Michael Clifford: One-off housing too hot to handle as the planet burns

The environment may be in peril, the climate in crisis, all bets off as far as how we’ve lived for decades, but stay away from the political hot potato that is one-off rural housing

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a desire to live in a one-off house in the country. Many among us – including this reporter – would love nothing more. But there is copious evidence that the cost to the many far outweighs the benefit enjoyed by the few. File picture

The portents for grown-up discussions on climate change are not good. 

Already, some politicians are staking out their own pet issues which are to be ring-fenced from any upheaval at a time of projected transformational change.