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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 2h

🧵🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

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UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation

Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 2h

So, in most respects 'complementary', and each in their own ways able to deliver huge value to the industry.

EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 2h

Q. "In the UK we have two brilliant grassroot initiatives to promote best practice in heat pump installation: 'heat geek' and more recently 'The Guild of Master Heat Engineers'. Are these to be viewed as complementary or competing initiatives?"

Here's how OpenAI tabulated a response ...

#HeatPump

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Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · 6d

Jane Goodall 😢
youtu.be/mpi6zAg_OII?...

Remembering legendary conservationist Jane Goodall

YouTube video by Good Morning America

youtu.be

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 7d

Ooo, look what’s arrived!

#Energysky #Heatpumps

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 7d

Remember, climate action delay is the new climate science denial. The Conservative Party and GMB Union are both in denial.

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 7d

Also, Elon Musk is completely opposed to institutions that champion evidence that holds those in power to account. His Grok AI gives undue weight to climate‑denial or fringe skeptical views under the guise of free speech. This is not his political views but his enabling of science disinformation.

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 8d

Thanks Nate.

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 8d

Another slide that came to me, for an upcoming talk. Now I could show the refrigeration cycle or I could relate it everyday experiences!

We need to draw people in (mostly non geeks), not scare them off.

#Energysky

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 11d

Is the behaviour of the US crowd at the Ryder Cup and their team a metaphor for Trump’s America: loud, loutish, disrespectful … losers!

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 13d

"right back" 😅

EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 13d

My wife gave me good feedback - so here's an improved version …

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 13d

Near the end of my talk on heat pumps I want to step write back. Looking back in fact from, say, 2500 CE with this graphic I just made ...
#Energysky #Climatesky

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 13d

Catapult concluded:
"Despite the high level of variation overall, house
type and age did not have a statistically significant
impact upon the heat pump performance results."

Which my experience rather underlines. 2/2

EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 13d

Just reposting this piece on my personal experience with installation of an Air-Source Heat Pump into an 1805 Grade 2 Listed Georgian house (I have added an update note not on the project but on Catapult Dec '24 study findings)
essaysconcerning.com/2023/03/29/h... 1/2

#Energysky #Heatpump

Heating a listed Cotswold stone building with an air-source heat pump: our journey

Update a: A survey by Nesta UK of Heat Pump users published 23 May 2023 finds high levels of satisfaction with heat pumps, see Note [7] Update b: Following requests from some readers for more infor…

essaysconcerning.com

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 14d

Good to raise town gas. My understanding was that it was mainly used for cooking and water heating (not space heating) until the 1960s when it played a significant role (a quarter or so of homes), but as it was derived from coal I’m not sure I need to change figure, but will add commentary. Thanks.

EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 14d

I think it’s hard to argue that demand was not also strongly (majorly in my view) influenced by women wanting relief from the drudgery of washing.

EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 14d

And Ecotricity make their case using optimistic assumptions on the end to end efficiencies of biogas, and laughably pessimistic assumptions about heat pumps (not to mention silly ‘don’t rip out boilers’ scare tactics). Biogas is not judged as significant player in heating by CCC.

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 14d

As David Mackay said 15 years ago, if you have any gas to pipe anywhere why would you pipe it to burn in a house when it can be burned in a generator and the electricity used to drive a heat pump and more than tripling the energy supply (by harvesting ambient heat)? 1/2

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 14d

Wood pellet fuelled boilers represent well under 1% of uk domestic heating so not sure the graphic needs to show them. As to the future, I’m pretty convinced they are not it, except in niche settings.

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 14d

Later in talk I will provide a different timeline on electrification and heat pumps from about 1800 including original heat pumps used in refridgeration; Lord Kelvin's suggestion of heating buildings with them (1852); VRV/VRF in 1982; etc.

Suggestions welcome on this timeline too.

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 14d

I am working on a talk ('Everything you wanted to know about heat pumps but was afraid to ask') for a local climate group. I though I'd step back early in talk to give a perspective on heating in England since its birth. What do you think?

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#Energysky #Heatpumps

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 15d

Bravo, and thank you for your tenacity and dedication

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EssaysConcern @richarderskine.bsky.social · 15d

Nick Watts having a bit of a mare on BBC Newsnight, being schooled twice on things he’s miss said.

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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 23d

Late to it (it's a busy "Welcome Week" at @qmul.bsky.social) but, as per, our honorary degree holder @stephenkb.bsky.social absolutely nails it. (Source www.ft.com/content/fbbd...)

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