At Cop 24, the UN climate change conference in Poland, the recent IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report which warned the world has 12 years to hold climate change to 1.5% C was blocked from being accepted thanks to the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Is there really anyone unable to work out what unites these four countries or what is going on here? Faced with an inconvenient report from the world’s leading climate scientists and exports, four of the states most involved in oil production simply reject it. They are willing to let the world burn rather than brook any interference with their profits. The Emperor Nero would be proud of them!
But there are huge lessons in this for all us involved in the climate action movement. It shows that the real problem is NOT the attitudes and life styles of ordinary people. It is the system and its priorities – profits before people or planet. It is the giant corporations and the giant states with their economic and military dependence on fossil fuels.
The Irish government may appear very different from the likes of Trump, Putin and the Saudi royals; they wring their hands and promise to do , but in reality their policy is much the same – do nothing. A recent report showed that Ireland is the worst country in Europe as far as meeting its climate change obligations. If catastrophic climate change is to be halted there will have to be revolt from below.
On which note it was good to see activists, including a number from People Before Profit, occupy the Ministry of the Environment on Friday demanding Climate Action Now. And Sunday saw the launch of Extinction Rebellion Ireland. Grassroots activism is springing up in various forms as people grasp the urgency of the situation.
People Before Profit welcomes this and hopes we can all work together to support Bríd Smith TDs Bill to ban further fossil fuel extraction in Ireland to build a vibrant movement and to force the government to declare a climate emergency.
