Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
@theapplefarmer.bsky.social
1.6K followers 1.7K following 1.2K posts
Fruit Grower. University Lecturer. Horticultural Scientist. Drinks Manufacturer (juices, cider, spirits). Sustainable Food Production Systems. Statistics hobbyist.
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Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
philipb-h.bsky.social
Q: Why was the person responsible for the Blackwater fish kill never found?

A: it wasn’t anybody’s job.

I talked to the heads of all the agencies involved in the investigation, about why the biggest pollution event in Irish history fell between the cracks.

Listen: 👉 www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...
CountryWide - RTÉ Radio 1
The CountryWide team feature the events, people and happenings that bring colour and life to communities, towns and villages across the country.
www.rte.ie
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
lamhfada.bsky.social
If Ireland was a just country, the people responsible for this would lose their land to the state, be forced to pay to replant the area and spend a decade in jail.

It isn't a just country though, so if they even get found out, they'll get a slap on the wrist of a few hundred euros fine at most.
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
philipb-h.bsky.social
Global Warning now on Al Jazeera.

Episode 1 broadcast this week. Or you can stream it here.
👉 www.aljazeera.com/video/featur...
#Climate #ClimateCrisis hasn’t gone away.
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
oisinmcgann.bsky.social
The aim of football is to win the game, but if you tell a footballer, or a football fan, that they can win every game without even playing, they‘ll immediately ask ’What’s the point of that?’
faineg.bsky.social
there’s this weird idea a lot of people seem to have about how all of us writers and artists must secretly want to use AI and are merely resisting temptation for ethical reasons, and like, no, it’s not hard for me to resist drinking the bowl of Piss With Glass In It actually
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
kevinjkircher.com
Over 40% of corn grown in Indiana is used to make ethanol that cars burn. One acre of corn yields about 16,500 vehicle-miles per year of ethanol, which sounds high until you realize that one acre of solar yields about 2,700,000 vehicle-miles per year: 16,000% more driving for a given plot of land.
theapplefarmer.bsky.social
No doubt. It's a strange inversion of priorities. If you were washed up on a desert Island, you'd probably look for a water source first, then a food source, and then build a shelter. Yet now our shelter takes a higher priority than our food, and water is "free".
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
johnnyryan.bsky.social
Big piece in POLITICO asking about the independence of Ireland's process of appointing people to its Data Protection Commission. There is deep unease in Brussels about Ireland appointing a former Meta lobbyist as Meta's watchdog. Now questions about who was involved.

www.politico.eu/article/big-...
Big Tech lawyer played key role in picking Ireland’s new privacy regulator
Former Meta lobbyist Niamh Sweeney will co-lead the Irish Data Protection Commission from mid-October.
www.politico.eu
theapplefarmer.bsky.social
If people weren't being ripped off on the cost of accommadation, especially rent, a normal days pay would go much further. Food inflation is inevitable when inputs to food (energy related like fertiliser, fuel etc), and wages, are increasing, particularly when harvests are affected by climate events
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
seontrack.bsky.social
Leap Card should be extended to railway journeys outside major cities!
It’s less for a journey between Greystones and Howth (35km w/1 hr duration)than btw Wexford and Enniscorthy (20 kms, w/22min duration)
Why not encourage modal shift outside of the cities?
#Wexford #Enniscorthy #Gorey #Arklow
A screenshot of Irish Rail’s Fares calculator showing:
Tickets From Greystones To Howth
Ticket
Adult Leap Card
Adult Single
Price
€3.90
€5.10 A screenshot of the Wexford to Enniscorthy journey costing €5.10
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
junoryleejournalism.com
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
heleninsomerset.bsky.social
“working environment is insufferable… We routinely come across cases of breathing issues, migraine, skin infections, even cancer.… risks are even higher in bleaching & dyeing units, where labourers handle toxic chemicals eg sulphuric acid with their bare hands.”
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Fast-fashion recycling: how ‘the castoff capital of the world’ is making Indian factory workers sick
Reports of lung disease, skin conditions and even cancer are rising in Panipat, which recycles 1 million tonnes of textile waste a year
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
ecowarriorss.bsky.social
Despite more extreme climate in UK and Ireland
UK to expand Gatwick Airport, with passenger numbers expected to rise by around 40% within next decade
and a huge rise in emissions
Likewise Ireland Dublin Airport to to push passenger numbers past a 32-million limit to fuel even more extreme climate
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
philipoconnor.bsky.social
If this is not reflected in the actions of our governments, then we can no longer say that we live in democracies.
newseye.bsky.social
NEW: Extraordinary scenes in Amsterdam this afternoon (Sunday, Oct 5).

An estimated 250,000 bring the city to a standstill; people all wearing red to show solidarity with Palestine 🇵🇸

(🎥 Ahmed Zantac)
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
chadbourn.bsky.social
Warrior and legend.
kojamf.bsky.social
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
indyfromspace.bsky.social
Wow
kojamf.bsky.social
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
13sarahmurphy.bsky.social
We flounced out of the EU on the say-so of politicians who lied to us. And what a total shitshow that’s turned out to be. The polar opposite of what they promised. Now the call to flounce out of the ECHR. By the same people. Telling the same lies. Has the country been kicked in the head by a horse?
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
Reposted by Cornelius (aka Con) Traas
colm.bsky.social
Well, well, well.

Connelly 32
Humphreys 23
Gavin 15

#aras25
theapplefarmer.bsky.social
Thanks Thomas. Particularly pleased that the Brandy got something. With major cider makers buying less and less apples (using sugar and water to make their so-called ciders), every use for cider apples is a big deal for growers.
theapplefarmer.bsky.social
We can only make about 100 bags every second day, so we're limited in the distribution of these.
theapplefarmer.bsky.social
theapplefarmer.bsky.social
I had a good day today. Spoke at length about craft cider at Blas na hEireann in Dingle, won a bronze for our apple crisps in the snack category, and then a bronze (up against major competitors) in the spirits category, for The 80 apple brandy with The Tipperary Distillery.