Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Kitching @kitchingart.com · 2h

"Powered by gravity and buoyancy alone, it travels in a slow sawtooth pattern, conserving energy while diving to depths of 1,000 metres. With a range of up to 15,000 kilometres per leg, Redwing is equipped to operate continuously for months at sea."

oceanographicmagazine.com/news/robot-s...

Robot submarine embarks on world first mission around the globe - Oceanographic

Called the Sentinel Mission, the five year voyage to circumnavigate the globe promises to transform our understanding of the world's ocean.

oceanographicmagazine.com

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David Kitching @kitchingart.com · 2h

🌍

Baggage @carrieonbaggage.bsky.social · 2h

Meanwhile...
"The number of wild bee species in Europe at risk of extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, while the number of endangered butterfly species has almost doubled"

Number of wild bee species at risk of extinction in Europe doubles in 10 years

Number of endangered butterfly species also surging amid habitat destruction and global heating, finds study

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by David Kitching

Nick Langley @nicklangley.bsky.social · 4h

Some defence experts have called for climate finance to be considered part of national security spending.

The Guardian understands that some of his advisers want Starmer to skip the UN’s Cop30 climate summit, fearing that Reform will attack him for going.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK intelligence chiefs due to warn

Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published

www.theguardian.com

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David Kitching @kitchingart.com · 16h

"To say bluntly what was on most every mind here, it’s entirely plausible that Britain, Germany and France are led by far-right nationalist parties by the end of the decade, and it’s not clear the traditional parties and leaders know how to stop it from happening."

www.politico.com/news/magazin...

The Tory Implosion Offers a Warning for Both Parties in America

Once the model for modern conservatism, Britain’s Tories are now flailing for relevance — and embracing Trump-style populism as a lifeline.

www.politico.com

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Reposted by David Kitching

Spinoza1960.bsky.social @spinoza1960.bsky.social · 1d

Reporter: Why didn’t Trump win the Nobel Peace Prize?

Nobel committee chair: We only give the award to people of courage and integrity...

a woman in a blue tank top is drinking a cup of coffee and saying really .

ALT: a woman in a blue tank top is drinking a cup of coffee and saying really .

media.tenor.com

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Nick Breeze @nickbreeze.genn.cc · 1d

#EU rejects US gov's 1970's vision of prosperity & preWW1- fantasies of imperial colonialism.
'The European Commission.. rejected the US’ demands regarding its environmental regulations which Washington considers too restrictive for its companies.'
www.euronews.com/business/202...

'Not up for discussion': Brussels rejects US pressure on climate rules

In response to US demands to roll back the EU's environmental legislation, the European Commission defended its autonomous power to adopt laws.

www.euronews.com

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David Kitching @kitchingart.com · 21h

Ah ok, thanks.

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David Kitching @kitchingart.com · 21h

Why is the 2025 curve lumpier than the others?

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Reposted by David Kitching

Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · 23h

Must-read piece in @theguardian.com (h/t @dpcarrington.bsky.social). In #ScienceUnderSiege, we describe how petrostates Saudi Arabia & Russia leveraged Musk's buyout of twitter so they could weaponize it for climate denial propaganda & attacks on renewables.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Money talks: the deep ties between Twitter and Saudi Arabia

The long read: Saudi Arabia’s investment in Twitter increased its influence in Silicon Valley while being used at home to shut down critics of the regime

www.theguardian.com

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David Kitching @kitchingart.com · 23h

#GlobalWarming #ClimateChange
Antarctic clathrates thawing

"Many of the seeps were found at sites that had been repeatedly studied before, suggesting they were new. This may indicate a fundamental shift in the methane released in the region, according to the report."
edition.cnn.com/2025/10/10/c...

Scientists discovered something alarming seeping out from beneath the ocean around Antarctica | CNN

Planet-heating methane is escaping from cracks in the Antarctic seabed, with new seeps being discovered at an “astonishing rate,” raising fears that future global warming predictions may have been und...

edition.cnn.com

Reposted by David Kitching

European Parliament @europarl.europa.eu · 2d

"Greenland needs the European Union, and the European Union needs Greenland." 🇬🇱🤝🇪🇺

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen spoke at the European Parliament today, emphasising the potential of broader and stronger cooperation with the EU.

Read more: link.europa.eu/wwffTf

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David Kitching @kitchingart.com · 1d

It's the economy, stupid.

www.msn.com/en-gb/money/...

MSN

www.msn.com

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Reposted by David Kitching

Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 3d

#Climate breakdown already having a massive impact on crop yields

By 2050, the world is projected to need 50% more food, at a time yields of key crops could be down 30%

More than a halving of calories per head

Just think about that for a moment

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

One year’s worth of bread lost in UK to wrecked harvests since 2020, report finds

Worsening droughts and floods have destroyed wheat for 4bn loaves of bread and forced record levels of imports

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by David Kitching

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 3d

Badenoch and Co see education only as a means to a massive income in some soul destroying career.

Devoid of imagination and the power of knowledge they view life entirely through the prism of the CV.

My advice always is to study what interests you and the rest will follow

320 450 1.9K

Reposted by David Kitching

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 4d

Richest 1% has more wealth than 70% of UK population combined.

Top 20% own two-thirds of wealth, receive 36% of income.

Bottom 20% own 0.5% of wealth, receive 9% of income.

Can't grow economy or have social stability.

Poverty is political choice. Which political party wants to address this?

The government must ensure fair distribution of income

'The average real wage of workers has hardly moved from the 2008 level whilst bosses never had it so good.'

leftfootforward.org

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Reposted by David Kitching

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 4d

The UK household debt is over £2 trillion.

Debt once public now loaded to households e.g. student debt. Energy debt rising. People borrowing for healthcare.

Mortgages 7 times salary being issued. Soaring rents.

Real average wage stuck at the 2008 level.

What could go wrong?

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Dave Jones @cleanpowerdave.bsky.social · 4d

NEW: GLOBAL RENEWABLES OVERTAKES COAL

How the heck did that happen so quickly?!...🧵

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Reposted by David Kitching

Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · 5d

Climate action is emerging as a wedge that may increasingly separate China from the petrostate alliance of Russia, Saudi Arabia and U.S. (under Trump)

Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · 6d

"As America fumbles, China races ahead --
Xi is building the future while Trump pushes tariffs and fights the woke wars."
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | As America fumbles, China races ahead

Xi is building the future while Trump pushes tariffs and fights Harvard.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by David Kitching

Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 6d

Not nearly enough is made of the incredibly impressive feat Indian Railways has made to electrify almost 100% of its 135,000km of track, while also growing renewable sourcing. Huge:

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/ind...

Indian Railways to achieve net zero targets in 2025 itself - 5 years ahead of 2030 goal - Times of India

India Business News: Indian Railways is set to achieve net-zero targets by year-end, surpassing its 2030 goal through extensive electrification. Aiming for 95% electric tr

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Reposted by David Kitching

Abe Newman @abenewman.bsky.social · 6d

1/Striking speech by Macron: The future of European democracy depends on taking back its digital information space. A remarkable turn from Silicon Valley as source of enlightenment to being a purveyor of slop. And the stakes aren't just ad revenue but the nation.
defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

"Europeans, let's wake up!" — Defend Democracy

“We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.” President Macron on the occasion of German Unity Day, 3 October 2025.

defenddemocracy.eu

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Reposted by David Kitching

Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 6d

Jane Goodall said she’d like to send off to another planet: Musk, Trump, Putin, Xi & Netanyahu. 🚀

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David Kitching @kitchingart.com · 6d

This their Achilles' heel. Right or wrong about immigration, the Greens will not defeat Reform, or win a significant portion of the voters over, with this approach to the issue.