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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · 11d

Finally, the scientific models used by agencies to model nutrient pollution are _remarkably_ opaque and under scrutinised given their ubiquitous importance (as I have written about previously: alexlipp.github.io/posts/2024/0...)

Greater transparency is needed on water quality modelling in the UK - written evidence to Environmental Audit Committee

The following was submitted by myself and Dr Gareth Roberts as written evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee’s non-inquiry session into water quality, published here. We highlight that computa...

alexlipp.github.io

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · 11d

also the population change assumes (iirc) its all *new* population into catchment, rather than say residents moving *within* catchment (=no net increase). so, population density increasing due to limited supply would be a “win” for nutrient neutrality…

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · 11d

you’re right on the gist (nutrient neutrality is mad) but actually population growth *is* linear with nutrient outflow (ie it’s not a capacity thing). Problem is builders can’t pay to increase treatment efficiency at existing plants (!?) even though that can work…

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Sep 6

The perfect conditions continue 😎 🌞!

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Sep 5

… and blessed with some Aurora Borealis too! #studygeologyandseethenorthernlights

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Sep 5

Stunning conditions (and enthusiastic students!) for the first few days of the @es-ucl.bsky.social mapping course in North West Scotland! ☀️ ⛰️ ⚒️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🗺️ #fieldworkfriday

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Aug 26

Neat idea from psephology that might be useful for geological ternary plots too. Similar to the 4 component solid solution of garnet.

David Firth @firthstat.bsky.social · Aug 26

At next week's RSS conference I'll be presenting a poster (a first for me...it's about time!)

"Tetraplot displays of UK General Election results" shows how to graph GE 2024 vote shares across 4 parties in a useful way.

Full PDF poster at:
github.com/DavidFirth/t...

Image of a poster to be presented at the Royal Statistical Society conference in Edinburgh, September 2025. The main point is to generalize the idea of a ternary plot to handle 4-part compositions, by showing views through the triangular faces of a tetrahedron. The data shown are vote counts from England, Scotland and Wales in the UK General Election of July 2024.

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Aug 15

Focus on "universities" raising fees misses the point that the real injustice is the interest rates & repayment thresholds on student debt which I suspect plays greater role in determining how much is paid over a lifetime than the initial "up-front" fees...

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Aug 15

Given that universities/gov are savaged in the media even for increasing fees with inflation, is there anything meaningfully lost from advocating for a one-off step change back to an inflation adjusted £9k (~£13k)?

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · Aug 15

On news that the government is likely to keep tuition fees rising with inflation here's my post from a few months ago on why that won't be enough to save the sector by itself.

samf.substack.com/p/on-the-bri...

On the Brink

Universities are in serious financial trouble - what can be done about it?

samf.substack.com

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Aug 11

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Aug 11

Me to students: "Keep field notebooks legible, and only write down the most relevant information".

My own notebooks:

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Aug 5

Shocked to hear that Stream, which has given Esri huge sums of bill payer money to create an extremely basic API, has won an award from…. Esri! Trebles all round…

Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 31

Thanks! The art of the backronym…

Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 31

eartharxiv.org/repository/v...
In our new preprint we describe in detail the software & workflows behind www.SewageMap.co.uk! One for the open environmental data nerds out there :) 💩 🧑‍💻 🏞️

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 24

grass fed “sustainable” rewilding cattle ultimately false solution. Yes, it’s good for climate… but hopelessly not scaleable. Only works if we each only eat one steak every couple of years! So, basically, are vegetarian!

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 24

1) methane (CH4) has greater greenhouse effect than CO2 so grass fed cattle is partly turning CO2 to CH4 and 2) probably greater effect is opportunity cost of land use. grass fed cattle needs LOADS of grassland which would otherwise be (for instance) forest, wetlands etc… much better for climate

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 18

So, whilst a laudable aim on paper im not sure how it’s really enforceable or even if it’s ‘fair’ to enforce it (assuming I have understood it)

Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 18

…and selecting one year as your baseline is very silly. Last year was very very wet and this year is very very dry. So, 2025 has already seen less than half the amount of spills than 2024 but purely out of changes in the weather.

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 18

“From 2021 levels” I predict will result in future confusion. We only have had consistent sewer overflow monitoring data since *2023*… 2021 data is only partial. Not a good thing to use as a benchmark (imo)

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 14

Related reminder that the student loan repayment threshold for current students is now *£25000*... i.e., if you now graduate and get *any full time job* you will be paying back your loan. (www.gov.uk/repaying-you...)

Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · Jul 14

A reminder that an annual salary on minimum wage is now £25,396.80

History Lab Plus @historylabplus.bsky.social · Jul 14

💼 Job spotlight of the week:
Curator, Second World War and Mid Twentieth-Century Conflict at the Imperial War Museum, London (FT, £31-34k, Permanent)

imperialwarmuseums.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jul 13

hope you used bog butter for them!

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Reposted by Alex Lipp

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · Jul 2

Shamelessly replugging this from two years ago. We would never look at the proportion of, say, schools, that don't turn out literate pupils and go 'oh well, probably those kids were better off out of it'. We shouldn't view the short tail of bad courses and/or outcomes any differently:

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jun 27

Hi Ned! Thanks! You can drop me a Bluesky message if you want! Or you can email me, my contacts are at: alexlipp.github.io

Sadly there are currently issues with the input data stream (beyond my control unfortunately) which is creating some issues which may be behind this!

Dr Alex Lipp

alexlipp.github.io

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jun 4

😭
(Although, providing summaries of long technical documents for non-technical audiences in a non-critical capacity seems like actually quite a good use of AI?!)

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Alex Lipp @alexlipp.github.io · Jun 4

Putting together a NERC proposal and somewhat baffled by what NERC mean when they want a Summary to be suitable for "opinion-formers". Who are these people and how am I meant to write for them?!

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