The green Party!

[An Gaeilgoir]

From Times OnlineAugust 24, 2008

Greens plot to reduce speed limits
Ministers want vehicles to slow down on motorways and national primary routesStephen O'Brien
A temporary reduction in the speed limit on motorways and other national roads will be discussed by a cabinet sub-committee this week, as the government seeks to reverse carbon-emission increases that are moving Ireland further away from meeting its Kyoto target.

Green party ministers want to bring the limits down from 120kph to 100kph (75mph to 60mph) on motorways and from 100kph to 80kph (60mph to 50 mph) on national primary routes in order to achieve short-term reductions in the country's carbon footprint.

The idea will be discussed at the cabinet sub-committee on climate change in advance of the publication of figures by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showing an increase of about 1% in Ireland's carbon emissions in 2007.

The programme for government commits the coalition to reducing carbon emissions by an average of 3% per annum over five years. The biggest reductions are expected closer towards 2012, the end of the government's scheduled five-year term.

The speed-cuts proposal, which has been confirmed by Dan Boyle, the Greens' chairman, could result in a clash with Fianna Fail as it is clearly encroaching on the political territory of Noel Dempsey, the transport minister.

Any decision on speed-limit changes would have to be endorsed by the full cabinet, but a formal proposal on a transport matter would normally be expected to come from Dempsey's department.

The transport sector, along with agriculture, is among the biggest contributors to Ireland's carbon footprint and one of the most difficult in which to achieve reductions in emissions without having an impact on economic productivity.

"Since going into government, we have been able to introduce a number of measures that will have a medium- and long-term effect in terms of our national carbon footprint," said Boyle.

"What we haven't been able to do yet is introduce some short-term measures that will deal with the problem here and now, and the type of measure that can do that is critically looking at our speed limits. It won't actually cost people anything and they will see their own fuel bills fall."

Maximum fuel efficiency on the open road is believed to be achieved in most cars by driving at about 90kph (56 mph). There would a lot of practical problems to address in reducing limits, however, including the need to change speed signs on a huge number of roads.

Spain's decision to cut its speed limits a month ago was prompted by the rising price of oil. It cut motorway speeds to 80kph and urban speed limits to 40kph.

Even the Germans have been considering making the cultural leap of imposing speed limits on their extensive autobahn network. A limit of 130kph has been imposed near Bremen and Angela Merkel's junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats, threatened at a party conference last year to impose a national 130kph limit to reduce annual carbon emissions by 2.5m tonnes.

Boyle said the extent of the speed reductions imposed in Spain could be unpopular with Irish motorists, but a 20kph reduction on motorways and national primary roads might be acceptable. "Given the scale of the credits we have to buy if we don't tackle the problem, it is something we should give serious consideration," he said.

Provisional EPA figures indicate that the 1% reduction in carbon emissions achieved in 2006 was reversed in 2007. Ireland's target under the Kyoto Protocol is to limit the increase in emission levels recorded in 1990 to no more than 13% by 2012. Between 2004 and 2005, Ireland's emissions increased from 23.5% to 26.5% above the 1990 figure, but then fell by one point to 25.5% in 2006.

The target set in the programme for government is to get back down to 19% above 1990 levels over the next five years, and then pay a fine in the form of carbon credits that are bought to bridge the gap to the 13% target.

The Green party also regards the introduction of a carbon levy — an extra tax on petrol, diesel, oil and coal — as vital to reducing carbon emissions but insists that tax reductions in other areas, particularly on labour, will offset the carbon tax and render it revenue-neutral to government.

The carbon levy is not due to be considered by government until after the Commission on Taxation reports in 2009, but the Greens are expected to push for some progress towards a carbon tax in December's budget.

Noel Brett, chief executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), said he would welcome a national debate on speed limits that examined the environmental and road safety benefits and looked at the economic and social impact of any change.

This was in yesterdays Sunday Times. Surley FF wont allow this to go ahead. Also i read yesterday the green party are looking for all home owners to apply for planning permission to put in patios around their houses, due to all the flooding in certain areas. The country's economy is in trouble and yet again the greens are obsessed with middle class silliness. Its not cars driving at 120KPH who are to blame for global warming or some lad who put down 6 meters of cobblelock at the back f his house who is to blame for all the flooding. The greens however allowed all those new advertising poles go up around the city, but i suppose its not that big a deal as most of them are in working class areas and cant be seen from the ivory towers of Sandymount village.....

[J70]

I don't think this has a hope in hell of passing, but at least they're trying to come up with some ideas. None of us like the idea of global warming and we're all quick to point the finger at energy consumed in the US, but when it comes down to it, we're pretty resistant to making sacrifices in terms of our lifestyles as well.

[thewobbler]

It's not called global warming anymore J70.

I f**king hate the Green Party I do.

In the last local elections up North, they plastered one of their nonentities on every single lamppost, wall and bollard in Newry. On a railing near the courthouse they placed 11 consecutive posters FFS. He hadn't a chance in hell of getting elected, but the Green Party were still happy enough to carve up a small rainforest in support of him.

[his holiness nb]

From my experience, it wont make a difference, too many people drive at whatever speed they feel like, regardless of the speed limit.

Truck drivers are the worst culprits, its rarely I see a truck driver driving within their speed limit. Coaches are particularly bad hairing up the m1 too.

[Gnevin]

Shocking idea all together. They should be stopping  carbon production at the source not it's end . So imposing laws which mean devices don't use power in stand by, lowering packaging at source ,the switch was a good start .

[J70]

It's not called global warming anymore J70.

I f**king hate the Green Party I do.

In the last local elections up North, they plastered one of their nonentities on every single lamppost, wall and bollard in Newry. On a railing near the courthouse they placed 11 consecutive posters FFS. He hadn't a chance in hell of getting elected, but the Green Party were still happy enough to carve up a small rainforest in support of him.

Call it climate change or whatever you want.

And yeah, there's been a bit of a popular backlash against it lately, but I'll go with the scientists over the politicians every day of the week.

And yes, those posters sound excessive. Did they have an unusual amount of posters up in comparison to the other parties?

[Son_of_Sam]

The Greens are still around!!! Over here in Oz for the last 6 months or so, had just presumed that they would have been merged into F.F. by now.

[mylestheslasher]

I believe this to be one of the more stupid ideas the greens have come up with. A 5 series BMW doing 60mph on a motor way is in cruise mode while a fiat punto at 60mph is burning fuel like there is no tomorrow. Which car would the greens like us to buy - the Punto of course. This is a stupid idea and totally unworkable. I heard Dan Boyle on the last word during the week and another contributor asked him why were the green party not looking at the big issues - like Nuclear Power. Boyle just dismissed nuclear power but then was forced to admit that the government had no modern report on the pros and cons of Nuclear. It is simply against the Green religion to contemplate Nuclear. Another major issue they haven't addressed is the failure of ESB to allow people to generate their own power to feed back into the grid. You can put a windmill on your house and it might generate enough electricity to power some light bulbs but the real saving is if you can earn credit with the ESB when your windmill turns and you have no electrical apparatus running. Your surplus should be going back into the grid. The technology exists to do this in the UK but our great leaders are afraid of the ESB unions. So which of these 3 ideas should the greens be trumpeting - the one that will make less difference of course. The greens are losing crebility big time in my eyes.

[Hardy]

The greens are losing crebility big time in my eyes.

How is that possible? What credibility was there to start with? John Gormley wants to ban horse racing, for God's sake.

FF, as always, are playing a blinder and having great fun at the expense of the Greens. Instead of getting to present themselves as the champions of the environment, they find themselves wheeled out to explain and apologise for every environmental disaster, from bogslides to asbestos dumps and to promote every unpopular policy proposal. Yes - there are huge numbers of votes in slowing people's cars down in commuterland!

[amallon]

Whats Gormley's problem with horse racing?

[Hardy]

Who knows? He's a flake. All I know is that he was reported as participating in a protest at Fairyhouse races a few year ago with placards calling for an end to racing. Perceived cruelty, maybe - I dunno.

[Billys Boots]

FF, as always, are playing a blinder and having great fun at the expense of the Greens. Instead of getting to present themselves as the champions of the environment, they find themselves wheeled out to explain and apologise for every environmental disaster, from bogslides to asbestos dumps and to promote every unpopular policy proposal.

I think the coalition with the Greens will be seen in history as Bertie's last (truly) great masterstroke. 

I, personally, think it's actually funny how the prospect of flooding is now being laid at Gormley's door (and he's being lambasted for proposing an end to patios/cobble-lock drives), while the culprits are FFs mates who've been building on every bog/swamp available.

[Gnevin]

Well i have to say after the VRT  changes which i save a couple of k ,I'd serious consider giving them a vote .

[muppet]

Who knows? He's a flake. All I know is that he was reported as participating in a protest at Fairyhouse races a few year ago with placards calling for an end to racing. Perceived cruelty, maybe - I dunno.

I heard he was protesting against a Fairy House. 

[An Gaeilgoir]

Just heard on the radio that CRH emit more CO2 in to the Irish air than the whole of Luxemburg......I thought the greens were ready to take on big business in their crusade for cleaner air, well maybe next year.... ordinary Joe will have to suffer this year.