We are delighted that Bríd Smith’s Climate Emergency Bill passed through to the committee stage in the Dáil. The Bill calls for a ban on the issuing of new fossil fuel exploration licences and would declare a climate emergency. We need to leave 80% of fossil fuel in the ground if we are to have any hope of tackling climate change.

KILLING THE PLANET ON THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT. Last Dáil session of the week – maybe half a dozen there.That’s the priority given to Climate Change and what we must do NOW. So I proposed we do like we did with Committee on the 8th Amendment, ie listen to the Citizen Assembly recommendations and get in climate experts. Here’s the clip explaining.

This Bill is designed to prevent the further issue of licenses for oil & gas exploration. Fossil fuels are the major contributors to global warming. LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND has to be the approach to prevent further catastrophic damage to our environment. Ireland, though a small country, could lead by example on this.

Press Release- Solidarity- People Before Profit

15/11/2017

Bill says Minister would not issue any new licences for exploration of fossil fuels while there is a climate emergency

Bríd Smith TD today moved a bill in the Dáil entitled “Petroleum and Minerals Extraction Bill (Climate Emergency Bill 2017).

The bill states that a climate emergency exists while levels of Co2 in the atmosphere exceed 350 ppm. (350 ppm is the recognised safe level of atmospheric C02 widely accepted by the scientific community) and while this continues, the Minister would not issue any new licences for exploration of fossil fuels.Read more »

I spoke on Drivetime (RTE) radio today – 13.11.17 about the #environmental conferance I was at in Germany called COP23 BONN.(The audio clip here is the recording; the pics are from Bonn). I made the point that to tackle #climatechange seriously, we have to stop giving more exploration licenses for gas and oil. ‘LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND’ is the measure we want to achieve from the Climate Emergency Amendment Bill, that People Before Profit will bring to the Dáil next week

I AM ASHAMED of the record we have on climate change and mortified that I will be representing Ireland at European level in Bonn this weekend on this issue. We have failed shamefully, even in our limited committments to honor the (quite mild) Paris agreement. The government’s National Mitigation Plan on Climate Action is a giant work of fiction and they should hang their heads in shame

“Government can no longer remain inactive on climate,” says Brid Smith TD

Brid Smith TD, who is on the Dail committee that deals with Climate and the Environment, has warmly welcomed the work of the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Action. The TD said today that the recommendations that were endorsed by an overwhelming majority show that ordinary people, when presented with the scientific facts and possible actions are prepared to take action.

Bríd asked the Minister WHY NOT LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND? It was so sneaky; just after the Dáil rose for the Summer he granted a license for oil and gas exploration at sea, to a company owned by O’Reilly Jnr. Before the Dáil rose, the NO FRACKING Bill was passed, the Bill that would prevent fossil fuel extraction on land. So its okay at sea?? And there was no satisfactory answer forthcoming. How could there be to betrayal, not just of campaigners but of the people and planet itself. Shameful!