@roblake1959.bsky.social
Volunteering (foodbank, homelessness, adult literacy), sourdough baking, grandparenting. Sustainable investment a long time ago. Interested in languages, archaeology, spirituality, meaning of life. Cambridge, UK.
Reposted
I think this is basically right. If you want climate action, policy is much more important than personal purity.
But if you can reduce your own emissions, why not do that, and show others that it's perfectly compatible with living a happy life?
But if you can reduce your own emissions, why not do that, and show others that it's perfectly compatible with living a happy life?
January 12, 2026 at 11:27 AM
I think this is basically right. If you want climate action, policy is much more important than personal purity.
But if you can reduce your own emissions, why not do that, and show others that it's perfectly compatible with living a happy life?
But if you can reduce your own emissions, why not do that, and show others that it's perfectly compatible with living a happy life?
‘I have a conviction that the type of car, or vehicle, that you drive is as much an expression of your personality as the clothes you wear or the decor of the home you call your own.’ Does the fact that I haven’t got a car mean I haven’t got a personality?
What does your car say about you? A global portrait of people and their rides, from Shanghai to Santa Monica
What does your car say about you? A global portrait of people and their rides, from Shanghai to Santa Monica
You can tell a lot about someone from the vehicle they drive, as Martin Roemers’ collection of photographs show. Introduction by author William Boyd
www.theguardian.com
January 10, 2026 at 9:23 AM
‘I have a conviction that the type of car, or vehicle, that you drive is as much an expression of your personality as the clothes you wear or the decor of the home you call your own.’ Does the fact that I haven’t got a car mean I haven’t got a personality?
Reposted
You’re not crazy. They are. youtube.com/shorts/tVGNV...
You’re not crazy. They are.
YouTube video by Richard J Murphy
youtube.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:55 PM
You’re not crazy. They are. youtube.com/shorts/tVGNV...
My grandmother wrote this note to my mother in 1943. It’s worth remembering as we go into 2026. Happy New Year everyone.
December 30, 2025 at 5:15 PM
My grandmother wrote this note to my mother in 1943. It’s worth remembering as we go into 2026. Happy New Year everyone.
'What will save us is real-world action [on the climate crisis].' While as @bgrueskin.bsky.social and @anneapplebaum.bsky.social post, US companies negotiate behind the scenes to take over Russian fossil fuel assets as part of a Ukraine 'peace deal'. Glass half full or half empty?
"Look outside, hear the thunder, feel the rain: in the real world, change is happening" @fionaharvey.bsky.social in The Guardian www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Beyond the negative headlines, some truly good things came out of Cop30
In this week’s newsletter: Ultimately, climate progress will come from real-world action, and this year’s summit made some promising strides on that front
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:45 PM
'What will save us is real-world action [on the climate crisis].' While as @bgrueskin.bsky.social and @anneapplebaum.bsky.social post, US companies negotiate behind the scenes to take over Russian fossil fuel assets as part of a Ukraine 'peace deal'. Glass half full or half empty?
Dear king of Judah,” it reads in Akkadian, an ancient language related to Arabic and Hebrew, “send the tribute quickly by the first of Av—and if not, the consequences will be severe.” Sounds a bit Trumpian.
Ancient HMRC/IRS sends a letter saying pay your taxes immediately or there will be consequences
www.popularmechanics.com/science/arch...
www.popularmechanics.com/science/arch...
Archaeologists Found an Ancient Tablet Inscribed With an Ominous Royal Threat
Death and taxes have always been inevitable, even in the ancient world.
www.popularmechanics.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Dear king of Judah,” it reads in Akkadian, an ancient language related to Arabic and Hebrew, “send the tribute quickly by the first of Av—and if not, the consequences will be severe.” Sounds a bit Trumpian.
Lend your support to entrepreneurs in low-income countries through @lendwithcare.bsky.social Make your first loan for free with this link! lendwithcare.org/referral/82C...
Microfinance from CARE International UK
CARE International's microfinance lending initiative
lendwithcare.org
November 3, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Lend your support to entrepreneurs in low-income countries through @lendwithcare.bsky.social Make your first loan for free with this link! lendwithcare.org/referral/82C...
A complete coincidence of course that Nigeria has a lot of oil.
Trump threatens to invade Nigeria "guns-a-blazing.”
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”
November 2, 2025 at 10:47 AM
A complete coincidence of course that Nigeria has a lot of oil.
Reposted
Spirituality isn’t rigid dogma. It’s a living, breathing practice that helps make sense of an incomprehensible world | Shadi Khan Saif
Spirituality isn’t rigid dogma. It’s a living, breathing practice that helps make sense of an incomprehensible world | Shadi Khan Saif
I grew up in Kabul and Karachi. In both, I learned the value of the quiet rituals observed while no one is watching
www.theguardian.com
October 19, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Spirituality isn’t rigid dogma. It’s a living, breathing practice that helps make sense of an incomprehensible world | Shadi Khan Saif
'We know what causes homelessness, which means we know how to end it. That means building more social homes, and it means creating a welfare system that allows people to live in dignity.' @ittakesacity.bsky.social
My teachers had no idea I was homeless. People like me hide in plain sight in the UK | Isra Sulevani
My teachers had no idea I was homeless. People like me hide in plain sight in the UK | Isra Sulevani
The housing crisis has reached catastrophic new levels, and Labour is planning to slash affordable housing even further. It doesn’t have to be this way, says medical student Isra Sulevani
www.theguardian.com
October 16, 2025 at 3:53 PM
'We know what causes homelessness, which means we know how to end it. That means building more social homes, and it means creating a welfare system that allows people to live in dignity.' @ittakesacity.bsky.social
And that ownership will be through funds in which the investors might well be public pension funds.
This is a huge rabbit hole, but Combined Systems is owned by the Carlyle Group, which also owns about a hundred other companies that consumers are not required to patronise (including the Seattle Reign Soccer team, a school bus company in Illinois, and 20% of Chinese McDonalds).
October 15, 2025 at 2:11 PM
And that ownership will be through funds in which the investors might well be public pension funds.
This is a fantastic photography & art festival in #Monopoli, Italy. Brilliant use of disused church spaces. Really creative curation. #MartinParr #DeannaDikeman #DylanHausthor among others. Thank you #PhEST
www.phest.info
www.phest.info
HOME | PhEST
Festival internazionale di fotografia e arte, Monopoli (BA)
www.phest.info
October 8, 2025 at 12:04 PM
This is a fantastic photography & art festival in #Monopoli, Italy. Brilliant use of disused church spaces. Really creative curation. #MartinParr #DeannaDikeman #DylanHausthor among others. Thank you #PhEST
www.phest.info
www.phest.info
Reposted
New @trusselluk.bsky.social data shows millions more people experiencing food insecurity than two years earlier
If we want to understand the rising prevalence of mental health problems, we should start with the rocketing numbers of households facing inadequate social & economic circumstances
If we want to understand the rising prevalence of mental health problems, we should start with the rocketing numbers of households facing inadequate social & economic circumstances
September 10, 2025 at 1:48 PM
New @trusselluk.bsky.social data shows millions more people experiencing food insecurity than two years earlier
If we want to understand the rising prevalence of mental health problems, we should start with the rocketing numbers of households facing inadequate social & economic circumstances
If we want to understand the rising prevalence of mental health problems, we should start with the rocketing numbers of households facing inadequate social & economic circumstances
'Electrified trains allow us to travel with a fraction of the carbon footprint of air travel. ... Less mental and moral gymnastics are required when travelling by land or sea – especially while temperatures break all records. So trains are simply more relaxing … except financially.'
Lovely piece in the Guardian today on train travel. Loved the interleaving of train experiences by Woolf, Joyce, and Langston Hughes with today (I may be a bit biased as I did this trip with Caoilinn!)
Hello! New to using this platform, but thought to share a piece I wrote for @theguardian.com about long distance train travel and the lineage of writers who have traversed Europe by rail.
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...
August 26, 2025 at 9:06 PM
'Electrified trains allow us to travel with a fraction of the carbon footprint of air travel. ... Less mental and moral gymnastics are required when travelling by land or sea – especially while temperatures break all records. So trains are simply more relaxing … except financially.'
Lend your support to entrepreneurs in low-income countries through @lendwithcare.bsky.social Make your first loan for free with this link! lendwithcare.org/referral/82C...
Microfinance from CARE International UK
CARE International's microfinance lending initiative
lendwithcare.org
August 7, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Lend your support to entrepreneurs in low-income countries through @lendwithcare.bsky.social Make your first loan for free with this link! lendwithcare.org/referral/82C...
Reposted
The voice of our own inner critic can be strong. How can we break free from the mental prison? | Nadine Levy
The voice of our own inner critic can be strong. How can we break free from the mental prison? | Nadine Levy
It’s hard, this being human thing. But the Buddha’s path, like many spiritual paths, is a hopeful one
www.theguardian.com
July 27, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The voice of our own inner critic can be strong. How can we break free from the mental prison? | Nadine Levy
Reposted
❗ Millions are already facing hunger and hardship.
Rising food prices will only add more pressure to families who are struggling to put food on the table.
This isn't right. Everyone should be able to afford the essentials they need to survive and live with dignity 💚
Rising food prices will only add more pressure to families who are struggling to put food on the table.
This isn't right. Everyone should be able to afford the essentials they need to survive and live with dignity 💚
July 16, 2025 at 10:58 AM
❗ Millions are already facing hunger and hardship.
Rising food prices will only add more pressure to families who are struggling to put food on the table.
This isn't right. Everyone should be able to afford the essentials they need to survive and live with dignity 💚
Rising food prices will only add more pressure to families who are struggling to put food on the table.
This isn't right. Everyone should be able to afford the essentials they need to survive and live with dignity 💚
Yes, and it’s not just about how the AC is powered. More AC means more metal being mined, more plastic being made, more fossil fuels in the manufacturing. We need less ‘stuff’ overall, not more.
How do I feel about air conditioning? I’m very hot – but it’s destroying the planet | Emma Beddington
How do I feel about air conditioning? I’m very hot – but it’s destroying the planet | Emma Beddington
Yes, temperatures are rising. But more and more AC means more and more CO2 – and then more and more global heating. Let’s have some long-term thinking instead, writes Guardian columnist Emma Beddington
www.theguardian.com
July 13, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Yes, and it’s not just about how the AC is powered. More AC means more metal being mined, more plastic being made, more fossil fuels in the manufacturing. We need less ‘stuff’ overall, not more.
Reposted
Around the world, a considerable percentage of environmental conflicts are driven by the same multinational corporations.
Voluntary pledges to self-regulate clearly don’t work for these companies- we need binding laws and regulations on corporate accountability: @hrw.org
Voluntary pledges to self-regulate clearly don’t work for these companies- we need binding laws and regulations on corporate accountability: @hrw.org
104 companies linked to 20% of global environmental conflicts, study finds
A recent study has found that just 104 companies, mostly multinational corporations from high-income countries, are involved in a fifth of the more than 3,000 environmental conflicts it analyzed. The ...
news.mongabay.com
July 1, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Around the world, a considerable percentage of environmental conflicts are driven by the same multinational corporations.
Voluntary pledges to self-regulate clearly don’t work for these companies- we need binding laws and regulations on corporate accountability: @hrw.org
Voluntary pledges to self-regulate clearly don’t work for these companies- we need binding laws and regulations on corporate accountability: @hrw.org
Reposted
What if the world’s religions aren’t competing but rather one unfolding truth? | Kat Eghdamian
What if the world’s religions aren’t competing but rather one unfolding truth? | Kat Eghdamian
Shifting from debating difference to seeking shared meaning isn’t just theoretical. I’ve seen it work
www.theguardian.com
June 29, 2025 at 3:18 PM
What if the world’s religions aren’t competing but rather one unfolding truth? | Kat Eghdamian
Reposted
We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and yet 1 in 7 people in the UK are facing hunger.
This isn't right. Repost if you agree
This isn't right. Repost if you agree
April 22, 2025 at 12:56 PM
We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and yet 1 in 7 people in the UK are facing hunger.
This isn't right. Repost if you agree
This isn't right. Repost if you agree
Where will they get their hats now?
April 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Where will they get their hats now?
‘Philanthropy as a means to address hardship isn’t just impractical – it’s wrong. It ignores the structural inequalities that lead to poverty and illness and lets the state off its responsibility to fix them.’
Welcome to Britain’s Victorian Christmas, where volunteers in Santa hats fulfil the basic functions of the state | Frances Ryan
Welcome to Britain’s Victorian Christmas, where volunteers in Santa hats fulfil the basic functions of the state | Frances Ryan
There is something inescapably bleak about a nation that relies on charity appeals to fix its social and economic problems
“Will Santa find me?” a subject line in my inbox asked last week. I wondered briefly if my niece had moved to email with her…
www.theguardian.com
December 23, 2024 at 8:32 AM
‘Philanthropy as a means to address hardship isn’t just impractical – it’s wrong. It ignores the structural inequalities that lead to poverty and illness and lets the state off its responsibility to fix them.’
Yup. Retired but hardly ever been busier.
November 30, 2024 at 7:42 PM
Yup. Retired but hardly ever been busier.
Not paying enough? How about paying the full social cost?
UK motorists still paying more than they should for fuel, watchdog warns
UK motorists still paying more than they should for fuel, watchdog warns
Government urged to take action as CMA report finds retailers have not passed on the falling cost of energy
UK motorists are paying more than they should for petrol and diesel even as global energy market prices have fallen in recent months, the…
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2024 at 5:09 PM
Not paying enough? How about paying the full social cost?