Microsoft wants to build three massive AI data centres in Leeds. It’ll drain thousands of litres of water from the River Aire and become the city's biggest carbon emitter. We can still stop the council's final sign-off, but we need more voices. Add your name: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pr...

Stop the Microsoft AI megasite in Leeds!

Microsoft want to build three huge AI data centres at Skelton Grange. It would drain the River Aire and become the city's biggest carbon emitter. We can still stop it - add your name to the petition.

you.38degrees.org.uk

Trying to submit an article, but the journal has introduced AI automated keywords. The ones they've picked out are meaningless garbage, and the interface doesn't work so I can't add any new ones. Really great. Really great.

Auditioning for a play tonight - first audition in... ten years. Oh god. (I didn't audition for the last play I was in because Paul was the director...)

Having a difficult day, but the flag has come down from the lamp post opposite the house so that's a mood lifter!

‘he was extremely witty’ okay, post exactly one funny thing he said

Hedgehog being very noisy, scrabbling around under the shed. Very worried that she's stuck, but I can't see her...

It's been a great few weeks for butterflies in the garden, but yesterday we watched a hummingbird hawk moth do its thing for a full five minutes and it was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.

"It is a very effective threat for political leverage..." This week on the Land and Climate Podcast, Alasdair MacEwen speaks to Dr Danielle Young, Assistant Professor at the University of Leeds, about the security implications of solar geoengineering. Listen now: landclimate.org/geoe...

I'm teaching in a different context (paleobio) but also very concerned about this. I want to convey the importance of learning how write long-form to students & colleagues. Can recommend any convincing articles or other resources I could share? Grateful for any suggestions from you and others!

I join you from the Blaenavon wildfire in Southeast Wales, brought to you by BP, Shell and Equinor. Though it does not look dramatic, the fire has been out of control for days - for a very particular reason. 🧵

"Why do kids need to write essays now that LLMs can write essays?" Because if the LLM writes the essay, NO FUCKER HAS LEARNED A FUCKING THING FROM THE PROCESS.

Full of despair today. Massive lay offs in social sciences and humanities across the country, Burnham puts out a video saying 'AI can write an essay', and my university is busy integrating co-pilot into all staff and student computers. We are being told we're defunct and there's no resistance.

Literally all of this has been applied here, bought in from some speak-your-weight consultancy. Neither academic staff nor students were consulted. The result is a far worse degree in every subject, and widespread sackings, which was the point.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · last wk.

'Strip away the grandiose language and a pattern emerges – some combination of fewer, larger modules, almost always wedges of 30 credits, an all-core or heavily prescribed first year, reduced optionality in later years, curated pathways instead of individual module choice... [cont.] 1/4

On a really good reading streak this year. Just finished Blood in the Machine and I'm reflecting on the fact that the element of AI criticism I've been weakest on is the effect of automation on labour. Also ashamed of how little of the Luddite history I knew.

This is wild. 93% of the renewable electricity generation added to the Irish grid over that last decade now powers data centers, rather than reducing fossil fuel use. Data centers have pretty much annihilated the health and climate benefits those renewables could have provided.

Hannah Daly@hannahdaly.ie · 4w ago

What is even more striking is that data centre demand has matched 93% of the growth in renewable electricity generation (wind + solar + hydro) over the past decade. If we measure since 2020, data centre demand has grown nearly 3-times faster than renewable electricity growth.

My dept is about to be reduced to 3 people covering 3 separate disciplines. The 25 PhD students will be left bereft of adequate supervision numerically and in terms of expertise. The government has decided that they should have no recourse (music to my university’s ears).

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2w ago

'Read it on a substantial train delay – alongside the promises made to students when the Office for Students (OfS) was created – it is something much worse. It is the formal expiry of the deal that was supposed to make marketisation safe for the people paying for it.' 2/2

Paper prize deadline approaches! Did you present a paper on one of our panels this year? Are you a PhD / ECR? Submit your paper to us (we understand it will be a draft) and nominate yourself for our paper prize! Deadline is 7th Aug, get in touch if you have qs. www.bisa.ac.uk/members/work...

Early-Career Environment and Climate Politics Paper Prize- Environment and Climate Politics | BISA

- Environment and Climate Politics Working Group

bisa.ac.uk

""No" is, and always has been, an option - whether by policy or by force." I'm finally reading Blood in the Machine by Brian Merchant and it's even better than I was expecting.

I'm sure the appointments will be bad, but at the sackings have been good.

Saying goodbye to my suitcase. This is what I dragged (noisily) around London, Paris, Barcelona, Cauterets, and back. Thanks for remaining draggable, pal.

If you are unaware of just how serious recent changes to guidance for schools re trans kids is, read this thread. It is horrific. Stop worrying about what Reform would do if elected and start seeing clearly what this Labour government is already doing. 😡😢

Cal Horton (they/them)@fiercemum.bsky.social · 3w ago

Just had meeting with kiddo's school. She has been fully supported, treated with full equality & dignity for years. All of that changes from September. Full segregation & humiliation across the board. The school staff cried in the meeting. This will absolutely lead to children's deaths 1/2

Laughing as I name a file "final version".

To reiterate, the number of early career researchers in social sciences in the UK dropped by 8% in *one year* Based on what we saw in our job ads data I assume it was the same again or worse in 2025-36

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3w ago

'The decline is most pronounced in the humanities, where the number of ECRs has fallen by 20 per cent since 2016-17. ECR numbers in the social sciences also fell sharply in 2024-25, by 8 per cent, though this followed a broadly positive trend since 2012-13.' 2/3

hey it's the UK motto

Having to read some Wodehouse to calm down after A Place of Greater Safety. Finished it yesterday and haven't yet recovered.

I've successfully propagated succulents and feel like a Bringer Of Life. Also have a spider plant assembly line going on, and multiple crab apple trees at various stages. Addicted to this process.

NEW: @katemac.bsky.social & I: "Heat waves tend to attract less attention than the charismatic megafauna of climate disasters—floods, storms, wildfires—in part because they cause less property damage & thus less obviously financially costly" phenomenalworld.org/analysis/glo... Graphic @TheEconomist

Need a break from the heat? Cool spaces across London will welcome you in for a cool down, rest, and some respite from the sun. Find your nearest one with our Cool Spaces map:

Cool Spaces

Cool Spaces Map displays indoor venues open to all where Londoners can take respite on hot days.

apps.london.gov.uk