The Irish Examiner View: Why won’t authorities stop hill arsonists?
The capacity to learn is a defining human characteristic — at least for successful, socially aware, and reliable people. Over recent weeks we have had, unfortunately, examples of a recurring rejection of change and new responsibilities.
That behaviour, illegally setting fire to uplands vegetation, has forced the south west’s fire fighters to take to social media to appeal to the arsonists not to endanger lives by setting more prohibited fires.
In seven days up to yesterday there have been 42 callouts to gorse fires in Kerry alone. At one stage the ancient oaks in Killarney National Park were in jeopardy. There have been many more illegal fires in Cork and around the country too.
But it doesn’t end there. Though there has been a fall in nitrogen dioxide levels in urban areas because of the coronavirus lockdown some rural areas have recorded higher levels.
The Irish Centre for High-End Computing found spikes in Cork, Kerry, and Wicklow and around the Comeragh Mountains because of “reckless and irresponsible” arson.
This destruction goes ahead in pursuit of private gain despite society’s clearly expressed wishes, wishes given force through legislation. If it is increasingly difficult to understand why these crimes are tolerated it is even more unacceptable that this is the case.
Arsonists have been the problem for a long time but unresponsive, see-no-evil authorities, by their inaction, are now part of the problem as well.
