I beg to differ Mike because this is the result of government policies which every government since the founding of the state have diligently implemented. The forward thinking of successive leaders over the last 90 years have lead to large scale closure of any manufacturing and heavy industry plants indigenous to Ireland. This leads to higher unemployment and then to mass emigration, reducing the population to low density model and hence clean, fresh air. I commend them.

Hmmm, you frame your argument stating that ‘forward thinking leaders over the past 90 years’ have closed manufacturing and heavy industry for the benefit of the environment. And what’s more, governments were willing to do so knowing full well it would enforce emigration upon its citizens. I don’t know, for me that doesn’t make much sense and for a number of reasons, especially if you’re a government that actually wants to stay in government! But regardless, here’s my ‘two cent’.

Historically Ireland has not had much heavy industry (processing of large amounts of raw material to create finished products) for a number of reasons. 1. When England was calling the shots here and during the time of the industrial revolution, they did not direct heavy industry to Southern (or more to the point Catholic) Ireland because they wanted the region to remain economically disadvantaged. It’s ironic that they were actually doing us a favour there but anyway!. 2. Later when we had economic independence, the stern fact we were and are a country with few natural resources and raw materials became a further deterrent to heavy industry with relatively few exceptions (Harland n Wolfe and some industrial manufacturing plants in the South perhaps, maybe more, I’m no expert on this!).

Now to suggest that past ‘forward thinking governments’ were adding to this by creating policy to curtail heavy industry or even close down existing plants, I dont know, you’re going to have to be more specific there. But even if this were true there was no sign of the forward thinking environmentally concerned government stopping the mining of lead and zinc in Co. Galway in the 60′s not to mention the government line now being taken on Leitrim fracking (http://what-the-frack.org/).

I could go on but in short, your faith in government past or present in relation to forward thinking or anything of the sort in terms of environment seems naive at best!

As a counterpoint, the governments implementation on a ban of coal burning in Dublin in the early 90′s was commendable if not a no brainer! http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/archives/2002-releases/press10172002.html

Er Mike, I think that was a joke.. Everything you are saying is correct, I think you just missed the punch line there :)

lol, you may have a point there Shanti :)

I’ve got bottles of air for sale if your interested I do a 500ml, 1lt, 2ltr and a 5ltr range all in recycled containers aswell

You can buy cans of Irish air down in Killarney. Apparently the American folk are mad for it!

il take 3 :P

bet they didn’t test the air in Shannon. Best my backside.

For the disbelievers here you are: http://aran.library.nuigalway.ie/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10379/2282/Climate%20change%20law%20in%20Ireland.doc?sequence=1

Yeah, the amount of bikes on the road is phenomenal. Fuel sales are in the toilet. Unemployment is at it highest since the 80′s. Air quality is being driven vy the recession

Bloody hell, that was harder to read than Shakespeare.

Wasn’t sure if it was a quote from Ulysses or a roddy doyle book.

Sorry what now?