DEAR EDITOR

We noted with great interest Colm McCarthy’s piece in the Irish Farmers Journal dated 12 July “Joined-up effort needed on climate”, inter alia debating whether Irish agricultural emissions might best be taxed at the point of consumption or at the point of production.

In our previous letter of 19 April, we had pointed out that Irish ruminant emissions were grossly overstated, being based on an incorrect methane to CO2 equivalence; the latest scientific evidence by Happer, Van Wijngaarden and others points to only an infinitesimal influence of agricultural emissions.

Therefore, as we previously said, stating that agricultural emissions comprise 38% of national emissions is actually nonsense, even more so any debate about taxing them.

Moreover, as we also previously pointed out, correction of that equivalence error (recognised as appropriate by the authorities but inexplicably not yet enacted), could avoid the mooted EU 2030 fines of €26 billion at the stroke of a pen.

We again urge that Irish and EU farming policy should depend on pragmatically implementing the latest climate science; Irish farming deserves a positive future, unshackled by outdated science and unnecessary debate on taxation.