Peer review isn’t always painless - so I just wanted to note that I've had some incredible peer review feedback this year: constructive, detailed input that's led to better work. Thank you, anonymous academics, for helping me raise my game in 2025.

"For centuries, nature has been the backdrop to human drama: a stage humanity dominates, exploits, or saves. But what if the planet isn’t just a setting, but a character in its own right." Interesting piece on genre and climate fiction: theconversation.com/why-we-need-...

I am excited to announce "Language and Ecology in the Anthropoce: A Symposium on Ecolinguistics" on February 5-6, 2026. The event (3 keynotes & 20 presentations) is free and online. Register using the QR code below to receive updates on the schedule and links for attending.

"How climate change is narrated is fundamentally important for climate politics, as contained within each story of climate change are the causes of the problem and therefore implied solutions and implied futures." Really interesting article:

If I was a news editor, this would have been my front page story:

Interesting climate metaphor:

‘Climate change is often framed as a scientific or diplomatic issue, but before it becomes environmental or political, it is profoundly human. The way we communicate... during global summits and in everyday life needs to reflect this reality through stories.’ theconversation.com/how-stories-...

“Let us be clear. The conference was a failure… capital assets built up around fossil fuels must be stranded – that is to say, abandoned and not used – if warming was to be limited to 2C. But the Cop30 decision text ignores all this. Indeed, it never even mentions fossil fuels.” 👇

"Attention to the local and specific helps people process how social and environmental violence are intimately linked. Arts activism, working directly with people’s lived experiences of change, can offer ... alternatives to spectacular climate soundbites." theconversation.com/apocalyptic-...

How can narratives contextualise climate predictions? ‘climate storylines [...] should always come in packs: collections of narratives that together reflect the uncertainty of what could happen in a specific region or for a particular type of climatic event’ aeon.co/essays/today...

Really exciting - we need more undergraduate degrees like this:

Another great Zooniverse project:

This is a great project on language and sustainable materials. Do sign up to take part if you can!

It was a privilege today to present my work on how Annie Proulx’s Barkskins might help us understand the climate crisis, and what online reviews can tell us about conceptualising environmental destruction. Thanks to all the panellists for inspiring papers. humaniora.ucu.edu.ua/en/events/in...

“We are facing a planetary emergency. The breach of the Ocean Acidification boundary is a stark scientific warning and a moral call to action. Without healthy oceans, peace, prosperity & stability are at risk everywhere. We must act now...to safeguard this life-support system for future generations"

Note to politicians: Physics doesn't care whether or not extra CO2 emissions break manifesto promises: www.theguardian.com/business/202...

“To be a good scientist, I have to take emotions out of work. Still, I would say looking at this data, when I allow myself to connect to it emotionally, then I am afraid. This really scares me” - Dr. Levke Caesar, co-lead of Planetary Boundaries Science Lab

Another great post from @bnerlich.bsky.social on the metaphors of geoengineering. #linguistics #ecolinguistics @granthamcsf.bsky.social

Check out my column on why stories have a crucial role to play in helping us face up to the eco-crisis and showing us ways through what is coming. www.edp24.co.uk/news/2539857...

“In its 2007 edition, the Oxford Junior Dictionary, widely used in classrooms in the United Kingdom, removed dozens of entries related to the natural world, including “acorn,” “bluebell,” and “magpie,””

Solastalgia: "the distress that is produced by environmental change impacting on people while they are directly connected to their home environment” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"[Contrast] this really rich life that you find in literature and in academia, and the platitudes of politics. In literature there is an experimentation with genres and with cultures and with languages, and so you get this sense of complexity.” Lea Ypi, via www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

This October, I’m curating a strand of the Off the Shelf festival called Human/Nature. I’m very excited to be talking to @tonyjuniper.bsky.social on 18th about his book ‘Just Earth: How a Fairer World will Save the Planet’. Details👇 offtheshelf.org.uk/events/just-... @sheffielduni.bsky.social

Anyone citing The Overstory by Richard Powers and Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver as inspiration is going straight to the top of my reading list: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

"The stories we tell about our future are not merely reflections of our hopes and fears; they are the architects of the world we are shaping." Interesting reflections on the climate crisis and the importance of thrutopias:

Why language matters when talking about climate change:

Back at my desk after #PALA2025 with a full notebook and so many new ideas. Thank you to the Aston team for hosting us, and to everyone for your inspiration and support - can't wait for ‪@pala2026.bsky.social‬

"New polling data... provides further evidence of the climate silent majority, with many British people backing net zero goals but just one in 10 saying they regularly share their climate views." www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Too many people in power or with platforms “have not yet understood that we’re in a war of language – and a war of the truth – about the climate” Luisa Neubauer, from: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

If you're worried about the current 'grim' news from climate scientists, it only takes two minutes to email your MP and let them know.

"We should remember that fish are wildlife, not “seafood”. They are not put on Earth for our consumption. They do not exist in “stocks”, but in populations and ecosystems. There is no such thing as “underexploited” or “underfished” " #Ecostylistics

Our future may depend on the humanities wonkhe.com/blogs/our-fu...

What we should fear is that this cloud will clear. We desperately need rain. Please @metoffice.bsky.social do step up and help raise awareness of the reality. The wrong use of language is dangerous. #languagematters

One of the joys of working from home is having an office next to this family:

Another one for the reading list...

"We live in an era in which there is too much information but not enough knowledge, and even less wisdom [...] For wisdom, among other things, we need the art of storytelling. We need the long form." - Elif Shafak www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

"'Climate scientists we’ve spoken to say there is good, meaningful data,' says Lan, 'but they need artists to tell it as a story people can connect with.'" www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/m...

Watching 'Life on Earth' with my dad is one of my first - and still favourite - TV memories. Happy Birthday, Sir David.

📣#PALA2025📣 Poetics and Linguistics Association 2025 conference, 7th - 12th July A reminder that the early bird (/goose??) registration closes 2 weeks from today, on the 16th May! Register here -- pala2025.com/registration/

Some nice #Ecostylistics from @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social "Words make worlds. In English, we “it” rivers, trees, mountains and creatures: a mode of address that reduces them to the status of stuff, and distinguishes them from human people” More here: 👇 www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

“One of the most powerful forms of climate communication is just telling people that a majority of other people think climate change is happening, human-caused, a serious problem and a priority for action,” said Prof Anthony Leiserowitz www.theguardian.com/environment/...

A really important study. Interesting to see how healthcare professionals and members of the public can come to understand the same words in different ways.

Fascinating paper on the portrayal of climate change in films - and why it matters. "the responsibility of storytellers at this unprecedented moment should be a burning question for anyone in the entertainment industry."

"The imagery of climate change matters. How we perceive the world affects how we perceive climate change, and how it will affect us" More here 👇

Do you have ten minutes to help my research? I'm looking for volunteers to complete a survey about reading. You don't have to be a bookworm - and I explain more about my research questions at the end. If you can take part or share it would be much appreciated. nquire.org.uk/mission/reme...

Completely agree. Really glad to see calls for more discussion of climate beyond science and geography lessons. The humanities will be essential for navigating the future. We can't address the climate emergency without understanding the stories we tell about it. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Here's a great news story about our University of Wolverhampton project to design creative writing exercises for stroke survivors who are working to rebuild their language skills: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...