Irish Doctors for the Environment
@irishdocsenv.bsky.social
An organisation of healthcare professionals and students in Ireland dedicated to promoting good health by addressing the health impacts of the climate and biodiversity crises through environmental care. Registered charity (#20205893) 🔗 https://ide.ie
It is about time that we reclaimed Dublin waterways and made Dublin a swimmable city. Because a swimmable Dublin is a healthier, more liveable, climate resilient, and equitable Dublin. My piece in the Journal! #BlueHealth
No cool down capital: Dublin is a city by the sea, so why is it so hard to go for a swim?
As heatwaves become more frequent, access to safe, swimmable blue spaces in our cities is not a luxury, it should be a public health priority.
thejournal.ie
Our own @olaln.bsky.social 's brilliant piece on the importance of Blue Health and the need for investment in safe, clean swim spots! 🏊
The Journal@thejournal.ie · last wk.No cool down capital: Dublin is by the sea, so how come there are so few places to swim? jrnl.ie/7114577
Did you experience a recent near miss or accident while cycling? If so, please make sure it is added. This data is important to document and helps make Ireland more cycling-friendly. www.collisiontracker.ie @irishcycle.com @irishdocsenv.bsky.social @irishcyclingcmpn.bsky.social
Active Travel Collision Tracker
collisiontracker.ie
14 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.
Irish Media’s Climate Blind Spot During Heatwaves
My analysis of the main Irish news outlets shows that 54% of the June 2026 heatwave coverage failed to mention climate change.
open.substack.com
Our own Dr Sean Owens has penned another excellent blog regarding our water footprint, exploring the injustice of our hosepipe ban Read it here! medium.com/@irishdocsen...
The weather and our water footprint
It’s that time of year again; sunny weather, exams and hosepipe bans!
medium.com
With the e-scooter ban, our government states that helmet and hi-vis mandates are still on the table for people who cycle. Reposting our statement on this issue published in February:
Irish Doctors for the Environment@irishdocsenv.bsky.social · 6mo agoOur statement regarding last week's proposal to introduce a mandate on helmets and high-visibility gear for people who cycle 🚴♂️ Such a measure would be folly - for everybody on the road. Helmet and visibility mandates do not make cycling safer. Transport planning centred on people, however, does 🌍
Helmet and hi-vis mandates are counter-productive and only impede a much-needed mode shift to Active Travel. Performative politics once again from our own government.
IrishCycle.com@irishcycle.com · 2w agoHigh-vis and helmets for cyclists are back on the table, says Minister of State for road safety In light of a plan for making high-vis and helmets compulsory for e-scooter users, the Government are also looking at making the same personal protective equipment mandatory for cyclists, Minister of…
“A breathtakingly honest and explosive account of Ireland’s dilemma with the #climate crisis”. Great review of ‘The Lie of the Land’ by Dr Sean Owens of @irishdocsenv.bsky.social medium.com/@irishdocsen...
The Lie Of The Land
a book written by John Gibbons
medium.com
Would be good to see a similar, ambitious target in Ireland. That said, as always, the proof is in the pudding.
Ministers want 60% of pupils in England ‘actively’ travelling to school by 2035
Exclusive: Transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, says cycling and walking plan focuses on ‘everyday travel needs’
theguardian.com
This is what happens when engineers and planners who seemingly don’t know what a bike looks like are tasked with delivering cycling infrastructure: a tick-box exercise of disconnected, poor quality cycle paths that create the illusion of progress while never inconveniencing drivers.
Two-way cycle path in middle of roadway on Amiens Street to link Clontarf route to quays
— Protected two-way cycle path to run in the centre of the roadway, a first for Ireland, but council officials note the unusual design has limited application elsewhere in the city. Dublin Ci…
irishcycle.com
Clean air zones and low emission zones can bring public health benefits.
Emergency hospital admissions fell after introduction of London’s T-charge and Ulez, study suggests
Imperial College scientists analysed health records before and after introduction of air pollution reduction zones
theguardian.com
Waters and colleagues (all members of Irish Doctors for the Environment) show that single-use drapes drive significant emissions, fuelled by a lack of manufacturer transparency. Their ask: suppliers need to disclose their environmental footprint and hospitals must prioritise reusables.
This is beyond embarrassing from Dublin City Council.
Ola Løkken Nordrum@olaln.bsky.social · 2mo agoJust another example of lazy design and shoddy visuals from Dublin City Council. There's no wonder our cycling infrastructure is so bad when the planning stage looks like this. It's embarrassing whether they used AI, or worse, if an actual human did this.
Make no mistake, we're not prepared for what is to come.
Ola Løkken Nordrum@olaln.bsky.social · 2mo agoLast week, I wrote about the need for climate adaptation and cooling at scale: air conditioning in all hospitals, care homes and schools; community cool spaces; greener cities and urban spaces, to name but a few actions.
An Irish minister for nature, animal welfare and food sovereignty anyone?
Ola Løkken Nordrum@olaln.bsky.social · 2mo agoFor the first time in 130 years Denmark will not have an agriculture minister. In their place will be a minister for nature and animal welfare.
The collapse in driving behaviour has happened because those responsible for road safety in Ireland have let it happen. It is not an accident, but rather a policy whereby impunity and a lack of enforcement have been encouraged. My letter to the editor today.
Driver behaviour has deteriorated over the past decade
Letter highlights concerns about red-light violations and road-safety enforcement in Dublin
irishtimes.com
While the recent spell of warm weather, however brief, felt welcome after a grey and wet winter, it should serve as a stark warning of what is already happening to our shared planet and what lies ahead: deadly heatwaves. My newest Substack.
Heatwaves: a warning we cannot ignore
Heat not only exposes inequality, it worsens it. Heat kills, but not equally.
open.substack.com
Remember that level in Super Mario where the sun is trying to kill you? That's our new reality. That said, we're also the ones fuelling the heat...
Here's a challenge for you. Can you find even one report by any national news outlet which did a deep dive into the issue of car dependence in Galway, and its associated problems? They have reported ad nauseam for decades about traffic congestion, but no analytical pieces spring to mind.
Not to mention mixed and confusing messaging from the media. Nothing says deadly heatwaves as people enjoying the nice sunny weather.
El Niño forecast to return this summer with risk of record heat in Ireland and globally
World Meteorological Organisation now almost certain of heat intensifying worldwide from June
irishtimes.com
John Gibbons 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇪🇺@thinkorswim.bsky.social · 2mo ago“The research delivers a sharp rebuke to the Government on its #climate record. This is particularly strong among women, with two in three saying it is not doing enough”. My take in today’s @irishexaminer.bsky.social on new research on public attitudes. www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
"Chronic over-reliance on car use has plagued Galway city for decades"
Surely there is no stumbling block too big for political dishonesty and false narratives?
Irish Doctors for the Environment@irishdocsenv.bsky.social · 2mo ago"Chronic traffic congestion has plagued Galway city for decades" 🙃 The ring road will do little, if anything, to reduce congestion. Yet politicians and the media continue to present it as the solution to Galway’s traffic problems. It isn’t, and it never will be.
"Chronic traffic congestion has plagued Galway city for decades" 🙃 The ring road will do little, if anything, to reduce congestion. Yet politicians and the media continue to present it as the solution to Galway’s traffic problems. It isn’t, and it never will be.
The cost of cars to both individuals and society is simply enormous. Yet, instead of questioning the need for cars, we remain hellbent on doubling down on them.
Irish drivers are borrowing more to buy cars. Why? And what are the risks?
More is being borrowed on both PCPs and hire-purchase.
thejournal.ie
The Irish Times not only normalising, but encouraging flying away somewhere for a 48-hour break. Head in the sand while the climate crisis worsens by the day.
Want to go on holidays somewhere different? Our writers share their favourite destinations
Whether you’re in search of a 48-hour break, a hidden gem or a bucket-list trip, these experiences will fuel inspiration
irishtimes.com
"Despite blasé demeanour of the Taoiseach & his ministers, missing our legal #climate targets is not a trivial matter. Govt’s own expert advisers have warned the state is facing a “staggering” EU non-compliance bill of €8-€26 billion" My take in @thejournal.ie www.thejournal.ie/readme/clima...
John Gibbons: The planet is burning, but Ireland still isn't taking climate change seriously
From deadly heatwaves to missed targets, the climate warning signs are flashing red, while political urgency in Ireland is nowhere to be seen.
thejournal.ie
This should not come as a surprise to anyone. The government is completely disinterested in taking tangible climate action.
Ireland on track to deliver only half the reductions of greenhouse gas emissions needed by 2030
Nearly all sectors are on course to exceed their emissions ceiling by 2030.
thejournal.ie
The media sells a beach day. In 2024, Europe saw 60,000 heat deaths. Heat kills.
Ola Løkken Nordrum@olaln.bsky.social · 2mo agoHeat kills. Yet, without fail, all Irish media outlets are covering the current heatwave using beach and ice cream pictures. Barely any mention of the harms of heat, nor climate change fuelling more frequent and severe heatwaves.
