THE recent holiday period will forever be remembered as the time when Australia was on fire and the world finally realised that the global climate emergency is happening – now!

It is therefore ironic that just as essential actions are being considered to reduce carbon emissions that construction is commencing on the TATA Northwich waste incinerator which will add 600,000tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere and will be followed by the OWM incinerator, on the same site, which will add another 200,000 tonnes. A total of 800,000 tonnes per annum or 2200 tonnes every single day!

There is so much wrong about this wilful act of destruction and not enough space here to describe it, I will mention just two key aspects.

The first is to point out that not a millisecond of time was devoted to the potential impact of CO2 emissions by the company or the Inspector at the official Planning Inquiry in 2011 other than by the CHAIN representatives who were arrogantly ignored.

The second is the crazy fact that a large proportion of the garbage that will be incinerated will be plastic waste, manufactured from scarce raw materials, that could be recycled instead of permanently destroyed to make profits for the business owners.

It is not too late to stop this madness. Esther McVey is the local MP and is also a cabinet member in Boris Johnson’s new “People’s Government”.

If these powerful politicians really are being honest about looking after the interests of ordinary working people in the North, as they claim, they have an opportunity to prove it.

The Government should oblige TATA and OWM to submit new planning applications that will take full account of the new knowledge about the damage that these plants will do to our climate. Over their expected lifespans that would equate to emitting 32 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Surely nothing more needs to be said. What an opportunity for Boris to walk the talk and Get Something Done.

Liam Byrne, Little Leigh