Simon Pickstone
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simonpickstone.bsky.social
Simon Pickstone
@simonpickstone.bsky.social
200 followers 450 following 88 posts
Environmental journalist at ENDS Europe (@endseurope.com)
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simonpickstone.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 11:28 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Fully agree with this from @ivancouronne.bsky.social. If you want a report to recieve media coverage, releasing it during or in the run-up to a major event is one of those ideas that seems good but is actually terrible!
Ivan Couronne, AFP Future of the Planet global editor, LinkedIn post: "Once again, we’re seeing many environmental/climate institutions, research organizations, think tanks and NGOs timing the release of their reports just before or during hashtag#COP30. I wish we could cover all the valuable new data and insights being published, but doing so would essentially require AFP reporters to spend all of their time on reports rather than on what’s actually happening at COP. For some major reports, like those from UNEP or the Global Carbon Project, the timing makes sense. But for many others, wouldn’t it have more impact to release them a few weeks earlier? I’m sure comms teams are already thinking about this, but the reality is that much of what comes out in the next three weeks just won’t get covered.
November 3, 2025 at 10:13 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
I love everything about this European Court of Justice case
curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/...
Judgment of the Court in Case C-218/24 | Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España (Concept of ‘baggage’) Air carrier liability: pets are not excluded from the concept of ‘baggage’ On 22 October 2019, a passenger travelled with her mother and her pet (a dog) on a flight from Buenos Aires (Argentina) to Barcelona (Spain). The flight was operated by the airline Iberia. Due to its size and weight, the dog was to travel in the hold, in a pet carrier. During check-in, the passenger did not make a special declaration of interest in delivery at destination concerning the baggage. The dog escaped while being carried to the plane and could not be recovered. The passenger claimed compensation in the amount of €5,000 for the non-material damage suffered following the loss of her dog. Iberia accepts its liability and the entitlement to compensation, but within the limit laid down for checked baggage.
October 16, 2025 at 8:22 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
incredible things are happening on LinkedIn, where someone is trying to persuade EU environment commissioner Jessika Roswall that having PFAS in her bloodstream may be Good Actually
LinkedIn post from environment commissioner Jessika Roswall that reads: In July, I took a blood test to check if and how much PFAS is in my body. Why? Because PFAS — often called “forever chemicals” — are a growing public health and environmental concern. This initiative was made by the Danish Presidency together with European Environmental Bureau and ChemSec. I, together with European ministers, took PFAS tests to raise awareness about the risks these chemicals pose. PFAS are used in everything from industrial processes to everyday consumer products. Their durability makes them valuable in key sectors, including the green transition — but that same durability means they don’t break down. They stay in our soil, water, air, wildlife — and in our bodies. This is not just a personal issue — it’s a public one. A Dutch study showed that nearly everyone in the Netherlands has PFAS in their blood, often at levels above what’s considered safe. And this pattern is seen across Europe. At the EU level, we European Commission are committed to reducing the use of PFAS. We’re working towards a ban on PFAS in consumer products, and wherever safer alternatives exist, they should be used. We need to reduce PFAS use — and we need to clean our environment from these “forever chemicals.” 🧪 When I took the test, I promised to share my results. And here they are: Yes, I do have PFAS in my body. I tested positively on 6 out of 13 PFAS. And 3 out of those 6 are officially classified as toxic for reproductive health. This only strengthens my resolve to keep working for stronger action at the European level. Translation of reply reads: How relevant is the statement that she has PFAS in her blood to her health? Epidemiologically, there is no evidence that this leads to higher cancer rates. According to the cancer registry, the district of Altötting even has lower cancer rates than the rest of Bavaria. And the proven dampening effect on the immune system could perhaps even have positive effects, because many diseases are caused by an excessive immune response. It would be nice if the EU would finally take action based on solid toxicological and epidemiological facts and not on the basis of ‘I have PFAS in my blood’ grrr! Original reads: Welche Relevanz hat die Aussage, dass sie PFAS im Blut hat für ihre Gesundheit? Epidemiologisch gibt es keine Beweise, dass das zu höheren Krebsraten führt, im Lkr. AÖ gibt es laut Krebsregister sogar niedrigere Krebsraten als im Rest Bayerns. Und der nachgewiesene dämpfende Effekt auf das Immunsystem könnte vielleicht sogar positive Auswirkungen haben weil viele Krankheiten auf eine überschießende Immunreaktion zurückzuführen sind. Es wäre schön, wenn die EU endlich mal auf der Basis solider toxikologischer und epidemiologischer Fakten vorgehen wird und nicht aufgrund von "ich habe PFAS im Blut" grrr!
September 30, 2025 at 10:26 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
A thing I genuinely can't get my head around is that you can still buy old railway sleepers for your garden. Like, the EU specifically bans the use of creosote-treated wood in parks and gardens, and specifically mentions plant containers, because it contains such a nasty bunch of chemicals...
Snippet from the REACH Regulation restriction entry for creosate stating: "3. Treated wood referred to under paragraph 2(b) and (c) shall not be used: — inside buildings, whatever their purpose, — in toys, — in playgrounds, — in parks, gardens, and outdoor recreational and leisure facilities where there is a risk of frequent skin contact, — in the manufacture of garden furniture such as picnic tables, — for the manufacture and use and any re-treatment of: — — containers intended for growing purposes, — packaging that may come into contact with raw materials, intermediate or finished products destined for human and/or animal consumption, — other materials which may contaminate the articles mentioned above." A sales listing for creosote-treated railway sleepers stating that they are "Ideal for Steps, Raised beds, Decking, Patios, Borders, Lawn, Paver & Driveway Edging"
August 7, 2025 at 10:59 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
🙈
A section of an AI generated image ostensibly showing European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, horribly disfigured, bowing down before Donald Trump, dressed as an emperor, whose sandal cuts through her arm. For some reason von der Leyen is wearing an EU flag as a kind of toga(?) that is randomly dotted with extra yellow stars.
July 29, 2025 at 1:11 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Humbly submitting Geschirrrückgabe for consideration as one of the top German compound nouns, partly for its precision + elegance (what do we even say for this in English? 'used crockery here'?) -- but mainly for the incredible triple r
A wooden box in a cafe in Zurich with the label 'Geschirrrückgabe' intended to hold used cups and plates
July 28, 2025 at 9:24 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Here's another nice pic of it
Image shows a walkway across the former storage pits, now filled with greenery, with sunlit blast furnaces behind
July 10, 2025 at 1:07 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
You can climb up one of the blast furnaces in Duisburg, where you get amazing views across the Ruhr -- smoke stacks and slag heaps, but also water towers, church steeples and lots and lots of green
A view from the top of the blast furnace in Duisburg-Nord, showing the crane formerly used to load coke and iron ore into storage pits, plus a landscape of trees, steeples, chimneys and slag heaps beyond
July 10, 2025 at 12:54 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
People sometimes think I'm winding them up when I recommend going to visit a bunch of old blast furnaces, but they really are incredible
Picture shows part of the old steel mill in Duisburg Nord, now converted into a park, with a cluster of trees growing within the complex
July 10, 2025 at 12:45 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Can't read press releases like this without thinking of Disco Stu
Email reads: Petrol apocalypse: UK to run out of petrol and diesel stations by 2038 Petrol and diesel stations numbers have decreased by over 75% in the last 50 years, and if this rate continues there’ll be none left before 2040 Rapid/ultra-rapid EV charging hubs are stepping up to fill the gap, and are estimated to outnumber petrol and diesel stations by 2032 23 June 2025, Manchester: UK petrol and diesel stations are facing extinction, with research revealing that there will be nowhere to fill up ICE vehicles by 2038, according to national EV charging network Be.EV. A screengrab from the Simpsons showing Disco Stu pointing to a chart showing exponential growh of disco record sales, saying "if these trends continue... ayyy!"
June 23, 2025 at 9:55 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Probably fair to say this is the first time Britney has been cited in an ECJ opinion??
Image shows an ECJ opinion by advocate-general Kokott on Pesticide Action Network Europe vs the European Commission, which starts with a quote from Britney Spears' Toxic Citation reads: Karlsson, C., Winnberg, P., Dennis, C., and Jonback, H., Toxic, 2003 (originally interpreted by Britney Spears).
June 5, 2025 at 1:18 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
You may not like it, but this is what peak European Commission performance looks like
To better coordinate and scale up existing initiatives aimed at increasing water retention on land, the Commission will develop a “Sponge Facility”, providing a coherent framework for new and existing initiatives to increase water retention on land.
June 4, 2025 at 2:43 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
The purest distillation of a Car Brain Liberal you could hope for
Many people will, of course, have little sympathy with drivers, especially if they don’t own a car. Yet there’s a hypocrisy here. Because I can’t think of anyone, car owner or not, who doesn’t regularly depend on a personal driver: be that the Uber driver, the person who delivers the online shopping, or the local plumber or electrician. The time wasted in queues, the frustration and the extra fuel consumption are all outsourced to the little guy. There should be a way around this, but the first step would be to listen. Lambeth has been exposed for ignoring its residents. Those who oppose LTNs are not rabid petrol-headed rightwingers who want to burn up the planet: they’re mostly just ordinary people trying to go about their daily business whose life has been made miserable. They have a right to be heard. And those in power should remember: car ownership is not a crime. Drivers are not evil.
May 14, 2025 at 12:25 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
My new favourite category of EU document 😜
Image shows list of document types on the European Commission's search function, including 'recommendation for a recommendation'
May 12, 2025 at 9:42 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Chemicals news: EU member states voted last week to back the phase-out of PFAS 'forever chemicals' in firefighting foams. We've now got the details of how the vote went down: 26 voted in favour and Poland abstained
A voting sheet for a meeting of last week's REACH committee showing 26 member states voting in favour of the phase-out, with one member state represaenting 8.33% of the EU population (i.e. Poland) abstaining
May 6, 2025 at 12:51 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
I would also say that swimming in Switzerland's urban rivers is as good as everyone says it is!
Image shows a swimming spot on Zurich's Limmat
March 17, 2025 at 2:58 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Happy to see that my reporting on Switzerland's investment programme to treat micropollutants in wastewater has been picked up by the Guardian today! www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Excerpt from a Guardian article on Swiss waste water treatment that reads: "A key driver of that transformation was a tragedy in the mountain resort of Zermatt in 1963, when a typhoid outbreak killed three people and made 437 others ill. Soldiers were deployed and schools turned into emergency hospitals as panic spread. Pressure grew on the government to clean up the waterways, found to be the source of the outbreak. In 1971, the treatment of wastewater was written into Swiss law. "Now Switzerland has some of the cleanest rivers in Europe. According to 2023 data from the European Environment Agency, just five of the country’s 196 bathing areas were rated as poor quality. Politicians across the spectrum agree on the need to prioritise clean water. “Very high water quality is important to the population,” says Michael Mattle, head of wastewater technology at the engineering company Holinger. “We take a lot of care not to pollute water on its way through Switzerland.” And they pay for it: the government spent an average of £174 a person on wastewater treatment in 2022, compared with about £90 a person in England and Wales in the 2022-23 financial year, according to analysis by Ends Report." That paragraph is not totally accurate as it's not primarily the federal government that funds wastewater treatment, but rather charges levied by (publicly owned or operated) water companies.
March 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
A little glimpse into my inbox following today's Clean Industrial Deal announcement 😵‍
A screenshot of an email inbox with many dozens of press releases reacting to the launch of the Clean Industrial Deal this morning
February 26, 2025 at 4:18 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
It's good news for seal hunters, historical reenactment societies, airgun aficionados and the Finnish army: the European Commission is proposing a bunch of exemptions to its (very delayed) ban on lead in ammunition and fishing tackle.
The Commission considers it appropriate to allow derogations from the restriction for lead ammunition fired from historic firearms (such as muzzle loaders or breechloading guns) and their modern replicas, because there is no suitable alternative ammunition that would not risk irreparably damaging them. In addition, RAC recognised that their use is limited in volume and that the impact of the derogation on overall risk reduction would therefore be low. The Commission considers it appropriate to include a derogation from the ban on the use of lead bullets for sports shooting, as suggested by the Agency. However, in order to ensure that a sufficient number of sports shooting ranges remain available to reservists who need to train with lead bullets as part of defence preparedness, the Commission considers that the derogation should not be conditional upon appropriate risk management measures being implemented at sports shooting ranges. The Commission also considers that a review of this derogation after 10 years is needed in order to evaluate whether it is still justified. Furthermore, the Commission does not consider it justified to subject airgun pellets used for hunting or sports shooting to this restriction. Alternatives to lead airgun pellets are available only in low quantities, lack precision and cost up to four times more than lead airgun pellets. In addition, both the Agency and RAC agreed that a restriction on lead pellets used in airguns would only marginally reduce lead emissions. It would also not decrease risks to people because lead airgun pellets are mostly used to kill pests that are not eaten, so there is no Union-wide risk to humans from ingesting lead fragments from airgun pellets.
February 24, 2025 at 5:38 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Episode 2 of our unexpectedly popular podcast is now live and free to listen to! this week we're talking about the Commission's work programme and -- in my bid to drive down listener numbers -- the Forest Monitoring Law.

open.spotify.com/episode/4FGy...
image shows Hermione Granger, hands on hips, with the phrase 'omg a hit tweet' in comic sans -- I've inexpertly crossed out tweet and replaced with 'podcast'
February 19, 2025 at 9:53 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
The Commission is fighting legal challenges on all fronts at the EU's General Court
a list of three new rulings handed down by the EU General Court: US v Commission; Fondazione Save The Chickens v Commission; and Poland v Commission
February 5, 2025 at 10:26 AM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
European consumer groups found some truly incredible products on Temu, including a "black survival knife" -- a "perfect gift for men" that you can store in your car door for ~special reasons~
A screenshot from a report by the European Consumer Organisation showing a listing for a "black survival knife -fixed blade stick medium tactical knife - perfect gift for me", with an illustration of it sitting in the drinks holder of a car door and, in all caps, "ROAD RAGE - SELF-DEFENSE". Just £13.98.
February 3, 2025 at 2:54 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
Do... Copa-Cogeca know what 'up against the wall' means??
Press Release The Commission’s Paradox: Fertiliser Sanctions Threaten European Agriculture Amid Competitiveness Strategy On the very day the European Commission unveils its strategic compass for European competitiveness, it has simultaneously introduced a proposal to impose sanctions on Russian and Belarusian fertilisers—a move that will severely impact agricultural production and competitiveness. Without a clear diversification strategy, European farmers will soon find themselves up against the wall.
January 29, 2025 at 4:03 PM
simonpickstone.bsky.social
pasting a sentence into google docs now comes with a prompt to "refine with Gemini" -- who wants this??
a pasted sentence pulling up a message from google that reads: "Refine with Gemini"
January 29, 2025 at 11:37 AM