Breaffy student to host Mayo talk on climate crisis

BREAFFY student Emma Horan of Extinction Rebellion Ireland will give a free public talk entitled ‘Heading For Extinction and What To Do About It’ at Macalla Hall, Lough Lannagh Village, Castlebar, on Thursday, August 29, at 7.30 p.m.

The talk is to call attention to the unprecedented biodiversity collapse and climate crisis that is currently impacting our world.

Extinction Rebellion argue that the growing climate catastrophe is jeopardising both animal and human life, and highlight the stark warnings that the world’s top climate scientists are currently issuing.

July 2019 saw the hottest temperatures ever recorded across the globe. A heatwave in India exceeded an unbelievable 50 degrees Celsius, and Europe was not far behind with temperatures in France reaching 46 degrees.

Wildfires continue to rage across Siberia, and glacial ice in Greenland is melting at an unprecedented rate, peaking at 12.5 billion tons of water in a single day in July of this year and resulting in an increase in sea levels which could be measured worldwide.

The extreme ice melt will have local consequences in this country. Over 60% of the population of Ireland live within 10km of the coast, and many will become displaced due to coastal erosion and flooding caused by rising sea levels.

Rising temperatures will cause more extreme weather events such as hurricanes and droughts, both in Ireland and worldwide. Furthermore, at least one million species of plants and animals are facing extinction due to human activity (IPBES 2019).

Scientists have cautioned that unless we make the necessary changes to society right away, a mass extinction, biodiversity collapse and climate disaster will be irreversible. This would prevent us from producing enough food to survive as a species.

Emma, a student of Trinity College, Dublin, will outline the science needed to understand the emergency, and discuss what can be done to help Irish society adapt to the crisis.

This public talk forms part of a wider campaign by Extinction Rebellion that will culminate in a global ‘Rebellion Week’ beginning on Monday, October 7.

Extinction Rebellion argue that conventional approaches of voting, lobbying and petitions have failed because powerful economic and political interests prevent change.

Extinction Rebellion invite people of all ages and backgrounds to join them in non-violent, disruptive civil disobedience.

Peaceful, family-friendly actions across cities, countries and continents will bring society to a standstill and force governments to finally respond appropriately to the climate emergency before it is too late.

Extinction Rebellion Ireland is part of an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience to achieve immediate social and economic change in order to minimise the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse.

Said Emma: “We are asking people to find their courage and to collectively do what is necessary to bring about change. We are not affiliated with any political party or organisation.

“Our members come from a range of backgrounds and share a progressive vision for urgent action on climate and biodiversity loss in Ireland and around the world.”