ccferrie

@ccferrie@mastodon.ie

Architecture, urbanism and sustainable transport (not just cycling!)

Galwegian living in Dublin, Ireland

Header image: the rocky shoreline at Annalong, Co. Down looking out to sea with the evening sun glancing across the rocks

Avatar: a photo of me wearing sunglasses sitting on a red metal parklet on Middle Street, Galway with my dog (a saluki/collie cross)

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ccferrie, to random

Just three years after replacing their manicured front lawns with a wild flower meadow, Trinity College Dublin reports the emergence of rare orchid species in the heart of the city.

An incredible positive illustration of the benefits of allowing for biodiversity

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0703/1392111-orchids-dublin-trinity/

ccferrie, to climate

An entire country of 88 million people, over 1% of the world population, is shutting down for two days because of climate change.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/iran-shuts-down-two-days-because-unprecedented-heat-3669416

ccferrie, to random

Breda O'Brien in the Irish Times today asks the question, "why don't children play outside anymore?", and concludes that the answer is, social media.

I think she may have missed something...

ccferrie, to random

Street Art by Emmalene Blake on Dame Lane, Dublin 2 (at the side of The George). Photo by the artist via Twitter @EmmaleneBlake

ccferrie, to random

Important notice for who are not citizens of Ireland.

There are two important votes coming up next year - the Local Elections and the EU Elections.

You do not have to be a citizen of Ireland to vote in these elections.

Citizens of other EU countries resident in Ireland can vote in the EU Elections, all residents can vote in the Local Elections regardless of citizenship.

You must, of coures, be over 18, and registered to vote.

Register here: https://www.checktheregister.ie/en-IE/

ccferrie, to random

It shouldn't be cheaper to fly from Dublin to Kerry than it is to take the train, or cheaper to fly Dublin to London than travel by sail and rail. We need to follow France's example and tax aviation to subsidise rail and ferry as more sustainable alternatives.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/08/10/france-is-raising-taxes-on-flights-to-pay-for-trains-should-other-european-countries-do-th

ccferrie, to random

"From 1 January 2024, SUV owners can expect to pay higher fees to park in the French capital...There are no dirt paths , no mountain roads … SUVs are absolutely useless in Paris. Worse, they are dangerous, cumbersome and use too many resources to manufacture"

I love that word "auto-besity"

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/11/paris-charge-suv-drivers-higher-parking-fees-tackle-auto-besity?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

ccferrie, to random

I won't share the video of Michael O'Leary getting cream-pied because he gets enough publicity to promote his planet-killing business but it's very satisfying to see people fighting back against him.

ccferrie, to random

Finland: Cha cha cha
Moldova: Aşa aşa aşa
Croatia: Šč šč šč

ccferrie, to random

"Parking is a mutant strain of yeast in the dough of architecture, making our designs bigger, uglier, and further apart".

I'm only a couple of pages into this book (a gift from a client who knows me too well!) and it's already throwing up some very quotable passages.

ccferrie, to FF

My recommendation today is @TheButterMuseum who mainly post exquisite examples of butter wrappers from the mid-20th century.

If you love history, typography, graphic design, Irish rural and agricultural heritage, social history or just eye-candy, who will love this.

ccferrie, to random

I've advocated for the use of the terms "person walking" and "person cycling" instead of "pedestrian" and "cyclist". It may seem pedantic but it frames the way we think about and transport in general.

Compare the first Google image results for "cyclist" - a man in lycra and dark glasses travelling at speed - with "person cycling" - a woman in normal clothes cycling leisurely and smiling.

When people object to cycling infrastructure, who are they thinking of as users?

Google image for the term "person cycling" - the images are more varied and have more of a focus on leisurely cycling

ccferrie, to random

"What Ireland has lost at such a relatively young age is one of our greatest and most gifted composers, songwriters and performers of recent decades, one who had a unique talent and extraordinary connection with her audience, all of whom held such love and warmth for her." - President Michael D Higgins

https://president.ie/en/media-library/news-releases/statement-by-president-higgins-on-the-death-of-sinead-oconnor

ccferrie, to random

"Reallocation of road space for cycling networks and dedicated bus lanes will expand the catchment area of our rail network. As our urban population grows, good planning and siting of services will be crucial to our future transport system."

Síle GInnane dismantles Leo Varadkar's argument for more roads.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2023/08/02/rail-can-be-backbone-of-transport-system/

ccferrie, to random

I suppose in a city that has imported US automobility values, it's not surprising that the Advertiser would print a US cartoonist rather than commissioning someone locally, and one that reinforces and the victim blaming that is such a feature of Ireland's approach.

ccferrie, to random

"Cuttlefish eggs are turning up in lobster pots in West Cork, a species of red jellyfish rarely found outside the Mediterranean has arrived in numbers in Ventry in the past week, and large Spanish octopuses have been eating the lobsters in Schull."

The warming of the north Atlantic is having catastrophic impacts on our marine ecosystem.


https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41177896.html

ccferrie, to twitter

This is a good piece on the demise of but when it starts to talk about alternatives it repeats the trope about Mastodon being difficult to use:

"Less tech-savvy folks may find it hard to adapt to the interface, leaving it struggling to reach critical mass."

I haven't used any of the other alternatives (BlueSky, Threads, T2) so I can't compare but is Mastodon really that hard to use or has this just become a lazy tag?

https://www.businesspost.ie/tech/twitter-blues-has-musk-killed-the-bird-that-laid-a-5-7bn-egg/

ccferrie, to random

I can't believe it's five years since we lost Aretha. That holding pattern we were in during the worst years of the pandemic seems to have distorted all sense of the passing of time.

ccferrie, to random

"A number of well-known historians and authors have come together to voice their support to name Galway City’s new bridge after 1916 Cumann na mBan commander Julia Morrissey...Julia Morrisey will be fifty years dead in March of next year. This important anniversary provides an ideal opportunity to correct an historic wrong against one of Galway’s bravest daughters"

@TheWildGees @sinabhfuil

https://connachttribune.ie/historians-back-campaign-to-name-new-bridge-in-galway/

ccferrie, to random

Male footballer, Borja Iglesias, has refused to play for the Spanish men's football team while Rubiales is still in the job, in solidarity with the women's team who have also refused to play.

Where's the rest of the men's team in this? Do they condone Rubiales' assault of Hermoso?

BBC News - Luis Rubiales: Spanish football federation will take legal action over Jennifer Hermoso 'lies'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66626410

ccferrie, to climate

A message from @EPAIreland brought to you by the Irish Farmers Association in collaboration with the Streisand Effect.

ccferrie, to random

The number of road deaths in Ireland this year has now reach 124 - more than one every second day and a 44% increase on the pre-Covid figure for the same time in 2109.

Apart from one radio interview with Minister Jack Chambers on Monday I haven't heard any calls from politicians to address the failure of our road safety strategy.

Why are we so complacent at this ongoing carnage?

ccferrie, to random

A social enterprise that I am involved in, Ava Housing, is holding a community information meeting in Artane next Friday to talk to people who might be interested in the scheme.

The fascists on the internet have decided that this is a government conspiracy to force older homeowners to house "unvetted refugees" and have issued thinly veiled threats to my colleagues. We've now had to ask the Gardaí to be present to prevent trouble.

I despair.

https://www.avahousing.ie/

ccferrie, to Futurology

is now pushing in my notifications - I thought it wasn't available in the EU?

ccferrie, to random

I don't recall the lake in Tymon Park ever having this much algal growth on the surface. Anyone know what the cause might be?

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