Ireland’s transport-related greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 3.7% in 2016 and 13% in the last four years, the Environmental Protection Agency said today.
Private car use accounts for the majority of land transport emissions.
“This is driven by economic and employment growth and shows no sign of abatement in the short term. The increased use of diesel more than offset a decline in gasoline and biofuel use in 2016,” a press release from the agency said.
Agriculture emissions also increased by 2.7% and energy industry emissions increased by 6.1% — with these sectors and transport making up a large part of the national overall 3.5% increase in 2016.
Stephen Treacy, senior manager in the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability said: “These figures confirm that greenhouse gas emissions keep step with economic growth unless appropriate interventions are designed and implemented. The National Mitigation Plan outlines what is needed to move Ireland to a low carbon economy. What we need now is to back this up with investment and action particularly across the highest emitting sectors, agriculture, transport and energy.”
ALSO READ: EPA DATA SHOWS AA UNDERPLAYED IMPACT OF CARS ON CLIMATE CHANGE TO OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE
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If only there were a simple way to travel short distances in a non-polluting environmentally sustainable way, I’m sure everyone would adopt it. In the meantime, unfortunately, we absolutely need our cars for the school run, nipping to the shops and sitting in endless traffic jams.
Anecdotally, the quality of air on my daily commute has decreased. It’s particularly noticeable on cold mornings and the air STINKS of diesel and car fumes. It’s fucking horrible and I genuinely resent the lazy selfish arseholes in cars that I know are only traveling a few kilometers, and who are poisoning me and degrading the environment I live in.
No, no, no. That can’t be right. That nice Mr. Faughnan from the AA explained that cars don’t produce any more emissions than a couple of people. He has no stake in this so we can trust his opinion implicitly and certainly shouldn’t look for any outrageous assumptions.
Ok, sarcasm off. While looking for the quote on that I found a link to the AA’s blog which kind of beggars belief. Apparently cars are “the most effective solution we have”, to what I’m not sure, since it isn’t clearly stated.
Also, “The progress made in car design over the last decade or so has been astonishing. Emissions have been reduced to the point where they really are not polluting anymore.” So since that’s the case then where does the pollution come from? Trucks? Cyclists? Chemtrails?
http://www.theaa.ie/blog/car-free-day-to-achieve/
I’m certain the question was rhetorical and he feels his own implied answer is great, but to answer it anyway (because to hell with what the AA, and Conor Faughnan in particular, wants) actually I think the point of car free day is to make life a little bit more pleasant for people in the city and perhaps to allow people to realise that they are not actually utterly dependent on their cars and that for a lot of people it is in fact possible to live without one. I can see why the AA is against that.