Sir, – I was glad to read your editorial (March 20th) on Minister for the Environment Denis Naughten's National Mitigation Plan for climate change. While it bore disheartening news regarding the Government's lacklustre response to the greatest threat facing humanity, it rightly gave prominence to an issue which continues to be overlooked in our media.
Since I became a mother four months ago, I have felt this threat all the more keenly. The lack of coverage on climate change is astonishing, and one of the main reasons it has not been addressed at a political level.
Climate change will affect all of us, and is already wreaking havoc in many parts of the world through floods, droughts, famine and disease. However, one would be forgiven for thinking that it should only be a concern of environmentalists for the limited time it gets on most news and current affairs outlets.
In Ireland, we will have to make radical changes in order to meet our international obligations under the Paris climate agreement.
This will require strong leadership from Government, as well as engagement from citizens.
But it will also require the media in all its forms to continue to bring climate change into the public sphere.
To that end, I hope you will continue to give this most serious issue due coverage and consideration. – Yours, etc,
ROISIN CUDDIHY,
Midleton,
Co Cork.