An interesting exchange today during questions to OFMDFM – Mark Devenport’s reaction is below the fold – when the Northern Ireland First Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson, denied that the NI Executive’s Programme for Government commitment to reducing CO2 emissions was being undermined by the NI Environment Minister’s repeated statements about his own views on anthropogenic climate change. The opinion of the Environment Minister is, apparently, “academic” and does not affect Executive policy, but the NI First Minister went further..
“I think the scientific evidence is on the side of those of us who believe that man is having an impact on climate and, therefore, there is a necessity on the part of the Executive to be dealing with those issues. And, even if it weren’t so, I have to say that the possibility that it were should be enough to alert any responsible Executive to take whatever measures it can.” [added emphasis]
And any responsible Environment Minister?
Here’s the short Stormont Live studio discussion about that question and answer.
Crooked Timber’s John Quiggan has a [somewhat] related post on the US Environmental Protection Authority’s declaration that CO2 emissions, and those of other greenhouse gases, are a threat to public health.