Facing up to long-term costs of climate change
The state of California has been haunted by a lack of rain and too much sunshine in recent months; a train ride through some of the UK countryside last weekend convinced me that however bad we have had it here, the UK has really been devastated with floods; and of course the scenes this week from Cork, Waterford, Limerick and many other parts of the country have been truly horrific.
Unfortunately, the forecasters are telling us there is a lot more of the same on the way over the next couple of weeks at least. The longer-term prognosis is even more serious. The reaction of people in the afflicted areas towards politicians, or at least those that made it onto the TV screens, would convince anybody with a brain to steer well away from politics. It is a no-win situation andI become more amazed by the day at the efforts that aspiring and existing politicians will go to to retain or get into power.
People are justifiably devastated by what has happened to their homes, possessions and, in many cases, their livelihoods over recent weeks. However, it does strike me as a bit misguided to blame it all on our Government and local authorities. When new records are being set daily in relation to water levels and sea surges, it is a bit unfair to be critical of those in charge, given that the infrastructure in place was never intended to cope with the climatic conditions we are now experiencing, and presumably which will get worse over the coming years if the scientists are to be believed.
Government, with the help of the EU, will come up with the funds needed to compensate households, businesses and farmers for the damage suffered in the short-term. Funding will also be made available to repair the damage to piers and promenades. However, one cannot help but believe that these are just short-term measures that will be useless in the face of the longer-term climate threats. It is a little bit like applying Dettol and sticking plaster to a gangrenous limb.
Severe weather events are now becoming the norm rather than the exception and look like becoming a feature of our future climate. This will have serious implications for all coastal areas, inland towns on rivers, farmland and tourism. The economic costs of climate change are likely to be truly frightening over the coming years, but it is not just an Irish problem, it is very much a global problem.
It is inconceivable that we could just stand by and do nothing and just react in an emergency fashion to each disaster as it unfolds, which is precisely what we are doing at the moment. Massive investments will be needed around the coastline and in towns and villages to build up flood defences and protect homes, businesses and lives. It is very difficult to quantify what the necessary capital expenditure would be, but it is a safe assumption to make that it would run into billions of euros. The question of course is where that sort of money could possibly come from?
Minister Brian Hayes was to some extent spot on this week when he suggested that the tax burden would have to increase dramatically if we were to address the existing problems and the potential problems. However, I am not sure we could ever raise enough taxation to possibly address the issue in a meaningful way.
I am no climate scientist, and perhaps it is dangerous to get carried away by existing weather events, but it is clear they are becoming more frequent and dramatic as time goes on. This does not bode well for the future. Climate change is by far and away the biggest challenge for global policymakers over the coming decades.
