Maynooth Cycling Campaign and Cyclist.ie has joined Stop Climate Chaos – a coalition of civil society organisations campaigning to ensure Ireland plays its part in preventing runaway climate change. Current members include development, environmental, youth and faith based organisations. A full list of members is available here.

Stop Climate Chaos calls for action under four headings:

• Introduction of a climate change law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Limiting the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees or less.
• Support for developing countries in adapting to climate change.
• Ireland’s response to the challenge of Climate Change.

According to Andy Storey reported in the Dublin Inquirer, Ireland is falling behind in its commitments to combat climate change. We are supposed to have cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 (relative to 2005) but the Environmental Protection Agency reckons we will come in with a cut of just 6 percent to 11 percent. It may be even worse than that – last year the rest of the EU cut emissions but Ireland increased them by 5.3 percent.  All this is pointing to Ireland facing E.U. fines of the order of €600 Million per year.