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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    May 10th 2019, 1:19 AM

    @Garreth Mc Mahon: Well there was definitely a lot less hot air been produced.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    May 10th 2019, 1:23 AM

    @Garreth Mc Mahon: me too

    4
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    Mute Eric Davies
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    May 10th 2019, 11:08 AM

    @Finbarr Whelan: bar !

    1
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    Mute Charles McGuire
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    May 10th 2019, 12:18 AM

    The green party need to look at themselves, they were the ones to cause a generation of car owners to dirty diesel. They unfairly taxed the poor and favoured the rich, how? If you bought a brand new bmw for 100k you paid less tax than a struggling family trying to keep their 10 year old estate car on the road.

    219
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    Mute brendan H
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    May 10th 2019, 1:25 AM

    @Charles McGuire: New diesels are not dirty anymore and are getting cleaner, the co2 is way lower than petrol and the nox is negligible. Its old news now but the greens are like a dog with a bone.

    62
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    Mute Tim Pot
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    May 10th 2019, 1:46 PM

    @Charles McGuire:

    brand new car also has to pay vrt

    pre 2008 cars are still being taxed according to engine size.

    can you give an example of where the injustice is?

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    Mute Tim Pot
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    May 10th 2019, 3:46 PM

    @Charles McGuire:

    also you’re essentially blaming the green party for vw cheating the eu emissions regulations.

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    Mute wacker macker
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    May 10th 2019, 12:28 AM

    That’s it I’m selling the car, getting rid of the oil boiler, I’ll install quad glazing, I’m going to fill my attic to the rafters with insulation, I’ll never eat meat again, I’ll switch off everything that uses electricity, I’ll install solar panels on the roof, I’ll replace all light bulbs with low energy ones etc etc…Now if we can get everyone in America, China, India, South America to do the same maybe we can save the planet, yeah sure.

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    Mute Mia Morrissey
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    May 10th 2019, 6:58 AM

    @wacker macker: China etc is manufacturing goods for the all us in Europe …. so we can impact

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    Mute Geraldine Fenton
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    May 10th 2019, 12:10 PM

    @wacker macker: what about the rain forests in Brazil which are disappearing which is causing far More problems
    Please get this government put before we will be on our knees with taxes while they are living in luxury

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    Mute TechBuzz Ireland
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    May 10th 2019, 12:38 AM

    New tax alert.

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    Mute John
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    May 9th 2019, 11:55 PM

    3 – 5 billion would go a long way in increasing SEAI gant’s for the people of this country to help cover a greater share of the costs of making their homes more energy efficient and reducing carbon emissions going forward. I’d much prefer see money spent on this than rural broadband. I myself like in the heart of the countryside with no fibre broadband passing my door. I have a satellite dish that I get 50Mb through.. it’s not terribly fast but does what i need it to do for now.. everyone else not getting broadband currently have the same option of getting it this way the same as myself and others. I wish people would stop bloody whinging all the time and go and do something about it other than moaning.

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    Mute Garreth Mc Mahon
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    May 10th 2019, 12:44 AM

    @John: you just moaned

    31
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    Mute John Declan
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    May 10th 2019, 12:23 AM

    The other 155 TDs were in the Dail bar, discussing increasing the legal age limit for Alcohol to 20 years. The Greens grasped the opportunity to stick it to the Irish People and they now don’t have to go to Asia or Africa to protest where the real problem lies, because they’ve saved the World, yippy.

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    Mute Finbarr Whelan
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    May 9th 2019, 11:28 PM

    10 TDS in the dail ? I wonder where everyone was ? They mustn’t have thought it was that much of an emergency

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    Mute Sean Brennan
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    May 10th 2019, 1:06 AM

    Nobody in the Dail to debate issue – because there out plastering the country with their toxic plastic posters and single use cable ties. Micro plastic fibers are airborne and impacting our wildlife, more and more scientific evidence emerging on this. That’s where the real bio-diversity emergency is. It’s hypocritical of Greens and all others in body politic talking the talk – but not walking the walk. Lead by example will yis for feck sake and ban the plastic poster.

    78
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    Mute Tyrone Williams
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    May 10th 2019, 6:12 AM

    The environmentalists got us to change to plastics to save the trees, they got us to move to diesel to reduce petrol consumption.
    Now we are being vilified because their advise was wrong.
    We are now being coerced into moving to electric cars.
    In 10 years these same environmentalists will be attacking electric car owners when they realise that 70% of our electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels and disposing of the batteries becomes an environmental nightmare.

    69
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    Mute Sandra Duffy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:26 AM

    @Tyrone Williams: My electricity comes from renewables. More and more will be as development continues. The batteries will recyclable. Try not to be such a miserable old goat.

    24
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    Mute Eric Davies
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    May 10th 2019, 11:20 AM

    @Sandra Duffy: does it REALLY though sandra ? a lot of ‘energy’ companies SAY they are using ‘renewable’ sources to produce the energy in our homes – but in fact what they are doing is ‘trading’ on the renewable markets – i.e. for every ‘unit’ of electricity you use in your home – your supply company ‘buy’s’ renewable energy credits (carbon credits) from elsewhere , its a way of by passing rules on renewable energy without actually going all out to produce it themselves . there is an advert running on tv at the moment for an energy company in the uk that states it ‘produces’ ONLY renewable energy — in a ‘sidebar’ at the bottom of the screen it says “that for every unit of non renewable energy our customers use we will purchase a unit of renewable energy credits” – so they are NOT producing this renewable source of energy -merely ‘buying’ it from elsewhere !! question is who is producing all the ‘renewable ‘ energy that is ‘sold’ to these companies – or more-so does it actually exist at all -or is it just another con ? !

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    Mute Sean Brennan
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    May 10th 2019, 11:57 AM

    @Tyrone Williams: More and more new initiatives are being used for our electricity source. E.G. Solar power – and were still only learning more ways to capture this energy. Germany and Denmark are already taking the lead on this. Not forgetting wind and wave power too. This energy source was kept capped because the great fossil fuel companies feared its impact and no funds available for research. And they were right, because it is the future.

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    Mute Stephen O'Donoghue
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    May 10th 2019, 12:52 PM

    @Sandra Duffy: What a ridiculous thing to say, your electricity comes from renewable. You do not have a special electric line from the company, we all use the same ones, my electric is the same as yours, only yours has a insignificant label attached to it.

    6
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    Mute @mdmak33
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    May 10th 2019, 12:22 AM

    The dail voted 3 months ago in declaring a housing emergency in Ireland, the government was defeated and a housing declared in the dail,NOTHING has changed, it’s not worth the paper its recorded on,yet opposition were out looking for praise.

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    May 10th 2019, 1:45 AM

    This cold damp country is already paying way over the odds for everything , ordinary Joe soaps are going to be penalised for apple , Facebook, Google, warm office’s,because carbon tax is pumped in on Joe soaps even the cows in the field,,it’s a pure pisstake

    52
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    Mute Neville Bartos
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    May 10th 2019, 7:12 AM

    The planet currently has 7.7 billion people.

    By 2100 it will 11.2 billion by 2100.

    The majority of the growth being in Africa.

    Are any politicians talking about this as part of climate change control or is it not PC?

    45
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    Mute Sandra Duffy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:30 AM

    @Neville Bartos: American and Europe contribute the most CO2 emissions per capita and have done for generations. It is up to us as rich countries to set an example and to develop policies and technologies the poorer countries can use as they develop. In fact though China is probably the current world leader in developing such new technology. They aren’t sitting on their backside whinging that someone else should be doing it.

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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    May 10th 2019, 9:24 AM

    @Neville Bartos: YOU GOT IT! But we’re a daft little country that thinks we can play a major part on the World’s stage.

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    Mute Niamh McCartney
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    May 10th 2019, 10:17 AM

    @Neville Bartos: actually even though the population growth might be happening there they are not responsible for the majority of the footprint and will also experience the majority of the negative effects….and of course don’t benefit from the infrastructure of the global giants causing the bulk of the damage to be able to respond to it so are the most vulnerable. Hardly fair is it?

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    Mute Hatchjaw
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    May 10th 2019, 10:25 AM

    @Neville Bartos: Your right. One child policy globally if we are serious about saving the planet.

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    Mute SeldomSeenKid
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    May 10th 2019, 5:20 AM

    Tax. Shakedown.

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    Mute M Stuart
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    May 10th 2019, 7:44 AM

    How is it possible that Eamon Ryan the Village 1DIOT is still allowed in the Dail. The Greens have ONE TD and they can still shaft us.

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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    May 10th 2019, 9:26 AM

    @M Stuart: The name of the game, my friend. They helped to destroy the economy of this country when in unholy partnership with F.F.

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    Mute Marc Power
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    May 9th 2019, 11:57 PM

    A “strange” dail vote? …….. is that supposed to be different to normal?

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    Mute jamesdecay
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    May 10th 2019, 12:10 AM

    Sounds like an emergency. Maybe we should hand out some blankets so ye can all find a safe space to rock yerselves to sleep.

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    Mute thephantomshit
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    May 9th 2019, 11:46 PM

    Why are these young people so scared of change?

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    Mute Brian Ó Dálaigh
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    May 10th 2019, 12:32 AM

    @thephantomshit: Perhaps because it will result in millions of climate refugees as the Middle East and other areas become uninhabitable, a collapse in our ability to produce food as the availability of precipitation changes, insect populations and other pollinators collapse, and the reduction of available arable land occurs, all coupled with an increase in both the occurrence and severity of diseases such as dengue fever and unpredictable weather events and rising ocean levels occurs. This is all on top of our sterilisation of the world’s soils and irresponsible use of pharmaceuticals leading to the rise of superbugs, such as increasingly stronger strains of measles. Yeah, they’re right to fear this change.

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    Mute Nigel Mcatamney
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    May 10th 2019, 7:03 AM

    Housing Emergency…… Anyone……????
    Nope….

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    May 10th 2019, 7:51 AM

    And here we go : white blanket to cover any increase of taxes, fees, carburants, bin charges, blaming and fining people for the ”greater good”, no matter of the consequences or if it will be efficient. Another big decision before election.

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    Mute Owen
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    May 10th 2019, 8:34 AM

    Every politician who signed up to this can no longer use an airplane

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    Mute Sandra Duffy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:58 AM

    @Owen: That old canard. Doesn’t ever get boring?

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    Mute Shane O'Neill
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    May 10th 2019, 8:58 AM

    No plan, and no clue – as usual. 10 TDs decide to virtue signal when the rest aren’t there. Big win for the environment (somehow). There are hundreds of aspects to the ever changing climate many of which are out of our control but in the control of many larger countries that do not see this as such an impending doom. Our planet is being destroyed by deforestation pollution and the degradation of our somewhat delicate ecosystems around the world. Our problem is not the burning of fossil fuels which release the CO2 that will be necessary when we need to plant millions of trees to regain our balance – and other problems include the ignorance to problems nuance.

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    Mute Sandra Duffy
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    May 10th 2019, 9:01 AM

    @Shane O’Neill: You must be an American conservative. They are generally the only ones who seem to be still use this daft argument without embarrassment.

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    Mute Cormac McKay Dublin
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    May 10th 2019, 1:55 AM

    Can we now please abandon obsolete destructive decisive primitive outdated overpriced 20th century transport solutions BusConnects and MetroLink and please invest in real 21st century transport infrastructure that’s future proof and public transit people would actually want to use
    The DublinLoop

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    Mute Thomas McGuire
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    May 10th 2019, 9:26 AM

    Start simple. Relax the planning exemption thresholds, e.g. right now you can only install up to 12sq m (or 50%, whichever is smaller) of your roof with solar panels and not need planning permission.
    Would cost “you” nothing, but enable those who want to install them to install larger arrays without additional costs and planning time delays.

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    Mute Sandra Duffy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:38 AM

    Good start. I’ll be scrutinising candidates in the forthcoming elections to see how they are prioritising practical climate change mitigation measures for Ireland and Europe.

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    Mute Front Line (Retd)
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    May 10th 2019, 7:05 AM

    The fact that only 10 TDS were in the Dail when this piece of legislation was moved shows the lack of interest shown. When we cut out fossil fuels what do we replace it with and as we are not the main polluters on this planet how do we get the bigger economies to do their bit?
    Do we want to see our beautiful countryside or foreshores covered in windmills or solar panels just to appease the few? Tough questions even tougher outcomes if we don’t get to grips with an impending doomsday scenario.

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    Mute Sandra Duffy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:34 AM

    @Front Line (Retd): appease the few? We all use energy and we all emit CO2 and so far we’ve been one of the worst in the EU at tackling reduction.

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    Mute conor Murphy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:04 AM

    It means nothing, sorry to to say but we are on a runaway train and the brakes don’t work.

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    Mute Ann Experiment
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    May 9th 2019, 11:39 PM

    Fourth, actually. Scotland, Wales, & then UK (as a whole, I guess?)

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    Mute Karllye kripton
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    May 10th 2019, 6:19 AM

    Yep because the few million people on this island

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    Mute Sandra Duffy
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    May 10th 2019, 8:35 AM

    @Karllye kripton: Everybody has to do their bit. Everyone waiting for someone else to tackle the problem is what has us on the verge of global carastrophe.

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    Mute Karllye kripton
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    May 10th 2019, 1:24 PM

    @Sandra Duffy: that’s fine but until the big super powers do it we and just giving ourselves hardship

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    Mute Gowon Geter
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    May 10th 2019, 1:52 PM

    @Sandra Duffy: Are you using a computer? Are you using a smartphone, Are you using social media sites that have huge datacentres ?
    Best way to help the Climate is to reduce consumption.
    As for your renewable Eleictricity, pure hogwash, like tax it all goes into and comes from the one pot, Electricity is not stored. Renewables are traded as a comodity on the Energy Market along with Carbon Credits

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    Mute Seán Dillon
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    May 9th 2019, 11:51 PM

    Hopefully it wont mean job losses!

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
    Favourite TamuMassif2019
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    May 11th 2019, 1:07 AM

    @Seán Dillon: The children who are calling for this will soon change their minds when the carbon tax effects the cost of things in college later on for them, I think its a jumping on the bandwagon movement?

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    Mute Thomas Newell
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    May 10th 2019, 10:11 AM

    Dear Tax Payers of Ireland, buy as much vaseline and lube, bend over and prepare to be used by these vegetables we elected to use you as a climate change tax cash cow……that is what this emergency really means

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    Mute Patrick Swan
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    May 10th 2019, 1:32 PM

    Ireland has the lowest forest cover in Europe. Start there. And stop fining people for using scooters.

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    Mute John Kennedy
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    May 10th 2019, 9:17 AM

    Heads up and reality check for Timmy Dooley et al,
    as I write this comment our electricity demand stands at 3773Mw, renewables (windy mills et al) are contributing 6Mw, not enough to charge you phone, 3767Mw are being produced from fossil fuels.
    Source: http://smartgriddashboard.eirgrid.com/#roi

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    Mute Thomas McGuire
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    May 10th 2019, 10:00 AM

    @John Kennedy: Pretty sure 6,000kW is sufficient to charge a smartphone

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    Mute Garreth Mc Mahon
    Favourite Garreth Mc Mahon
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    May 10th 2019, 12:40 AM

    Too much shite hawking in politics

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    Mute Fred Coloe
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    May 10th 2019, 9:35 AM

    Electioneering nonsense!!

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    Mute Maria Kenna
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    May 10th 2019, 10:18 AM

    Ireland were ranked as one of worst countries in the developed world for tackling climate change and will not reach their 2020 or 2030 targets with current mitigation measures… so this is frankly embarrassing to read and could not be more transparent as a PR political stunt as usual.. Twould drive you to drink

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    Mute Jack
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    May 10th 2019, 11:10 AM

    3 billion broadband? Hmmm where do we get the money?

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    Mute MichelleHay
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    May 10th 2019, 11:04 AM

    Incorrect, as Scotland was first, England second and Ireland third.
    Absolutely vital that Ireland / corporate / community starts doing something constructive about processing the huge amounts of trash produced, we must reduce plastics use and recycle more, stop using peat, wood and oil to heat homes. Whole industries are built on this concept in other countries. Pay people to deliver their trash to centres to encourage this. Included in the environment damage are to stop killing every living insect, bee and spider with constant Roundup use. It goes into the water supply we drink, the wells, the fields and kills off any life in the sea from the runoff. And we wonder about the high incidence of cancer? The beauty of this country won’t be around for long if some drastic action isn’t taken at some speed to let nature back in.

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    Mute Stan Linehan
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    May 10th 2019, 7:30 PM

    Tax tax tax always the solution in this country

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    Mute Stan Linehan
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    May 10th 2019, 7:29 PM

    More and more taxes , as if we don’t pay tax already on fuel. Meanwhile I still have to get to work regardless .

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    Mute Seamus McMonagle
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    May 10th 2019, 11:51 AM

    Aspirations and declarations of emergency are all very well, but what is needed are practical solutions and action. Here is one practical course of action from me: http://www.gaeltech.ie

    1
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