irishevs.bsky.social
Putting cars in the context of the #ClimateEmergency
We write about #EVs as a form of climate action - both the good and the bad - as well as the broader Climate Crisis & greenwashing
Editor:
https://bsky.app/profile/tpspencer88.bsky.social
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Ah yes, because before these were invented frames could only be used once before having to be set alight 😆
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Its sad, because we've never needed the Greens more. But if the Greens are no longer the most progressive party when it comes to climate action and climate justice, then they must take stock and refocus
It is very sad that so many vote to continue injustices
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This is why the incoming Government must get serious about tackling transport emissions - the only sector that showed a year-on-year increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023
www.irishevs.com/new-governme...
#GE24 #Election24 #ClimateEmergency #ClimateCrisis #SpeirGorm #Ireland
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It is as much the way they have comported themselves as the key metrics on emissions or the number of bills passed (e.g. their response to class/climate justice, which increasingly waned during their tenure in government)
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I think we were all realistic about what was possible in the position that they were in (albeit, it was their choice to enter the coalition)
But, compared to the Programme for Government and promises prior to the election, they have underwhelmed in our opinion
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Again, the atmosphere doesn't care why we fail to cut GHG emissions - only that we do
We're not disagreeing that politics is complex and fraught with change and compromise. Just that the Greens have not delivered on their promises, and that has shown in GE24
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Their manifesto from this election was not science-aligned. Hence why they scored so badly in the Friends of the Earth and Not Here Not Anyway reports
The Programme for Government was agreed by all parties as the deliverables for their term. They failed to deliver
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Thanks Simon, we're glad you liked it.
We hope its nuanced - it could have been many tens of thousands of words long, but we hope its a fair reflection of where the party has drifted from its own values and promises
We're fully with you on wolves now! :)
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Our hope is, very much, that the Greens will come back stronger from this. We need them!
But we also need them to be effective, progressive and science-aligned
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We hope there is nuance in there and that it also does recognise that the Greens did effect some meaningful changes
The question is whether that's enough, and climate science, the Programme for Government and the Climate Act all say its not, sadly
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Yes, a tiny minority is culpable for the vast majority - but we can also see that the majority aren't really digging deep when it comes to actual climate action/just transition
None of our climate action is actually in line with IPPC climate science...
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We'd dispute that. As the article outlines, they were no longer the progressive option on climate action or climate justice
Regardless of what the national polls might say (can we ever trust them?!) there are many Green voters who have been disillusioned and voted elsewhere
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Such a disappointment, and yet they should be such an important party at this time in the Climate Emergency
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Hmm, we can see the logic, but if anyone thought FF/FG were taking any climate action then they weren't paying attention in the first place
But we totally get the sentiment. We hope its a useful, nuanced article
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But it also ties in with very neoliberal ideas of elevating the self above society. So many people have bought SUVs thinking they'll product their family - but that couldn't be more ironic, given the threat to occupants, other road users and the climate
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A lot of it comes down to just how hard manufacturers have marketed SUVs over recent years, while also reducing the number of non-SUV options that are available to customers.
This all started in the US with tax breaks for trucks - SUVs being listed as 'trucks'
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We have the same issue here in Ireland, but without the car lobby being present - and without media coverage
Our Government cut EV grants with an immediate drop-off in sales
Transport emissions went up in 2023 & Ireland is a massive climate laggard:
bsky.app/profile/iris...
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See, without manufacturers here lobbying, we should make much quicker progress. Especially as we're a small island - but 86% of all vehicles sold in 2024 are fossil-powered
We fear that ICE lobby will push to extend current deadlines further
www.irishevs.com/car-manufact...
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While we have the highest electricity prices in Europe, that isn't the biggest factor
The main reasons are twofold:
1) The Government cut grants in 2023 - with an immediate drop off in sales
2) Enormous amounts of misinformation in the Irish press
www.irishevs.com/ev-adoption-...
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So let's not bother or aspire huh?! Let's continue to be one of the worst in Europe...
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We're already failing to an unprecedented degree. Setting an acceptable target above zero will ensure we fail - especially when other countries have shown its possible
www.independent.ie/irish-news/i....
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Zero should be the target for road deaths. No road deaths.
www.forbes.com/sites/tanyam...
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Here is how Fine Gael did. #ge24 #speirgorm
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It was such an important learning from the Covid-19 pandemic that was immediately ignored by FF/FG.
Tourism here just isn't sustainable - not for the climate, and not for the communities that depend on it. We're too exposed