Fintan Kelly
@fintankelly.bsky.social
A voice for nature 🌍 working on IE/EU Environmental Policy/Advocacy. All opinions my own. Roscommon 🐏 Connacht 🦅 Ireland ☘️
If there is now a consensus that “cheaper” does not mean “better,” then reform cannot stop at opposing global trade deals. We must also look inward, writes Aisling Kelly #Mercosur
aislinna.substack.com/p/of-mercosu...
aislinna.substack.com/p/of-mercosu...
Of Mercosur and Men
Ireland’s anger over cheap imports rings hollow when undercutting is already embedded in our domestic food system
aislinna.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:49 AM
If there is now a consensus that “cheaper” does not mean “better,” then reform cannot stop at opposing global trade deals. We must also look inward, writes Aisling Kelly #Mercosur
aislinna.substack.com/p/of-mercosu...
aislinna.substack.com/p/of-mercosu...
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
Have your say by January 15 deadline.
In all our time in An Taisce, this is one of the biggest threats to environmental protection that we have ever faced. These proposed changes are clearly unlawful, undemocratic & unfair.
For more: www.antaisce.org/news/all-han...
#environmentaljustice
In all our time in An Taisce, this is one of the biggest threats to environmental protection that we have ever faced. These proposed changes are clearly unlawful, undemocratic & unfair.
For more: www.antaisce.org/news/all-han...
#environmentaljustice
An Taisce urges public to object to ‘unlawful’ caps on judicial review fees
An Taisce urges public to object to ‘unlawful’ caps on judicial review fees
Heritage and environmental charity says Government’s proposal is a ‘significant attack on civil society and public accountability’
www.irishtimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Have your say by January 15 deadline.
In all our time in An Taisce, this is one of the biggest threats to environmental protection that we have ever faced. These proposed changes are clearly unlawful, undemocratic & unfair.
For more: www.antaisce.org/news/all-han...
#environmentaljustice
In all our time in An Taisce, this is one of the biggest threats to environmental protection that we have ever faced. These proposed changes are clearly unlawful, undemocratic & unfair.
For more: www.antaisce.org/news/all-han...
#environmentaljustice
Film title: Grace
Tag line: Love is rebellion
Starring: Saoirse Ronan as Grace Gifford and Paul Mescal as Joseph Plunkett.
Co-starring: Donal Gleeson as Thomas McDonagh, Robert Sheehan as Padraic Pearse, Ewan Mcgregor as James Connolly, Liam Cunningham as Tom Clarke.
Projected awards: 11 Oscars
Tag line: Love is rebellion
Starring: Saoirse Ronan as Grace Gifford and Paul Mescal as Joseph Plunkett.
Co-starring: Donal Gleeson as Thomas McDonagh, Robert Sheehan as Padraic Pearse, Ewan Mcgregor as James Connolly, Liam Cunningham as Tom Clarke.
Projected awards: 11 Oscars
January 12, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Film title: Grace
Tag line: Love is rebellion
Starring: Saoirse Ronan as Grace Gifford and Paul Mescal as Joseph Plunkett.
Co-starring: Donal Gleeson as Thomas McDonagh, Robert Sheehan as Padraic Pearse, Ewan Mcgregor as James Connolly, Liam Cunningham as Tom Clarke.
Projected awards: 11 Oscars
Tag line: Love is rebellion
Starring: Saoirse Ronan as Grace Gifford and Paul Mescal as Joseph Plunkett.
Co-starring: Donal Gleeson as Thomas McDonagh, Robert Sheehan as Padraic Pearse, Ewan Mcgregor as James Connolly, Liam Cunningham as Tom Clarke.
Projected awards: 11 Oscars
As highlighted here the Mercosur FTA cannot come into force formally until the European Parliament has given its consent.
This Commission has looked to bypass normal democratic processes before to ratify Mercosur. This needs to be followed closely.
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
This Commission has looked to bypass normal democratic processes before to ratify Mercosur. This needs to be followed closely.
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
EU countries approve Mercosur deal on qualified majority
European Union member states have approved the EU-Mercosur trade agreement through a weighted majority vote.
www.rte.ie
January 9, 2026 at 4:01 PM
As highlighted here the Mercosur FTA cannot come into force formally until the European Parliament has given its consent.
This Commission has looked to bypass normal democratic processes before to ratify Mercosur. This needs to be followed closely.
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
This Commission has looked to bypass normal democratic processes before to ratify Mercosur. This needs to be followed closely.
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
Trump withdraws US from key climate treaty and dozens of other groups - The US is a rogue state. There has to be consquences for this descent into madness. The global community must find a unified response.
share.google/EQgGTg3XH4f2...
share.google/EQgGTg3XH4f2...
Trump withdraws US from key climate treaty and dozens of other groups
The White House says the decision was taken because those entities "no longer serve American interests".
share.google
January 8, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Trump withdraws US from key climate treaty and dozens of other groups - The US is a rogue state. There has to be consquences for this descent into madness. The global community must find a unified response.
share.google/EQgGTg3XH4f2...
share.google/EQgGTg3XH4f2...
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
The Environmental Pillar has long argued that the Mercosur deal lacks sufficient safeguards to protect Irish family farms and consumers from food produced to lower health standards using inputs banned in the EU.
January 8, 2026 at 2:36 PM
The Environmental Pillar has long argued that the Mercosur deal lacks sufficient safeguards to protect Irish family farms and consumers from food produced to lower health standards using inputs banned in the EU.
I am deeply saddened to hear of Paul Connolly's passing. He was an extraordinary individual whose immense contributions to Ireland's marine environment and coastal communities across Ireland and NW Europe left an indelible legacy. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends & all who knew him.
January 8, 2026 at 9:51 AM
I am deeply saddened to hear of Paul Connolly's passing. He was an extraordinary individual whose immense contributions to Ireland's marine environment and coastal communities across Ireland and NW Europe left an indelible legacy. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends & all who knew him.
Buzzards wheel like shadow puppets against an emblazoned winter dawn.
January 7, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Buzzards wheel like shadow puppets against an emblazoned winter dawn.
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
Financial barriers to environmental litigation are against the law, because protecting the environment is an important public interest.
The government now wants to make it super expensive (>€100,000) for ordinary people to go to court to protect the environment
Please read and take action 👇
The government now wants to make it super expensive (>€100,000) for ordinary people to go to court to protect the environment
Please read and take action 👇
January 4, 2026 at 9:43 AM
Financial barriers to environmental litigation are against the law, because protecting the environment is an important public interest.
The government now wants to make it super expensive (>€100,000) for ordinary people to go to court to protect the environment
Please read and take action 👇
The government now wants to make it super expensive (>€100,000) for ordinary people to go to court to protect the environment
Please read and take action 👇
Kidnapping a president and his family to install a puppet government that facilitates U.S. exploitation of natural resources is actually totally consistent with the historical pattern of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Trump says Venezuela's Maduro captured after strikes
The U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, who has been taken out of the country, President Donald Trump said on Saturday.
www.reuters.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Kidnapping a president and his family to install a puppet government that facilitates U.S. exploitation of natural resources is actually totally consistent with the historical pattern of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
I decided to kick off the new year in style by taking part in this mornings Countrywide. A good discussion was had on farm succession, CAP reform and the Nitrates Derogation.
January 3, 2026 at 9:40 AM
I decided to kick off the new year in style by taking part in this mornings Countrywide. A good discussion was had on farm succession, CAP reform and the Nitrates Derogation.
Ireland's most recent report card for compliance with the Habitats Directive makes for grim reading. 90% of protected habitats are in trouble. We know what needs to be done but lack the political will to change course.
share.google/7Vg5Ie9CynYx...
share.google/7Vg5Ie9CynYx...
The Irish Times view on Ireland’s biodiversity: an urgent wake-up call
The core importance of natural infrastructure is still not being recognised
share.google
January 2, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Ireland's most recent report card for compliance with the Habitats Directive makes for grim reading. 90% of protected habitats are in trouble. We know what needs to be done but lack the political will to change course.
share.google/7Vg5Ie9CynYx...
share.google/7Vg5Ie9CynYx...
Many species, such as the Marsican brown bear, have shifted their behavior and genetics to coexist with humans. We need to meet them and other large predators halfway by continuing to invest in coexistence.
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a...
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a...
After Living Alongside Humans for Millennia, These Italian Brown Bears Have Evolved to Become Less Aggressive
Researchers found genetic differences that likely resulted from humans killing aggressive bears, leaving docile individuals to breed and pass along their genes to offspring
www.smithsonianmag.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Many species, such as the Marsican brown bear, have shifted their behavior and genetics to coexist with humans. We need to meet them and other large predators halfway by continuing to invest in coexistence.
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a...
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a...
Has the government really permanently damaged the economic outlook for the majority of farmers in the country in exchange for what amounts to only a short reprieve for 7,000 N derogation farmers? This again exposes the myth that family farm viability is the priority
share.google/hDIs9gFLbCjy...
share.google/hDIs9gFLbCjy...
Taoiseach’s ‘Mercosur for derogation’ link leaves bad taste
The Taoiseach’s decision to frame the nitrates derogation and the Mercosur trade deal as part of the same negotiating landscape has left a bad taste among beef farmers, amid fears they could be sold o...
share.google
December 23, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Has the government really permanently damaged the economic outlook for the majority of farmers in the country in exchange for what amounts to only a short reprieve for 7,000 N derogation farmers? This again exposes the myth that family farm viability is the priority
share.google/hDIs9gFLbCjy...
share.google/hDIs9gFLbCjy...
Irish nature is in crisis. We know what needs to be done & we know we can succeed. We only need the political leadership to deliver an ambitious Nature Restoration Plan and the funding to make it happen.
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Habitats report a stark contrast to nitrates decision
Biodiversity collapse is not a lost cause, but Government failure to prioritise it is devastating for all those working on nature restoration
www.irishexaminer.com
December 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Irish nature is in crisis. We know what needs to be done & we know we can succeed. We only need the political leadership to deliver an ambitious Nature Restoration Plan and the funding to make it happen.
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...
Six hundred years before the Great Pyramids of Giza were built, our ancestors hauled 200,000 tonnes of boulders into place to precisely mark the rising sun on the winter solstice – all so they could say, "There’s a grand stretch in the evenings." Incredible when you think about it.
December 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Six hundred years before the Great Pyramids of Giza were built, our ancestors hauled 200,000 tonnes of boulders into place to precisely mark the rising sun on the winter solstice – all so they could say, "There’s a grand stretch in the evenings." Incredible when you think about it.
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
🐺 Environment ministers: be the hero that people and nature need!
A year ago, wolves were stripped of their "strictly protected" status in Europe. Today, 200+ organisations are asking their governments to keep defending nature.
Read the full letter here: eeb.org/wp-content/u...
#HandsOffNature
A year ago, wolves were stripped of their "strictly protected" status in Europe. Today, 200+ organisations are asking their governments to keep defending nature.
Read the full letter here: eeb.org/wp-content/u...
#HandsOffNature
December 17, 2025 at 1:53 PM
🐺 Environment ministers: be the hero that people and nature need!
A year ago, wolves were stripped of their "strictly protected" status in Europe. Today, 200+ organisations are asking their governments to keep defending nature.
Read the full letter here: eeb.org/wp-content/u...
#HandsOffNature
A year ago, wolves were stripped of their "strictly protected" status in Europe. Today, 200+ organisations are asking their governments to keep defending nature.
Read the full letter here: eeb.org/wp-content/u...
#HandsOffNature
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
Europe is on a mission to #RestoreNature! We checked if all EU countries are up to speed 🌱
Good news: Most EU countries have started implementing the Nature Restoration Law
Not so good news: The progress is uneven & too slow so far
👉 Read our evaluation: eeb.org/en/library/m...
Good news: Most EU countries have started implementing the Nature Restoration Law
Not so good news: The progress is uneven & too slow so far
👉 Read our evaluation: eeb.org/en/library/m...
December 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Europe is on a mission to #RestoreNature! We checked if all EU countries are up to speed 🌱
Good news: Most EU countries have started implementing the Nature Restoration Law
Not so good news: The progress is uneven & too slow so far
👉 Read our evaluation: eeb.org/en/library/m...
Good news: Most EU countries have started implementing the Nature Restoration Law
Not so good news: The progress is uneven & too slow so far
👉 Read our evaluation: eeb.org/en/library/m...
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
"What way the Government votes on the controversial Mercosur trade deal has to be seen “in the round” and take account of separate leeway the State was recently given on EU nitrates rules, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said"
Wow. He said it out loud too.
www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
Wow. He said it out loud too.
www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
State’s decision on Mercosur has to also account for nitrates deal, Taoiseach says
Government to come under pressure from Brussels to back EU-South American trade agreement
www.irishtimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
"What way the Government votes on the controversial Mercosur trade deal has to be seen “in the round” and take account of separate leeway the State was recently given on EU nitrates rules, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said"
Wow. He said it out loud too.
www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
Wow. He said it out loud too.
www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
Violent, antisocial farmers’ protests have delivered concession after concession from the European Commission. Why would they stop?
December 18, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Violent, antisocial farmers’ protests have delivered concession after concession from the European Commission. Why would they stop?
The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the world's leading climate research centers.
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
www.usatoday.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:32 PM
The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the world's leading climate research centers.
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
Huge congratulations to our Head of Advocacy Dr Elaine McGoff on honour of wonderful & well-deserved Water Warrior Award 2025 from DCU Water Institute. She's a tireless champion dedicated to protecting our precious freshwater ecosystems
@elainemcgoff.bsky.social
@dcuwaterinstitute.bsky.social
@elainemcgoff.bsky.social
@dcuwaterinstitute.bsky.social
December 17, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Huge congratulations to our Head of Advocacy Dr Elaine McGoff on honour of wonderful & well-deserved Water Warrior Award 2025 from DCU Water Institute. She's a tireless champion dedicated to protecting our precious freshwater ecosystems
@elainemcgoff.bsky.social
@dcuwaterinstitute.bsky.social
@elainemcgoff.bsky.social
@dcuwaterinstitute.bsky.social
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
🚨 Environment ministers: follow the call of more than 200 organisations across Europe and be the hero that people and nature need.
Protect wolves, even when the EU didn’t.
Stand up for:
🐺A fragile population
💰Decades of science-based conservation and co-existence work
🌍A resilient nature in Europe
Protect wolves, even when the EU didn’t.
Stand up for:
🐺A fragile population
💰Decades of science-based conservation and co-existence work
🌍A resilient nature in Europe
December 17, 2025 at 10:32 AM
🚨 Environment ministers: follow the call of more than 200 organisations across Europe and be the hero that people and nature need.
Protect wolves, even when the EU didn’t.
Stand up for:
🐺A fragile population
💰Decades of science-based conservation and co-existence work
🌍A resilient nature in Europe
Protect wolves, even when the EU didn’t.
Stand up for:
🐺A fragile population
💰Decades of science-based conservation and co-existence work
🌍A resilient nature in Europe
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
🧵 SEAI "Energy in Ireland 2025" report is out today:
Despite more demand, electricity emissions down.
Overall tho 81% of energy supply still from fossil fuels.
Coal use ended at Moneypoint power station.
Transport exceeding 2021-2025 SEC by 7%.
Aviation: new record high.
www.seai.ie/sites/defaul...
Despite more demand, electricity emissions down.
Overall tho 81% of energy supply still from fossil fuels.
Coal use ended at Moneypoint power station.
Transport exceeding 2021-2025 SEC by 7%.
Aviation: new record high.
www.seai.ie/sites/defaul...
www.seai.ie
December 17, 2025 at 11:37 AM
🧵 SEAI "Energy in Ireland 2025" report is out today:
Despite more demand, electricity emissions down.
Overall tho 81% of energy supply still from fossil fuels.
Coal use ended at Moneypoint power station.
Transport exceeding 2021-2025 SEC by 7%.
Aviation: new record high.
www.seai.ie/sites/defaul...
Despite more demand, electricity emissions down.
Overall tho 81% of energy supply still from fossil fuels.
Coal use ended at Moneypoint power station.
Transport exceeding 2021-2025 SEC by 7%.
Aviation: new record high.
www.seai.ie/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Fintan Kelly
🗑️💢 @europarl.europa.eu just cleared away the few remaining environmental safeguards in EU farming policy
Two rushed rounds of so-called “simplifications” have gutted years of progress and handed #BigAgri exactly what it wanted: money to pollute with no strings attached ✂️
Here’s what we’ve lost ⬇️
Two rushed rounds of so-called “simplifications” have gutted years of progress and handed #BigAgri exactly what it wanted: money to pollute with no strings attached ✂️
Here’s what we’ve lost ⬇️
December 16, 2025 at 1:18 PM
🗑️💢 @europarl.europa.eu just cleared away the few remaining environmental safeguards in EU farming policy
Two rushed rounds of so-called “simplifications” have gutted years of progress and handed #BigAgri exactly what it wanted: money to pollute with no strings attached ✂️
Here’s what we’ve lost ⬇️
Two rushed rounds of so-called “simplifications” have gutted years of progress and handed #BigAgri exactly what it wanted: money to pollute with no strings attached ✂️
Here’s what we’ve lost ⬇️