Delivering An Inconvenient Truth to the new Dáil

Friends of the Earth sends Al Gore movie to all 166 TDs

Friends of the Earth is sending all 166 members of the new Dáil a DVD of Al Gore's film about global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, and a copy of a draft Climate Protection Bill which the environmental pressure group wants to see become law. The action is part of Friends of the Earth's Act for Climate campaign for a law to make sure Ireland does its fair share to prevent runaway climate change.

Commenting, Friends of the Earth Director, Oisin Coghlan, said

"The 30th Dáil has a particular historical responsibility for Ireland's response to climate change. It will oversee the full five years of Ireland's Kyoto commitment and our participation in the negotiations on what happens after 2012. We need our elected representatives to be at the forefront of shaping Ireland's response to the challenge ahead. We thought the least Friends of the Earth could do was make sure that every TD had the chance to see Al Gore's movie and read our Climate Protection Bill".

Ireland has so far failed to curb its contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions which are causing climate change. Our emissions have so far risen by twice the target we agreed to for the Kyoto period up to 2012. Beyond that, the EU has already agreed that European pollution will have to fall by 60-80% by 2050 to keep climate change in check. That means Ireland's emissions will have to fall by an average of 3% a year from now on. Friends of the Earth is calling for a law to make sure this happens.

The Climate Protection Bill would introduce an annual "Carbon Budget", in parallel with the existing financial budget, to control emissions. An annual audit of progress by an independent commission would underpin the continual improvement and strengthening of government policies to reduce climate pollution. A similar law is now being introduced by the British government after two years of campaigning lead by Friends of the Earth.

The special delivery of An Inconvenient Truth to the members of the new Dáil is being funded by Friends of the Earth supporters around Ireland who are "Adopting a TD" at 10 euro a go to cover the costs of the DVD.