NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Networks of climate obstruction: Discourses of denial and delay in US fossil energy, plastic, and agrichemical industries
No full textThe use of fossil-derived hydrocarbons in fossil energy, plastic production, and agriculture makes these three sectors mutually reinforcing and reliant on sustained fossil fuel extraction. In this paper, we examine the ways the fossil fuel energy, plastics, and agrichemicals industries interact on social media using Twitter (renamed X as of 2023) data analysis, and we explore the implications of these interactions for policy. Content analysis of the text of tweets from the two largest US corporations and a major trade association for each sector (three discrete social media accounts for each sector) reveals coordinated messaging and identifies synergistic themes among these three sectors. Network analysis shows substantial engagement among the three sectors and identifies common external entities frequently mentioned in each sector. To understand the discursive strategies of the twitter networks of these three petrochemical derivative and fuel sectors, we propose the discourses of climate obstruction framework, adapted from and expanding on Lamb et al.’s (2020) discourses of climate delay framework. Our framework integrates both discourses of delay and discourses of denial because an integration of both were found in our analysis suggesting coordinated efforts to obstruct climate action. Our analysis suggests that discourses to deny and delay climate policy are aligned and coordinated across the three sectors to reinforce existing infrastructure and inhibit change. Exceptions in this alignment emerge for a few distinct sector-specific goals, including contrasting messages about biofuel. Despite some disparate views and different policy priorities among these three sectors, similar efforts to reinforce existing extractive petrochemical hegemony and undermine climate policy are clearly evident in each sector. These findings suggest that more research is needed to understand collaborative efforts among fossil energy, plastic, and agrichemical producers to influence climate and energy policy
Dimensions of recognition through relational labour in erotic content creation in Brazil
No full textRelational labour has become a critical concept for understanding the consequences of the ongoing relationship between creators and their audiences on social media. This article draws on this discussion to address Brazilian erotic content creators’ perceptions of the impact of relational labour on their sense of self and subjective identity. Combining the concept with the idea of recognition as conceived in the Psychodynamics of Work, the article explores the subjective investment and identity development involved in the continual creator–audience intersubjective relationships. Based on 31 in-depth interviews with Brazilian erotic creators, the article reveals a deep subjective investment in performing relational labour and its impact on creators’ self-esteem and self-relationship, with the potential to strengthen their subjective identity and social value. Nevertheless, the symbolic rewards of relational labour are an effort rather than a guarantee, especially in highly stigmatised work where the distribution of in intersubjective relationships is uneven
'One must defend oneself as a Jew': Hannah Arendt's German as a Language of Refuge
No full textThe abstract is included in the text
A Socio-Legal Study of Stakeholder Perspectives on the Identification of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Labour Exploitation Across European States.
No full textThis thesis is a socio-legal analysis of stakeholder perspectives on the identification of
victims of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation (THB-LE),
focusing on the practical operation of the identification procedure, multi-stakeholder cooperation
and, training and awareness measures. Through 42 semi-structured interviews
with labour inspectors, criminal law enforcement officials, trade unionists and
representatives from non-governmental organisations, it captures bottom-up insights on
the gap between the law and practice of identification. This is combined with a top-down
analysis of Article 10 of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking
in Human Beings. Overall, the data highlights both limitations to the international legal
framework itself, and gaps between the obligation to identify under international law and
its practical realisation in Europe.
The interview findings suggest that the identification procedure should be understood as
encompassing the two distinct processes of detection and formal identification. Yet,
Article 10 only covers formal identification. The research thus finds a significant lacuna
in the legal framework. The analysis also reveals practical barriers to effective
identification relating to, for example, shifting the burden of identification to victims and
difficulties in distinguishing the boundary between a labour law violation and THB-LE.
The thesis establishes that the enduring criminal justice approach to trafficking in human
beings hinders the effectiveness of the identification procedure by limiting the formal
identification process to criminal law enforcement officials. Concurrently, it reveals
challenges to the substantive realisation of a multi-stakeholder integrated approach due
to, inter alia, stakeholders’ conflicting agendas and the failure to adequately recognise
certain labour market stakeholders, including trade unions.
Finally, the thesis makes recommendations for states to improve the practice of
identification, for example, by mapping the duties of relevant stakeholders to delineate
areas of convergence and align their efforts
Resource List: Projects, Toolkits, and Resources related to Cultural Participation of Persons with Disabilities
No full textThe project ‘Protecting the Right to Culture of Persons with Disabilities and Enhancing Cultural Diversity through European Union Law: Exploring New Paths
(DANCING)’ explores the right of persons with disabilities to take part in cultural life as an essential aspect
of enhancing cultural diversity in the European Union
(EU). The project is funded by the European Research
Council (ERC) and is based at Maynooth University
(MU), Ireland under Professor Delia Ferri as a Principal Investigator (PI). It explores the extent to which
the protection of the right to take part in culture of
people with disabilities and the promotion of cultural
diversity intersect and complement each other in the
EU legal order. On the whole, DANCING deploys interdisciplinary approaches to produce ground-breaking
knowledge intended to challenge the cultural exclusion often faced by people with disabilities, contributing to the creation of a more inclusive and culturally
diverse European society.
DANCING commenced on 1 September 2020 and is
due to be completed on 31 August 2025. It comprises
four Work Packages (WPs). Within WP1, DANCING has
identified and categorised barriers to and facilitators
of cultural participation experienced by persons with
disabilities and how they affect the wider cultural domain (experiential objective). Within WP2, DANCING
has provided a normative exploration of how the EU
has used and can use its competence to combat discrimination and its supporting competence on cultural
matters, in synergy with its wide internal market powers, to ensure the accessibility of cultural activities, to
promote disability identities, while achieving cultural diversity (normative objective). WP3 has aimed at
advancing the understanding of the legal concept of
cultural diversity, which stems from the intersection
of different sources of law, and, in the final phase of
the project, articulates a new theorisation of the promotion of cultural diversity within the EU legal order
(theoretical objective). The project is underpinned by
the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD), which represents the global legal
standard on disability rights, and is informed by the
human rights model of disability.
DANCING also includes a fourth cross-cutting WP
(WP4) focused on raising awareness, deploying specific outputs for the general public and producing a
number of toolkits and guidelines that aim to advance
the understanding of what facilitates cultural participation of people with disabilities, legal change and effective policy responses at the EU level. As part of this
WP, as will be discussed in the following subsection,
we compiled this Resource List which provides information on existing organisations, projects, outputs
and good practices related to culture and disability in
a broad fashion, or that concern cultural participation
of persons with disabilities
Gender equity and care for transformative climate justice
No full textAs global climate change is destabilising lives and worsening inequities
and disparities in Ireland and around the world (Deubelli & Mechler,
2021; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2022), climate
justice is emerging as an urgent global policy priority (Kashwan, 2021;
Newell et al., 2021; Robinson, 2018). Climate justice, an approach to
climate action that goes beyond the technological emphasis on
decarbonisation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, focuses
attention on the intersectionality of the social, economic, and
institutional changes that link technological change with societal
transformation by centring social justice and economic equity
(Stephens, 2022; Sultana, 2022). Transformative climate justice
recognises that the climate crisis is a horrible symptom of extractive
and exploitative systems (Sultana, 2025). A transformative climate
justice approach calls for systemic and structural changes
acknowledging that the climate crisis is not a scientific problem that can be fixed with technological solutions (Newell et al., 2021).
Transformative climate justice also links climate vulnerabilities with
the societal risks and geopolitical dangers associated with increased
social instability, migration and growing inequities (Harlan et al., 2015;
Stephens, 2020).
Transformative climate justice embraces a feminist and decolonial
approach to redressing the legacy of economic injustices, gender
inequities, extractive labour practices, housing insecurity and systems
of exploitation that are worsening climate vulnerabilities (Kuhl et al.,
2024; Sultana, 2025). Climate justice prioritises trans formative
economic investments, social policies and innovative practices that are
based on human dignity, equity and care. Climate justice is intentional
and explicit on the necessity to disrupt the status quo financial and
political systems that continue to marginalise people and communities
by concentrating wealth and power among those individuals and
organisations that are already privileged (Newell et al., 2021;
Schapper, 2018; Sultana, 2022; Whitaker, 2021). The rapidly growing
global climate justice movement, based on feminist principles, has
been, and continues to be, led by women (Robinson, 2018).
Patriarchal systems have reinforced and perpetuated the
assumption that investing in technological innovation will enable
humanity to control the climate, while minimising the potential of
investing in social innovation, social justice and social change.
Transformative change requires a collective moving away from these
dominant patriarchal discourses toward a feminist and intersectional
perspective that integrates care and gender equality.
This paper reviews why a feminist climate justice approach focused
on gender equity and care is essential for the transformative societal
changes that are urgently needed for a more healthy, just and stable
future for all. The paper first describes why and how feminist climate
justice is a necessary response to climate isolationism. Then, it
describes why the integration of care and gender equity into climate
policy is fundamental and how care is a feminist concern. Next,
examples of intersections of care and climate within the Irish context
are provided, followed by a concluding discussion on moving toward
transformative climate justice
Why Trump's attacks on libraries are bad news for everyone
No full textOpinion: Recent events in the US have shown us libraries, and the services and information they provide, must never be taken for grante
Power system stability with high integration of RESs and EVs: Benefits, challenges, tools, and solutions
No full textIn our daily lives, electric energy is essential and impacts numerous aspects of society. The electricity produced
from conventional sources falls short of meeting contemporary demand, giving rise to power supply issues and
environmental concerns, including the emission of greenhouse gases. For all those reasons, the transformation to
Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) is indispensable, more than ever. Nevertheless, the inherent uncertainty and
low inertia introduce operational challenges and threaten power system stability. Various research papers have
been published regarding RES integration and design. However, research articles addressing stability in
distributed generation networks with RESs are either scarce or inadequate. To address power system stability, the
primary objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the benefits, challenges, and integration
of RESs and electric vehicles (EVs), in addition to tools, software, controlling mechanisms, and potential solutions related to RESs integration. Integrating HVDC technology with hybrid RES enhances long-distance power
transmission efficiency, reduces losses, and improves grid stability, making it an effective solution for variable
RES generation. Therefore, the HVDC link has been taken as a case study and is simulated using DIgSILENT
/MATLAB softwares. The result shows that the HVDC link is more stable than the HVAC transmission in terms of
voltage stability when integrating the RESs, which could result in a voltage limit violation. The 100 % RESs
integration may proceed more smoothly and efficiently if DC voltage is present
Linguistic Contributions to a Model for the Celticisation of the Western Archipelago
No full textThe question of the arrival of Celtic-speaking peoples in Britain and Ireland, i.e. the Celticisation of these islands in prehistory, has been a bone of contention – and a mystery – since the early days of Celtic Studies. For the longest time, the only two disciplines that could meaningfully contribute to this debate were archaeology and historical linguistics. However, during the latter part of the 20th century the realisation grew that the methodologies and the data of the two disciplines are not commensurate, and that the conclusions drawn by scholars from the involved disciplines are not compatible with each other.
Since 2015, a third discipline with an entirely new type of data has joined the discussion: palaeogenetics. The analysis of ancient DNA provides a completely different perspective on the prehistory of the Western Archipelago and allows insights into it that neither archaeology nor linguistics are able to achieve with their own methods, and that can inspire the two traditional disciplines to look at their data again and reevaluate it. This talk is a modest attempt from the point of view of historical Celtic and Indo-European linguistics to respond to the new insights and challenges that palaeogenetics has to offer, and to assess how they can be integrated into a general theory of the Celticisation of the Western Archipelago
Investigating MSC Immunomodulation in the Obese Microenvironment
No full textThe proportion of people living with obesity is constantly on the rise, which makes it an important factor to consider in any clinical setting. The obese microenvironment introduces a range of pro-inflammatory factors and other molecules that can affect immune cells and treatments. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a valuable asset for the treatment of inflammatory conditions due to their immunomodulatory and their tissue regenerative abilities. MSCs are able to communicate with surrounding immune cells and respond to signals from the microenvironment. However, this makes MSCs vulnerable to perturbations in that microenvironment. This thesis investigates how certain prominent factors from the obese microenvironment, the free fatty acids oleate and palmitate and the adipokine leptin, affect MSC phenotype and function. Differences between T cell suppression and macrophage suppression by palmitate exposed MSCs were discovered, and the underlying mechanism for how palmitate affects macrophage suppression by MSCs was further elucidated. In addition to the direct effects of these factors on MSCs, we were also interested in the concept of innate immune training of macrophages by factors elevated in the obese microenvironment, and how MSCs might be able to interfere with this training. Innate immune training can lead to a hyperinflammatory activation of macrophages, which, while protective in many cases of infectious disease, has the potential to result in a more severe outcome of chronic autoimmune disease. MSCs, which are powerful suppressors of macrophage inflammation, have already been shown to suppress house dust mite-mediated training in our lab. Building on this research, a training protocol was established and pathways through which MSCs may be inhibiting training were investigated. Overall, this research revealed avenues to be explored in MSC-macrophage interactions, highlighting the potential for the use of MSCs in patients with inflammatory conditions who are living with obesity, and identifying pathways through which innate immune training could be controlled