can you imagine trying to convince the average skepti-dude in the year 2010 that this is what summer europe will look like in 2025

I delivered the 700 page business case and cost benefit analysis for MetroLink to Michael O'Leary's office yesterday.

O'Leary said on RTÉ Radio that there’s been no cost-benefit analysis done on Metrolink which was then repeated on multiple news outlets.

Electricity rates for individuals and small businesses could rise sharply as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and other technology companies build data centers and expand into the energy business.

The Irish Times view on climate policy: Government must avoid backsliding
'Climatologist Prof John Sweeney has argued that the shift, which reduces the required emissions reduction target, is not aligned with scientific recommendations'
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/edit...

“This approach doesn’t just weaken climate ambition, it entrenches inequality”.

www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

🧵1/

What if wealthy nations could lock in high methane emissions and still claim climate neutrality?

That’s the risk with “temperature neutrality”.

Here’s the plain-English version of our new study:

medium.com/@colmduffy/h...

This is a great study on a complicated, but very important topic. I encourage all with an interest in climate, agriculture, nutrition or justice (i.e. everybody?) to engage with it...

🧵THREAD on agri-methane and ‘no additional warming’

Why is it so important to reduce methane (CH4) emissions from agriculture in the near term?

What happens when countries like #Ireland use ‘no additional warming’ to set climate targets?

PAPER: iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

(1/18)

Our new journal paper has hit the front pages and got wide coverage on the airwaves this morning.

The paper critically assesses “temperature neutrality” as a basis for Ireland’s long-term climate target. We find it amounts to backsliding on climate ambition and locks in food system unfairness.

I first tried to write a paper like this alone, about 5 years ago but never got it across the line (the topic was another metric - GWP* - but very similar arguments). Wonderful to have been invited to collaborate with this great team of scientists to publish this great paper.

Duffy et al.(2025) out today:
"Looking specifically at Ireland, ∼90% of ASFP [animal-sourced food production] is exported to high-income markets, with just ∼0.3% reaching low-income countries."

➡️ Demolishing the "feed the world" claims of the 🇮🇪 agri-food industry & Teagasc.
doi.org/10.1088/1748...

On the UK telling ppl to delete emails to save water: UK data centres don't actually report how much water they consume!!!

"Every five years, the EA puts out its water deficit projections, but it was difficult to do this year, the sources said, because of the growth in AI"

Nice FT citing Ireland, where data centre power demand has massively outpaced clean power growth - meaning increased burning of fossil fuels

You can't rely on an assumption of infinite, exponential, unstoppable renewable energy to excuse data centre expansionism.

www.ft.com/content/0f61...

This graph illustrates nicely why @foeireland.bsky.social , @nhna.bsky.social and other groups are calling for a pause on data centre expansion.

We welcome the report from the Taoiseach’s advisory council calling for urgent action on energy affordability, energy poverty, and clean heat.

We're now calling for immediate Government action to progress NESC’s policy recommendations before the winter.
www.friendsoftheearth.ie/press/friend...

🚨New research out today🚨

We critically examine the use of 'temperature neutrality' or 'no additional warming' as a approach to setting national climate targets, particularly in relation to agricultural methane reduction.

We found that using this approach...

iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

"creating...access,...positively impacting the environment..." (?!) This is incredibly dishonest, deceitful and disturbing, even by fossil fuel company standards (from the US owners of Shannon LNG).

1/ In March Govt approved a costly, polluting state-owned LNG terminal. Now Minister O'Brien is leaving door open to dangerous US backed LNG project in Kerry. This breaks climate commitments, raises new geopolitical risks and does nothing for energy security.

Members of Not Here Not Anywhere were in Malahide this weekend talking to members of the public about the high carbon footprint of LNG and the upcoming response from TD Minister O’Brien to An Coimisiún Pleanála’s request regarding Shannon LNG’s planning application (1/2)

On Saturday 26th July, NHNA gathered outside Cork City Hall alongside local City Councillors, environmental activists, and members of the public to say NO to LNG.

Thanks Amy Campbell and the Echo for reporting the Not Here Not Anywhere demonstration in Cork on Saturday.

It was in support of the motion in my name that Cork City Council should continue to back investment in offshore renewables in the region and not be distracted by talk of fracked LNG imports.

OR new data centres highly dependent on more polluting gas and diesel generation, and looking to reserve renewables for themselves?

TLDR we need to prioritise communities and reign in runaway data centre demand.

...Irish homes, communities, and small businesses, who have invested billions over the years through high energy bills (and who are crying out for decarbonised energy and water infrastructure, especially for housing and existing polluting industries)...

...It boils down to - who are Ireland's energy and water resources and climate commitments intended to serve?...