We must embrace winds of change
WE need to face up to the requirement for green energy, sooner rather than later.
Climate change is upon us, we accept that, or at least the vast majority do and there is universal acceptance of it amongst the political class in Ireland.
Talk of the introduction of carbon taxes is becoming louder and louder, even if the present Government dodged the issue at the last budget.
Veteran legendary broadcaster David Attenborough is doing his best to try and get decision makers in governments and business leaders in the big corporations to accept climate change but also to act quickly. Again last week he was on the world stage in Davos trying to bring about change.
At 92-years-old, he could be forgiven for hanging up his hat, living out his remaining time in the world he has discovered and brought to us for decades, but he is doing his level best to protect the natural world for generations to come.
Here in Ireland, climate change and the environment are being talked about more often.
Just recently Taoiseach Leo Varadkar caused a storm and angered farmers by saying that he would do his bit for climate change by eating meat less often.
The agriculture lobby hit back by saying that while milk production had increased in recent years, the level of methane gas burped by the national diary herd had actually decreased.
Locally we may have a big contribution to Ireland reducing their greenhouse gases in the future, as the prospect for Oriel Windfarm off the Louth coast, which has been long in the planning, moved a step closer with the announcement that the ESB is to take a 35% stake in the project which is being developed by Belgian company Parkwind.
Once completed in four years time, the windfarm will be capable of generating enough power for 280,000 homes or most of the households in counties Louth and Meath.
The Oriel Windfarm will see up to 55 turbines installed 22km off the Dundalk coast, capable of generating up to 330MW of electricity while reducing carbon emissions by up to 600,000 tonnes a year.
Like it or not and there are always detractors and opponents to any large scale infrastructure project such as this, but we need the Oriel Windfarm and other similar projects to advance to replace Ireland’s dependency on fossil fuels.
Back in 2005, Ireland’s first urban wind turbine was erected in Dundalk Institute of Technology. The turbine was to generate 80% of DkIT’s electricity needs beyond heating and cost €1 million.
At the time it was a bold move and the turbine became a modern symbol for Dundalk.
Doing nothing is no longer an option. Ireland has been accused of lagging behind other nations in addressing climate change.
Wind farms such as the one proposed off Dundalk is not a solution, but it is a start and a step in the right direction.