‘Prime Time’ and RTÉ are in denial of the truth about climate change

IT’S good to know our national broadcaster takes nothing at face value. They don’t just swallow the testimony of the thousands of leading scientists who have contributed to the work of the International Panel on Climate Change.

I feel confident that when the IPCC came out this week with the warning that the world’s people may soon face mass starvation on a scale not previously known, many RTÉ journalists had their private doubts. That’s what happens when you’ve been to university, you see. You’re not easily blinded by science, even when it’s coming from 500 scientists, 66 expert authors, 271 officials and 57 observers from 115 countries.

You can be sure our trusty RTÉ journalists asked who these fellows are to tell us what to do? You can be sure they sat down over a coffee in the RTÉ canteen and talked about it for several minutes before reverting to their trademark position on climate change — one eyebrow raised, voice dripping with sarcasm, “Don’t teach your grandmother...”, “Wasn’t born yesterday...”