Sir, – Ella McSweeney tells a heartbreaking story about the state of Irish waterways: “In the 1980s about 500 Irish rivers were classed as the very best of the best. Today, there are about 20 – that’s a 96 per cent collapse in a single working life” (“Is there an Irish river I can drink from without vomiting?”, Environment, May 3rd).
However, I disagree with the characterisation of this as a “shameful failure of governance”. That phrasing suggests there were efforts to protect our waterways.
We have to be clear with language and sentiment. This collapse is the predictable, conscious result of policies whereby nature has been viewed as valuable only if direct monetary benefits can be extracted. The use of the word “failure” suggests a mistake was made.
Let’s be clear: this is not an accident. It is policy working as intended. It is nature collapse by design.
RM Block
So the next time you think about having a drink from an Irish river or going for a swim in a lake, just remember our politicians have decided that it should not be safe to do so. – Yours, etc,
OLA LØKKEN NORDRUM,
Dublin 4.
