Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo has rowed in on Irish politics, saying the Green Party is “about to do something really terrible to the environment”.
In a social media post the US actor and activist called on the public to sign a petition calling on the Green Party to “stop LNG”.
“Hey, I need your help. You know, the Irish green party’s about to do something really terrible to the environment and our climate. They’re trying to jam through a bill to fast track building liquid natural gas terminals that would import fracked gas from the United States and I need you to help me tell the Irish people all about it.
“They need to remove the LNG fast tracking and prioritisation as a strategic infrastructure from the Planning Bill and permanently just ban LNG.
‘We’re lucky she has a place. It’s not what she should have’: Brendan O’Connor’s daughter unable to secure special class in mainstream school
‘I want to ask someone out at work, and I am terrified, with some justification’
Laura Kennedy: Long-haul flight tips from snore-proof ear plugs to tummy-friendly food
Chief suspect in Madeleine McCann case acquitted by German court of rape of Irish woman
“What’s worse is that the Green Party, which promised the voters that they would stop the import of frack gas and LNG when they joined the Coalition Government in 2020 but since then, they’ve been opening the door for the Irish Government to build an LNG terminal in the Shannon estuary of all places.”
His comments come ahead of a Dáil debate on the Planning and Development Bill 2023, which aims to reform Ireland’s planning system. The Bill allows for planning applications to be made for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminals.
Responding to Ruffalo’s post, a spokesperson for the Green Party said:
“The Green Party remains fully opposed to a commercial LNG facility and is proud that no such facility has proceeded during our time in Government. Mark Ruffalo’s video gives a very misleading account of what is envisaged in the amendment to the Planning Bill.”
The party said that while Ireland’s long-term energy future is in renewable energy, “we may need a strategic gas reserve as a back-up in case supply is interrupted for any reason through the existing pipeline from the UK that supplies the majority of our gas”.
“If this were to occur, it would leave Ireland seriously exposed without the power and heat supply we need.
“What the amendment allows for is the possibility of a State-owned, floating off-shore gas reserve that could provide such a back-up supply in such an eventuality. It would be temporary in nature, would have to operate under strict climate limits and could not contain gas from fracked sources. It would not be a commercial facility.
“That is the only reason for this amendment. Keeping the lights on in Ireland is not something that Mark Ruffalo needs to worry about but it is something that the Irish Green Party obviously cares about,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile CEO of Friends of the Earth Oisin Coughlan said he would feel “really let down” if the Green Party was to “leave the door open to LNG on their way out the door. That would not be a good legacy.”
All the Green Party’s “good words” on the phasing out of fossil fuel would be undermined by the Planning Bill and the recent High Court judgment, he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
Mr Coughlan said that Government policy was “really confused.”
“The Greens went into Government saying they would stand firmly against the importation of fracked gas and they have made some progress in that with their other Government Coalition partners. But this Bill tonight seems set to undermine that significantly and risks putting their legacy and Government in grave risk and in tatters.”
When asked if Friends of the Earth would be urging the Green Party to vote against the Planning Bill, Mr Coughlan said they would be calling on all parties “to vote against LNG tonight.”
Mr Coughlan also pointed out that “the company that has currently applied to build a terminal on the Shannon Estuary Shannon LNG is controlled by New Fortress Energy, one of the biggest exporters and producers of fracked gas in Pennsylvania, which is why Mark Ruffalo is interested.
“And they want to export gas as much as they can and to drive as much use of gas as possible with the gas that is fuelling those hurricanes in Florida that we’re hearing about.
“We’re asking all TDs at the very least to strip out all reference to LNG here.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
