The Green Party leader has called for Moneypoint Power Station to be shut down.
It follows an annoucement by US President Barack Obama that America will move away from coal fired energy generation and focus on renewable energy.
Almost seven hundred people employed directly or indirectly by Moneypoint, Ireland's only coal burning facility, could lose their job if plans to shut the facility in fifteen years time go ahead.
But experts say that if we continue to pump carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, it will have a catastrophic affect on our climate, a fact that the Green Party Leader says is clearly evident in the weather we've experienced here this summer.
Eamon Ryan says a number of countries including America and China have recognised the deadly impact of burning coal and Ireland must now follow suit.
He says there's no option but to close Moneypoint and invest on renewable energy instead.
Clare TD Pat Breen believes its a great plan in theory but would have a devastating affect on Clare with the loss of hundreds of jobs.
Deputy Breen says there's a window of opportunity up until 2050 to develop a plan targetting the problem but he believes Government representatives must be careful in how they achieve that.
