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Chris O'Connell

@chris-oconnell.bsky.social
143 followers 168 following 80 posts
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Greenpeace EU @greenpeace.eu · 8h
Ireland's intact, natural forest is incredibly small Much of what gets counted as "forest" is in fact monoculture plantations of sitka spruce – ecological wastelands Protecting and expanding Ireland's wild nature is essential
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) @corporateeurope.org · 28/09/2026
State of the Union: EU #deregulation waves intensifies, with focus on permitting, banking, national-level rules ➡️ VDL’s call for pact against ‘gold-plating' was embraced by 17 EU governments ➡️ CSOs & unions insist on right to stronger national-level protections corporateeurope.org/en/deregulat...
corporateeurope.org
Deregulation Watch | Corporate Europe Observatory
Check out our new posts on Deregulation Watch which helps civil society monitor new developments in the deregulation agenda, assess what’s at stake, and organise in defence of strong social, environme...
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Shane Darcy @shanedarcy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
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Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 15/09/2026
#OtD 15 Sep 2005 the Guardian revealed that Britain's largest arms manufacturer, BAE Systems, had secretly paid more than £1 million to former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. The firm used a front company registered in the British Virgin Islands stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8747...
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Sally Hayden @sallyhayd.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Things I have seen in the rubble of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon this week… More here: www.instagram.com/p/DdE2v72DpZ...
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) @corporateeurope.org · 08/09/2026
1/2 Elections are taking place next week in Sweden, and the ruling right wing parties are trying to win support by turning people against Sámi communities in favour of rare earth metals mining - despite the Sámi being protected by numerous UN + EU charters. www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
theguardian.com
Reindeer and rare-earth minerals: Swedish politicians take aim at Indigenous Sami in mining dispute
Gabna community fear their traditional herding routes will be sacrificed as far-right rhetoric ramps up against them
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Irish Environmental Network @irishenvnet.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
“The only way to minimise harm is to cut emissions now... not to delay action with speculative techno-fixes”. The UN's Environment Programme has said that a rise in global temperatures of 1.5C will be surpassed www.rte.ie/news/2026/09...
rte.ie
World must navigate 'reality' of 1.5C overshoot, says UN
The UN said a rise in global temperatures of 1.5C will be surpassed and that the challenge has now "shifted from avoiding overshoot to navigating it".
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Trócaire @trocaire.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
In yesterday's Irish Times, Trócaire CEO Seán Farrell wrote about how Ireland's EU Presidency is a unique opportunity to use our influence to place poverty, inequality & human rights at the centre of the development agenda, and counteract devastating global aid cuts. Read the full letter below ⬇️
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
The National @scotnational.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Big Tech’s grand promises of jobs and economic growth from data centres fall apart under the lightest scrutiny, writes Jane Herbstritt ✍️ www.thenational.scot/politi...
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Patrick Bresnihan @pbresnihan.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Stripe CEO Patrick Collison and Mario Draghi have co-founded the Rhine Group, a think tank for European revival. Appointing a Silicon Valley tech CEO with close links to the Koch brothers to 'revive' Europe is a sure sign that Europe is in sharp decline. www.businesspost.ie/tech/europe-...
businesspost.ie
‘Europe is weak’: Patrick Collison and Mario Draghi team up with new think tank
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Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) @corporateeurope.org · 21/08/2026
This should be an unforgettable summer - for the fires and high temperatures in southern Europe. And then there is this.
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Queen Mary University of London @qmul.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Air pollution stunts children’s lung growth. New Queen Mary research found that improvements in air quality after the introduction of London’s ULEZ are associated with accelerated lung growth in children. Read more: shorturl.at/Jx86o
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Approving new oil and gas projects after the summer we've just had would be an outrageous act of national sabotage. It won't take a penny off bills. But it will accelerate the climate crisis already taking lives, destroying homes and pushing public services to the brink.
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The Water War Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank diverted a spring that was a lifeline for the Palestinian village of Fasayil, cutting irrigation pipes in June and converting it into a tourist attraction, leaving nearby farms barren www.reuters.com/world/middle...
reuters.com
Israeli settlers divert Palestinian water to fill West Bank pool
On a searing summer day, Israeli settlers splashed in a West Bank pool created by siphoning off water that had irrigated Palestinian crops, one of many seizures of water resources across ​the occupied...
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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
FT article adds to recent Triodos Bank study on heat economics Shows EU pursing wrong priorities. EU estimated to lose around 5% of GDP due to climate costs to 2030 EU deregulation agenda does not address this Especially Farright has no solutions to offer other than suck it up, leave rich alone
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
euobserver — EU news that matters @euobserver.com · 12/08/2026
EU fuelling economic ‘doom loop’ by weakening climate rules during record heatwave, Dutch bank says
euobserver.com
EU fuelling economic ‘doom loop’ by weakening climate rules during record heatwave, Dutch bank says
Dutch bank Triodos argues that by prioritising “competitiveness” over tougher carbon pricing amid this summer's heat crisis, the EU is leaving its economy more exposed to future climate shocks.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
What we should grasp is that this is what Trump is *for*. It's why fossil fuel companies and the ultra-rich backed him. The kleptocracy, the cruelty, the culture wars, all these, while real & grim enough, distract us from seeing the true purpose of his presidency. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump administration to pay German firm $1.22bn to cut offshore wind leases
Agreement with RWE is fifth deal Trump team has made with energy companies, offering payouts to give up projects
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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
My editor asked me to write about what happened to summer:
theguardian.com
We launched a war on nature. Now we are in a climate warzone | Rebecca Solnit
Summer is not what it once was. We have been robbed of one of life’s great joys
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Greenpeace International 🌍 @greenpeace.org · 03/08/2026
If corporations knowingly contribute to dangerous climate harm, then surely there must be some legal mechanism to hold them accountable. Right?
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
At astonishing speed, our rights are being cancelled, worldwide. In the UK, the prosecution of Rajiv Menon KC is the latest example of blatant authoritarianism. Why? Because this is what billionaires and corporations demand. This week's column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Think our basic rights are safe? In the age of oligarchs and corporate lobbying, think again | George Monbiot
The global assault on our freedoms is coming ever closer to home. Just look at the sinister prosecution of UK lawyer Rajiv Menon, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Chris O'Connell @chris-oconnell.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The article details the struggles of the Xinka people for justice and highlights the role of a strong Binding Treaty in reducing or removing barriers to justice.
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Chris O'Connell @chris-oconnell.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Attacks on communities and individuals like the Xinkas are constant. When human rights are abused by corporations, victims of even blatant attacks face huge legal and practical barriers to justice. This is one of the most important reasons that we need a #BindingTreaty on #BusinessandHumanRights.
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Chris O'Connell @chris-oconnell.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
One of the benefits of working with @trocaire.bsky.social is meeting and learning from our incredibly committed and smart human rights partners. None more so than the Xinka Parliament, so it was a privilege to collaborate with them to write this important article for @business-humanrights.org.
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
corporatejusticeuk.bsky.social @corporatejusticeuk.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Why should Andy Burnham prioritise corporate justice? Read our letter sent to the new Prime Minister on his first day in office to see why new corporate accountability legislation is closely aligned with some of this Government's key priorties shorturl.at/HkbNX
corporatejusticecoalition.org
CJC welcomes new PM and explains why new corporate accountability...
Yesterday, Monday 20 July, Andy Burnham was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of the UK. Read below the letter CJC and our partners sent to welcome him into office. In it, we explain why action to pr...
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Chris O'Connell @chris-oconnell.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
“For generations we told ourselves a story about what kind of country we were: a small republic, shaped by anti-colonialism, instinctively suspicious of concentrated power. Yet, modern Ireland increasingly finds itself eager to host ... concentrations of power." www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/colu...
irishexaminer.com
Colin Sheridan: Where is the line between welcoming investment and surrendering identity?
Who are we hosting? Why are we hosting them? What do they represent? And what does their presence say about us, asks Colin Sheridan
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Trócaire @trocaire.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
What do you do when you want less public engagement & more chats with corporations, but your own rules say you can’t? If you're the EU, you just change the rules! We've joined 59 orgs to reject #CorporateCapture & call on the European Commission to reconsider its Better Regulations plans.
corporateeurope.org
A slide away from better regulation, not progress towards it | Corporate Europe Observatory
59 civil society organisations and trade union organisations speak out against the Commission’s plans to change its approach to law-making. They denounce four elements, in particular: bypassing of imp...
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Trócaire @trocaire.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
We’ve less than 24 hours to take action & send a message to our government – no more fossil fuel infrastructure in Ireland! The Government is trying to fast track legislation to create a state-led Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Co. Clare. Take action now: www.trocaire.org/petitions/le...
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Sam Tranum @samtranum.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
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Euronews @euronews.com · 10/06/2026
Spain’s Sánchez speaks out against EU's deregulation crusade ➡️ l.euronews.com/J2JE
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ClientEarth @clientearth.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
🫨 The world’s largest banks provided $906bn in finance to the fossil fuel industry last year. 🫨 📈 This is up nearly 8% since 2024, and locks in dependence on coal, oil and gas production for years to come. More here: lnkd.in/eeixEjbW 1/5
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Patrick Bresnihan @pbresnihan.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
“This report was essentially a cost-benefit analysis without looking at the costs. Minister Burke’s own terms of reference made it clear that the government only wanted to hear one side of the story." sinnfein.ie/news/governm...
sinnfein.ie
Government must fully publish data centre report - Boylan - Sinn Féin
Lynn Boylan has demanded that Minister Peter Burke publish the full data centre report, including the impact on household bills ...
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El Faro English @elfaroenglish.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
One year after her arrest by the Salvadoran regime, Ruth López’s family, international organizations, and groups in exile call for her release and for information on her health. #ElFaroAudio 🎙️ beta.elfaro.net/en/elfaro-au...
beta.elfaro.net
Podcast: Political Prisoner Ruth López Hits One Year in Bukele’s Dungeons
Salvadoran political prisoner Ruth López’s family calls for her release. Audio published by Hondurasgate skips journalistic due diligence. Guatemala ends the tenure of an internationally sanctioned…
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Reposted by Chris O'Connell
Shane Darcy @shanedarcy.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
The letter was published in the Irish Times: www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett... The text and full list of signatories was posted here: ichrgalway.org/2025/05/23/o...
ichrgalway.org
Open letter from lawyers and academics on Ireland’s international law obligations concerning Palestine
Dear Taoiseach Micheál Martin, We, the undersigned, members of the legal profession and academy, are writing to express our deep concern at the Irish Government’s continued failure to take the nece…
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Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) @corporateeurope.org · 19/05/2026
Big Tech lobbying is driving weaker permitting rules + faster approvals for data centres in Ireland and the EU. In Ireland, data centres pay less for electricity than households (set to get worse), while new gas power plants are being built to power these “AI factories”. #Permission2Pollute
Infographic titled 'Removing protections against data centre build-out – a warning from Ireland.' A text box on the left explains: What — energy-intensive data centres, described as 'AI factories,' are causing major problems in Ireland, with plans to build three times as many across the EU within five to seven years; Who — Big Tech companies including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, backed by the Trump administration and lobby groups such as the EU Data Centre Association, Digital Europe, and CCIA; How EU permitting rules come in — EU nature protection laws forming part of permitting procedures can be a barrier to data centre development, but new loopholes are removing this check on polluters. On the right, a map zooms in on Ireland, showing Dublin at the centre of a large circle, with clustered numbers indicating concentrations of data centres: 95 near Dublin, and smaller clusters of 2, 3, 6, and 7 elsewhere.
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Trócaire @trocaire.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
"Violence is like a shadow that follows mining around the world” - Trócaire Policy Advisor @chris-oconnell.bsky.social appeared before a public inquiry into gold mining in the Sperrins Mountains to give evidence on the negative impacts of mining. Read more 👇 www.thedetail.tv/articles/min...
thedetail.tv
Mining sector is among the world’s ‘deadliest and most dangerous’, inquiry hears
Trócaire said it had observed many harms in mining projects around the world
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Joe Noonan @joenoonan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett...
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European Network on Debt and Development - Eurodad @eurodadnews.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
While the #IMF pushes #Argentina to exploit oil & gas in #VacaMuerta to pay off its #debt, indigenous communities in Patagonia face environmental and social crises. For Aylén, this tunnel vision from Buenos Aires is part of the #RealCostOfDebt. Hear more 👉www.eurodad.org/debt_story_d...
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Trócaire @trocaire.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Trócaire's Chris O'Connell - 'Energy Charter Treaty has been proven time and again to be a huge obstacle to climate action. Equally positive with Ireland’s ECT exit is Ireland’s commitment to co-hosting the 2nd international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels in 2027 with Tuvalu.'
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Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe @caneurope.org · 08/05/2026
🏆Congrats to Iceland, Moldova, Romania, Sweden, Bulgaria & Ireland for exiting (or set to exit) the notorious Energy Charter Treaty. Next steps: ➡️Remaining ECT countries - follow the example! ➡️Commit to exclude all forms of ISDS from future investment treaties ➡️Cancel existing treaties with ISDS
caneurope.org
Fresh wave of countries abandons Energy Charter Treaty, a new blow to bury the climate-wrecking pact for good
The ECT has become notorious for allowing energy companies to use secretive investor-state tribunals to claim millions or even billions from taxpayers when governments adopt public-interest measures…
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Attracta Uí Bhroin @attractaub.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
👏to @rteradio1.bsky.social #ThisWeek feature on #TheCrazyArbitrationBill intended to allow ratification of #ISDS style #InvestorDispute clauses in #Trade deals like #CETA Even if the bill gets around the #Constitution Corporates can still enforce huge 💵claims against us outside of Ireland To Gov:
media.tenor.com
a man wearing a headband stands on a tennis court and says you cannot be serious
ALT: a man wearing a headband stands on a tennis court and says you cannot be serious
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Attracta Uí Bhroin @attractaub.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
What sort of a world do u want? It's bad enough to 👀 the deregulatory agenda & #HumanRights ignored without Ireland looking to ratify #Trade deals with deeply controversial #ISDS style clauses putting Corporate interests in the driving seat over #PublicInterest #Climate Say #NoToTheArbitrationBill
media.tenor.com
a little girl is making a funny face with the words say it no on the bottom
ALT: a little girl is making a funny face with the words say it no on the bottom
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Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe @caneurope.org · 01/05/2026
Today is #internationalWorkersDay - but also the day the 🇪🇺 Commission chose to provisionally apply #EUMercosur deal. The deal is not only climate-wrecking but our new economic study also shows a disastrous impact on workers, shifting huge amounts away from wages to companies’ profits.
caneurope.org
New Economic Study on the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Growth Narrative Debunked, Inequalities Uncovered - CAN Europe
A new economic study of the EU-Mercosur agreement shows that once more realistic economic dynamics are considered, projected economics gains become negligible and may even disappear entirely.
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Attracta Uí Bhroin @attractaub.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Call to Action: I know we are all overwhelmed by all the awful stuff happening but there's a real opportunity to stop Ireland doing something crazy and very bad, which risks: 💵massive bills for u as taxpayers 😵‍💫compromising progressive policy & legislation on your #health #environment #climate 👇🧵
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Trócaire @trocaire.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Chris O’Connell, Policy Advisor, said: 'ISDS is a predatory system that allows big companies to bully states and prevent a Just Transtion. At a time when other countries are moving away from ISDS, why is the Irish government putting the interests of investors ahead of citizens and the planet?' 1/4
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Conor Gallagher @conorgallagher.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
The number of United States troops travelling through Ireland has increased by almost 80 per cent before and during US attacks on Iran, figures obtained by The Irish Times show. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
US troop numbers passing through Shannon soar 80%
More than 3,000 US troops passed through airport during March after Iran conflict started
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SOMO - Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations @somoamsterdam.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
An unknown, but very legal tool is blocking climate action and the fossil fuel phase out: 👉 Investor State Dispute Settlement, or ISDS. ISDS allows foreign investors - like big polluters - to sue states when public policies affect their investments and profits. (1/3)
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Chris O'Connell @chris-oconnell.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Letter also referenced on @rteradio1.bsky.social Morning Ireland: www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...
rte.ie
7.10am It Says In The Papers
Presented by Ronan Kelly.
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Chris O'Connell @chris-oconnell.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
My letter in today's @irishtimes.com on the Irish government's plan to sign us up to the predatory #ISDS system that would expose the state to suits and bullying by big corporations: www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett...
irishtimes.com
Unsettled by investment dispute settlement scheme
The State is planning to adopt a system that will allow big business to bully states into adopting policies that favour corporate profits
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Lynn O'K @lynnok.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Investor courts are the main train to object to Mercosur or CETA. They are not intended to help people or nations at all. It's peak capitalism. Where all the rights are with corporations and the public good doesn't count at all. @greenparty.ie TD Patrick Costolloe took a supreme court against them.
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Saoirse McHugh @saoirsemc.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
The vast vast VAST majority of highly subsidized agricultural produce from Ireland is exported. I wonder would he see that as sending money abroad while we have to import most of the food we actually eat
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