WHO not Fit for Purpose

Two months ago, the WHO claimed that the coronavirus was not a pandemic, and claimed that it could be contained without recommending the only solution that could contain it  - closing the borders to Europe. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that the coronavirus outbreak is not yet a pandemic, and⁠—despite the growing number of cases and deaths⁠—is hopeful that the disease’s spread can be limited, therefore containing the crisis before it could actually be considered a pandemic. 

They were wrong. This is the greatest health crisis in the 21st century and they got it completely wrong. They backed the wrong horse, climate change. Does obsession with the climate lead to neglect on real issues? Most likely, yes. 

They are not fit for purpose and should be replaced. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/02/04/who-says-coronavirus-is-not-a-pandemic-despite-increase-in-cases-and-deaths/#3f872d2744ce

SEA Video

Here is a nice video on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) produced by UNECE. I notice the word "health" comes up a lot. Could this be the reason why the Irish authorities bypassed it ? The adverse health effects of wind farms on humans is well known now. 

There is a recent European Court case ruling out on the SEA which means that an SEA must be done before wind farm guidelines are issued. So perhaps now human health will have to be considered. 

Ireland's air quality is good but particulate matter above WHO Guidelines

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have issued a report which shows that Ireland's air quality is good relative to EU standards but that particulate matter levels are above World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines.

The culprit is not our power plants - which are now mostly gas powered - but our home heating and transport sectors.

• Burning of solid fuel and emissions from vehicle exhausts remain the main threats to air quality in Ireland - EPA, Air Quality in Ireland 2014

So we have on the one hand, a Government spending billions of our money because of their obsession with de-carbonizing our very clean power stations and on the other hand, a Government organisation pointing the finger of blame (quite rightly) for pollution at our transport and heating sectors.

It is like a surgeon operating on a patient's stomach to mend their broken leg.

The full EPA report can be accessed here :

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/quality/epaairqualityreport2014.html#.Vh1dlIrd_VM

For a complete history of Ireland's transition to a largely pollution-free power generation system, Pat Swords has written an excellent document here :

Clean Energy - What it is and what we are paying for ?