Letters to the Editor: Nothing wrong with being a bunny hugger

Forget political correctness, it's about common decency

British PM Boris Johnson was at pains to assure the nations of the world that the vigorous pursuit of climate action is “not politically correct bunny hugging”, and I see that in response to his remarks environmentalist Greta Thunberg has changed her description on social media to “Bunny Hugger.”

Fair play to her, because there’s nothing wrong with being a person who hugs bunnies, either literally or figuratively.

The term is often used to denigrate anyone who speaks up for nature, the environment, or any one of the many species of animals or plants that are being pushed to the brink of extinction by human behaviour, to join the countless ones already lost to our planet.

As a longtime campaigner against hare coursing, I have been called a bunny hugger many times. 

It doesn’t bother me, and I now think of it as a badge of honour.

Being opposed to recreational animal cruelty, or to the targeting of endangered mammals for greed and amusement, has nothing to do with so-called political correctness. It’s about basic human decency as distinct from its opposite.

John Fitzgerald

Callan

Co Kilkenny

We are not living up to our reputation as a fair country

Ireland is truly a wonderful country, with the Irish people consistently punching above their weight in being one of the most generous in the world.

For such a small nation, we have contributed to the international stage of literature, science, music, song, and dance.

Throughout the centuries, Irish emigrants have fought for independence and a more equal society in the countries in which they settled. Many willingly sacrificed their lives for a free Ireland, for a just Ireland.

And here we are in the 21st century, and the wonderfulness and the goodwill of the Irish people are continuously being chipped away by a political system where:

• the Tánaiste can continue in his job despite a criminal investigation;
• personal injury claims are multiples of, if not sometimes up to 100 time more than comparable claims in other countries;
• the law is increasingly elastic and the judiciary is fast losing the Irish people’s confidence;
• the political elite are so out of touch, that they surround themselves with fellow cronies, so that no one goes down alone and where a salary rise for the one starts a cascade of salary rises for the others;
• years and millions are spent on commissions of inquiry, that in the final reporting gloss over important issues whilst being characterised by inaccuracies;
• the State broadcaster petitions for support to survive on the one hand while on the other paying out more than €3m in salaries to its top 10 presenters;
• our broken housing system means that we have over 8,000 people homeless (as of Jan 2021);
• a child of four years of age eats her one hot meal of the day out of a plastic container on the side of a street in a country described as first world.

Mahatma Ghandi wrote that “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”. By that very yardstick, let us be judged and be judged to be found severely wanting.

In the end, how can we, the Irish public, have any confidence in the opinions, judgements, and actions of those for whom honour and honesty seem to be fluid notions at best?

Attracta Brennan

Athenry

Galway

Poorest are most affected by climate

On Thursday and Friday of this week, Ireland joined world leaders from across the world to attend President Biden’s Climate Summit. Although a last-minute addition to the guest list, Ireland’s invite came on the back of its scaled-up climate ambition and support of developing countries with their climate resilience efforts.

The poorest half of the world’s population — 3.1bn people — is responsible for just a small fraction of dangerous carbon emissions. Yet, it is the poorest and most vulnerable people — those with the fewest resources in the face of such a giant threat — who are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.

The richest 10% of people in the world, on the other hand, produced over half of global emissions.

The Paris Agreement, now five years old, was a historic turning point in tackling the global climate crisis. 

Countries agreed to set voluntary emissions reductions targets with an aim to limit global warming to 1.5C while also increasing the ability of countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change. 

However, most countries are not taking enough action to meet their climate goals.

Ahead of the COP26 in Glasgow, the US, and other wealthy countries like Ireland, must not only deliver stronger commitments — as proposed in the new Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill — but also translate these commitments into significant reductions in global emissions.

They must also scale up financial support to vulnerable countries that are not only the least responsible for the climate crisis but also the least equipped to cope with it.

As scientists warn of a race against time to limit temperature rises and adapt to an already changing climate, hard lessons must be learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. The world does not want to witness another global crisis with the potential to harm millions of lives and put even more people at risk of extreme economic precarity, poverty, and hunger.

World leaders must not ignore the lessons of the pandemic; they must put tackling the twin climate and inequality crises at the heart of the Covid-19 recovery to deliver a more resilient and dignified future where everyone can thrive — not just survive.

Jim Clarken

Chief Executive of Oxfam Ireland

Dublin 4

We must act now on farming practices

I see Danny Healy Rae and other rural TDs are not subscribing to climate change. I am all for living in the present. But please gentlemen, look to the future.

Swallow your egos and admit that industrial agriculture needs to stop.

Industrial farming is one of the most insubstantial practices of this civilization. We need to educate farmers to transfer to plant-based farming.

We need to buy only organic foods. We need to grow our own.

But we need to start now.

Please listen and please act.

Ted Cronin

Irish Party for Animal Rightsand Environment

Freedom to worship not being repressed

It is important in this dispute on whether the Irish Government has the power to restrict the expression of public worship in this time of the Covid pandemic that the relevant constitutional article relating to religion is stated clearly.

The Irish Constitution states: “Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen.”

Ray Kinsella Repressive assault on religious freedom (Letters, April 21) is enraged over the Government’s restrictions on public worship and believes that "every person of faith should oppose the Government’s draconian and provocative regulation as an unjust and unjustified assault on religious freedom" and later equates this restriction as Government "repressive policy".

While freedom of conscience and the free expression and practice of religion are constitutionally guaranteed to every citizen, objectors against government health restrictions on public worship, in particular, do not mention that constitutionally this free expression and practice of religion is subject to public order and morality "and as such cannot be considered an absolute right but relative to the common good".

These public health restrictions should not be seen as an example of Government repressive policy or as an assault on religious freedom.

They originated from scientific and expert public health officials who collectively surely can’t be accused of being biased and deliberately discriminatory against religion or deliberately flouting article 44 of the Irish Constitution.

I, like every Irish citizen, have suffered during this pandemic especially by having my movements restricted, but if this has saved even one life then it has been justified.

Brendan Butler

Malahide

Co Dublin

Going back to basics during the pandemic

For those of us who, prior to Covid-19, lived in the city, the pandemic seems to have provided a kickback to basics.

As a student during the pandemic, I travelled back home to the country, where I partook in the bread-making, the morning walks, and consistent reading to distract from daily news reports of rising cases.

I know that a lot of us at the moment are tired, distracted, and unfocused and that because of that we are a lot harder on ourselves because we feel unproductive. What helps, in this case, is to recognise that no one is alone in that.

It can be hard at the moment to balance work, health, and social life but it is also important to keep track of what is going on in the world around you.

Put down the phone, read the paper, acknowledge the fact that we are living in difficult circumstances but don’t let that harden you to the experiences of those who may be worse off or those who are suffering from a distance.

Keep a watchful eye on the injustices that are not reported, or that have taken the back seat to the virus.

Keira Byrne

New Ross

Co Wexford

Draconian lockdown

I am writing in a plea to end this ridiculously restrictive and draconian lockdown.

All of these restrictions have lasted more than long enough and it’s high time they ended. Life is not without sickness or risk, so we shouldn’t be so adamantly avoiding it like this.

Give us back our freedom, our business, and our full lives and do it today, not tomorrow.

Robbie Rowe

Wexford

Uplifting spirit

Fergus Finlay’s article Shared resilience has turned a big crisis into an opportunity is very uplifting.

The human spirit is an amazing thing, we keep going no matter what obstacles get in the way.

Vincent Perry

Phibsborough

Dublin

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