Climate change report - Inaction will have lethal consequences

During the two months since the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission bugging story broke, during the weeks since former commissioner Martin Callinan gave his “disgusting” testimony to the Dáil’s PAC and ever since last week’s announcements of routine phone tapping at Garda stations — and Mr Callinan’s resignation — public discourse has focused almost exclusively on policing.

Though the issues are grave, the affair pales into insignificance when judged against the study from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is to be published today. It is unlikely, however, that the report will get more than a passing mention in public debate; maybe even less in political discourse.

Within 24 hours, just as the Garda whodunit sucks up all of the oxygen needed to sustain a news story, the IPCC document will join myriad climate reports, ignored but not forgotten, in some back office manned by frustrated and frightened people.