But more importantly just waving the magic rewilding wand, and assuming all will be well, is dangerous
I agree
But I’m concerned when people confuse the metaphor with reality
And believe that just by invoking ‘rewilding’ or ‘regenerative agriculture’ the job is done
But I’m concerned when people confuse the metaphor with reality
And believe that just by invoking ‘rewilding’ or ‘regenerative agriculture’ the job is done
Rewilding & regenerative agriculture can be subject to semi-mystical musings
about nature healing itself, or suchlike
The only way they will help achieve nature recovery is by taking a hard-nosed approach to evidence about what works, in what circumstances
about nature healing itself, or suchlike
The only way they will help achieve nature recovery is by taking a hard-nosed approach to evidence about what works, in what circumstances
Reintroductions of species are often framed around ‘hope’ in the media
In reality they are often the last resort after other conservation approaches have failed
But it is easier to get attention for reintroductions of charismatic animals rather than boring old habitat conservation
In reality they are often the last resort after other conservation approaches have failed
But it is easier to get attention for reintroductions of charismatic animals rather than boring old habitat conservation
by James M. Bullock — Reposted by: James M. Bullock
“as the number of fascists was growing, so too was the opposition against them”
Almost exactly 89 years ago, the Battle of Cable Street - against fascists who were supported by the police & right-wing press
www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/Hi...
Almost exactly 89 years ago, the Battle of Cable Street - against fascists who were supported by the police & right-wing press
www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/Hi...
The Battle of Cable Street - Historic UK
On 4th October 1936 the people of the East End of London halted the march of Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts through Stepney, in what became known as The Battle of Cable Street...
www.historic-uk.com
People just felt: ‘Who is this person who doesn’t follow the same rules?You know, the environment is a nice thing, we can all agree and talk’
But I saw it as a fight against racism, a fight for human rights … a deeply political fight”
- Asad Rehman
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
But I saw it as a fight against racism, a fight for human rights … a deeply political fight”
- Asad Rehman
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Asad Rehman’s journey from antiracism campaigner in Burnley to head of Friends of the Earth
Climate crisis is ‘interconnected crisis of inequality’, says Rehman, who began organising at his school in the 1970s
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by: James M. Bullock
VWT is looking for a highly motivated person with proven leadership qualities, experience in charity governance and strong existing networks in the environment sector to lead its Board of Trustees and work in partnership with the CEO. More info + to apply by 21 Nov 2025, visit vwt.org.uk/vacancies
Reintroductions can be sensible, especially under a rewilding ethos
But de-extinction is not!
But de-extinction is not!
by James M. Bullock — Reposted by: James M. Bullock
“It worries me that we humans prefer to be interested in shiny, high-tech projects as with the mammoth [‘de-extinction’]
rather than in pragmatic species conservation projects that, if managed well, can actually make a difference”
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
rather than in pragmatic species conservation projects that, if managed well, can actually make a difference”
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Scientists targeted by dark PR tactics: Several academic scientists critical of de-extinction projects have become the targets of anonymous smear articles and weaponized copyright infringement claims:...
EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.
www.embopress.org
Scientists for Extinction Rebellion staged a protest outside the Labour Party Conference,
warning that the Government’s climate strategy is a “high-risk gamble” that locks the UK into fossil fuels and delays urgent action
www.nationalworld.com/your-world/s...
warning that the Government’s climate strategy is a “high-risk gamble” that locks the UK into fossil fuels and delays urgent action
www.nationalworld.com/your-world/s...
Scientists Warn of “High-Risk Climate Gamble” at Labour Party Conference
Scientists for Extinction Rebellion staged a protest outside the Labour Party Conference, warning that the Government’s climate strategy is a “high-risk gamble” that locks the UK into fossil fuels and...
www.nationalworld.com
Reposted by: James M. Bullock
It's taken a while, but our paper is finally published on Xylella fastidiosa spread and containment in Puglia, Italy.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
Modelling plant disease spread and containment: Simulation and approximate Bayesian Computation for Xylella fastidiosa in Puglia, Italy
Author summary Mathematical and computational models are crucial role for understanding plant disease outbreaks and evaluating the effectiveness of disease management. A case in point is Xylella fasti...
journals.plos.org
Interesting paper on actions by governments, businesses, civil society that could bring about transformative change & nature recovery
But does not address how to shift society to do these actions
It is not sufficient for researchers to simply pass on evidence
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
But does not address how to shift society to do these actions
It is not sufficient for researchers to simply pass on evidence
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Transformative change to address biodiversity loss is urgent and possible
Transformative change for a just and sustainable world often appears overwhelming. This Perspective highlights the key messages from the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment and how everyone can be ...
journals.plos.org
Reposted by: James M. Bullock, Shannon Vallor, Hisham Zerriffi
People are running stats on LLM-generated participants and think they’re being social scientists when in fact they’re technically just playing a very strange video game. This is like saying you’re doing math research because you’re playing sudoku.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
AI-generated ‘participants’ can lead social science experiments astray, study finds
Data produced by “silicon samples” depends on researchers’ exact choice of models, prompts, and settings
www.science.org
“The Confederation of British Industry estimates there are 1 million people in green jobs in the UK today,
and the green economy was the biggest success story of the last year, growing by 10%”
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
and the green economy was the biggest success story of the last year, growing by 10%”
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
As Tories vow to scrap ‘failed targets’, how do their climate claims stack up?
We fact check Kemi Badenoch and her party after she promised to repeal Climate Change Act if they win power
www.theguardian.com
That does relate to the idea of top down control, which is also debated. So those are the stories told, but it is rarely that simple - eg the Yellowstone wolves story
Technically that means they are ecosystem engineers
I’m saying that to illustrate the problem with such designations
I’m saying that to illustrate the problem with such designations
These are just animals that eat other animals or plants. An ecosystem is made up of a multiplicity of species’ interactions. So why choose particular ones?
I think abundance has to mean biomass in this case or elephants get an unfair advantage
I think many use the fact that a species has an impact on an ecosystem to say it is keystone
The paper says “we accepted the assertions the authors provided for keystone designation. We comment, however, on the criteria and associated evidence these authors brought to bear in such designations”
The paper says “we accepted the assertions the authors provided for keystone designation. We comment, however, on the criteria and associated evidence these authors brought to bear in such designations”
My point is that many people use ‘keystone’ to describe their species of choice with little justification
In fact one could start asking, which species are *not* keystone if we use the term so loosely
In fact one could start asking, which species are *not* keystone if we use the term so loosely
The analysis is rigorous but “we present here a comprehensive summary and descriptive analysis of keystones species, as *identified by others* in the relevant literature”
“Identified as” doesn’t mean they are. The term is used very loosely, often applied to people’s favourite species!
Reposted by: James M. Bullock
Is your MP attending the definitive briefing on the climate and nature crisis?
Go to our bio, lookup your MP, email if they are not confirmed.
Then please SHARE this post 🔥
Go to our bio, lookup your MP, email if they are not confirmed.
Then please SHARE this post 🔥
Keystone species are generally defined as those that have a *disproportionately* large impact on their community or ecosystem relative to their abundance
So name me some that fit that definition, without mentioning beavers or termites
So name me some that fit that definition, without mentioning beavers or termites
by James M. Bullock — Reposted by: Jonathan Lenoir
Fair point too. I’m minded though that we more & more will have to consider introductions as climate change takes hold
See our discussion piece besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
See our discussion piece besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Revisiting the case for assisted colonisation under rapid climate change
Maintaining functioning ecosystems in a hotter world will require mass-scale assisted colonisation, so appropriate conservation policy, legislative frameworks and regulating bodies must be urgently d...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
by James M. Bullock — Reposted by: Anthony Burke
“Nature and farmland equivalent in size to that of the New Forest – 604 sq km – was lost to concrete and bricks and mortar in the UK between 2018 and 2023”
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
UK fifth-worst country in Europe for loss of green space to development
Exclusive: 1,680 football pitches of protected natural land in England, Wales and Northern Ireland lost in five years
www.theguardian.com