Philip Strange
@philipswriting.bsky.social
Scientist, naturalist and writer, passionate about the natural world.
South West Water faces court sentencing for years of pollution... www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hit...
South West Water faces court sentencing for years of pollution
South West Water's legal troubles continue as the firm awaits sentencing this...
hellorayo.co.uk
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 · 7d 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...
not ideal World falling short on 22 of 23 nature targets for 2030, says draft UN report By @carbonbrief.org www.carbonbrief.org/world-fallin...
World falling short on 22 of 23 nature targets for 2030, says draft UN report - Carbon Brief
The global goal to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 “will not be achieved” unless action by countries “accelerates…
carbonbrief.org
Of all the iniquities inflicted upon us by Thatcher, privatisation of water was one of the worst. It enriched many a greedy CEO, and made millions for shareholders. But ordinary people were left high and (literally) dry. Except for our poisoned rivers... #RenationaliseWater. Without compensation.
Zack Polanski@zackpolanski.bsky.social · 7d agoHalf of the country is in "exceptionally serious drought" - putting us at more risk of wildfires and threatening our food security. Meanwhile water companies are wasting a staggering 2.87 billion litres of water every day through leaky pipes. Time to end water privatisation.
Wessex Water, owned by a Malaysian entity via Jersey, CEO got 14% base salary increase despite bonus ban over sewage spill. 3.5% for workers WW loses 70m litres of water to leaks daily. Dumps sewage in rivers. Customer bills to rise 21% Bosses rewarded for robbing people, damaging the environment
Wessex Water chief pockets above-inflation pay rise despite bonus ban over sewage spills
CEO’s pay packet surges to £791,000 as union says public ‘sick of obscene pay’ and bosses ‘feathering own nests’
theguardian.com
Hard to think of a more deeply damaging start to Burnham’s premiership than giving green light to new oil & gas in N. Sea, if true. It won’t lower bills or lead to greater energy security but will drive an even hotter planet. What a terrible signal to give to rest of the world #ClimateVandalism
BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) on X
Andy Burnham will announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea when he becomes prime minister on Monday, the BBC has been told. The announcement will form part of a flurry of policy m...
x.com
New drilling isn't just a catastrophic signal of us stepping back from our climate commitments, it also runs against the geological reality of an almost depleted resource. Our focus should be on cheap, clean fuel for the future - not propping up oil and gas. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Burnham to Back North Sea Oil and Take Control of Thames Water
Within days of taking office incoming prime minister Andy Burnham is preparing to announce new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea as well as taking public control of Thames Water.
bloomberg.com
Imagine waiting six years for a plan to protect nature… …to find it barely mentions protected nature. 👇
On shady data centre deals: excellent work and a great thread from Guy, here.
Guy Shrubsole@guyshrubsole.bsky.social · last mo.Devonians were horrified to learn last week of plans for a massive AI data centre near Great Torrington, north Devon. The proposals from company XLinks Ltd would cover 850 acres of farmland. But who owns the land? I decided to investigate. 1/ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
He literally took undeclared donations from a criminal - never mind “breaking rules” Farage has tried to ignore them entirely for personal gain. And he’s done it over and over again www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Farage denies rules broken after reports benefits from ally were not declared
The Sunday Times says the Reform UK leader failed to register the support supplied by a man who had been convicted of fraud in the US.
bbc.co.uk
Really pleased that Morgan McSweeney has finally discovered that it's better to prepare for government. Thanks for that mate, nice one. Lucky there wasn't a lot riding on it, or you'd really have fucked up inews.co.uk/opinion/hard...
Starmer’s vacuous sidekick has just admitted something truly devastating
Ian Dunt: Labour attacked the Tories for governing like drunken clowns and then did the exact same thing
inews.co.uk
My latest post, about local swifts in south Devon: philipstrange.wordpress.com/2026/06/29/a...
A swirl of swifts
It’s Swift Awareness Week in the UK so I wrote this short piece about some of our encounters with these birds near our house in Totnes in south Devon. High-pitched screams punctuated my break…
philipstrange.wordpress.com
Loved meeting these two young, brilliant artists at Elmley - hugely inspiring - do check this out!
Caught by the River@caughtbytheriver.bsky.social · last mo.'This is a project to directly combat the hate we see in the media and in politics.' We’re thrilled to be working with artists Rosa Amora & Riley Summer on their project ‘ROOTED’, celebrating migration in the UK through storytelling, printmaking & community www.caughtbytheriver.net/2026/06/root...
'This is a project to directly combat the hate we see in the media and in politics.' We’re thrilled to be working with artists Rosa Amora & Riley Summer on their project ‘ROOTED’, celebrating migration in the UK through storytelling, printmaking & community www.caughtbytheriver.net/2026/06/root...
Labour should ‘be kind’, a Makerfield voter told me. So how about stopping the relentless closures of precious day centres? | John Harris
Labour should ‘be kind’, a Makerfield voter told me. So how about stopping the relentless closures of precious day centres? | John Harris
Countless spaces for adults with complex needs have been shut down. If Andy Burnham wants to fix social care, keeping them open must be a priority, says Guardian columnist John Harris
theguardian.com
The older I get, the more certain I am that the real meaning of existence is love for life. That is, love for the natural world, all of humanity, and advancing coexistence based on true justice, rights, and respect. 🌍
Two news items, one after the other; a piece about coping with the heatwave in our homes, followed immediately by a piece about growing pressure to drill more oil in the North Sea. No connection made between them at all. Full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXIW...
Claiming that taking water into public ownership would be too expensive simply doesn't add up - given Thames Water's repair bills vastly outweigh it's market value to the tune of billions, its value is nil. It's time to end the failed experiment of privatisation and run water for public benefit.
Yesterday's highlights at Dawlish Warren, small skipper butterfly, marsh helleborine and silvery leafcutter bees. @warrenbirding.bsky.social
this World Cup we should stop asking 'is it coming home' and focus instead on 'are you coming to The Museum of English Rural Life'
Yesterday in the Leechwell Garden in Totnes, I think this is Osmia leiaina, do you agree @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social @brigitstrawbridge.bsky.social
saw these bees in west Dorset a week ago, can you identify them please @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social
They've invited him before, and they invited Nick Griffin when I was an undergrad. The premier hobby debating club for the British political class just has a long term belief that fascists are worth listening to.
Alan Lester@alanlester.bsky.social · 3mo agoThere are controversial ideas worthy of debate. But “Tommy Robinson” is simply a criminal racist. Platforming him utterly discredits the Oxford Union. I once accepted an invitation from them only to be replaced & ghosted, but never again. www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2607486...
Thousands of people across the country protest against sewage pollution #EndSewagePollution @sascampaigns.bsky.social climatewithbrian.com/2026/05/16/t...
Thousands of people across the country protest against sewage pollution
Pictures of Scarborough Surfers Against Sewage Protest credit @torysmasher In over 50 locations across the country, people gathered today to express their outrage at the ongoing sewage pollution of…
climatewithbrian.com
Ornithological sexism?? philipstrange.wordpress.com/2026/04/30/a...
A bellowing of bullfinches and ornithological sexism
Dense fog and mist blanketed this part of south Devon for much of the first week of March. Leaves, flowers and other surfaces were covered in water droplets, the air felt cool and visibility …
philipstrange.wordpress.com
Good to read the Duchy of Cornwall's new "Nature Rich Plan" mentioning both improving SSSIs on Dartmoor from "unfavourable no-change" and increasing the resilience of the moor's fragmentary rainforests. Is this place on the cusp of real change for nature? duchyofcornwall.org/article/a-na...
A nature-rich plan
duchyofcornwall.org
Sharing, without comment, British newspapers’ depictions of the only Jewish person currently leading a UK political party . Times. Mail. Telegraph. Sun.
