Talking Back to the ‘Environmental Headbangers’

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is legendary for telling it like he sees it, rhetorical propriety be damned. He’s now reacting to the Stern report on the eoconomics of global warming, with characteristic flair:

Michael O’Leary, chief executive of the Dublin-based carrier, said that aviation was responsible for just 2 per cent of European Union carbon emissions. If “eco nuts” were really serious about tackling climate change they should support nuclear power and a clampdown on livestock farming which was responsible for more greenhouse gases than the airline industry, he said.

Referring to last week’s report from the former World Bank chief economist Sir Nicholas Stern on the economics of climate change, which warned that rising carbon emissions could wipe out 20 per cent of the world’s wealth if not tackled, Mr O’Leary said: “A lot of lies and misinformation has been put about by eco nuts on the back of a report by an
idiot economist.”

He also claimed that “environmental headbangers” were talking nonsense when they claimed that aviation was the fastest-growing source of carbon emissions. “Coal-fired and oil-fired power stations are the biggest contributor of carbon but I have yet to hear any
fearless eco warriors advocating nuclear power as they drive around in their SUVs to their next protest meeting.”

Bravo, Mr. O’Leary. I think I know a scrappy, hard-working think tank in the U.S you might consider donating some money to. Just a thought.

Thanks to former Warren Brookes Fellow Neil Hrab for forwarding on the story.