Madam, - It comes as no surprise to read today's letter (Nov 30th) from Liam Aylward MEP (Fianna Fáil). Climate change relates to increased emissions of man-made greenhouse gases, including CO2, into the atmosphere which will result in increased temperatures and shifting weather patterns, causing a range of knock-on impacts. Climate change is not about the depletion of the ozone layer per se. Surely the vice-president of the European Parliament climate change committee should know that?
Secondly, the fundamental principle of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was that developed countries reduce their emissions first as they are the ones responsible for creating the problem.
In theory, developed countries' per capita emissions are to contract; while developing countries' per capita emissions are allowed to rise, as their economies grow, and converge together at a safe and sustainable level the planet can support. While China and India, as developing countries, have relatively large and growing economies, the central issues are that they are starting from a low base, have low per capita emissions and are entitled to grow their economies - as we have already done.
This is not an excuse for developed countries to do nothing until China and India agree to "cut" their emissions - this was always the plan as set out in the original treaty.
It's a bit rich, especially for a Fianna Fáil politician, to complain about perceived unfairness regarding China and India while ignoring the blatant hypocrisy of Ireland's dismal record - our own per capita emissions are among the very highest in the EU, while Irish emissions are currently 25 per cent above 1990 levels when the target is to be no more than 13 per cent above it in 2012.
- Yours, etc,
JARLATH MOLLOY, Stanford Road, London.
Madam, - Liam Aylward is mistaken is his statement that "unless all key players are actively involved in reducing C02 emissions, we will lose this battle and the ozone layer will deplete." Ozone depletion is caused by chloroflurocarbons (CFCs), not directly by CO2. The active agent in the CFCs is the chlorine, not the carbon. If we lose the battle Mr Aylward refers to, the consequences of the depletion of the ozone layer (increased UV radiation causing glaucoma and skin cancer) will be a more long-term problem than the immediate problems of excessive atmospheric CO2 (temperature increases, sea-level rises, etc). As he states that he is the vice-president of the climate change committee in the European Parliament, I would have hoped he would have been better informed.
- Yours, etc,
FERGUS JOHNSTON, Usher's Quay, Dublin.