Letters to the Editor: Nature has no defence from ecocide
An aerial view of the Chernobyl nucler power plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, a few days after the April 26, 1986, explosion in Chernobyl, Ukraine. File picture: AP
As the war in Ukraine rages on, and public consciousness diverts to other tragedies, there might be an impression that Chernobyl is something that happened a very long time ago and no longer poses a threat to the world, but the reality is very, very different.
We neglect Ukraine at our peril given the gargantuan risk for both humanity and the environment, particularly since the invasion via the Chernobyl exclusion zone in 2022.
The war in Ukraine has underscored the urgent need to formally recognise ecocide, the deliberate destruction of the environment, as a crime under the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Ukrainian government has taken a courageous step in championing this initiative, citing the invasion through the Chernobyl exclusion zone as the first act of ecocide in this reckless war.
The catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 left an indelible scar on history.
Yet, in February 2022, the world once again watched in horror as Russian troops advanced through the Chernobyl exclusion zone, disturbing deeply buried radioactive elements and contaminating air, land, and water.
Never before in the history of the atomic age have nuclear facilities been used as weapons of war.
Until now, they had remained globally “off limits” because of their catastrophic potential to destroy ecosystems and human life alike.
A trivialisation of the attack on nuclear facilities has crept into the language of some world leaders, but make no mistake — this was not merely an act of war, this is nuclear terrorism.
Emboldened by their reckless actions at Chernobyl, Russian forces then moved towards one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants, Zaporizhzhia, which now teeters dangerously on the edge of catastrophe.
The deliberate militarisation and shelling of nuclear infrastructure has set a perilous precedent, transforming energy sources into potential weapons of mass destruction.
This precedent will provide a powerful justification for any state wishing to argue that nuclear facilities are now simply part of the modern battlespace.
A world in which nuclear facilities are viewed as legitimate targets on the chessboard of conflict is unsustainable.
The radioactive contamination unleashed by military activity in Chernobyl has already affected thousands, with rising levels of long-lived radionuclides detected among civilians, particularly children, in the surrounding regions.
These impacts will persist for generations, long after the guns fall silent.
Vulnerable and marginalised communities bear the heaviest burden of this environmental fallout, as toxic exposure, displacement, and food insecurity deepen existing social and environmental inequities.
The consequences of military activities do not end with ceasefires; they linger in poisoned soil, polluted rivers, and ruined habitats for centuries.
Ecocide is not collateral damage; it is a targeted and systematic weapon of war.
Should Zaporizhzhia follow Chernobyl’s deadly legacy, it will be millennia before its long shadow of death and degradation fades from the Earth.
The struggle to recognise ecocide as an international crime has spanned decades, from the Agent Orange devastation in Vietnam to today’s nuclear and chemical contamination in Ukraine. We can no longer afford to treat nature as a silent casualty of conflict.
It is time for accountability.
I urge the Irish Government, and all nations, to support Ukraine’s initiative in advocating for the recognition of ecocide as a war crime.
The planet cannot speak for itself; we must speak for it.
Today, as Ukraine fights not only for its sovereignty but for the survival of our shared environment, we face a moral imperative to act.
We neglect the environment at our peril. The time for justice, and for protection, is now.
Cormac O’Keeffe’s recent article on the realities of deportation was thought provoking — ‘Where teddy bears and McDonald’s soften the edge of dreams ending’ ( , November 17).
However, it may be of interest to your readers to point out that due to refoulement considerations (where it’s not legal to return a person to a country where their life is at risk) there are a number of countries where return is not feasible and probably never will be.
Coincidentally these countries include some of the highest number of international protection applicants.
This situation is separate from countries refusing to issue documents for their citizens (thus frustrating their return) or seeking visas in return (Nigeria has history in this regard).
As pointed out in the article, the Government is encouraging voluntary return by basically bribing individuals and families to drop out of the asylum process.
This smacks of desperation to reduce the 16,400 interviews and 17,000 appeals backlog ahead of the much vaunted EU Migration Pact kicking in next year.
Unfortunately, the pact is likely to be another lawyer’s paradise on the judicial review front as it is highly unlikely that interviews and appeals will be concluded in the 90-day time limit, quite apart from the State having no detention facilities at present bar our chronically overcrowded prisons.
I am writing on behalf of Focus Ireland in response to an article — ‘Homeless mums fear their babies will be taken into care’ ( , online November 10).
In 40 years of working with families that are homeless, it is not our experience that Tusla takes children into care just because their parents are homeless.
When Tusla does take this step, it is always in response to other factors which present a risk to the child, and not simply the fact of homelessness.
Legislation requires that these concerns must be proven in court before a child would enter state care.
It is true, as your article states, that many homeless parents are fearful of their homelessness being used in this way.
To a large extent this fear arises from misleading social media commentary directed at Tusla.
The effect of this unwarranted fear is to add further to the stress and anxiety that homelessness causes and to cut families off from whatever help might be available to them.
In these circumstances, where families are vulnerable and fearful, it is important to present the real facts of the situation rather than amplify fears based on misinformation.
There were 2,443 families living in emergency accommodation in September.
This includes 5,238 children who are growing up in spaces that are entirely incompatible with a stable and happy childhood.
Rather than adding to the trauma that homelessness is visiting on these families every day by amplifying unfounded fears, we should be focusing on ensuring the Government puts in place measures to move these families into safe, secure homes at the earliest possible opportunity.
Today, as we mark World Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day, the founders of Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, together with some of the country’s foremost oncologists and cancer treatment specialists, are seeking urgent action if Ireland is to stand any chance of improving outcomes for the more than 600 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year.
Pancreatic cancer kills five in every six people diagnosed.
While outcomes for most cancers are improving, this is not the case for pancreatic cancer, which is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer death by 2030.
highlights the need for rapid referral pathways and rapid diagnostic clinics (Recommendation 8).
These initiatives have proven transformative, enabling earlier diagnosis and significantly improving outcomes for many cancer patients.
However, pancreatic cancer patients are being left behind and as a country, we are failing them.
We urgently need at least one rapid access diagnostic pancreatic cancer clinic to ensure patients receive specialist assessment and care within two weeks, ending inordinately long waits and unacceptable inequalities that can cost lives.
There is also a critical need to raise greater awareness for pancreatic cancer.
The main symptoms and early signs are largely underestimated and often go undetected.
Despite the excellent work being carried out in our hospitals and by other stakeholders, we need greater support from Government in tackling this disease and supporting pancreatic cancer patients, and their families.
When the founders of Pancreatic Cancer Ireland encountered pancreatic cancer in our own lives, we felt powerless with so little information available to us.
This needs to change. Knowledge and awareness are powerful advocates of better health and better outcomes.
