Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Street thermometer in Bilbao showing extreme 50 degrees Celsius heat in summer. Alamy Stock Photo

Heatwaves, blackouts and storms 'Fail to prepare, prepare to fail'

Barry Andrews says that with a changing climate and uncertain global political landscape, we can no longer be complacent about preparing for emergencies.

WHAT WOULD YOU do in an electricity blackout? How would you stay in contact with your family if you could not charge your phone?

Do you have a store of non-perishable food at home? Anything in your freezer would go off quickly.

power-outage-in-spain-traduccion Power outage in Spain in April. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

What if the local supermarkets were also cut off from electricity? What if you could not get your medicines from the local pharmacy for several days? Do you have a store of cash? Do you have an emergency bag, ready to go, whether you need to hunker down or need to leave your house rapidly? In such an emergency, the first 72 hours are crucial for you and your family.

Such a blackout is not as improbable as you might think. Those of us who remember the 1980s will remember blackouts were not uncommon, but thankfully rare since then. They were rare in Spain also, until last April when most of that country had a blackout for over 10 hours, causing huge disruption to millions of people. Mobile phones didn’t work. Trains stopped. Madrid airport shut down.

How prepared are we in Ireland?

In Ireland, currently, 44% of our electricity is generated from natural gas, and over 70% of that comes from two pipelines from the same source in Scotland. Those pipelines run parallel to one another before branching apart towards Meath and Dublin.

Late last year, a Russian spy ship was escorted out of Irish waters after it was observed in the vicinity of those pipelines, prompting the Government to order an inspection to ensure that neither had been damaged. The Government has since concluded that even one severed pipeline would take at least six months to repair.

Imagine Ireland was hit by a massive electrical blackout after one of those pipelines had been severed. Emergency power will have to be diverted to hospitals, water and sewage services and ports. Ireland’s main industries, along with commercial flights, universities and gyms, could stop operating. Many, if not most, family homes in Ireland would be without power.

We have an Office of Emergency Planning within the Department of Defence, but their basic website doesn’t inspire confidence that we would handle such a major emergency well.

The introduction page of the latest handbook on how to prepare for emergencies is written by “An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern”! The world, I would suggest, has slightly changed since Bertie’s time. The Russian threat to our infrastructure now is clear, the challenges with social media and disinformation, which can cause serious confusion in a civil emergency are recognised, and our climate is more volatile than ever.

Plans from EU

The EU is asking Member States to get ready and be prepared for emergency scenarios which mean stockpiling unperishable food, water and medications to last 72 hours. It means learning how to live without running water in your house. Most importantly, it means knowing how to access emergency information and advice without internet or phone access. Here the old-fashioned battery-operated radio is probably the most reliable communications device your home could have.

emergency-supplies Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Ireland’s geographical location as an island behind another island on the periphery of Europe, has its advantages and disadvantages. Our geography no longer offers us the same advantage of safety in a hyper-connected world. It has not prevented cyberattacks on our healthcare system, nor aggression in our waters.

When the responsible EU Commissioner launched a ‘preparedness strategy’ in March, right before the Spanish blackouts, her social media video especially led to some derision and online trolling, but for many European countries, this is deadly serious.

Given the history of harsh winters and experiences with Russia over the centuries, northern European countries have led the way in emergency planning. Most Swedish families for example would keep a good store of water, food, blankets and alternative heating at home.

After Storm Éowyn left thousands without power, there was rightly anger over the failure to restore power quickly in certain parts of the country. We unfortunately will have many such storms in the coming years. Even Leinster House had a blackout this week.

esb-networks-crew-working-to-restore-power-in-avoca-avenue-in-blackrock-co-dublin-after-storm-eowyn-left-one-person-dead-more-than-a-million-people-without-power-and-caused-significant-travel-disru Thousands were left without power after Storm Éowyn. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The first step is awareness. On this island, it is easy to feel that threats are far away. However, the risks are real. The Department of Defence should update its online media strategy, for starters.

The second step should be ensuring that we have enough resources to withstand the primary impact of a crisis, namely, medical supplies and backup sources of energy. Creating a plan for community hubs with distribution and care capacities would help ensure that no one is left behind.

The third step is preparation. We can work within the EU to ensure our energy sources, water supply, and communication infrastructure can withstand extreme weather events due to climate change and possible sabotage, including cyberattacks.

A great Irishman once echoed the famous words, ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’.

My guess is that Roy has his emergency bag packed.

Barry Andrews is MEP for Dublin. 

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

View 22 comments
Close
22 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds