We still have the popular conception that it is maverick geniuses who drive science forward In reality it is the hard work of lots of scientists gathering evidence and building towards understanding & consensus

So, it seems the arguments for scientists flying around the world to have meetings about environmental degradation & biodiversity loss are that: it’s nice to meet people in person & it’s hard to coordinate around different time zones

So, it seems the arguments for scientists flying around the world to have meetings about environmental degradation & biodiversity loss are that: it’s nice to meet people in person & it’s hard to coordinate around different time zones

No, soil condition is not a simple measure of ecosystem state Ecologists have long known that there are no simple metrics, and we need to consider multiple aspects of ecosystems

Always nice to work with conservation practitioners who see the value in working with scientists to provide rigorous evidence & understanding for successful conservation at scale

'Academics can no longer resort to only publishing papers, and clenching fists in pockets. Instead, there is a need to consider how to make best use of academic knowledge and creativity to support diverse activism'. #HigherEd #AcademicSky www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

If, as some seem to think, science is all about technical skills then AI could easily take over science. But if science is about ideas, innovative thinking & working with teams then humans are still key.

Always worth repeating this point And the appalling detail of how the British government recompensed slave-owners on the abolishment of slavery (Guardian book review)

"The move to halt the agency’s scientific research has prompted concern from scientists and environmental groups that findings could be altered to conform to the Trump administration’s political agenda." Fixed it: Findings will be altered to conform to the Trump administration’s political agenda

In discussing the need to change food systems to free up land for nature - esp reducing meat eating - some bring up the impacts on farmers as if that ends the conversation But that is just the start of the discussion We need just, publicly-funded transitions which support farming communities

Yet another meeting about conservation in which some economists refuse to understand that biodiversity is fundamental for human life on Earth not a resource that needs to show its value for GDP

Interesting, although I would add that outsider science does need to conform to scientific standards and be peer reviewed cf climate change denialists presenting as self-appointed experts

“We’re constantly told we need to see peaceful protests. Well, here’s a peaceful protest We projected a piece of journalism on to a wall and now people have been arrested That says a lot more about the policing of Trump’s visit than it does about what we did.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Mini-scoop: After resisting pressure to strip Elon Musk of his fellowship for months, the Royal Society is meeting on 1 October to discuss his removal – following his decision to address Tommy Robinson's far-right rally on Saturday. www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-r...

Travel broadens the mind, but flying destroys the planet Sad to see the Guardian advertising carbon-intensive holidays for rich folk

Interesting paper on biodiversity harm caused by introduced large herbivores (LH) But I question drawing parallels with LH introduced for rewilding These are introduced for a specific conservation purpose It would be good to link impact to reasons for introduction www.nature.com/articles/s41...

you gotta love @fossilfreeldn.bsky.social @ledbydonkeys.org & @everyonehateselon.bsky.social! JOIN IN TODAY IN LONDON #r4today

Forgive my apparent cynicism, I’m hearing more & more stories about private sector involvement in the environment That are about poor environmental outcomes & taking publicly-funded subsidies & running

Education is the enemy of fascism.

Science denial is not confined to the right wing Just because you don’t like the findings, that doesn’t make it bad science

“True intelligence is the ability to reason with minimal inputs – a “small data, big task” approach, compared with the “big data, small task” approach of LLMs like ChatGPT” Fascinating article on what true Artificial General Intelligence could & should be www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

As the science-denying far right rise in influence at what point will those in academia who argue scientists should just do science & stay away from politics, realise just how untenable this argument is?

As the science-denying far right rise in influence at what point will those in academia who argue scientists should just do science & stay away from politics, realise just how untenable this argument is?

Re Musk: "This isn’t merely eccentric billionaire behaviour. It’s strategic destabilisation and our leaders are failing to call out." @davidknopfler.bsky.social writes westcountryvoices.co.uk/look-what-yo...

My colleague @thejohnsimpson.bsky.social has done a terrific deep dive into the financial links between US tech billionaires and Tommy Robinson Well worth a read observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Yesterday, the largest far-right protest in UK history marched through London, led by racist Tommy Robinson. Today, we say: They don’t speak for us — and they won’t have the last word. This Wednesday we come together against Trump and for a better future. Do everything to be there.

The scenes on our streets are shameful consequences of decades of austerity - government after government fanning the flames of anti migration instead of tackling inequality. We can & must make different choices. Solidarity to all communities under attack. We stand together.

As people get more & more obsessed with ‘big’ data and new tech for gathering loads of data It is worth remembering that science is about asking useful questions & gathering the right data to answer them

As people get more & more obsessed with ‘big’ data and new tech for gathering loads of data It is worth remembering that science is about asking useful questions & gathering the right data to answer them

🚨 BREAKING: GANTRY CLIMBERS NOT GUILTY A jury found Sam, Isobel and Rachel not guilty of public nuisance at Guilford Crown Court today, after they climbed gantries above the M25 in 2022. The jury decided they had a reasonable excuse for taking action.

After 5 months of silence from a (major) journal, we chase them, & they tell us they are still trying to find reviewers…

Follow @boldpolitics.bsky.social if you want some "nauseating left wing populism." Hit the Top 4 in the country today and available wherever you get your podcasts!

Shocked, shocked to see a *heathland* sequence in the BBC Parenthood episode on *Grasslands* (The potter wasp bit)

Conservation is not a simple solution to climate change “ecological benefits of rewetting drained boreal peatland forests come at a climate cost restoration is unlikely to mitigate climate change” Stopping emissions is the only failsafe solution link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Nigel Farage is the biggest charlatan in British political history. And here's what his constitutents in Clacton really think:

The day paradise put up a parking lot This local semi-wild riverside meadow being despoiled with artificial surfaces Apparently to help people walk & cycle through nature

Sharing this as Solid Sustainability is not on BlueSky (yet): *Webinar: What is the fossil fuel industry doing at my university?* 1/5

🗓 Mark your diary 🎓 Learn how academia is used to delay & distort climate action and policy 🔍 Get involved with mapping fossil ties of your university with @solid-research.bsky.social & Climate Accountability Lab ✊🏽 Get active in the campaigns to counter the industry’s influence

Petition: Stop airport expansions petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...

Solidarity with friends and colleagues on strike at the University of Edinburgh. Not long ago it was perceived as a bastion of stability in #UKHE but is now threatening to cut up to 1800 staff.

Police cover up a Banksy image of judge beating a protester faster than you can say "one of the many Boris Johnson Downing Street parties during covid restrictions which the Met police ignored"

The BMJ’s former editor in chief, Fiona Godlee, was arrested this weekend alongside over a dozen other healthcare workers at a demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament in London while holding a sign reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” www.bmj.com/content/390/...

I recently saw a scientist make an outrageous claim in print that they were the first to describe an important phenomenon - one that has been known for decades What’s worse is now that AI is repeating that claim as fact, across the internet

In our capitalist society, we worship competition But in academia it can be harmful Encouraging secrecy over collaboration, withholding of data, misappropriation of ideas, and even questionable research practices

In our capitalist society, we worship competition But in academia it can be harmful Encouraging secrecy over collaboration, withholding of data, misappropriation of ideas, and even questionable research practices

Police continue to mass arrest protestors for opposing genocide and the Palestine Action ban. The day after the ban came into force, 29 were arrested. Last month, it was 500. Today, over a thousand people are defying the unjust proscription of a domestic direct action group.

BREAKING: Police start to arrest protestors under the Terrorism Act for holding signs which say "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action" Over a thousand people are risking arrest today, despite the state's best efforts to deter us.

Reminded of this as an academic told me the other day that they were off to a country in South America, then one in Africa & then one in Asia, in rapid succession I really didn’t know what to say… www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Reminded of this as an academic told me the other day that they were off to a country in South America, then one in Africa & then one in Asia, in rapid succession I really didn’t know what to say… www.nature.com/articles/d41...

It always surprises me that so many conservation projects do not include researchers in their decision making Is that because research is seen as irrelevant, researchers are poor at reaching out, or what?