I think there are arguments for improving the carbon tax and allocation of subsidies for retrofits etc, that probably deserves a whole other article.

Can you add an Irish version if there isn’t one listed?

Love how you compare it to a tax on smoking, something even non-smokers understand.

Excellent article on the carbon tax and how it helps decarbonise lower-income households.

Attacking the carbon tax means jeopardising the only means some families have to get out of energy poverty.

If primary school teachers (or anyone else) are looking for resources that are a little more...balanced...check out our Irish Tree Explorers Network pages:
www.ucc.ie/en/tree-expl...

Great PhD position at @universityofleeds.bsky.social in the ERC funded METHPOL project, please share!

Shark-de-Triomphe

Oh dear 😂

Things to note about Sitka spruce forests that Micheál who owns multiple commercial Sitka plantations neglects to tell us:

Sitka plantations in Ireland and the UK tend to be monoculture uniform age plantations because this maximises profitability and makes the wood much much cheaper to harvest. /1

These are a couple of great facts. The first one I knew but not the second.

Hannah Daly: When the crisis is caused by oil dependence, the solution isn’t cheaper oil The tactics used by protesters show that our vulnerability is the fossil fuel system itself

Hannah Daly: When the crisis is caused by oil dependence, the solution isn’t cheaper oil

Police officers stand in the street, as tractors block Dublin's O'Connell Street, as part of a protest over the high cost of fuel that clogged up busy thoroughfares and motorways across Ireland for a second successive day, in Dublin, Ireland April 8, 2026

The meta, Meta and meaning of the Irish fuel protests - a longish read about what more than 20 years of studying and covering the far right has taught me about these political moments.
#speirgorm
philipoconnor.com/the-meta-met...

No thank you for putting words around, something I only have a ‘feeling’ for, even though it is closely connected to the work I do on climate action & fairness.

If you are looking for an explaination and context for the last week in Irish politics read this. Building on previous analysis by the same author & Sinéad O’Sullivan

Rebekah Diski and Khem Rogaly | City of Peace The 2300 workers at the Volkswagen factory in Osnabrück, northwest Germany, have been confronted with an unexpected...

'European states are designing an industrial strategy to cement themselves in a US-led military architecture rather than building economies that can survive the accelerating climate crisis.'

Khem Rogaly & Rebekah Diski @lrb.co.uk

www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/ap...

Excellent article about the structural problems in the agricultural system in Ireland

a chart showing rising emissions after each crisis

The 2020s have already seen two major fossil fuel shocks. In 2022, Russia, the world’s largest fossil fuel exporter, invaded Ukraine. In 2026, the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s largest oil and LNG supply route, was shut by the US-Israel war with Iran. The parallels with the 1970s oil shocks are striking. But so too is the difference. For the first time, there are scalable, cost-competitive alternatives. Solar, wind, batteries, EVs and other electrotech offer a permanent route out of fossil dependence. The shock has jolted the electric age forward. But the response is a choice: lean into local, electric security, or reach back to the old fossil playbook.

Something we need to make really clear is that there is no guarantee that fossil fuel crises end up as a net benefit for climate action, emissions reductions or even just simple technological growth

ie - "The response is a choice" @ember-energy.org

ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

Article Link: The Blockade Is the Message, How a fuel price spike became a fascist audition

I’ve managed to string together my thoughts through the rage this week, please read & share 💭✍🏼
#Spéirghorm #IrishPolitics #Fascism

🔗 tinyurl.com/wak45j7d

Drone shot of waves and red tide over reef, weather coast of Ireland

Drone shot of waves and red tide over reef, weather coast of Ireland

Drone shot of waves and red tide over reef, weather coast of Ireland

Photo of waves and red tide over reef, weather coast of Ireland

Any #ocean or wave experts/ #oceanographer out there who might suggest answer? We have a rocky reef just offshore here in #WestKerry. Regular breaking waves in big swell, but very unusual colour today. #invasivespecies of seaweed or
#redtide algal bloom or something else?
#SpéirGhorm

The spark for the protests was fuel prices but the deeper the problem is the structure of Ireland's agricultural economy - which has received v little attention, mostly because the main (urban-based) commentators don't know much about it. 1/4

Female octopuses intentionally throw debris at harassing males YouTube video by New Scientist

Actual video…

youtu.be/RN9B3sUetcs?...

What a disgraceful statistic - and a clear demonstration of why animal agriculture needs to be drastically scaled back

The only way to durably protect hauliers - and the economy - against fossil fuel shocks is to support them to electrify trucks.

Sales of electric trucks in China outsold diesel trucks last December.

So far this year, only one electric HVG was newly registered in Ireland.
#fuelprotests #speirgorm

We have a pretty good understanding of the differences between GHG emission estimates, but when it comes to some sectors (e.g., land), estimates seem all over the place!

Why is this? @wflamb.bsky.social has you covered...
essd.copernicus.org/articles/18/...

1/

Ireland’s continued reliance on fossil fuels leaves households, communities, farmers, the transport sector, healthcare and other essential services exposed to global instability. We have the renewable resources to build a cleaner, healthier and more secure future, but we are not moving fast enough. The US-Israeli war on Iran has once again showed us how dependent Ireland remains on imported fossil fuels. When supply is disrupted, costs rise and communities feel the impact immediately. The response however, cannot be more fossil fuel subsidies or lower fuel prices that further lock in this dependence. The response must be to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, starting now.

People across Ireland are under real pressure. The cost of living is high. Any subsidies should directly benefit people, not fossil fuel companies. But decades of policy decisions have tied our economy and daily life to fossil fuels, leaving us vulnerable. At the same time, burning fossil fuels is driving climate change and harming health. Air pollution contributes to heart disease, respiratory illness and premature death. Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more damaging. Reducing fossil fuel use is a health, economic and environmental necessity. The Government’s Moving Together transport strategy sets out a clear direction: better public transport, safer walking and cycling, cleaner air and more liveable towns and cities. These are practical solutions that reduce costs and improve quality of life.

Yet, the ongoing protests in Dublin are blocking public transport and active travel routes. These actions are disrupting the very solutions that can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and lower costs for people. Calls to remove VAT, carbon tax and excise duty on fuel chain us ever further to fossil dependence that is subject to geopolitical volatility – a price that we are so fortunate to pay with only our pockets, and not our lives, as do others around the world. Ireland is well placed to change course. Our wind energy can power homes, transport and industry while reducing exposure to volatile global fuel prices.

Investing in electrified transport, rural infrastructure and sustainable farming will improve health and strengthen our economy. Renewable electricity has already reached record levels, supplying more than half of demand at times in late 2025. We need to accelerate this progress. We call on governments at all levels to act now and deliver a faster transition to clean energy for a healthier, more secure and more resilient Ireland.

Our statement on the fuel protests.

We call on governments at all levels to act now and deliver a faster transition to clean energy for a healthier, more secure and more resilient Ireland.

Sorry for your loss 😢

Some fuel alternatives Bowing to pressure and abandoning oil and gas exploration will cost us dearly in terms of future energy security

Contrary to what these letter writers might think, recommissioning gas and oil exploration, and turf-burning power stations is neither courageous nor does it provide energy security.

Instead, it will increase emissions and harm human health.

Time to end fossil fuels, not look fore more!

My name is Séamas O’Reilly – or at least I thought it was until recently The fight for my fada: Booking a flight, a train or a leisure centre appointment becomes a tedious grind when my ‘non-standard character’ is rejected

Solidarity with @seamas.bsky.social ✊

I really don't mind people spelling my surname wrong but I do object to bureaucratic systems - especially Irish ones - explicitly disallowing my preferred spelling because they can't accept a fada

www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

My latest column: Ireland’s data centre policy will drive significantly greater fossil fuel use, contradicting multiple statutory and policy targets which require rapid reductions instead.

www.irishtimes.com/environment/...