Melanie Watts

Word of the day is ‘quiddler’ (18th century): one who focuses on unimportant issues as a way of avoiding the important ones; who fiddles while Rome (etc.) burns.

It's 2023, folks, and a Tory MP is asking the UK's climate minister "what scientific evidence his depatment [sic] has which demonstrates the need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere" UK climate minister directs his colleague to the latest IPCC report

TBH, this seems worse than having the road blocked by climate activists for a few minutes.

What have the unions ever done for us? All this & more. What has this government ever done for us? Rampant poverty, deepening inequality, shameless corruption, & now an attack on the right to strike. #EnoughlsEnough #GeneralElectionNow

Everything wrong with our politics, in one story: Hedge fund manager buys large estate on Dartmoor. Uses vast fortune to challenge the right to camp there. Wins. Local people call on their MP to amend the legislation. Discover he's been funded by the hedge fund manager.

@MrMatthewTodd @Peston Don't think made the front cover of the Times either.

@Peston Do you think it’s strange that our newspapers don’t put this on their covers?

Thérèse served as the Minister for Water @DefraGovUK from 2016 - 19. I'll just leave that thought there shall I.

New Swedish Govt scraps Environment Ministry, hiding it in a dark recess of the Energy & Business ministry. The E&B minister @BuschEbba, borrows from UK @jacob_rees_mogg & states she wants to reduce environmental role in Govt (subtext: sod those at the pointy end of our impacts).

I just realised that the ‘anti-growth coalition’ as defined by @trussliz includes just about any thinking person who can deal in facts and logic. Basically anyone who saw through her speech and realised it was a collection of vapid sound bites unsupported by any plan #torychaos

On her broadcast round this morning, the Prime Minister said that, thanks to the gov intervention, “people across this country are not facing energy bills of more than £2,500” this year. Not only is this downright wrong, it’s wildly dangerous – a thread 🧵 1/

This written statement from UK sec of state @Jacob_Rees_Mogg covers energy bill support, end of fracking ban & new North Sea licensing Worth a close read, inc for what it doesn't say (channelling @davidallengreen) eg doesn't say fracking will cut bills questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statem…

One big gas saving tip I've not seen mentioned much so far is 'Avoid having all your appliances on at the same time.' i.e. don't have your oven, tumble dryer and shower on at the same time. The lower we keep max electricity demand, the less we have to turn on expensive gas.

Was reminded today of this excellent list of scientific jargon to avoid, from R Somerville and @ClimateComms long ago but still completely relevant, especially as climate change work has become even more interdisciplinary.

Remember the energy trilemma which was never a trilemma? Anyway, currently we have none of the three pillars of affordability, security and sustainability in our energy system. When I think of where we could be now if energy and the environment were taken seriously #EnergyCrisis

This is Craig Williams Tory MP for Montgomeryshire. Part of his constituency includes the UNESCO designated Dyfi Biosphere promoting conservation and sustainable management in an area rich in wildlife. Voted for the release of sewage #TorySewageParty

We need to stop thinking like consumers living in an economy. And start thinking like organisms living in an ecosystem.

GREAT NEWS My campaign to limit the number of people retweeting this image and causing any upset to the Conservatives has made great progress I am now so confident that nobody will RT it that I am going to tag in @Conservatives so they can see how well we're doing. Thank you.

@MadeleineCuff @OctopusEnergy Unfortunately, governments (esp #Tory Gov’t’s) do this all the time. Zero Carbon Homes, Green Deal, Home Information Packs... Walk industry up to the top of the hill, then cynically push them off for political benefit. #EnergyCrisis #ClimateCrisis

Sunak just said he's the most northern Chancellor we've ever had... Born: Southampton School: Winchester Uni: Oxford Career: London Then parachuted into a safe Yorkshire seat in 2015