The climate alarm is ringing as the atmospheric CO2 levels reach historic new levels, according to the Green Party.

Last week for the first time in recorded history the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere exceeded 400 parts per million. The World Bank has warned this is the path to a dangerous 4-degree rise in global temperature and extreme weather events.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said: "There is scientific certainty that the rising level of carbon in the atmosphere will bring more erratic and damaging weather patterns. There is also a growing consensus in the business community that solutions can be delivered in a sustainable economic way as long as the political will exists to make the necessary switch. Unfortunately in Ireland our political system is pushing the snooze button instead of waking up to this alarm call.

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"Political science is trumping climate science in the Dail. The political parties don't realise that by tackling this long term environmental problem will also help us meet our immediate social and economic needs. A belief that other parties would 'mainstream' the climate issue has been blown away by the actions of the Government in the last two years."

(CD/MH)