Helpfully Tim Leunig accepts as a premise that more North Sea drilling won’t make oil nor gas more affordable in the UK. But his arguments about tax and the strategic benefit of allowing more North Sea licensing are flawed in key ways (as well as in ways that James has pointed out). Long 🧵 below:

🧵A political/media guide to the "truth" about net-zero 1) Add up costs to install & run a net-zero energy system 2) Pretend fossil-fuelled alternatives wld be free 3) Do say "eco zealots are bankrupting us" 4) Don't say "free cars if we scrap net-zero" cos it sounds ridiculous 5) That's it! 1/10

Before #COP30 opens in #Brazil, @wareisjoe.bsky.social learns about the Anglican Episcopal Church’s relationship with the region #climate #climateaction

Psephologist Sir John Curtice told a Demos-sponsored event at the Conservative Party conference fringe that the Lib Dems “will almost undoubtedly win more seats” than the Tories at the next GE. “The LD vote is now more geographically concentrated than your vote.”

In short, Starmer has taken a massive hit among Labour voters, for no gain elsewhere, while boosting Farage's popularity, including doubling his ceiling among Labour voters. I.e., the political scientists were right, Morgan McSweeney was horrendously wrong.

Today a coalition of 17 businesses, investors, trade bodies & climate orgs wrote to the Chancellor urging the UK gov to remove policy costs from #electricity bills. The public letter 👇 is a bold show of support across the board from 'green' groups to the private sector. www.e3g.org/news/cut-ele...

NEW DATA: 23% of large EU companies now advocate in support of climate policy in the EU, up from 3% in 2019. Our latest briefing shows that industry lobbyists pushing against further climate progress are unrepresentative of wider business sentiment. ➡️👀 influencemap.org/briefing/Eur...

Bananas are the world's 4th most important food crop after wheat, rice & maize. But they are under threat from climate change. A new report from Christian Aid outlines the scale of the problem & what needs to be done. Today's report in the Daily Star 👇

BREAKING 🚨: 1 million people call on the UK Government to: ❌ Stop new oil and gas ✅ Create a solid plan for new jobs and new investments Climate action and affordable energy now!

If Jesus had focused more on kitchen table issues and less on unpopular outcasts like lepers and prostitutes, he might have won more support from white working-class Judeans.

The idea that new oil & gas fields are a key lever for economic dynamism in the UK is completely at odds with the reality of the North Sea basin's inexorably declining contribution to the UK's economic & energy security--not to mention the costs of escalating climate change. Some thoughts: /1

Extension of huge offshore windfarm in Sussex approved "Plan to add 90 turbines to Rampion will create 4,000 jobs in construction and could power 1m homes"

"Action is urgently needed to save the conditions under which markets – and civilisation itself – can operate, says board member of global insurance firm Allianz"

South Korea's worst ever wildfire disaster has seen a 1,300 year old Buddhist temple burnt to the ground and World Heritage Site's evacuated. My report for The Art Newspaper on the threat of the climate crisis to our cultural heritage.

With the Government adopting their primary campaign ask of no new oil and gas drilling, @juststopoil.bsky.social are hanging up their high viz. My report for The Art Newspaper on how gallery managers are now breathing a sigh of relief.

I'm currently on a train from Zurich to Paris. Logged onto the free wi-fi and they have a host of films to stream for free on your phone/laptop. In the UK you can barely load a webpage with train wi-fi. Right now I'm watching Dune and it's not even buffering.

The Science Museum requests sponsors to be aligned to the carbon reduction targets of the Paris climate accord. But BP's new fossil fuel plans = calls for Science Museum, & British Museum, to end their 'artwashing' deals. My latest for @theartnewspaper.bsky.social

Terrific resignation letter by Anneliese Dodds, this.

Britain’s net zero economy is booming, CBI says Green sector growing at triple the rate of the UK economy, providing high-wage jobs and increasing energy security

Well well well... Reform's Rupert Lowe recently fitted solar panels on his farm, it emerges, as Reform claims renewables are more expensive.

Concerning article from the Sun on Sunday today on Rosebank, where the writer and Labour sources quoted clearly don’t quite grasp the economics of the oil and gas industry... maybe this thread can help 👇 archive.ph/Veh5p

Breaking: Uplift welcomes a very sensible decision from the Court of Session invalidating the decision to approve the Rosebank oil field. Rosebank is a disaster for the climate & will do next to nothing to create the prosperity & stability that the UK needs. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

UK heat pump sales increased 63% last year and 15% more people completed a recognised heat pump training qualification! This is great news in a sector which has taken a while to get going. 1/4 www.heatpumps.org.uk/record-year-...

This is the main concern of particularly northern Labour MPs. It's all very well to commit to building projects in the north as well but if you are building major southern airport capacity, the Lower Thames Crossing and a new silicon valley there are only so many engineers in the country...

Electric cars in UK last as long as petrol and diesel vehicles, study finds An international team of researchers has estimated that an electric car will have a lifespan of 18.4 years, compared with 18.7 years for petrol cars and 16.8 years for diesels.

Environmentalism is the most popular ideology in Britain. -It's 2nd among Conservative voters -More than a third of Reform voters are also in favour of it

@hughpearman.bsky.social Hi Hugh. Could you follow back? I like to ask you a question for The Art Newspaper. Thanks

A remarkable stat: Heidi Alexander’s appointment as Transport Secretary means the cabinet is now 100% state-educated for the first time in history.

Pro-Palestine boycott of Goldsmiths CCA art gallery ends after it cuts ties with donors. The gallery is now back open after 27 day occupation by students closed it over the summer. My latest report for The Art Newspaper.

A fitting tribute by Al Gore on John Prescott: "He possessed an inherent ability to connect with people" www.bbc.com/news/live/ce...

UN summits, like Cop29, can be some of the most visually uninspiring events on the planet. My story for The Art Newspaper on the 'Artivists' who are trying to change that.

"Have you seen where the artists are currently relegated to in this process? Not in the main negotiation space but outside in the Green Zone.” My report for The Art Newspaper on the campaign to get culture formally recognised at COP29.

Up to 10,000 newborn babies died prematurely within the past two decades due to global heating caused by humans. New Carbon Brief study findings in my latest report from the COP29 climate talks for the Church Times.

Worst hotel room ever. And no windows. #Baku

"Faith communities are saying what politicians & fossil-fuel execs are often unwilling to say: that burning oil, gas & coal is destroying our common home. “But more than just talking they are taking action, treating fossil-fuels like tobacco, arms & gambling" - Clare Fussell My report from COP29

“The purpose of public finance is to meet the needs of people to adapt & rebuild lives devastated by extreme weather. The purpose of private finance is to generate profit for the lender.” - Mariana Paoli on why vulnerables are calling for public finance at COP29. In my latest report from Baku.

Of Arts Council grantees responding to their latest survey: - 90% have an environmental policy. - 72% have taken steps to save energy. - 59% have environmental action overseen at governance level. - 72% featured environmental themes in their creative work. My latest for The Art Newspaper