Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 3h

I agree with Mike. Not just because the science matters, but because politically it is foolish not to be open about the climate inflation that is increasingly baked in to our food system.

Inflation brings down governments. If you're not honest today about the causes, you will be blamed in 2029.

Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 19h

“The government must publish any assessment of these risks and be straight with the public on the scale of the environmental challenges we face.” - Dr. Mike Barrett, @wwf.org.uk

Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 21h

Officials in Downing Street have blocked publication of a report warning that the collapse of tropical rainforests could push up food prices in British supermarkets.

Story 👇
www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 3h

Replacing genuinely progressive pragmatic people in No 10 with former Tony Blair advisers isn't going to solve the government's problems. Blairite groupthink didn't (& doesn't) have interest, expertise or answers to properly account for the global challenges of climate change & biodiversity collapse

Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 4h

Sad to see that two No10 advisors, Muneera Lula & Carys Roberts, have left Downing Street - both champions of the environment & equality:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Two more Keir Starmer aides exit troubled No10

Muneera Lula and Carys Roberts have both quit as policy advisers to the Prime Minister, it has been revealed.

www.dailymail.co.uk

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WWF UK @wwf.org.uk · 4h

The Amazon is at breaking point.

If we lose it, we lose one of our best defences against climate change. 🌍

At #COP30, the UK government must act to protect forests.

Email your MP and call on them to speak up for nature, before it's too late. 👉 www.wwf.org.uk/act/living-p...

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Dan Davies @dsquareddigest.bsky.social · 20h

an industry smaller than Onlyfans. Fishing communities deserve protection, but mainly foreign owned industrial trawlers in marine reserves doesn't seem like a growth/nature trade-off that we should be making.

Mongabay @mongabay.com · 20h

The U.K. government has rejected calls to fully ban bottom trawling in its offshore marine protected areas, despite evidence that the fishing practice tears up seabed habitats and releases large amounts of carbon.

UK rejects total ban on bottom trawling in offshore marine protected areas

The U.K. government has rejected calls to fully ban bottom trawling in its offshore marine protected areas, despite evidence that the fishing practice tears up seabed habitats and releases large…

news.mongabay.com

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Fiona Howie @fionahowie.bsky.social · 16h

As someone who was at Labour conf, I think this article articulates why I found it so frustrating. If solving the housing crisis was easy - surely we wouldn’t be in the position we are in? We need serious discussions about systems change and a proper housing strategy. Not gimmicky hats.

50 Shades of Planning @50shadesofplanning.bsky.social · 6d

Link: www.spectator.co.uk/article/buil...

‘Build baby build’ is not a housing strategy

There are too many middling politicians in this country who look at Donald Trump with envy. I might not like his politics, they think, but isn’t he such a great communicator? Don’t you see how good he...

www.spectator.co.uk

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Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 19h

“The government must publish any assessment of these risks and be straight with the public on the scale of the environmental challenges we face.” - Dr. Mike Barrett, @wwf.org.uk

Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 21h

Officials in Downing Street have blocked publication of a report warning that the collapse of tropical rainforests could push up food prices in British supermarkets.

Story 👇
www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

No 10 blocks report on impact of rainforest collapse on food prices

Downing Street has vetoed release of an assessment that says the loss of the Amazon ecosystem could drive up food inflation as well as lead to mass migration

www.thetimes.com

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Ed King @ed-king.bsky.social · 21h

Perhaps there's a good reason No.10 blocked the release of a govt report that shows rainforest collapse = higher food $$ in UK... would love to know it...

No 10 blocks report on impact of rainforest collapse on food prices

Downing Street has vetoed release of an assessment that says the loss of the Amazon ecosystem could drive up food inflation as well as lead to mass migration

www.thetimes.com

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 23h

The broad thrust of Badenoch's speech as far as I can tell is "we'll undo everything Labour has done, and that will be enough to solve all the problems that have accrued because of the Tories. Also, have a magic money tree."

Reposted by David Walsh

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 1d

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 1d

Yet their ideas are still influential in Labour policy. You've got members of the Adam Smith Institute writing papers with Labour MPs who should know better. Private sector lobbying teams full of former advisers to Tory MPs.
Maybe think critically about if those people share your beliefs & values?

Indy @indy.bsky.social · 2d

It nags at me that people are dancing around the fact that one reason centre-right think-tanks are in an intellectual crisis moment is because we've spent over a decade where lots of their ideas were tried out and didn't pan out as advertised.

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Marc Morris @marcmorris.bsky.social · 1d

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 2d

Adam Smith Institute: Tories have a duty to defend property rights, rule of law and capitalism, to allow landowners to do whatever they like.

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 2d

Robbie Moore: Strong criticism of the Planning Bill for giving NE powers to seize your garden, disregard hope value etc. Bring back controlled burning of uplands.

Therese Coffey: was fairly balanced to be fair, should use state land for nature but wished she hadn't committed to a Land Use Framework

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 2d

A voice very much needed at this event at Conservative Party Conference yesterday.

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James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2d

As best as I can understand it the Tory plan would knock £14 a month off energy bills and in return the UK would get big new carbon levies on exports to the EU, a major new cost for the Treasury or investment destroying breaches of contracts with energy firms…
www.businessgreen.com/news/4519999...

Conservatives vow to scrap UK carbon tax in latest climate policy U-turn

Conservative Party unveils plans that suggest it would roll back the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and scrap the Carbon Price Support mechanism, the Renewables Obligation, and Great British Energy

www.businessgreen.com

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KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 4d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 4d

Freedom is just another name for “a gap in the law”.

Paul Brand @paulbrand.bsky.social · 4d

Home Secretary tells Sky News that “there is a gap in the law” when it comes to frequent, repeated protests on the same issue. Hence she will be giving police greater powers to move them to another location or time.

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 4d

Trying to drive a wedge between Trump and Starmer? 'See Donald, we're doing what you're doing. You can't work with this human rights lawyer who's not so hardline'. With attendant economic consequences that they hope will benefit parties of the right?

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 4d

This is to me the most baffling aspect. Who would place a bet that the next three years won't feature some terrible horror in the US from the outfit that Badenoch and Jenrick specifically say they want to copy? bsky.app/profile/smka...

smkali.bsky.social @smkali.bsky.social · 4d

The ICE raids aren’t popular even in America. Why do they think people want it here?

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Gregory Norminton @gregorynorminton.bsky.social · 5d

Blustery day, isn't it? Here's the National Grid: Live generation data. Wind and solar are generating 74.2% of our electricity. Gas is generating 13.1%. And yet our household electricity prices are pegged to... the volatile price of gas. Which is the basis on which the right attacks... renewables.

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 4d

What an admirably clear statement from the Jewish Leadership Council, especially when all of those involved must surely have been dealing with so many other urgent challenges in safety, security and grief + shock today before having this further divisive and distracting intervention to address too.

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 4d

Looking forward to the panel event at Tory conference tomorrow on why Britain needs its own Milei.

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 4d

"Milei is amazing. It's Thatcherism on steroids. Cutting and slashing. That's leadership" - Nigel Farage

Milei would be the "template" for my government - Kemi Badenoch

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James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 6d

Looking for just one Conservative MP willing to say 'this is a mistake' and demand that at the very least Badenoch comes forward with a vaguely credible alternative plan.

a man in a suit is standing in a living room holding a coat .

ALT: a man in a suit is standing in a living room holding a coat .

media.tenor.com

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 6d

There's a lot of people who grew up with a Labour government that made things better. I'm not saying New Labour got everything right e.g. on private finance or internationally. And yes, the sun was shining, but they fixed the roof. The 2010-2024 is a period of total state vandalism.

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David Walsh @davidwalsh16.bsky.social · 6d

And it didn't have to be this way. By the time I finished sixth form in 2011 my infant, junior, secondary and college had all had new buildings, new equipment, no more portacabins, and an aspirational view that uni was affordable and worthwhile.

James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 6d

Still thinking about this. At least when Thatcher let the physical state erode we got some economic booms as the quid pro quo.

So much of the damage done over the past 15 years has been depressingly normalised, but it still has the power to shock.

It is surprising people aren't angrier, tbh.

James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 6d

Went to our first secondary school open day for our eldest yesterday. The head gave a great speech, the teachers were universally brilliant, the kids really impressive. But all those stories about collapsing school roofs - those are real.

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WWF UK @wwf.org.uk · 6d

❗The secret fossil fuel companies don't want you to know:

UK energy bills are high because they're dictated by gas prices. Renewable energy is cheaper and cleaner than oil and gas.

Moving away from fossil fuels is good for people and planet. 📣🌏

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Suppliers want help for billpayers as energy prices rise

Companies call for an

www.bbc.co.uk

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