Author | Lightnews

James Piers Taylor

@yourmindfire.bsky.social

430 followers 1.8K following 170 posts

Chair of Dengie Climate Action Partnership, Founder member of eMpower Maldon. Former Chair of Permaculture Association UK. Opinions my own. Centre for Human Ecology alumnus. Born@ 323.57ppm, Pop. 3.82bn Fiat d58. Ω ✈ 30/8/06 #DengieBioregion

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Nov 24

I’m descended from from Huguenot refugees via the Debuse / Debues / De Bues (etc) family that fled Picardie, northern France in the 1600s and settled in Spitalfields, East London.

I’d love to connect with any cousins here sharing that heritage. Get in touch!

Section of a family tree diagram on Ancestry.com showing members of the Debuse family

1 6

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · 21h

I guess - 17% for Labour feels like close to the centrist dad core vote though, more likely to go LibDem than YP

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · 21h

Every place should be special, distinct among others of a kind. Nature recovery here, and there and everywhere. Let a Thousand Knepps Bloom.

dengiebioregion.wordpress.com/2025/10/30/l...

Let a Thousand Knepps Bloom

Yesterday, Maldon District Council (MDC) shared on social media that they would be working in partnership with a property consultancy company that has launched a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) scheme …

dengiebioregion.wordpress.com

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · 1d

Which of these parties do Your Party expect to be taking votes from?

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 3d

Our latest Westminster voting intention (26-27 Oct) has Labour on their lowest figure ever recorded by YouGov, with the Greens on their highest

Reform UK: 27% (+1 from 19-20 Oct)
Labour: 17% (-3)
Conservatives: 17% (=)
Greens: 16% (+1)
Lib Dems: 15% (=)
SNP: 3% (-1)

yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...

1 1 1

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · 3d

Actually existing Faragism

Screengrab of The Guardian newspaper online's 'Politics Live' feed. The headline is 'Three more Reform UK councillors expelled from party over ‘dishonest’ behaviour after leaked video meeting /
Footage of online meeting showed Kent county council leader remonstrating with councillors'. Below that are the headline sof four further items in the feed: 'Badenoch declines to say whether or not she thinks Sarah Pochin's black people on TV complaint was racist'; 'Three more Reform UK councillors expelled from party over 'dishonest' behaviour'; 'OBR productivity downgrade to create £20bn hole in budget, more than expected, reports say'; 'Minister defends plan to house asylum seekers in military sites even if it costs more'. Below this is the video of the infamous zoom call between Reform UK Kent county councillors, with the caption 'Suck it up'" Exclusive footage reveals tension inside Reform UK council'

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · 10d

[I'm also looking for guest contributors/collaborators - have you got a missing link on the Dengie you want to highlight? Let me know!]

*Stitching the Path: Connecting Disjointed Walk & Cycle Routes 1*
#ActiveTravel #DengeiBioregion #rECOnnectDengie

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · 10d

First in a series looking to connect up existing routes on the Dengie - pavements, cycle paths, bridleways, byways. Where are the easy wins? What's the next achievable step?

Starting in Burnham & working outwards - where else should I cover?

dengiebioregion.wordpress.com/2025/10/20/s...

Stitching the Path: Connecting Disjointed Walk & Cycle Routes 1

A mission objective of the rECOnnect Dengie project is to improve the active travel infrastructure on the Dengie and get a safe network of routes connecting all the settlements. As I’ve noted…

dengiebioregion.wordpress.com

1 4

Reposted by James Piers Taylor

Laurie Laybourn @laurielaybourn.bsky.social · Oct 1

The world missed its goal for tackling climate change

What happens next?

That's the question I'm asking in a new documentary series

We uncover the fantasies that brought us here and meet the people with ideas to navigate what's next

Listen to the trailer👇

open.spotify.com/episode/2ICK...

Overshoot: a new podcast about a world beyond 1.5°C – trailer

open.spotify.com

4 16 38

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · 25d

Wilf Richards’s new book The Power of Permaculture Principles - out now from Permanent Publications

includes contribs from many familiar folk in the UK #permaculture scene

there’s little work examining the core thinking tools of permaculture & this is sure to become a much referenced text

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · 27d

A photograph of Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch superimposed on a cartoon background of a room on fire - a version of the background used in the 'This is Fine' strip by KC Green.

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Sep 14

Residents of Burnham-on-Crouch #Essex are concerned about a rise in far-right and racist activity in our town, if you are also concerned get involved, here is the WhatsApp link to get involved

chat.whatsapp.com/Jc87ObbPkrWJ....

Or if you'd prefer to email- [email protected]

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Sep 9

Leaving Zagreb on the train to Villach where I’ll hopefully make a tight connection with a Munich bound express. Looks like good weather for views along the Sava river, across Slovenia and through the Austrian Alps. #SlowTravel #FlightFree #Cyprus2London

Photograph taken at Zagreb central railway station. Three men sit at night stools around a high round table. There are disposable cups of coffee and packets of cigarettes on the table. Above and behind them is a poster mounted on the station wall. The poster is a pastiche of Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream, with a train coming up behind the screaming figure. The poster has the text ‘slusas krivu stvar!’. To the right of the image a woman sits at a bench by the station wall.

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Aug 25

The Volk mind virus in an aging population correlates with symptoms of national dementia: fits of anger, self-soiling, incoherence, memory loss, poor sense of causality, dependence on rote expressions detached from context.

Have a cup of tea love & we’ll put some Vera Lynn on

Reposted by James Piers Taylor

Qagggy! @qagggy.bsky.social · Aug 20

The people who complain are the people the speed humps are intended for.

2 1 27

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Aug 19

No-fly route London to Cyprus, Day 2: Milano-Bari-Adriatic Sea on Frecciarossa and Blue Star ‘Superfast’ Ferries

#FlightFree #flygskam

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Aug 18

No-fly route London-Cyprus Day 1: London-Paris-Milano via Eurostar &TGV #FlightFree #Flygskam

Reposted by James Piers Taylor

Greens4HS2 @greens4hs2.bsky.social · Jul 21

By getting express trains off the existing network, HS2 clears space for others - particularly FREIGHT. Fewer lorries on roads = major CO2 win.
The northern legs, presently "cancelled", are the crucial part. We need to safeguard the routes and BUILD THEM.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Resurrect HS2 northern leg to boost rail freight capacity, say UK manufacturers

Reviving line to Manchester and Leeds would help get lorries off roads and cut emissions, according to lobby group

www.theguardian.com

2 39 120

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Aug 8

I think these plans for local government reorganisation in #Essex are getting too complicated

1 5

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Jul 28

The July DCAP monthly meet-up is THIS WEEK

Thursday 31st July 7-9pm

United Reformed Church(URC)
[rear room accessed from side door]
53 Station Road
Burnham-on-Crouch
CM0 8HF

All welcome! See you there!

1 1

Reposted by James Piers Taylor

Katja Diehl @katjadiehl.bsky.social · Jul 27

1/x

It's a bit of a shame that something like this isn't critically analysed by journalists.

It is not a solution, it will manifest problems.
I tell you some.

Charging cars on the pavement manifests all the problems that this parked metal already creates in cities. We should prevent that.

A person is plugging an EV charging cable into a flat curbside charging socket embedded in the sidewalk. The person's hand is gripping the connector, and a smartphone displaying an app is visible nearby. The caption reads: “Germany might have solved the domestic EV charging problem” by Derek Scally, published by the Irish Times.

6 18 100

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Jul 27

Everywhere I go in #Essex I keep see these posters in people's cars and their front windows. Does anybody know what it means?? TIA

Poster in black and red with a photograph of Jeremy Corbyn in the centre, text in white above the photo reading 'Jeremy Corbyn/No Surrender' and below the photo reading 'A Four-day Week & a Three-day Bender'. A semi-transparent red star is overlaid over the entire image.

A poster image in green, black and red. In the centre a black and green coloured photo of Zack Polanski. Text in white around the photo read 'BACK/ZACK'

Reposted by James Piers Taylor

Dan Raven-Ellison @danravenellison.bsky.social · Jul 19

We've a big and innovative plan to make it easier for everyone to find the best 🚶🏃🏾‍♀️👩🏻‍🦽🚴‍🏇🏾 routes but needs lots more people to join in to pull it off!

I'd love your help to spread the word. Please look and share!

Thank you!

www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/slowways @slowwaysuk.bsky.social #SlowWays ♥️

Calling everyone who walks, runs, cycles or rides!

Now’s the time - back our project to develop the ultimate walking, running, wheeling, cycling & horse riding network for Britain and Ireland

www.crowdfunder.co.uk

1 10 19

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Jul 19

Seems to be no auto-save without cloud in MS products now

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Jul 18

#DeathCult

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · Jul 17

Reform mayor Andrea Jenkyns tells Times Radio that she doesn’t believe climate change exists, and that it’s just a “racket” for some people to make money. If Reform win the next election, the UK could become a very different place quite quickly.

ait Borsay: "Do you think climate change exists?"
Andrea: "I've said for a long time, we need to ditch net zero and actually focus on economic growth. A million percent."
Kait: "But then how do you tackle climate change? And do you believe that climate change exists?"
Andrea: "Do I believe that climate change exists? No."
Kait: "Okay. So you are not a believer in climate, you know, despite rising global temperatures, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, despite all of that evidence?"
Andrea: "It depends. It depends what evidence you look at.... I think it's a way to actually make money."
Kait: "Okay. But you don't believe climate change exists. And so that's why there is no need for net zero, in your opinion."
Andrea: "Absolutely. And I think it's harming industry. I think it's a money making racket where certain businesses and individuals are making money out of it."

James Piers Taylor @yourmindfire.bsky.social · Jul 16

An intentionally set fire at the Ironworks Meadow nature reserve in Maldon #Essex has devastated the site and destroyed infrastructure that allowed public acccess

There’s a Fundraiser to help restore it www.gofundme.com/f/chelmer-bl...

Donate to CHELMER BLACKWATER IRONWORKS MEADOW RESERVE FIRE RECOVERY, organized by Ian Harden

Help Us Rebuild Chelmer Blackwater Nature Reserve On 14th Jul… Ian Harden needs your support for CHELMER BLACKWATER IRONWORKS MEADOW RESERVE FIRE RECOVERY

www.gofundme.com

1 2 3

Reposted by James Piers Taylor

Real Gaz on a proper bike: [email protected] @gazza-d.bsky.social · Jun 27

Raise fuel duty.
Raise fuel duty.
Raise fuel duty.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Jun 27

Reeves expected to freeze income tax thresholds to raise funds after welfare U-turn

Government’s concessions over welfare cuts leave chancellor with a growing hole in her budget Rachel Reeves is expected to extend a freeze on income tax thresholds to raise fresh funds after the government’s U-turn on welfare cuts left her with a growing budget hole. The chancellor was already facing pressure to backtrack on pledges not to increase taxes further as she attempted to fix public services and grow the economy while meeting her fiscal rules. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

11 29 160