Colm O'Brien @colmobrien.bsky.social · 08/09/2026theconversation.com/denmark-is-a...theconversation.comDenmark is a cycling nation, but our research shows rates are declining – here’s whyDenmark built the bike lanes – but people are still getting in cars. 111
Reposted by Colm O'BrienMike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 15/08/2026As Britain swelters through another heatwave, few people will have heard that ministers have quietly dropped plans for solar carports. Cars cooler in summer. Shelter from the rain in winter. Clean electricity all year round. A missed opportunity?eastangliabylines.co.ukAs Britain bakes, ministers quietly park plans for solar carportsMinisters have quietly shelved plans that could have transformed Britain's biggest car parks into shaded power stations 28128671227
Reposted by Colm O'BrienOilibhear O Mordha @olliemoore.bsky.social · 15/08/2026This government is galloping backwards away from doing even the EU average of activities on Palestine. Tours cancelled,visas cancelled, botched OTB, and on and on and on 084
Colm O'Brien @colmobrien.bsky.social · 10/08/2026youtube.com/shorts/FDvTW... SUVs and pickups are more common now on Irish roads. They are more deadly for pedestrians. Time to regulate them.youtube.comThe Rise of Deadly Trucks and SUVsYouTube video by The New York Times 000
Reposted by Colm O'BrienLynn O'K @lynnok.bsky.social · 29/07/2026Again???? Can we just stop polluting our rivers and killing our fish. 051
Colm O'Brien @colmobrien.bsky.social · 22/07/2026‘I can’t work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore’: why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs share.google/cIiDs9TLqPlt...share.google‘I can’t work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore’: why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobsThe moral struggles of guiding tourists through a pristine landscape. 000
Reposted by Colm O'BrienOla Løkken Nordrum @olaln.bsky.social · 21/07/202614 articles about ice cream. Only 4 mentioned net zero. Back from my Substack hiatus with a deep dive into how Irish media covered the June 2026 heatwave.open.substack.comIrish Media’s Climate Blind Spot During HeatwavesMy analysis of the main Irish news outlets shows that 54% of the June 2026 heatwave coverage failed to mention climate change. 15326
Reposted by Colm O'BrienLynn O'K @lynnok.bsky.social · 14/07/2026When people give out about protecting the fresh water pearl mussel and it blocking development-I always think, what you're being asked to protect is clean water for you to swim or fish in, and your drinking water. Clean water sighing be the most basic thing we demand of our government. 031
Colm O'Brien @colmobrien.bsky.social · 17/07/2026www.euronews.com/2026/07/16/i...euronews.comThe map predicting agricultural decline from climate changeA CSIC team in Barcelona has developed CADI, a platform that forecasts, on a 10‑kilometre grid, how much farmland will lose productivity to climate change by 2100; Spain’s interior fares worse than th... 011
Reposted by Colm O'BrienAl Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 17/07/2026Israeli attacks kill at least five Palestinians in Gaza despite ‘ceasefire’ aje.news/medyvg 511395
Reposted by Colm O'BrienIreland against Fascism @irlagainstfascism.bsky.social · 17/07/2026Murdered by a double tap way back in 2014. 1️⃣ On this day in 2014, the ‘israeli’ occupation forces bombed and killed four young boys who were playing football at a beach in Gaza. The boys: Ismail Mohammed Bakr (9), Zakaria Ahed Bakr (10), Ahed Atef Bakr (10), Mohamed Ramez Bakr (11), were all 24622
Reposted by Colm O'BrienElla McSweeney @ellamcsweeney.bsky.social · 13/07/2026What ospreys ask of us is simple: clean, fish-rich waters. Whether they succeed here will depend on whether the fish do too. www.irishtimes.com/life-style/2...irishtimes.comWhat ospreys ask of us is simple: clean, fish-rich watersImposing bird of prey can make Ireland home if plankton thrive 061
Reposted by Colm O'BrienSimon McGarr @tupped.bsky.social · 08/07/2026A reminder that, on one day in the last election, FF, FG and SF all visited the IFA and told them that they would work to shelter Agriculture from climate protecting laws. 38249
Reposted by Colm O'BrienRTÉ News @news.rte.ie · 08/07/2026The Football Association of Ireland will this evening host an Extraordinary General Meeting at Aviva Stadium to vote on a motion regarding the Republic of Ireland's upcoming Nations League fixtures with Israelrte.ieFAI EGM to vote on Israel fixtures at Aviva this eveningThe Football Association of Ireland (FAI) will this evening host an Extraordinary General Meeting at Aviva Stadium to vote on a motion regarding the Republic of Ireland's upcoming Nations League fixtu... 7126
Reposted by Colm O'BrienLynn O'K @lynnok.bsky.social · 07/07/2026I've just emailed my local SF TD Mairead Farrel about this. Think what that money that goes to greyhounds could do for children's sporting and activities. Say no to gambling. Say no to hare coursing and greyhound racing. Put the €19 million annually into rural sporting facilities for children!! 4205
Reposted by Colm O'BrienDavid Roberts @volts.wtf · 07/07/2026Trump is a rapist. Most of the people he's appointed to his cabinet and nominated to the Supreme Court face credible accusations of sexual harassment. He, his VP, and his sons are actively defending Andrew Tate from prosecution for sex trafficking and rape. Just some things I think about sometimes. 28922226
Reposted by Colm O'BrienElaine McGoff @elainemcgoff.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Yesterday @antaisce.bsky.social and @FIE launched a legal challenge to the new judicial review cost caps. These new caps mean, if a member of the public or eNGO wins their case, they will still have to pay tens of thousands to correct the mistake by the State. www.antaisce.org/News/environ...antaisce.orgEnvironmental groups launch legal challenge against new regulations that severely restrict access to justiceTogether, An Taisce and Friends of the Irish Environment initiated a court challenge to new regulations that put a cap on the costs litigants in environmental legal cases can recover if they win their... 13515
Reposted by Colm O'BrienStephanie Rains 🪼 @acidrains.bsky.social · 05/07/2026Suggestion for Doonbeg if he really does come here in September #speirgorm 1208
Reposted by Colm O'BrienPádraic Fogarty @whittledaway.bsky.social · 26/06/2026County councils nearly all turning a blind eye to illegal peat mining. Only one, Longford, making any attempt to apply the law despite the practice being widespread. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...irishtimes.comIllegal peat extraction in 44 bogs countrywide, but action taken by only one councilEnvironment watchdog defends implementation of law as TDs claim families being driven out of business 24919
Reposted by Colm O'BrienTODERIAN UrbanWORKS Inc. (TUW) @toderianuw.bsky.social · 05/07/2026“Helsinki hasn’t registered a single traffic-related fatality in the past year…Citing data that shows the risk of pedestrian fatality is cut in half by reducing a car’s speed from 40 to 30km/hr, city officials imposed the lower limit in most of Helsinki’s residential areas and city center in 2021.”politico.euHelsinki just went a full year without a single traffic deathThe capital city is Finnish’ed with car-related fatalities. 8515171
Reposted by Colm O'Brienevo1963.bsky.social @evo1963.bsky.social · 05/07/2026Incredibly unsurprising. Labour is nothing but the party of the status quo. 618341
Reposted by Colm O'BrienElla McSweeney @ellamcsweeney.bsky.social · 05/07/2026“Restoration without pollution control is not a policy, it’s a gesture, and an incoherent one at that. It spends public money cleaning up what private and public polluters are permitted to dirty, in a publicly-funded loop without end.” By me for @irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com/life-style/2...irishtimes.comIreland punishes tax evaders. Pollution should be just as riskyNature absorbs the impact of polluters because the political will isn’t there to make the consequences serious enough to stop them 16822
Reposted by Colm O'BrienNaomi Klein @naomiaklein.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Everybody in the "climate space" (which means everyone on earth...) needs to understand these mind-blowing figures. Google's "total electricity consumption jumped from 31 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2024 to 43 TWh in 2025." In ONE year. The AI corporate arms race is eating the world. 7043282446
Reposted by Colm O'BrienElaine McGoff @elainemcgoff.bsky.social · 20/06/2025Lady's Island lake is the end result of decades of agricultural nitrogen water pollution. The only way we can turn the agricultural nitrogen pollution problem around is if those in power admit that their measures aren't working. It's time to actually listen to the evidence, not the spin. 38732
Reposted by Colm O'BrienElaine McGoff @elainemcgoff.bsky.social · 03/07/2026If I read one more reference to 'gold plating' of EU law in Ireland....Can anyone show me the evidence? Should we look to the over half our rivers and lakes polluted? The trend which is getting worse? The 25% of our most pristine waterbodies now lost? A 🧵 www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...irishtimes.comTop Government adviser calls for action to roll back ‘gold-plated’ environmental lawLaws exempting key projects from national climate goals should be followed by moves to curtail environmental screening, says taskforce chief 1011657
Reposted by Colm O'BrienDale Ryder @kryton3298.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Analyst News New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has doubled down on his comments comparing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to “monsters” that “move dark money,” and support the "status quo" in Israel, which includes the killing of children in Gaza. 35309132
Reposted by Colm O'BrienGeorge Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Blatant lobbying, not for the sake of our country, but for the fossil fuel industry, in which almost all the ultrarich - including, in all likelihood, the proprietors of these newspapers - are heavily invested. These people are not and never will be your friends. www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-...carbonbrief.orgAnalysis: UK newspapers have already printed 63 editorials in 2026 backing North Sea drilling - Carbon BriefUK newspapers have already published 63 editorials this year calling for more oil and gas extraction in the North Sea, according to Carbon Brief analysis. 431557780
Reposted by Colm O'BrienLynn O'K @lynnok.bsky.social · 30/06/2026@micheal-martin.bsky.social the Irish hare is a protected animal. It should not be hunted, caught and then chased by greyhounds. It is only done by a tiny minority of people. It is not what the vast majority of people in rural Ireland want. Please don't vote against this bill. 041
Reposted by Colm O'BrienLynn O'K @lynnok.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Why are FFG so keen to continue to support a practice that has almost no support amongst the electorate. The whole rural Ireland shtick is nonsense. I don't get the why of this!!! 1101
Reposted by Colm O'BrienJewish Voice for Peace @jvp.bsky.social · 01/07/2026JVP commends the American Academy of Religion for its “Resolution in Solidarity with Gaza." The resolution condemns the Israeli regime’s policies of genocide and scholasticide in Palestine, defined by the UN as the “intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system.” 312554
Reposted by Colm O'BrienDavid Roberts @volts.wtf · 29/06/2026This is a great example of what's called "pluralistic ignorance" -- the phenomenon whereby most people share a particular view, but they *don't think other people share it*. In this case: most people are concerned about climate change but think others aren't.sherwood.newsOver 50% of Americans say climate change is a serious threat; only 10% think their compatriots feel the sameThat perception gap on the issue is among the highest in the world, per a new Gallup poll.... 551591587
Reposted by Colm O'BrienDublin Commuters @dublincommuters.bsky.social · 29/06/2026Meanwhile multiple phases of BusConnects, all four Luas extensions and various Dart+ projects go unfunded 🙄 Always money for cars and roads… never any for solutions to Irelands congestion problems 03920
Reposted by Colm O'BrienZack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 24/06/2026It's officially the hottest June day ever. We know who is to blame. Fossil fuel firms. The billionaire media. Weak politicians. We know what we must do. Rapid decarbonisation & adaptation for a healthier, wealthier country safe for future generations. 371407433
Reposted by Colm O'BrienPhilip Boucher-Hayes @philipb-h.bsky.social · 24/06/2026I made a feature length documentary film, and it’s in the official selection for The Galway Film Fleadh. It’d be great if I don’t end up in the cinema on my own. #Climate #SpeirGorm www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/project/glob...galwayfilmfleadh.comGlobal Warning - Galway Film Fleadh 312449
Reposted by Colm O'BrienRuth Watson @ruthwatson.eurosky.social · 24/06/2026Beyond words. The world must take action for Palestine Israel must face the harshest, fullest, most severe sanctions Israel is committing genocide of Palestinians in plain sight Targetting babies and children Israel's prolonged torture and murder of 5-year-old #HindRajab was clearly documented. 11914
Reposted by Colm O'BrienAbbey @abbeyarletto.bsky.social · 23/06/2026When reality surpasses fiction! Top: fictional forecast for August 2050, broadcast by French TV in 2014 to warn about the consequences of global warming. Bottom: Real French forecast for yesterday, June 22, 2026. 236168267552
Reposted by Colm O'BrienPádraic Fogarty @whittledaway.bsky.social · 23/06/2026So far, our transition to a ‘a climate resilient, biodiversity rich and climate neutral economy’ feels less like a journey and more like the TV series ‘Lost’. No one is really sure what’s happening or if anything is happening at all. www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ou...irishexaminer.comPádraic Fogarty: Taking a very long time to ‘bring everyone with us’Government seems to be taking a very long time as it ‘brings everyone along’ in addressing the challenges of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss 5408
Reposted by Colm O'BrienHelen Shaw - Athena Media @athenamediaie.bsky.social · 23/06/2026How much hotter can Europe get? A lot hotter, for a lot longer, with extremes then on either side. Time to call climate crisis a shared emergency and accelerate phasing out fossil fuels and reducing GHGs ? Or will we continue to park it - delay, deflect and deny? www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/c...nytimes.comAs Europe Warms, Scientists Ask: How Much Hotter Could Summers Get? 2122
Reposted by Colm O'BrienEoghan Daltun 🌍 @irishrainforest.bsky.social · 22/06/2026Some good news: church grounds and graveyards across Ireland are becoming havens for birds, bees and bats as part of a biodiversity project inspired by Pope Francis. www.rte.ie/news/regiona...rte.ieBiodiversity project inspired by Pope Francis soarsChurch grounds and graveyards across Ireland are becoming havens for birds, bees and bats as part of a biodiversity project inspired by Pope Francis. 8762581293
Reposted by Colm O'BrienEoghan Daltun 🌍 @irishrainforest.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Fish farms • Consume vast amounts of industrially-trawled wild fish, wasting 75% • Turn rich seabeds below into deadzones • Give parasites & diseases to wild fish • Are horrific for farmed fish • Produce toxic, chemical-laden food • Are eyesores in beauty spots • Harm tourism & fishing jobs ENOUGH 1124186
Reposted by Colm O'BrienParis Marx @parismarx.com · 22/06/2026honestly i welcome the data center lobby just openly saying climate goals needed to be trashed so the tech industry can build ai — intense heat waves, record forest fires, worsening natural disasters be damnedpolitico.euEurope must choose between AI and climate goals, data center lobby saysTech sector says only carbon-emitting gas plants are reliable enough today to power the EU’s AI goals. 16835325
Reposted by Colm O'BrienZack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 22/06/2026This is only the beginning. The climate crisis is here. So why are politicians and most of the media still acting as though this can wait? It can't. We can still avoid some of the worst impacts - but only if we find the courage to act. metro.co.uk/2026/06/22/g...metro.co.ukGreta Thunberg warns 40°C heatwave about to hit UK 'is only the beginning' 842562838
Colm O'Brien @colmobrien.bsky.social · 21/06/2026youtube.com/post/UgkxQwu...youtube.comPost from Gianmarco Soresi - YouTubeUPCOMING SHOWS: June 29 Raleigh, NC (late show added): https://www.goodnightscomedy.com/events/126763 July 1-3 Wilmington, NC: https://deadcrowcomedy-com.sea... 000
Reposted by Colm O'BrienTrees for Life @treesforlife.bsky.social · 21/06/2026The longest day and shortest night of the year, it’s the summer #solstice ☀️ To mark #Midsummer, people traditionally celebrated with dancing, bonfires and merrymaking. In Celtic #mythology, the Oak King ruled during this time of the year, and oak was seen as a symbol of strength and endurance. 🌳 0256
Reposted by Colm O'BrienGlobal Abortion Rights News @globalabortionnews.bsky.social · 21/06/2026Removal of the 3-day wait for an abortion is the most significant change to Ireland’s abortion laws since 2018. It was one of the recommendations made by an independent review of the legislation in 2023. The report also recommended more clarity on the issue of fatal fetal abnormality.independent.ieThe three-day wait to access an abortion will be removed – but what did a review of abortion laws also recommend?The removal of the three-day wait for a woman seeking a termination of pregnancy would be the most significant change to Ireland’s abortion laws since 2018. 08221
Colm O'Brien @colmobrien.bsky.social · 21/06/2026showyourstripes.info/c/europe/ire...showyourstripes.infoShow Your StripesVisualising how the climate has changed for every country across the globe 010
Reposted by Colm O'BrienKatharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 20/06/2026Today is #ShowYourStripes day! The warming stripes, created by @edhawkins.org, show how the place where you live has changed over time. Find yours at showyourstripes.info. Download them, share them, and use them to start a conversation today! 11276114
Reposted by Colm O'BrienPaul van der Marck en 🇫🇷 @paulvandermarck.eurosky.social · 19/06/2026Monday in France… #canicule #heatwave. The second heatwave of this year BEFORE the formal start of summer… #stopflying4fun. We live 50km north of Toulouse. 042
Reposted by Colm O'BrienNahel Belgherze @wxnb.bsky.social · 20/06/2026France will be at the epicenter of the most significant heat anomaly on the planet over the next few days. The sheer extent of the country that could experience temperatures above 40°C is nothing short of astonishing. 49995553