Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 1h

Need to get a "Critique of powerful institutions is good actually" sign to tap now that people can't differentiate between that and conspiracy nonsense

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 11h

I did.

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 17h

I remain incredibly sceptical about how positive their influence was. Most of the climate policies brought in in the last five years were either mandated by EU or UN agreements, more press release than reality, or some combination.

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 18h

New episode of From the Roots two since the launch, I revisit the figures of that first overview, a number of current headlines and whether anything can be learned from Budget 2026
Text below and podcast wherever podcasts are found
orlanidhuill.com/2025/10/14/s...

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Reposted by Orla

Ben Averis @averisben.bsky.social · 23h

My wife Alison had these five Merveille du Jour moths in her moth trap this morning, here in SE Scotland.

Five Merveille du Jour moths found by Alison Averis in her moth trap here in SE Scotland on the morning of 14th October 2025. Background: bark with lichens.

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 19h

Text version on my website as always with my sources and some further reading. Really excited for the next few episodes and if there's anything you'd like covered you can ask

State of the Systems (Episode 11)

It’s been two years since this podcast first launched, and I began then with an overview of where Ireland stood in regards in the environment. It’s also budget week, which means the government has …

orlanidhuill.com

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 19h

"But Heather Humphreys was the minister who saw the heritage Bill ammendments that increased scrub burning and hedge destruction how could Brian Leddin side with that over left wing economics...?"

Because plenty of green TDs never cared about the environment either

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 19h

There are a few people expressing surprise that members of the green party in Ireland might be against left wing politics enough to resign from the party over backing Catherine Connolly for president...

I am curious how this could possibly still be surprising?

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 22h

Gentle reminder…the Special Criminal Court was opposed trenchantly and for compelling reasons by Mary Robinson before she became President; its continued existence has been criticised by the UN Human Rights Committee, UN Special Rapporteurs, the Irish Human Rights & …

RTÉ News @news.rte.ie · 1d

The two candidates in the Presidential Election have clashed over the Special Criminal Court with Heather Humphreys saying she supported it and Catherine Connolly calling for its abolition

Presidential candidates clash over Special Criminal Court

The two candidates in the Presidential Election have clashed over the Special Criminal Court with Heather Humphreys saying she supported it and Catherine Connolly calling for its abolition.

www.rte.ie

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 19h

Also I noticed when I was editing that all three of the environmental crimes/incidents I discussed from the last few months were in Cork. Wasn't intentional, but what's going on down there?

Investigation after more than 30 acres of native trees - some centuries old - felled in Co Cork

The Department of Agriculture has been formally alerted to the incident by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

www.thejournal.ie

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 19h

Had a fairly long summer hiatus from the podcast but finally getting episodes out again. An overview of the current state of affairs, some series cases of felling and river pollution, and the questions over how the government is spending carbon tax revenue

Episode 11: State of the Systems

spotify.link

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Dean Buckley @deanbuckley.bsky.social · 1d

every day that Heather Humphreys is not asked why she refused to meet with disability activists during the Scrap the Green Paper campaign is another day of ignominy for the Irish press. she's running on her record, yet she's not questioned on it any substantive way

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Josef O'Shea @josefoshea.bsky.social · 3d

A cynical person might suggest that - just as with the recent huge ecocide on the river Blackwater - nobody will ever face consequences for this www.thejournal.ie/cork-tree-fe...

Investigation after more than 30 acres of native trees - some centuries old - felled in Co Cork

The Department of Agriculture has been formally alerted to the incident by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

www.thejournal.ie

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Reposted by Orla

Elaine Burke @elaineburke.bsky.social · 7d

Someone at the IT is having a 'mare rushing out the Budget coverage.

This was a sponsored post in my Insta Stories.

The social team needs a break and a hug maybe.

A post from Instagram stories with a swipe up link for the Irish Times. A composite image of Leinster House, Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe is titled "Budget 2026: Main Points" but the bullet points that follow comprise non-sensical filler text (Lorem ipsum) and snippets apparently borrowed from a restaurant review (One point reads: "Borgo review: Well-priced and welcoming", the next "everything a good neighborhood", and finally "restaurant needsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet")

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 7d

I make this point halfway through my last From the Roots Episode before the hiatus. 27% of carbon tax revenue is not spent on the intended projects and a number of other projects included are a real stretch for climate or energy mitigation (source the C&AG report linked at the end)

Environmental Sign-Posts for the 34th Dáil (Episode 10)

For something that dominates a few days of news cycle every year, the national budget is not particularly well understood. Media coverage tends towards giving headline updates from the governing pa…

orlanidhuill.com

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Melissa @melissabreen.bsky.social · 8d

The Basic Income for the Arts Scheme is €325 a week, similar to what they gave out during the pandemic. This is how much they've deemed one needs in order to live in Ireland. So why is disability benefit only €244? Why are disabled and sick people expected to live so far below the poverty line?

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 7d

Only half of the allegedly ring fenced funding for environmental mitigation/ retro fitting that the carbon tax is meant to fund is actually spent on that

RTÉ News @news.rte.ie · 7d

There will be no one-off energy credits next year while increases in carbon tax will add around 2.5c to the cost of a litre of motor fuels from tomorrow

Petrol and diesel up 2.5c, no electricity credits in 2026

There will be no one-off electricity credits next year while increases in carbon tax will add around 2.5c to the cost of a litre of motor fuels from tomorrow.

www.rte.ie

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 9d

This doesn't even make sense for a US election. Trump can't have another term regardless??

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Nathan Kalmoe (he/him) @nathankalmoe.bsky.social · 18d

Some big implications for journalism, too, where reporters often mistake trending posts as a reasonable reflection of public opinion.

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 18d

🤷🏿‍♂️

Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots, Researchers Say

Doesn't that make more sense than lots of people caring about Cracker Barrel?

gizmodo.com

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Tolkien Society @tolkiensociety.org · 24d

On 21 September 1937: J.R.R. #Tolkien's The Hobbit was published.

The book tells of a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, and his journey with thirteen dwarves to recover their treasure from a dragon, Smaug. It's sold over 100 million copies and is one of the best-selling books of all time. #BookSky

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Mavis Bickle @mavisbickle.bsky.social · 23d

A little watercolour I’ve been working on, which all got a bit hypnotic for some reason.

#oaktrees
#savethebutterflies
#inverts
#nature
#wildlifeart
#teammoth

A circular watercolour painting of a spiralling oak tree with some associated insect life around the edges of the tree

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Lee Hurley @hleehurley.com · 25d

The time to listen to trans people was 10 years ago but, you know, you can start any time you're ready.

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Lukas Large @lukaslarge.bsky.social · 26d

Same with stacking rocks on beaches and mountains. Rocks are where animals live! It also demonstrates a particularly unpleasant arrogance and lack of appreciation for nature IMO

Chris Mah @echinoblog.bsky.social · 26d

STOP with the stacking rocks in streams! How many more dead critters do you need? www.wbir.com/article/news...

'Life is tough in a mountain stream' | GSMNP urging visitors not to disturb or build with rocks after Eastern Hellbender Salamander crushed

Eastern hellbenders lay between 100 to 300 eggs beneath the rocks. If those are crushed, "entire generations can be lost in an instant."

www.wbir.com

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 26d

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Orla @somebogwitch.bsky.social · 27d

Great ecology walk in Brackloon Woods with the Mayo Queer Sheds on Sunday (before I got this wicked cold) for the start of fungi season

Honey coloured bracket fungi on an upright trunk among lush green undergrowth

Honey coloured toadstool fungi among autumn leaves, ferns and feathered moss

Comparison of a brown mushroom, the brown birch boletus, held up next to the botanical drawing of the same mushrooms entry in a field guide

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