The Indo Daily: Why is Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo feuding with Ireland’s Green Party?

In a twist worthy of a Hollywood script, actor Mark Ruffalo has accused the Greens of “doing something really terrible to the environment.”

Taking to social media, the Avengers star blasted the party for failing to live up to its election promises on Ireland’s environmental future. His video address, alongside rising Cork actor Alison Oliver, quickly went viral.

He said the party is trying to “jam through” legislation that will allow for fast-tracking the construction of LNG terminals for imported fracked gas from the US. Mr Ruffalo said the Green Party promised it would not allow LNG plants to be established while it was in power.

In response, a Green Party spokesperson said the actor’s video “gives a very misleading account” of what is envisaged in the amendment to the Planning Bill, which was passed in the Dáil on Thursday.

Why is Ruffalo getting involved in Irish politics? And why do celebrities feel compelled to raise their voices on these issues?

Today on The Indo Daily, Tabitha Monahan is joined by Philip Ryan, political editor at the Irish Independent and Tessa Ndjonkou, multimedia Journalist with the Irish Independent, to look at the unexpected row between an Oscar-nominated actor and the Green Party.