Airline boss cannot ignore climate change

THERE are few things that make my blood boil more than the arrogance possessed by Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary. His recent comments attacking the British environment minister Ian Pearson were publicity-seeking again.

It seems that when Mr O’Leary isn’t dancing around in some yellow bird costume, or when he isn’t trying to monopolise the State’s airline, he has his head in the sand.

He refuses to accept that the airline industry is a major contributing factor to the emission of CO2 gasses, adding to green house gasses and global warming. Aeroplanes are fuelled by non-renewable fossil fuels; every flight is damaging the environment.

I am not suggesting people do not fly, I am merely annoyed that Mr O’Leary is trying to fudge the issue by using sensationalist expressions to once again blame politicians.

Friends of the Earth has studied the effect of aviation and the global atmosphere and claims that “planes are responsible for 3.5% of man-made global warming today”. Mr O’ Leary puts that figure at 1.6%. This figure will rise unless action is taken now.

If global warming is not tackled now, our weather will become more and more tropical. If we allow this to happen, it will inevitably affect aviation. There will be more and more delays and cancellations until when Mr O’Leary finally takes his head out of the sand, there may be no business there for him.

I urge him to stop blaming politicians and start taking responsibility, as we all need to. Global warming needs to be taken seriously. If Mr O’Leary cannot see the moral implications then let him see how the climate eventually takes his business away.

Doreen O’Mahony

Lissaclarig

Ballydehob

Co Cork