I feel like xkcd has been getting more into geoscience the last couple of years, and I absolutely love it. Bonus text reads "the administration thinks it's weird, but the geologists say it looks normal." xkcd.com/3284/

As close to totality as we're going to get #Eclipse2026

Fun solar eclipse watching with pizza boxes and colanders! 😀 (For a sequence of excellent images see @bogshuffler.bsky.social )

Europe needs to start treating the climate emergency as a threat to our national security www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...

Opinion: Europe needs to start treating the climate emergency as a threat to our national security

Idea that climate action is about individual responsibility is as ridiculous as suggesting everyone can equip themselves to fight in war

irishtimes.com

Blog: The Government's own risk assessment has concluded that Cherry Laurel poses a High risk to Ireland's biodiversity. The IWT + Gaelic Woodland Project are calling on the Government to commit to a clear, published timeline for a nationwide ban on its sale. iwt.ie/cherry-laure...

Cherry Laurel Assessed as High Risk Invasive: The Science Is Clear. Ireland Must Now Ban Its Sale. - Irish Wildlife Trust

The assessment found that this widely sold hedging plant poses an overall High risk to Ireland's biodiversity, with High confidence.

iwt.ie

Public consultation on this issue finishes tomorrow night!

The Journal@thejournal.ie · last wk.

The RSA has voiced concern about “driver distraction” in relation to proposed outdoor digital advertising units in South Dublin. The South Dublin County Council project, in partnership with JCDecaux, would see the installation of advertising display units at 28 locations. jrnl.ie/7125161

I wrote about a reason not to use generative AI in your writing that I haven't seen anyone talking about. Once I realized this, banning GenAI in our lab's writing became a no-brainer. Feel free to share, I think this is probably useful especially for trainees: www.carlsonlab.bio/thoughts/the...

The only reason you’ll ever need not to write with AI — The Carlson Lab

Over the last year, our lab has been developing a policy on AI use. To do this, we did three main things: We read a lot of academic publications and tech news. We set up an #ai channel on our la...

carlsonlab.bio

The Land Use Review raises lots of questions for Ireland - the answers raise lots of dilemmas. A farmer, forester, renewables consultant, land lecturer, environmentalist & and nature restorer share insights @hometreecharity.bsky.social @fintankelly.bsky.social www.irishtimes.com/life-style/2...

How Ireland’s land is used and why it has to change

Agriculture takes up 74 per cent of the country’s land

irishtimes.com

'Another aspect cut from the final report is a suggestion that policymakers should “mandate sustainability standards” related to data centres’ high energy and water use' 'The draft and final reports also appear to reach different conclusions about the impact of data centre land use.'

The Journal@thejournal.ie · last wk.

A draft version of the government’s recent data centre report included several key aspects which questioned continued investment in the sector but were later cut from the final version released to the public. jrnl.ie/7122123

One aspect raised in the draft version is whether the infrastructure support and investment provided to data centres “could be more impactful if directed toward public services like transport or housing”. But this was cut from the final report. jrnl.ie/7122123

Concerns over supporting data centres ahead of transport or housing scrubbed from government report

Several aspects which questioned continued investment in the sector were later cut from the final version released to the public.

jrnl.ie

A draft version of the government’s recent data centre report included several key aspects which questioned continued investment in the sector but were later cut from the final version released to the public. jrnl.ie/7122123

Concerns over supporting data centres ahead of transport or housing scrubbed from government report

Several aspects which questioned continued investment in the sector were later cut from the final version released to the public.

jrnl.ie

Some thoughts on whether Ireland did meet CB1, the first five-year carbon budget as claimed: the serious CB1 caveats required and why meeting CB2 is the real test of Ireland's past & upcoming Climate Action Plans. (I also posted this on LinkedIn.) climate-change-and-ireland.ghost.io/did-ireland-...

Did Ireland meet Carbon Budget 1? Some key caveats and why CB2 is the real policy test

In July EPA issued its report on Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2025, stating that the first statutory five-year carbon budget (CB1) of 295 MtCO2e, covering 2021–2025 had been met...

climate-change-and-ireland.ghost.io

This says everything about where we are with climate in Ireland #spéirghorm www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Irish officials proposed scrapping ‘linchpin’ of climate legislation

Move would have ‘scuppered any notion that this Government takes climate action seriously’, environmentalists say

irishtimes.com

For #Wildflowerhour here are some plants #bythesea on Muighinis, Conamara (sea holly, sea mayweed, sea rocket and wild radish)

It would be easy to call this the “new normal“ but that’s incorrect. In actual fact, “normal” is going to keep getting worse and worse and worse. Just how bad it will get depends entirely on how fast & far we go on real, legitimate (not performative) #ClimateAction. We know how. It’s about will.

Nahel Belgherze@wxnb.bsky.social · 2w ago

Bordeaux, France, has now recorded more days above 40°C in 2026 alone than during the entire 105-year period from 1920 (when observations began) to 2025. This is deeply shocking.

Judicial review is a fundamental part of democracy. Why does our government attack it? www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

Judicial reviews are a fundamental part of democracy — not a dig at the Government by greedy lawyers

A judicial review is any case taken against any public body that may have broken the law — it's the separation of powers working as intended, writes Cathal Malone

irishexaminer.com

🚨Pearl Mussel Kill on the Owenriff river in Co. Galway! Devastating news shared with us by our member organisation, Carra Mask Corrib Water Protection Group! Much more needs to be done to protect freshwater pearl mussels and the clean, free-flowing rivers on which they depend.

Two aquatic flowering plants from Loch Piobram, Iorras Aithneach, Conamara for #Wildflowerhour - Water Lobelia and Pipewort

Some #wetlandplants for #wildflowerhour and #InternationalBogDay2026 from a very dry blanket bog at An Ros Rua, Conamara on 22 July - only 5mm of rain in July up to then (cf July av. 77mm) and max temp 29.7 C on 15 July. (6mm of rain yesterday so the bog should be happier now!) See Alt text for IDs

Celebrating our amazing bogs on #WorldBogDay An Taisce holds a number of precious properties in trust, including areas of Ireland’s internationally important boglands Thanks to Creative Ireland, A Bog Worth Keeping is our new project with Sliabh Beagh communities: www.antaisce.org/news/a-bog-w...

🌊🌳 Coill Sheanadh Gharráin and Camcor Wood showcase the importance of Ireland's riparian woodlands. These riverbank forests help keep water clean, reduce erosion, support wildlife, and provide natural flood protection. Healthy rivers need healthy woodlands. 🌿 #NativeWoodlandTrust #NatureIreland

You see @news.rte.ie it's not a picture of a sunny beach with loads of people or a kid licking a melting ice cream. This is the kinda image to accompany climate change related heat waves.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3w ago

Drought declared in parts of Wales as July on course to be driest in nearly 200 years

This Sunday is #InternationalBogDay2026. It's organised by bsky.app/profile/iucn.... Find out more about peatbogs & #wetlandplants, how you can get involved, + 3 iconic bog plants you can hunt for & record: bsbi.org/blog/2026/07... Remember to share your finds on Sunday evening for #WildFlowerHour!

wildflowerhour@wildflowerhour.bsky.social · 4w ago

The theme for this week’s #wildflowerhour challenge is wetland plants. So have a mosey in your local marsh, mire, bog, fen and see what you can find! Share your pics this Sunday 8-9pm using #wetlandplants #InternationalBogDay2026

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum, Féithleann), bindweed (Calystegia soldanella?, Plúr an phrionsa) and bramble (Rubus fruticosus, Dris) from Conamara for the #wildflowerhour #climbingplants challenge - also St. Dabeoc’s Heath (Daboecia cantabrica, Fraoch na haon choise) growing in western gorse

When it comes to the public good I know what I value, & many more like me. We value healthy water we can safely drink & swim in, air we can breath, nature which isn't being decimated on a daily basis, a future climate which we can actually live in. www.environmentalpillar.ie/public-want-...

Public want Ireland’s EU Presidency to protect nature and tax fossil fuel companies - The Environmental Pillar

Ireland Thinks poll shows value people put on EU’s environmental role Strong majorities of the public want the Government to use Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the EU to uphold or strengthen environ...

environmentalpillar.ie

If 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...

Top Government adviser calls for action to roll back ‘gold-plated’ environmental law

Laws exempting key projects from national climate goals should be followed by moves to curtail environmental screening, says taskforce chief

irishtimes.com

While The Irish Times marketed itself under the tagline "the story of why", they are doing their bit again of not giving context why someone like Government advisor Sean O’Driscoll might be against environmental legislation, so here's this article again: irishcycle.com/2026/01/17/w...

Who is Sean O’Driscoll? And why does the Government and media keep treating him as an infrastructure expert?

Comment & Analysis Long Read: Sean O’Driscoll is a member of the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, which has a direct role in feeding into policy, and making the lead story on…

irishcycle.com

Gold plated environmental standards? In a country where: 90% of protected habitat types are in unfavourable conservation status 371,884 t of peat exported in 2025, with no compliance with env or planning law At least 9 env cases in the CJEU & 16 infringements www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...

Top Government adviser calls for action to roll back ‘gold-plated’ environmental legislation

Laws exempting key projects from national climate goals should be followed by moves to curtail environmental screening, says taskforce chief

irishtimes.com

I'm blue in the face saying this, there is no evidence that the measures being put in place are effective for addressing agricultural nitrate pollution. This fails farmers & it fails waterbodies. But the emperor's new clothes are still looking good apparently. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Pollution has led to huge drop in salmon and trout numbers in Ireland, Oireachtas to hear

‘Salmonids’ decline serves as a warning that wider ecological deterioration is occurring,’ Angling Council of Ireland says

irishtimes.com

We were promised that the Arterial Drainage Act would be reviewed- instead we got the fast tracking of the designation of many arterially drained waters as heavily modified to reduce their overall ecological ambition, while the Arterial Drainage Act remains unchanged. Deckchairs on the Titanic.

Sustainable Water Network (SWAN)@swanireland.ie · 2mo ago

"We would say it is legislation from a bygone era" Watch back our answers to questions on the Arterial Drainage Act yesterday at an Oireachtas Committee meeting. There is a commitment to review the act in the Government's Water Action Plan but nothing has been done on it.