Letters to the Editor: Climate data on eating red meat speaks for itself

Research published in the journal Science in 2018 revealed that avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way that we as individuals can reduce our environmental impact on the planet.

According to Our World in Data, beef tops the table — by a considerable margin — of food products for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per kg of food product, at a massive 99.48kg (lamb and mutton and then dairy are the next-highest emitters).

Ireland had the highest greenhouse (GHG) emissions per capita in the EU in Q2 last year, and agriculture is by far our biggest sectoral emitter at 38.4% of total emissions.

Avoiding meat also means your diet is not dependent on the slaughter of animals.

Farmers may be angered by the EPA’s advisory, but it is bitterly ironic that it will be they and their successors who will be in the front line of those affected by climate breakdown. The IPCC has warned that farmers will face increased and more intense rainfall, floods, and droughts resulting from climate breakdown. Angered farmers might give some thought to how angry their successors will be when they are tormented by these.

What will their successors think when they learn that some of their predecessors silenced a respected public body by demanding that it remove evidence-based advice that had the future of humanity — including them — in mind?

What will they say when they discover that their predecessors — while it was still possible for humanity to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown — campaigned to carry on down the “business as usual” road of destruction?

Rob Sadlier

Rathfarnham

Dublin 16

No sympathy for hoteliers on Vat rate

With reference to the recent return of the 13.5% Vat rate for the hospitality sector and hairdressing amongst others, I would like to refer to comments made by Irish Hotels Federation president Denyse Campbell, who said “it is a serious blow to our sector”.

Well it was a “serious blow” to everybody else when the Vat rate was reduced and not passed on to the consumer, whether in the price of a room, a meal, or a drink. It dropped by 4.5% and the hoteliers, etc, didn’t reduce prices so they won’t get much sympathy here and I’m sure from a lot more people.

Ciarán McCarthy

Ballinlough

Cork

Adjust electoral ratio to reduce TDs

There have been reports from the electoral commission which suggest that we should increase the number of TDs in this country. This is broadly based on the increase in population; the constitutional requirement is of one TD per 30,000 citizens.

This constitution was created when communication with elected representatives was difficult and mostly done in person or by post.

TDs of that time did not have staff to assist them in the Dáil or in constituency offices.This coupled to modern instant communication methods,would seem that this 30,000 to one ratio is outdated. There are 160 TDs at present who represent five million citizens. Britain, which has a population of 66m, has 650 MPs.

If you applied the same ratio there as here, the UK parliament would have 2,100 MPs. Instead of increasing the number of TDs we should increase the ratio to 50,000 citizens per TD (by constitutional referendum), and thus reduce the number of TDs to 100 which would be quite adequate and save us millions per annum.

Tony Walsh

Tramore

Co Waterford

Fail to succeed for success within FAI

If Vera Pauw is anything to go by, perhaps Stephen Kenny might consider that the better option would be to fall in line with the FAI strategy of failure being altogether more preferable than success.

It’s worked well for him so far.

Liam Power

Dundalk

Co Louth

Flight of footie

The speed with which the FAI decided not to renew Vera Pauw’s contract is bewildering when one recalls the lethargy with which they dealt with mind-boggling mismanagement in the past.

Aileen Hooper

Stoneybatter

Dublin 7

FAI is king for courting bad karma

The FAI would seem to have an enduring penchant for creating chaotic, rash, and reckless scenarios vis-a-vis national team management issues. Such ‘diplomatic’ disarray surfacing cyclically, betrays a basic flaw and flimsiness in the inept governance of the organisation in the round.

The recent World Cup odyssey was an absolute triumph for the women’s team and their manager, inspiring the nation and especially young girls all round the country.

Whatever their reservations about over-egged extraneous matters, the football pay-off premium was beyond dreams.

What distorted notions wafted though their decision to deny the country of a successful and inspirational manager going forward? For courting bad karma, FAI is king.

Jim Cosgrove

Lismore

Co Waterford

BRICS wouldn’t suit the State of Ireland

In response to Brendan Butler’s letter — ‘Ireland should align with BRICS’ (Irish Examiner, September 1). Indeed empires have limited lifespans, we merely need to look at the attempt of Putin to rebuild the Russian empire and the attempt of China, with its flailing economy, to construct an obedient block of blackmailed, backwards autocracies to see how fruitless imperialism can truly be.

On the other hand, while the United States is suffering from a deep malaise it still holds core values which, alongside the European Union, are crucial in underpinning our very way of life and seeking solutions to that discontent. Do we seek to align with the appalling human rights records and catastrophic civil dysfunction of the likes of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia and China? Do we seek to join a meaningless talking shop which solely exists to extend the influence of autocracy and primarily China?

With no executive, no central bank, no currency, no security organisation and no shared values; it cannot rival the prosperity and freedoms liberal international institutions offer. The democratic alliance is the only path forward for an Irish state which values human life, prosperity, sovereignty and dignity.

Andrew Dunne

Rialto

Dublin 8