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Ben Cooke

@ben-cooke.bsky.social
2.1K followers 1.3K following 45 posts

Environment correspondent at the Times. Always on the lookout for stories about the mess we're in and how to get out of it. DMs open or drop me a line at benjamin.cooke(at)thetimes.co.uk or on signal at Ben_Cooke.40

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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Like a lot of people, I've been fairly weirded out by the sight of trees losing their leaves this summer. To me it's one of the eeriest impacts of climate change. And it could be about to get a lot worse - research by Kew Gardens suggests two thirds of London's trees will struggle to survive to 2090
thetimes.com
Will heatwaves kill the trees on your London street? Use our map to check
With warnings of 48C temperatures by the end of the century, specialists are sourcing species from Iraq and Azerbaijan to keep the lungs of the capital breathing
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Revealed: just 20 out of of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation, as UK burns in fifth heatwave of this summer - FOI request by me @andyburnham.bsky.social needs to level with the country about the climate crisis & set out radical plan to tackle it 🧵 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires
Exclusive: England ‘desperately unprepared’ for effects of crisis including water shortages and heatwaves
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Emma Yeomans @yeomans.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Been on the apocalypse beat this week. Surveying English and Welsh fire services, we count 250+ significant wildfires in the first two weeks of July, destroying thousands of acres: www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
thetimes.com
How a ‘firewave’ gripped Britain with 250 blazes burning
An exceptionally hot, dry summer has turned the country into a ‘tinderbox’ as fire crews tackle dozens of incidents a day
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Excited to share short version of Episode 1 of my podcast series - Government refusal to release the full version of the Joint Intelligence Committee Report on ecosystem collapse is unforgivable - how do we prepare for threats when their full extent is hidden from us? www.google.com/search?q=you...
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
So excited to see this! Over 4 episodes I cover the hugely alarming conclusions of the Joint Intelligence Ctte Report, shamefully suppressed by Government, & explore its implications for our food and water security. @nebriefing.bsky.social @climatemajority.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social
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Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
100+ travel companies are advertising a Thai resort where an abused elephant killed a British tourist. Tripadvisor, Expedia, Marriott Bonvoy and Booking.com all took down ads for Nong Nooch Pattaya Garden after @ben-cooke.bsky.social contacted them 👇 www.thetimes.com/world/asia/a...
booking.com
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Simon Lee @simonleewx.com · 27/06/2026
Today’s GFS 18Z for 11 July showing max temperatures in England reaching 41°C Not to be taken as a deterministic forecast. However, this suggests that yet more extreme heat is possible in the next few weeks, which is made more likely and intense by climate change driven by burning fossil fuels.
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
The more we experience fossil fuel volatility, the clearer the case becomes: "The war has certainly accelerated clean tech adoption." This is what I told The Times for their piece on how the energy crisis drives adoption of solar, EVs and heat pumps. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
thetimes.com
Britons embrace green technology to dodge rising fuel costs
Households are increasingly turning to heat pumps, EVs and solar panels to avoid big rises in the price of fossil fuels triggered by the Iran war
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David Fickling @davidfickling.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
WOW: The UAE’s decision to quit OPEC looks like one of the biggest crude producers joining the “peak oil demand” camp. Here’s why: 🧵
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Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Britain could run without fossil fuels for first time since 1882 Story👇 www.thetimes.com/article/01d7...
thetimes.com
Britain could run without fossil fuels for first time since 1882
This Easter could mark a milestone for the country’s transformation of the energy system, though the exact moment depends on our mercurial weather
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Hard to know which is more shocking - the dire warnings of the potential collapse of our food system in the UK or the fact that governments have tried to cover it up. Their complacency is off the scale. We urgently need to switch to growing more food domestically & to restore nature now
thetimes.com
Britain’s food supply ‘at risk of catastrophic failure by 2030’
A report written before the 2024 election says climate change, habitat loss and geopolitical instability are a danger to food security — and it has been ignored
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Breaking: ministers ignored a report warning that Britain’s food supply is on course to collapse. Climate change, habitat loss and geopolitical instability are undermining food security so much that it could be “at strategic risk of catastrophic failure” by 2030. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
thetimes.com
Britain’s food supply ‘at risk of catastrophic failure by 2030’
A report written before the 2024 election says climate change, habitat loss and geopolitical instability are a danger to food security — and it has been ignored
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Michael Le Page @mjflepage.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Joint second in the notoriously difficult @carbonbrief.org quiz! Major bragging rights for our @newscientist.com team with Sam Wong, @alecluhn.com, me, Michael Holder of @businessgreen.bsky.social and @ben-cooke.bsky.social
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Land and Climate Review @landclimate.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
The story was broken by @bertiehb.bsky.social and @ben-cooke.bsky.social in @thetimes.com, and uncovered UK Foreign Office grants from 2016-2018 to support Xinjiang's regional government in developing carbon capture technologies. 2/7
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
As Norway closes in on its goal of 100% EV sales, I wrote about the lesson it offers for the UK's own shift to electric cars. Spoiler: it's not just "have an enormous oil-based sovereign wealth fund to spend on buying everyone a Tesla." www.thetimes.com/uk/transport...
thetimes.com
What we can learn from Norway’s electric car revolution
Easy charging, driver perks and clear politics transformed driving habits in a decade. Following that path may be easier for the UK than many expect
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Hi @richardkbroughton.bsky.social , hope you're well. I'm working on a piece about whether feeding birds does more harm than good. Might we have a chat? All the best.
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Back in the Autumn, No.10 blocked the publication of a report into the risks the UK could face if climate change causes ecosystems around the world to collapse. On Tuesday, after an FOI request, it published the report. But it turns out, that wasn't the full version. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
thetimes.com
Suppressed climate report warned of mass migration and nuclear war
Unabridged document said disappearing forests and rivers drying up could drive people to Europe and lead to conflict in Asia
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Sam Burgess @oceanterra.org · 14/01/2026
2025 global climate highlights are out: 🌡️ 2025 was 3rd warmest year on record, 1.47ºC above the preindustrial level 📈 2023-2025 is the first three year period above 1.5ºC (according to ERA5) 🌍 The last 11 years have been the warmest 11 years on record See: climate.copernicus.eu/global-clima... ⚒️🧪🌊
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Hello environment / climate peeps of Bluesky! I'm just doing some planning for what to write about in 2026. Do drop me a DM if you'd like to chat about anything you'd like to see the Times environment section cover this year.
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Richard Delevan @richard.wickedproblems.earth · 09/11/2025
Happy COP-mas Eve! To celebrate, on 1st day of COP-mas morn, under the tree you may find a sparkly chat with our friend @ben-cooke.bsky.social to set the expectations for the season. Check out wickedproblems.earth and/or your favourite media platform and Inshallah we will be there.
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Pick up a copy of today's Times for 12 pages of in-depth coverage of the Cop30 talks, and the wider state of play for climate change and clean energy. It's got some brilliant stuff in it.
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
The US and China both have ambitions for energy dominance. But they're betting on very different visions of the global energy future. With China pumping out solar panels and batteries, and the US doubling down on gas, only one can be right. www.thetimes.com/world/asia/a...
thetimes.com
Trump wants energy dominance — is he just drilling US into a hole?
The president is betting on fossil fuels while his superpower rival China is racing ahead on renewables
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Gaia Vince @wanderinggaia.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
We must be patriotically proud to be British but not to learn about or contribute to any of the culture that pride might be based on
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Kate Marvel @drkatemarvel.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
my takeaway from climate week nyc is that "climate storytelling" is a little too much "we must reimagine our deepest souls in relationship to mother nature and the moral abyss of the polycrisis into which we must now stare" and not enough "ok but get a heat pump"
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Geoffrey Lean @geofflean.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
Excellent must-read by @ben-cooke.bsky.social clearest exposition I have yet seen of how problems with the #grid are holding up the Uk’s energy transition and imperiling Ed miliband’s #renewables ambitions. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
thetimes.com
The grid is struggling — and our green future hangs in the balance
Idle wind farms, a lack of batteries and protests by nimbys are hampering Britain’s clean energy drive. What are our options?
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Every day Britain loses 3 billion litres of water through leaky pipes - a big problem as Britain's summers become more arid. But water companies have some new tech with which to find them, including satellites that can spot leaks from space. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
thetimes.com
Can satellites help these leaky pipe hunters end hosepipe bans?
A start-up is helping water companies to pinpoint leaks, saving millions of litres a day as the country faces more severe droughts
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Clean Energy Wire Network @clewnetwork.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
We had the pleasure to welcome @ben-cooke.bsky.social in our CLEW team for 2 months for an IJP fellowship Ben’s stay was a truly enriching experience that showed just how powerful cross-border collaboration and exchange can be Read more about his experience: www.cleanenergywire.org/blog/why-wor...
cleanenergywire.org
Why the world needs CLEW now more than ever
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Will hydrogen be the next LNG? That's the hope of a group of companies who want to ship the fuel from Oman to Amsterdam to power European industry. Tata Steel is onboard, but many analysts believe it's a fool's errand to ship the fuel thousands of miles. www.cleanenergywire.org/news/green-h...
cleanenergywire.org
Green hydrogen from Oman could power European industry - but at what cost?
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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 27/06/2025
It is remarkable that the west is committing to spending 5% of GDP on defence, and almost no one has made the case that the most pressing threat to our security this century is climate change and we should be spending more on tackling that.
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Electricity is the power source of decarbonisation. But in Germany it's expensive, hindering industries's efforts to go green. As Germany prepares to discount its steelmakers' bills, can it subsidise its way to a green future? Or is steelmaking going to move to places with more abundant renewables?
thetimes.com
How Germany’s steel titans are powering ahead in push to go green
Ministers have handed out huge subsidies to give companies a headstart in the race to electrify the industry. Will the same work for Britain?
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
In recent years London has been hit repeatedly by flash flooding. This has been due to climate change, but also due to its 32 boroughs trying to plan their flood defences separately. I spoke to Elizabeth Rapoport about a new strategy to change that. www.thetimes.com/uk/london/ar...
thetimes.com
London ‘needs £2 billion to save it from surface water flooding’
The Thames Barrier provides welcome respite from storm surges, but infrastructure to deal with heavy rain is lacking
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Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
Europe experienced two sides of climate change last year, with wet weather hitting western countries while eastern countries became exceedingly dry, a study has found. @ben-cooke.bsky.social reports on @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social research: www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
thetimes.com
Europe suffers weather extremes as climate change drives up temperatures
2024 was Europe’s hottest year on record, leading to fatal flooding in Valencia and dangerously dry spells in the continent’s southeast, research reveals
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Across the next week, the Times will be publishing a series about climate adaptation and the clean tech revolution. It'll be looking at the solutions that can help Britain prosper, even as the climate heats up. They're free to read, and will appear in print in next Thursday's Times Earth supplement.
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Wind and solar power overtake coal in US for first time - Milestone highlights the rapid growth of renewable energy despite political headwinds since President Trump’s re-election HT @carbonbrief.org www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...
thetimes.com
Wind and solar power overtake coal in US for first time
The milestone highlights the rapid growth of renewable energy despite political headwinds since President Trump’s re-election
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
This survey by E3G is a counterpoint to the narrative of ESG backlash. Turns out institutional investors are actually quite fond of the climate in which all civilisation has evolved, and would invest more in the UK if the gov was clearer on its plans to preserve it. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
thetimes.com
Institutions ‘will invest more in UK if climate change risk is cut’
Of UK-based institutional investors, 82 per cent are worried about climate change risks to their portfolios but government could help companies manage that
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Georgia Heneage @georgiaheneage.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
I write a weekly 'new reader' column in the Times on babies; if anyone's interested in being featured message me!
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Richard Delevan @richard.wickedproblems.earth · 23/12/2024
What's better than spending time with an interesting author writing about the wicked problem of climate? Having the right glass of something to accompany. So we bring you the Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations Books of 2024 (non-fiction). open.substack.com/pub/wickedpr...
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
The carbon credits market has had a rough ride the last couple of years, as reports have revealed many credits to be worthless. But a new group of "carbon removal" companies believe they can rebuild it. Here's my piece on their efforts in today's Times. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
thetimes.com
Should I offset my business’s carbon emissions?
Many carbon credits have been shown to be worthless but by ditching avoidance schemes for removal offsets there may be a fix
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
The startup Material Evolution has cleared one of the biggest hurdles to net zero - making genuinely low carbon cement. But they've got a long way to go if they're to clean up an industry that produces 4 billion tonnes a year, and far more CO2 than aviation. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
thetimes.com
Sustainable cement pioneers have a concrete plan
Liz Gilligan and her Material Evolution co-founder Sam Clark are on a mission to reduce the industry’s environmental impact
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Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
Nice story on a UK startup producing low-carbon cement in Wrexham, by @ben-cooke.bsky.social: www.thetimes.com/business-mon... Cement is soooo hard to decarbonise because of the chemistry. I did a big read on this here: www.newscientist.com/article/mg24...
thetimes.com
Sustainable cement pioneers have a concrete plan
Liz Gilligan and her Material Evolution co-founder Sam Clark are on a mission to reduce the industry’s environmental impact
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Andrew Fanning @andrewlfanning.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
A while ago I realised that a baby girl born in Spain in 2016 can expect to live 85 years, which is beyond the time horizon of most climate scenarios (that range from 'not looking good, but maybe manageable for most' to 'chaotic hothouse hell-planet'). Also, that baby girl is my daughter.
An infographic from the United Nations IPCC's AR6 Synthesis Report (SPM.1) shows the observed and possible projected global temperature trends and how they would impact different generations. 

(Credit: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change AR6, @ipcc.bsky.social)
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Josh Gabbatiss @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
More poorly informed takes on climate from The Rest Is Politics as they assess COP29. Rory Stewart says climate finance for developing countries is "completely the wrong way" to "stop global warming". Instead G20 should have met for a couple more days to "crack this". A few problems with this...
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
Here's my piece about the enormous lobbying battle about to commence to save Biden's climate agenda, and why its supporters believe they can salvage it by reframing it as an energy security agenda. www.thetimes.com/world/us-wor...
thetimes.com
Why Trump may not be such a disaster for the environment
Energy lobbyists think they can reframe Biden’s green policies as a way of securing supply and bringing jobs back to America
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Amy Westervelt @amywestervelt.bsky.social · 11/11/2024
Made my first starter pack! These are the climate journalists I know and love and highly recommend following on BlueSky so far. Please tell me who I'm missing (and apologies in advance if I've missed you, I swear it's not intentional!) go.bsky.app/1ivUnG
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Jesse D. Jenkins @jessedjenkins.com · 16/11/2024
Trump selects Chris Wright to run the Dept. of Energy. "Wright is the chief executive of oil and natural gas fracking services company Liberty Energy and sits on the board of a nuclear reactor company." He's a climate skeptic but supportive of geothermal, solar, nuclear: www.npr.org/2024/11/16/n...
npr.org
Trump announces oil executive Chris Wright as his pick for energy secretary
Trump announced Chris Wright, the CEO of oil and natural gas fracking services company Liberty Energy, as his pick for energy secretary.
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
Hello Bluesky! I'm covering the environment and clean energy at the Times so am looking to connect with climate people as they move over to here from the other place. Always on the lookout for stories about the mess we're in and how to get out of it, so do feel free to DM with tips!
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
Last week I was at Castle Howard to talk to the Environment Bank about their plans to fund rewilding with the sale of Biodiversity credits. Many carbon credits have been found to be worthless. So can this new market in biodiversity be any more trustworthy? www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
thetimes.com
‘We can’t rely on altruism to fund nature restoration’
The Environment Bank makes its money by rewilding plots of land on behalf of housebuilders who are obliged to restore more habitat than they destroy
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Ben Cooke @ben-cooke.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
Hello Bluesky! I'm covering the environment and clean energy at the Times so am looking to connect with climate people as they move over to here from the other place. Always on the lookout for stories about the mess we're in and how to get out of it, so do feel free to DM with tips!
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