This is what the billionaire press and many politicians were campaigning so hard to destroy. Their freedom to drive took precedence over our children's freedom to thrive. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds

Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone

theguardian.com

Join me next Sunday 23 August at Dancersend Waterworks for an exploration of aristocratic obsessions, industrial archaeology, the history of British nature conservation and amazingly rich chalk landscape wildlife habitats - all in a 2.5hr walk. Tickets from cheshammuseum.org.uk/.../dancerse...

Butterfly nos dropping with the ultra parched conditions at @bbowt.bsky.social Dancersend Extension but thrilled to finally see my first Hornet Robberfly of the year with its lovely silver beard - echoed a few steps later with the first Chiltern Gentians in flower with lovely silver fringes of hairs

First proofs of New Naturalist — Woodlice arrived. And if I’m now an old naturalist, I put my enquiring spirit down to a combination of curiosity, frivolity, and an overwhelming awe at the natural world.

There's something else here, which I can't quite formulate, but it's a kind of absolutism in which 'transparency' in public life has moved from being about accountability to being about punishment; an unfettered 'right to know' as a prelude to self-righteous judgment. 1/2

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 2d ago

An unhinged post from Mr Bridgen, a former MP. As it happens, the Prime Minister Andy Burnham has not disclosed the precise A-level grades (1988) which secured his undergrad place at Cambridge: (English). Nor has the Home Secretary hers (1998) for securing her undergrad place at Oxford. (Law)

THIS is the real news today. Not some greasy little establishment spiv winning a pointless by election against no opposition. A real tragedy, for real people, in a world where our climate is changing for the worse with incredible speed. It's time to wake up... www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cm...

West Midlands fire crews tackle 'hotspots' as residents return to destroyed homes

Nineteen people were taken to hospital, according to the ambulance service, with 54 treated at the scene of eight different fires across the region.

bbc.co.uk

£5million for his security and Farage pretends he’s been threatened and won’t turn up to thank the people who managed his monstrous tantrum by-election, staying up through the night counting votes… or the voters who let him get away with his gross abuse of power. From start to end, an epic disgrace.

This will be a really interesting webinar from Dr Tim King about @rowantnnr.bsky.social and the long term research on site

Ecological Continuity Trust (ECT)@ect-uk.bsky.social · last wk.

Will you attend our lunch time webinar this month? Tim King from @ox.ac.uk will be talking about the Aston Rowant #LTE in #England that has been going since 1969. Register: bit.ly/ECTWebinarsE... #Grassland @chilternsnl.bsky.social @rowantnnr.bsky.social 🌏

🌿 Passionate about wildlife? We’re looking for a Volunteer Reserves Officer – West Cambridgeshire! Gain hands-on conservation experience, develop new skills and help protect nature. 🦋🌳 📍 West Cambridgeshire | 3 days/week Find out more: www.wildlifebcn.org/volunteering...

Conditions are bone dry at @bbowt.bsky.social Dancersend Extension amazing that patches of tough wildflowers are hanging on. Chiltern Gentians pushing up and more purple than normal, Blue Fleabane loving it. Sadly, our pond is destined to dry out with no chance of rain for another week - so sad!

I found Hummingbird Hawkmoth caterpillars on the Lady's Bedstraw in our mini-meadow last summer, using a UV torch, as recommended by John! Photo taken the following day...

John Walters@johnwalterswildife.bsky.social · last wk.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth Macroglossum stellatarum larva found at night on Cleavers. Easiest to find with the aid of a UV torch as they are fluorescent in UV. If you would like to find one in the UK there has never been better chance. Find some Bedstraw growing over a south facing wall or bank

More than 40,000 insect species may live in a tiny patch of the Amazon, from the ground to the canopy. That's nearly half of all the insect species described in Brazil. I wrote about the ambitious project behind this estimate for @nature.com. It could uncover tens of thousands of species:

Tiny patch of Amazon likely holds 40,000 insect species — many new to science

Megaproject involving hundreds of sites is cataloguing rainforest insects from the ground to the canopy.

nature.com

Brilliant letter from Stuart Thompson to Jeremy Clarkson about his comments that benefit claimants should write weekly thank you letters to tax payers detailing how they spend their benefits each week.

In Amsterdam, residents can apply for the city to remove the pavement stones and prepare a narrow planting bed helping Dutch streets become greener, cooler and better prepared for heavy rain. #ActOnClimate #Smartcities #ClimateActionNow

Vance, Farage and Weidel posted fear-mongering messages about a Spanish migrant crisis that weren't true. They haven't retracted them. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

The Far Right Is Distorting Ceuta

We’ve seen this before.

theatlantic.com

I'm not sure folks have realized just how crazy the second half of 2026 and 2027 will be for global temperatures – on the back of a record-smashing El Niño event. Here is my latest estimate of where both years will end up compared to global temperatures since 1850.

Sir #DavidAttenborough “Things are going to get worse. This is the new extinction. We are in terrible, terrible trouble and the longer we wait to do something about it, the worse it is going to get." #ClimateEmergency

David Attenborough, the voice of Our Planet: “Things are going to get worse”

The voice of some of the most stunning nature documentaries ever made is pessimistic about the future of wildlife on earth.

vox.com

Neoliberalism in a nutshell. UEFA on FIFA's proposal: “The moment external investors acquire ownership interests ... football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. ... Every decision is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.”

I can’t believe these arrests are still happening - the new PM could end this utterly absurd proscription if he chose. As Jonathon Porritt says - trying to save lives is not terrorism. Exposing this government’s complicity in genocide is not terrorism

Defend Our Juries@defendourjuries.bsky.social · 3w ago

NEW: Sir Jonathon Porritt, arrested under Terrorism law outside Westminster Magistrates Court. As police escorted him away he said "I am a supporter of Palestine Action, trying to save lives is not terrorism, exposing this Governments complicity in genocide is not terrorism." www.wedonotcomply.org

🦋 The wild flowers are blooming, chalkhill blue butterflies have finally arrived, small blue butterflies are breeding, and Volunteer Warden @mickdjones.bsky.social recently counted 62 caterpillars of the rare striped lychnis moth on dark mullein plants, extending its distribution in the Chilterns.

Dancersend is BBOWT's oldest nature reserve, and one of the first ever reserves in the UK. 🌱 15 years ago we reseeded former arable fields at the Extension, as well as creating large scrapes to provide bare earth as a refuge for rare chalk grassland plants and insects. We can declare it a success!

This looks v. positive 👏 But to be meaningful it has to lead to immediate ruling out of *any* new fossil fuel drilling, including Rosebank & Jackdaw & the urgent reinstatement of international climate finance. For more on climate as a security threat, see my podcast for @therestpolitics.bsky.social

Leo Hickman@leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 3w ago

++BREAKING++ The UK and Spanish governments have issued a joint statement overnight: "[We] agreed that this summer’s wildfires demonstrated that climate change was now a national security emergency facing Europe and threatening our way of life." www.gov.uk/government/n...

Instead of using a photo of the current conflagrations caused by climate breakdown, the Telegraph uses a pic of a wind turbine burning ... in February 2025. Because that's the important thing: 17 months ago a turbine ignited. Caption: "It’s time to cease building wind turbines". #FossilFuelStooges

George Monbiot@georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 3w ago

I'm not qualified to judge whether such people are psychopaths. All I can say is that they behave as if they are. From today's Telegraph.

We SO need to leave monoculture plantation forestry behind. It usually • Burns like petrol • Drives out nature • Drives out local communities • Drives climate breakdown • Helps kill tourist economies... • Produces crap timber • Is *highly* vulnerable to pests and diseases ENOUGH already.

Rachel@slightlycaustic.bsky.social · 3w ago

www.cbc.ca/news/world/h...

This article overlooks some basic big picture facts - renewable energy is a forever fuel, our transition to it is a great investment. We get forever jobs from it and we also get energy security from it - there is none in fossil fuels - our North Sea will be empty of oil and gas in ten years.

Wrong question. All the predictions from actual climate scientists point to this Summer being one of the coolest ones we will experience. Will these same 38% happy people be happy when the summer temperatures regularly exceed 40°C??

YouGov@yougov.co.uk · 3w ago

Would you be happy if this summer's weather became the norm? Happy: 38% Neither: 22% Unhappy: 38% yougov.com/en-gb/daily-...

HISTORIC RECORD HEAT EVERYWHERE We are gonna live historic days which will be remembered for generations: Thousands of records will be pulverized at the same time in North,South (40C in winter again !) Americas,Asia and Europe. Stay tuned. It will be an absolute insanity.

This is utterly brilliant: "This is a moment in which what we most need is the humane intelligence of free human minds. It is a time for academics and faith leaders to maintain a fierce independence from the AI industry." www.ft.com/content/bdb3...

Tim Stanley has this right - climate denial should be a crime, the lack of action on the issue ultimately costs lives - 100k expected deaths across Europe this summer. And of course many more people badly affected.