Sir, – John Thompson (Letters, May 5th) makes the point that rural motorists cover more distance than those in urban areas, and that rural living is therefore inherently more carbon intensive, even if other sources like burning turf are ignored.
While this may be true, what stood out in the figures that he used in making this argument is that the annual distances driven by Dublin motorists are still high, and not that far removed from similar figures for more rural counties.
The way that rural development is facilitated is a long-standing topic of debate, and it’s clear that changes will be needed if emissions are to be adequately tackled. But as our car-choked cities demonstrate, there is still a large amount that can be done at relatively low cost to reduce the huge numbers of short car journeys that are a staple of so many urban dwellers’ lives.
It barely needs spelling out, but better public transport, cycling and walking infrastructure are there for the taking, but only if people are prepared to accept changes to the current model that continues to facilitate those same short car journeys. – Yours, etc,
DAVE MATHIESON,
Salthill,
Galway.