Sir, – It is vital that the human costs of unprecedented air traffic levels are prioritised in discussions about Irish airport expansion. The claim that local residents are “possibly the last great stakeholder in what has become an increasingly frenetic policy area”, is misinformed and short-sighted (“Everybody wants to get on board the State’s aviation policy”, Cantillon, Business, May 13th).
Children’s safety, health and economic prospects unequivocally depend on urgent and economy-wide cuts to fossil fuel use. The record-breaking levels of flight traffic in Ireland also means record-breaking levels of aviation fossil fuel use.
In 2023 Ireland used 1.36 billion litres of aviation fossil fuel and this will increase massively if national airport expansion takes place. Experts advise there is no viable or sustainable alternative to jet kerosene, and there is none for the foreseeable future.
In recent days we learnt that 100 million of the world’s five year olds (83 per cent) face deadly and unprecedented heat in their lives if climate action is not strengthened. Yet children continue to be ignored as key stakeholders in decisions that will have irreversible impacts on their lives – such as massive and polluting airport expansion. The reason our children are on track for deadly heat, among many other life-threatening hazards, is inadequate action to cut the fossil fuel pollution endangering their futures.
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The aviation industry must do its fair share for climate action and protect children from the horrendous and avoidable harms they are facing. The State must regulate it accordingly via a science-based aviation policy.
It is only children who have the fundamental right to growth, development and survival, not any industry, and the State must fulfil its obligations to them. – Yours, etc,
LOUISE O’LEARY,
Terenure,
Dublin 6W.
