"Green" policies are destroying this country

The Irish Green Party to me are very much like the DUP in NI. They just don`t play well with others. Eveything has to conform to their rigid ideology. Other parties here are not as rigid on their political ideology. When it comes to elections and getting their hands on power their game is to appeal to what voters want. Nothing wrong with that, it`s how democracy works. Even if here in the recent past one party turned that on its head, but they are now the electoral equivalent of a dead man walking.

This idea from some here that laws cannot be changed is wishful fantasy. In a democracy those hoping to get elected have to appeal to the wishes of their electorate. Something the EU Commissioners are learning with the blowback in Europe. Especially after those, that unlike the Commission, will be standing for re-election in less than a year, on seeing the recent election result in the Netherlands copped it was time to grow a pair and threw the spanner into the Nature Restoration Law. You can see the same happening here with FG now running a campaign for tax cuts rather than infrastructure and pouring cold water on the Greens rewetting plans.

Whatever anyone thinks about FG and FF, they are both savvy old hands in the game of politics, and I doubt they will not take heed of the findings on the transfer toxicity of the Greens and question what that is doing to them by association. Even with 2 years to go until the next GE, the Greens easy ride is over, and with the public not favouring a GE before then, threatening one if they do not get their way would more than likely play into FG and FF hands.

Speaking of carrying a carbon cost, I think our rural and farming compatriots are getting a bit fed up with feeding 50 million people with the best produce on this Earth and getting no credit for it.

Interesting essay from a car expert and qualified engineer.

While I disagree with him to the extent that I believe small EVs for urban use are excellent right now and will last many years, I completely agree that the environmental narrative is far too narrow in that it only considers one aspect of an ICE vehicle's life, ie what comes out of the exhaust pipe.

I think myself that private diesel cars are essentially gone, but petrol and petrol hybrids run on sustainable fuels and on hydrogen combustion probably do have far longer to live than the current arbitrary 2030 sunset.

Another error we can reverse with hindsight.

Any report with a Zero in it has to be good ...Ya ? From a realistic perspective,this small republican Isle on the fringes of Europe has little to gain and a LOT to lose with continued dalliance with supposedly "Green" technologies,most of which are there to massively increase profits for the Big Players,in the same manner as COVID-19 did for the Big Pharma's. It's perhaps of value to see the thrust of the latest "Report" from one of the many Climate Policy Think-Tank's" which have replaced common sene institutions Worldwide. https://www.climateandcommunity.org/more-mobility-less-mining Reading through the bio's of this gang gives a sense of what's the thrust of their report....https://www.climateandcommunity.org/staff Essentially,when pared back to essentials,forget all about EV's and the likes,we need to get happy with returning to the Olden days,and parochialism. Reducing or eliminating freely available personal travel for the masses is THE goal for the newly elevated Scientific experts...The 15 minute City,with all of it's attractions,remains the ultimate goal here,and any attempts to go outside that cordon will see you dealt with by further impoverishing you OR locking you up ! Whilst we here can readily recognise this sort of guff from the Yanks,the sad reality is of quasi democratic constructs such as the London Assembly currently debating similar draconian notrions !! https://centreforlondon.org/reader/green-light/summary/ All about restricting or eliminating freedom of movement under the guise of "Thinking of Grandchildren" etc. Be afraid...VERY afraid. The London Assembly's power grab is explained quite succinctly by this fellow....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgs6bazh-T4&ab_channel=GeoffBuysCars

From the letter windows were changed as well.

Air to heat pumps are a worse con than wood pellet boilers.

They don't work at all in old houses, no matter how much you retrofit them, or in new A-rated houses they have a similar running cost to natural gas, only you'll be paying an extra thousand a year in additional maintenance and trouble-shooting.

The real future is in domestic solar installation and electric heating supplemented by a renewably sourced grid.

For now, PV and a condensing gas boiler is as good as it gets.

Iceberg lettuce. Take it outa the fridge and it withers very quickly just like the greens.

Need some jalapeno peppers to heat it up in the winter.

And why would they even bother.

Of course they are fallible.

Who is not.

Plates spin.

The Earth rotates.

Yes the idea of urban neighborhoods where all the basic amenities are with walking/cycling distance is absolutely terrifying. We might as well all move to North Korea...

But there is no restriction in a 15 minute city.

You arent confined to Salthill if you live in Galway, for instance.