It would appear from the following article in last months Irish Times that us sceptics should no longer be tolerated. Thank goodness the author of Minister Hayes' favourite quote, Winston Churchill, prevailed last century or I suspect that I together with many other dissenters would be early candidates, if not the first, up against the wall. It is rumoured that Paul MacDonnell of Insurance Ireland, (conference attendee at which the Minister was speaking) who uttered the unspeakable heresy that "flooding correlated not to weather but poverty and bad planning." was picked off while trying to escape through a rear exit!
Climate change deniers 'need to be swept aside'
Minister tells conference coping with flooding may mean working with nature
Climate change deniers "are lying to themselves and lying to the country and they need to be swept aside", Minister of State Brian Hayes said yesterday.
Mr Hayes, who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works, was speaking during a question-and-answer session at an OPW flood-risk management conference in Dublin Castle.
"The scientific evidence confirming climate change is compelling," he told the 250 attendees, many of whom came from communities in the south and southeast badly affected by the past winter's storms and flooding. "We must now accept the reality of climate change and prepare for the likely consequences.
"Coping with frequent flooding will, in some cases, mean working with nature, rather than controlling it.
"In some situations flood management may include the restoration of natural flood plains and a willingness to allow rivers to flood in a controlled manner in order to prevent greater damage."
Dealing with the problems generated by climate change meant being "honest and realistic about what we can do". Not every yard of coast or beach could be protected; "we cannot defend every field"…
The conference also heard from speakers representing the insurance industry, agriculture and business.
Ian Talbot of Chambers Ireland spoke of the employment and financial costs of repeated flooding, and cited one small firm in Coothill that lost €15,000 a week over the past winter due to flooding.
Paul MacDonnell of Insurance Ireland said flooding correlated not to weather but poverty and bad planning. Adequate flood defences allowed insurers to assess risk.
Tom Turley of the IFA said the Shannon and other rivers should be dredged. "We can't wait for reports and planning."
Further information on Cfram may be had from cfram.ie
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