Andy Extance
@andyextance.bsky.social
Bag of chemicals posing as a science journalist, environmental activist, widower
Reposted by Andy Extance
A few thoughts on the future of science journalism from a talk I gave recently--at UCL for the American Association of Science Journalism.
open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...
open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...
From Print to Prompts
What the past tells us about the future of science journalism
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:28 AM
A few thoughts on the future of science journalism from a talk I gave recently--at UCL for the American Association of Science Journalism.
open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...
open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...
This line hit me hard: "For decades, the oil and gas industry has promised jobs but delivered health risks, poisoned groundwater and dead fisheries."
So many promises at the moment, we need to be very careful about which ones to trust
So many promises at the moment, we need to be very careful about which ones to trust
"Her story is a reminder that even the largest corporations can be stopped when ordinary people refuse to back down."
Diane Wilson, a fisherwoman from a small town in Texas, took on ExxonMobil.
Guess who won?
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Diane Wilson, a fisherwoman from a small town in Texas, took on ExxonMobil.
Guess who won?
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
How a Texas shrimper stalled Exxon’s $10bn plastics plant | Shilpi Chhotray
Diane Wilson recognized Exxon’s playbook – and showed how local people can take on even the most entrenched industries
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:31 AM
This line hit me hard: "For decades, the oil and gas industry has promised jobs but delivered health risks, poisoned groundwater and dead fisheries."
So many promises at the moment, we need to be very careful about which ones to trust
So many promises at the moment, we need to be very careful about which ones to trust
Reposted by Andy Extance
My fear is scientists will just sit by & be complicit. Saying you are for 1.5C or net zero is not ambition.
If rich country GHG or CO2 emissions are not dropping at >5% per year, they are not remotely consistent with 1.5C, nor net zero in a reasonable time frame.
Scientists need to point this out.
If rich country GHG or CO2 emissions are not dropping at >5% per year, they are not remotely consistent with 1.5C, nor net zero in a reasonable time frame.
Scientists need to point this out.
Rich, historical polluter countries that had the highest legal responsibility to take climate action failed. And now some of these same countries are speaking about '1.5C ambition'. What a charade
November 15, 2025 at 8:03 AM
My fear is scientists will just sit by & be complicit. Saying you are for 1.5C or net zero is not ambition.
If rich country GHG or CO2 emissions are not dropping at >5% per year, they are not remotely consistent with 1.5C, nor net zero in a reasonable time frame.
Scientists need to point this out.
If rich country GHG or CO2 emissions are not dropping at >5% per year, they are not remotely consistent with 1.5C, nor net zero in a reasonable time frame.
Scientists need to point this out.
Reposted by Andy Extance
New reflections from me about the challenge of countering disinformation when the state itself is distributing it
christinapagel.substack.com/p/the-erosio...
christinapagel.substack.com/p/the-erosio...
November 15, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Andy Extance
1/2
We just published the Global Carbon Budget 2025, with a mix of bad news (CO2 emissions continue to grow) and encouraging news (35 countries saw emissions decline over the past decade while growing their economies).
Read the highlights in a short article:
theconversation.com/the-worlds-c...
We just published the Global Carbon Budget 2025, with a mix of bad news (CO2 emissions continue to grow) and encouraging news (35 countries saw emissions decline over the past decade while growing their economies).
Read the highlights in a short article:
theconversation.com/the-worlds-c...
November 13, 2025 at 12:16 AM
1/2
We just published the Global Carbon Budget 2025, with a mix of bad news (CO2 emissions continue to grow) and encouraging news (35 countries saw emissions decline over the past decade while growing their economies).
Read the highlights in a short article:
theconversation.com/the-worlds-c...
We just published the Global Carbon Budget 2025, with a mix of bad news (CO2 emissions continue to grow) and encouraging news (35 countries saw emissions decline over the past decade while growing their economies).
Read the highlights in a short article:
theconversation.com/the-worlds-c...
Reposted by Andy Extance
NEW: Global fossil fuel use will peak before 2030 – unless 'stated policies' are abandoned
Contra some terrible news coverage, IEA World Energy Outlook shows coal near peak, oil peaking by 2030 & gas by 2035 (see chart)
What's going on? 🧵 + cool charts
www.carbonbrief.org/iea-fossil-f...
Contra some terrible news coverage, IEA World Energy Outlook shows coal near peak, oil peaking by 2030 & gas by 2035 (see chart)
What's going on? 🧵 + cool charts
www.carbonbrief.org/iea-fossil-f...
November 12, 2025 at 9:02 AM
NEW: Global fossil fuel use will peak before 2030 – unless 'stated policies' are abandoned
Contra some terrible news coverage, IEA World Energy Outlook shows coal near peak, oil peaking by 2030 & gas by 2035 (see chart)
What's going on? 🧵 + cool charts
www.carbonbrief.org/iea-fossil-f...
Contra some terrible news coverage, IEA World Energy Outlook shows coal near peak, oil peaking by 2030 & gas by 2035 (see chart)
What's going on? 🧵 + cool charts
www.carbonbrief.org/iea-fossil-f...
This amazing-looking solar farm uses an exciting new technology now being manufactured in China. You can read about it in my new Chemical and Engineering News story at bit.ly/ChinaPerovskite
It's good to share some positive news for a change! 🧪
It's good to share some positive news for a change! 🧪
September 22, 2025 at 2:24 PM
This amazing-looking solar farm uses an exciting new technology now being manufactured in China. You can read about it in my new Chemical and Engineering News story at bit.ly/ChinaPerovskite
It's good to share some positive news for a change! 🧪
It's good to share some positive news for a change! 🧪
Permastink is as gross as it sounds. It's the lingering smell on polyester sportswear, and leads to people throwing away otherwise good quality clothes. Preventing permastink is therefore important for our environment. My explainer in @chemistryworld.com: www.chemistryworld.com/news/explain... 🧪
Explainer: The chemistry of permastink and how to prevent it
How to avoid throwing out smelly polyester sportswear
www.chemistryworld.com
August 6, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Permastink is as gross as it sounds. It's the lingering smell on polyester sportswear, and leads to people throwing away otherwise good quality clothes. Preventing permastink is therefore important for our environment. My explainer in @chemistryworld.com: www.chemistryworld.com/news/explain... 🧪
Rare genetic diseases like Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy in are desperately horrible, and when people die from treatments that's tragic. But when the need is so great, sometimes the risk is worth it. My story in @chemistryworld.com www.chemistryworld.com/news/sarepta...
Sarepta gene therapy deaths highlight tragic rare disease dilemma
Regulators block Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment after fatal side-effects outweigh questionable efficacy
www.chemistryworld.com
August 6, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Rare genetic diseases like Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy in are desperately horrible, and when people die from treatments that's tragic. But when the need is so great, sometimes the risk is worth it. My story in @chemistryworld.com www.chemistryworld.com/news/sarepta...
Reposted by Andy Extance
Regulators block Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment after fatal side-effects outweigh questionable efficacy.
Sarepta gene therapy deaths highlight tragic rare disease dilemma
Regulators block Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment after fatal side-effects outweigh questionable efficacy
www.chemistryworld.com
August 4, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Regulators block Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment after fatal side-effects outweigh questionable efficacy.
Reposted by Andy Extance
Two physicists from different disciplines met at a climate protest (as you do). They got to talking about their research (as you do). Within a year or so, they'd designed a new type of dark matter detector experiment (as you...wait, what?). First results here: 🧪⚛️ physicsworld.com/a/new-experi...
New experiment uses levitated magnets to search for dark matter – Physics World
Although it hasn’t detected dark matter yet, its developers say it offers an alternative path that is worth exploring
physicsworld.com
July 29, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Two physicists from different disciplines met at a climate protest (as you do). They got to talking about their research (as you do). Within a year or so, they'd designed a new type of dark matter detector experiment (as you...wait, what?). First results here: 🧪⚛️ physicsworld.com/a/new-experi...
Enjoying hearing from Jon Roozenbeek at #abswss25 about the tobacco 'disinformation playbook' shared pseudonymously by a 'Mr Butss' with three elements:
- Sow doubt
- Counter attack
- Don't lie (too much)
Sound familiar?
- Sow doubt
- Counter attack
- Don't lie (too much)
Sound familiar?
June 26, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Enjoying hearing from Jon Roozenbeek at #abswss25 about the tobacco 'disinformation playbook' shared pseudonymously by a 'Mr Butss' with three elements:
- Sow doubt
- Counter attack
- Don't lie (too much)
Sound familiar?
- Sow doubt
- Counter attack
- Don't lie (too much)
Sound familiar?
Reposted by Andy Extance
Recycled PV cells achieve efficiencies similar to commercial cells, promoting material reuse. Recycling methods recover 60-95% of materials, but face challenges like emissions and costs.
🧪
🔌💡
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🧪
🔌💡
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Photovoltaic module Recycling: A review on material recovery methods and waste management approach
The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has driven a massive rise in the installed capacity of photovoltaic (PV) modules. This, in turn…
www.sciencedirect.com
June 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Recycled PV cells achieve efficiencies similar to commercial cells, promoting material reuse. Recycling methods recover 60-95% of materials, but face challenges like emissions and costs.
🧪
🔌💡
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🧪
🔌💡
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Andy Extance
Ireland joins the growing number of nations that are now coal free for electricity generation. 💪 🧪🔌💡☀️💨🔋 electrek.co/2025/06/20/i...
Ireland just became Europe’s newest coal-free country
Ireland just shut down its last coal plant – part of a clean energy shift that’s making Europe coal-free, one country at a time.
electrek.co
June 21, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Ireland joins the growing number of nations that are now coal free for electricity generation. 💪 🧪🔌💡☀️💨🔋 electrek.co/2025/06/20/i...
Climate activism is scary, and is facing increasing resistance, but also connects you to some amazing people. That was my message when interviewed in January by Deutsche Welle, the German equivalent of BBC World Service, about my arrest while protesting with Just Stop Oil: pod.link/livingplanet...
Living Planet
Looking to reconnect with nature? Want to make better decisions for the health of the planet? Every Friday, Living Planet brings you the stories, facts and debates on the key environmental issues of o...
pod.link
June 18, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Climate activism is scary, and is facing increasing resistance, but also connects you to some amazing people. That was my message when interviewed in January by Deutsche Welle, the German equivalent of BBC World Service, about my arrest while protesting with Just Stop Oil: pod.link/livingplanet...
My latest story for Chemistry World describes UK oil refineries' ambitious attempts to ensure they don't go from economic lynchpins to historic relics. 🛢️
Read it here: 🤳
www.chemistryworld.com/features/how...
Read it here: 🤳
www.chemistryworld.com/features/how...
How decarbonisation will help the UK’s last refineries survive
Carbon capture and low-carbon hydrogen are central to any possibility of supplying liquid fuels compatible with net zero, reports Andy Extance
www.chemistryworld.com
June 10, 2025 at 2:08 PM
My latest story for Chemistry World describes UK oil refineries' ambitious attempts to ensure they don't go from economic lynchpins to historic relics. 🛢️
Read it here: 🤳
www.chemistryworld.com/features/how...
Read it here: 🤳
www.chemistryworld.com/features/how...
#abswss25 is on June 26th, but registration closes this Friday, June 13th, at 5pm. Tickets start at just £30, including a hybrid option if you can't be in London on the day. I hope to see many of you there - register now to make it happen, if you haven't already!
#abswss25 #SummerSchool
⚠️This is a hybrid event
🔗 zurl.co/tUAAn
💻Your digital future 💻
The evolving digital landscape of media and a review of the digital tools key to your job as a journalist
📢Speakers:
@munkeatlooi.bsky.social @bmj.com Olivia Hains @aeon.co
⚠️This is a hybrid event
🔗 zurl.co/tUAAn
💻Your digital future 💻
The evolving digital landscape of media and a review of the digital tools key to your job as a journalist
📢Speakers:
@munkeatlooi.bsky.social @bmj.com Olivia Hains @aeon.co
June 9, 2025 at 10:09 AM
#abswss25 is on June 26th, but registration closes this Friday, June 13th, at 5pm. Tickets start at just £30, including a hybrid option if you can't be in London on the day. I hope to see many of you there - register now to make it happen, if you haven't already!
Reposted by Andy Extance
By the way, because this is hybrid, it's also open to attendees from other countries. If the UK timezone is manageable for you, and you want to learn about science writing/journalism, feel free to sign up!
The @absw.bsky.social Summer School is later this month and there are still some spaces left! If you're new to science journalism, or thinking of becoming a science writer, sign up here. It's hybrid, in London and online. www.absw.org.uk/pages/absw-s... #sciencejournalism #journalism #scicomm
ABSW Summer School 2025 | Association of British Science Writers
A one day event at King's College London on June 26, 2025
www.absw.org.uk
June 6, 2025 at 7:53 AM
By the way, because this is hybrid, it's also open to attendees from other countries. If the UK timezone is manageable for you, and you want to learn about science writing/journalism, feel free to sign up!
Green hydrogen could be central to our energy future, but requires lots of water and electricity. Making it straight from seawater could be a niche technology, but pilots and 'factory-scale research' are already underway. My latest at @chemistryworld.com:
www.chemistryworld.com/news/what-ar...
www.chemistryworld.com/news/what-ar...
What are the prospects for making green hydrogen straight from seawater?
Competing with better-established desalination coupled with electrolysis, direct seawater splitting technologies are targeting niches
www.chemistryworld.com
June 5, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Green hydrogen could be central to our energy future, but requires lots of water and electricity. Making it straight from seawater could be a niche technology, but pilots and 'factory-scale research' are already underway. My latest at @chemistryworld.com:
www.chemistryworld.com/news/what-ar...
www.chemistryworld.com/news/what-ar...
Learning from other people usually much so deeper and richer than doing so alone. So I'm really looking forward to seeing with colleagues at the @absw.bsky.social Summer School on June 26th. Tickets are available from just £30: please do come and connect with us. www.absw.org.uk/pages/regist...
Registration 2025 | Association of British Science Writers
Registration now open
www.absw.org.uk
June 3, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Learning from other people usually much so deeper and richer than doing so alone. So I'm really looking forward to seeing with colleagues at the @absw.bsky.social Summer School on June 26th. Tickets are available from just £30: please do come and connect with us. www.absw.org.uk/pages/regist...
Reposted by Andy Extance
What can we do within the #scicomm community to tackle misinformation? Our @scicommcentre.eu session at #PCST2025 will be addressing this question.
If you are at PCST2025 come along to Conference Suite 3 at 2pm today (Thurs) for the discussion.
Photo: Mika Baumeister, Unsplash
#science
If you are at PCST2025 come along to Conference Suite 3 at 2pm today (Thurs) for the discussion.
Photo: Mika Baumeister, Unsplash
#science
May 29, 2025 at 8:40 AM
What can we do within the #scicomm community to tackle misinformation? Our @scicommcentre.eu session at #PCST2025 will be addressing this question.
If you are at PCST2025 come along to Conference Suite 3 at 2pm today (Thurs) for the discussion.
Photo: Mika Baumeister, Unsplash
#science
If you are at PCST2025 come along to Conference Suite 3 at 2pm today (Thurs) for the discussion.
Photo: Mika Baumeister, Unsplash
#science
Reposted by Andy Extance
Are you a journalist who reports on research integrity issues for a Canadian or UK outlet? If so, we want to hear from you!
🚨Note: X is a public space, so engaging with this thread will publicly associate you with this study—even if you don’t participate.🚨
🚨Note: X is a public space, so engaging with this thread will publicly associate you with this study—even if you don’t participate.🚨
January 21, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Are you a journalist who reports on research integrity issues for a Canadian or UK outlet? If so, we want to hear from you!
🚨Note: X is a public space, so engaging with this thread will publicly associate you with this study—even if you don’t participate.🚨
🚨Note: X is a public space, so engaging with this thread will publicly associate you with this study—even if you don’t participate.🚨
Reposted by Andy Extance
#ABSWmembers #ScottishSocial
@andyextance.bsky.social Chair of @absw.bsky.social invites members attending #PCST Conference in #Aberdeen or local members to join an informal networking event
📆Thursday, 29 May 2025
🕚 18:30
📍The Blue Lamp
Come along and bring a friend👉zurl.co/XTP2l
@andyextance.bsky.social Chair of @absw.bsky.social invites members attending #PCST Conference in #Aberdeen or local members to join an informal networking event
📆Thursday, 29 May 2025
🕚 18:30
📍The Blue Lamp
Come along and bring a friend👉zurl.co/XTP2l
ABSW Scottish Social - Aberdeen
Join ABSW Chair and Secretary for informal networking and drinks as part of the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Conference
zurl.co
May 28, 2025 at 5:30 PM
#ABSWmembers #ScottishSocial
@andyextance.bsky.social Chair of @absw.bsky.social invites members attending #PCST Conference in #Aberdeen or local members to join an informal networking event
📆Thursday, 29 May 2025
🕚 18:30
📍The Blue Lamp
Come along and bring a friend👉zurl.co/XTP2l
@andyextance.bsky.social Chair of @absw.bsky.social invites members attending #PCST Conference in #Aberdeen or local members to join an informal networking event
📆Thursday, 29 May 2025
🕚 18:30
📍The Blue Lamp
Come along and bring a friend👉zurl.co/XTP2l
While in some ways Bluesky's similarity to Twitter is welcome, keeping the lack of ability to edit posts is not 🤦♂️
May 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM
While in some ways Bluesky's similarity to Twitter is welcome, keeping the lack of ability to edit posts is not 🤦♂️
Having written many stories about exciting new chemistry AI technologies, I wondered how easy it would be for people to try for themselves.
This story is the outcome of that curiosity – read on for two interesting takeaways and a piece of snark.
cen.acs.org/physical-che...
This story is the outcome of that curiosity – read on for two interesting takeaways and a piece of snark.
cen.acs.org/physical-che...
A guide to navigating AI chemistry hype
If you plan to use machine learning for research, consider ChatGPT’s shortcomings and inquire about AI tools’ training data and benchmarking performance
cen.acs.org
May 22, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Having written many stories about exciting new chemistry AI technologies, I wondered how easy it would be for people to try for themselves.
This story is the outcome of that curiosity – read on for two interesting takeaways and a piece of snark.
cen.acs.org/physical-che...
This story is the outcome of that curiosity – read on for two interesting takeaways and a piece of snark.
cen.acs.org/physical-che...