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Bob Kennard

@bobkenn.bsky.social
417 followers 851 following 186 posts

Food, farming and the environment from the beautiful Welsh Borders. Author ‘Much Ado About Mutton’ www.aboutmutton.com. Stay in our secluded holiday cottage www.DroversRetreat.co.uk

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Reposted by Bob Kennard
My Zero Carbon #ClimateAction @myzerocarbon.org · 28/09/2026
. 2026 could be the turning point on climate action, Al Gore says Find out more: www.scientificamerican.com/... #ClimateAction
scientificamerican.com
2026 could be the turning point on climate action, Al Gore says
The former vice president thinks this year is when we’ll get serious about climate change
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Reposted by Bob Kennard
Adrian Hiel @adrianhiel.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I spoke to @euronews.com about the future gold mine that is used EV batteries working as storage for the grid. www.euronews.com/2026/09/28/a...
euronews.com
How old EV batteries could transform Europe’s struggling energy grid
Repurposing retired EV batteries could lower Europeans’ energy bills and prevent wind and solar farms from being switched off.
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Blue Oleta @blue-oleta.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
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Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Some thoughts… Perhaps the most consequential shift is conceptual: climate change is no longer principally a question of prediction, but of risk management. 1/3 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Burning forests, emptying rivers, €180bn in damage: Europe’s politicians face reckoning after ‘summer of truth’
Amid record-shattering heatwaves and popular demand for climate action, why are politicians often timid or in denial?
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My Zero Carbon #ClimateAction @myzerocarbon.org · 13/09/2026
. World must reject climate culture wars or face economic ruin, says UN’s Stiell We need to take urgent #ClimateAction right now to avoid the worst of Climate Change! More: www.theguardian.com/environ... .
theguardian.com
World must reject climate culture wars or face economic ruin, says UN’s Stiell
Warning by United Nations climate chief comes as EU data shows August 2026 was joint hottest month ever
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
At last, British sheep farmers are on track to make a modest profit on wool after many years of losses. This must be welcomed, for wool is natural, renewable, biodegradable, fire resistant and hard wearing. www.farmersguardian.com/news/4535898...?
farmersguardian.com
Is wool starting to 'pay its way'?
British Wool has announced a solid start to sales this season
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Could David Aaronovitch be complaining about pro-Palestinian t-shirts as a way of shutting down criticism of the Israeli government?
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Good!! www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham: UK must fully commit to reaching net zero by 2050
Exclusive: PM, who is facing pressure over whether to approve North Sea oil and gasfields, makes strongest comments yet on issue
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘It bloody works’: why the world’s oldest cheddar-maker uses a ‘milk-source’ heat pump
Barber’s Farmhouse Cheesemakers can draw enough heat from cows’ fresh milk to bring water close to the boil, slashing carbon emissions
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Emma Barnett can’t leave #R4Today too quickly for me. Her interview with a government Minister this morning about community renewable energy schemes was typically fatuous and aggressive. Ist question along the lines of ”nobody wants to see a wind farm in their back garden” was insultingly stupid.
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
A rare flock of sheep is currently grazing in one of London’s most popular parks – but they won’t be there for long secretldn.com/hampstead-he...
secretldn.com
A rare flock of sheep is currently grazing in one of London’s most popular parks – but they won’t be there for long
Five rare-breed sheep have just arrived on Hampstead Heath as part of a special conservational mission - here's where you can spot them.
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Approximately 10.3 million tonnes of edible food in South Africa does not reach the human stomach each year, which is equivalent to about 34% of all food produced in the country. The largest share of losses and waste occurred before the consumer stage. farmersreviewafrica.com/beyond-the-b...
farmersreviewafrica.com
Beyond the bin: How South Africa can turn food surplus into a circular economy - Farmers Review Africa
Ahead of the United Nations International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September, Refreshi argues that consumer food rescue and structured B2B trading offer complementary ways to keep...
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Ian Quayle @ianhquayle.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Isn't it strange that the whole world believes scientists when they predict a solar eclipse with microsecond accuracy, but not when they predicted the existential threat of global heating due to the emission of greenhouse gases.
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About Mutton @aboutmutton.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The history of the Findon Sheep Fair in West Sussex. The Findon Sheep Fair, held each September, attracts thousands of visitors and dates back to 1758, when the first official gathering was held. www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/su...
greatbritishlife.co.uk
The annual Sussex event that dates back to 1758
The Findon Sheep Fair is held each September and dates back to 1758
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JustJane @deludedtrot61.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
In case #r4today are demonising welfare recipients this morning [ i'm not listening at the mo ] A message not just 'to MAGA' , but Tory-types in UK too ....
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
NEW BRIGHT SPOTS: A district heating system in France has run since 1332, still warming 100+ homes from hot springs. The tech is 700 years old. What's changed is what we can plug in: heat from rivers, flooded coal mines, breweries, data centres. janrosenow.substack.com/p/district-h...
janrosenow.substack.com
District heating: the 14th-century technology that keeps solving 21st-century problems
How heat networks can turn rivers, abandoned mines and data centres into sources of low-carbon heat
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
What would have happened if Farage had gained power and had broken the protective and independent structures of the state, as he says is part of his proposed State of Emergency? It would have been too late by then. So why is there no general outrage in the media about his stated plans?
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Chris Gee / ◣ ◢ \ @chrisgeeuk.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Interesting read with the Strait of Hormuz still closed and the previous reliability of availability challenged. How farmers in Zimbabwe, India, Brazil, and Poland are reducing their dependence on fossil fuel chemical fertilizers. futureoffood.org/how-transiti...
futureoffood.org
Essay: How transitioning away from chemical fertilizers pays off for farmers
As fertilizer prices surge amid conflict in the Middle East, farmers share how agroecological practices reduce dependence on chemical inputs.
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Good headline news, even if the firewall prevents reading the detail!
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
You would never see this among the supporters of any other major British political party.
substack.com
Sam Bright (@writesbright)
Shocking footage from Reform conference, recorded by journalists at the New Arab, showing Reform members assaulting a protester. They should be identified and charged.
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Simon Pease @simonpease.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Seems like a brilliant idea.
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John Hanger @jrfhanger.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
BYD is bringing to the UK 300 of BYDs Flash Chargers 10%-90% in nine minutes. 10%-70% in five minutes. The automotive world is passing by the USA www.carscoops.com/2026/08/byd-... #energysky
carscoops.com
BYD's New UK Flash Chargers Do In 9 Minutes What Most EV Rivals Do In An Hour | Carscoops
Each BYD Flash Charging station uses two 185 kWh batteries to quickly charge up EVs and PHEVs
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
At long bloody last!! BBC News (R4 World this Weekend) talking about the practicalities of tackling Climate Change at source However, mostly about mitigation without any mention on eliminating the cause- fossil fuels! Now you’ve said it BBC, follow it up with facts about moving quickly to Net-Zero
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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Dear UK government data centre fans...,
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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Andy Burnham was a health minister on 30 October 2006 when "The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review" was published. It said "the benefits of strong and early action far outweigh the economic costs of not acting" - still true, and it gets more expensive with every further delay. #R4Today
lse.ac.uk
The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review - Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment
The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review (2006) assessed a wide range of evidence on the impacts of climate change and on the economic costs.
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Why? This is so stupid! Is the Labour government serious in countering Climate Change?
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alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social @alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
An innovative floating offshore solar project that generates electricity and converts seawater into drinking water. The farm near Gran Canaria produces 85 MW of renewable electricity while using that same power to operate reverse osmosis systems that desalinate seawater #ActOnClimate #renewables
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
The Today Programme needs to be careful: it's starting to feel like it's *leading* a Daily Express-style "crusade" against early release, rather than reporting on a horrible policy dilemma.
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Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
"The latest data from Denmark shows that 97% of vehicles bought by private buyers in the month of July were full battery electric." thedriven.io/2026/08/11/d... via Joshua S. Hill
thedriven.io
Denmark joins Norway at EV pinnacle as 97 per cent of private buyers opt for electric cars in latest month
Denmark joins Norway at the pinnacle of EV adoption, with 97 per cent of private buyers opting for an electric car in the latest month.
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Andy Birss @andybirss.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Parts of the world are burning, places are running out of water, the sea is inundating coasts and many are starving due to the climate emergency. The editors and presenters of #r4today though express more concern about what their right-wing mates in the UK press think than the fate of the planet.
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Alex Papadopoulos @egeasri.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Solar panels on football stadiums make perfect sense. The next question: how long until we see parking lots everywhere covered with solar canopies too? Generate power. Provide shade. Charge EVs. #Solar #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition #ESG balkangreenenergynews.com/solar-power-...
balkangreenenergynews.com
Solar power to energize European football, UEFA teaming up with SolarPower Europe
The Union of European Football Associations and SolarPower Europe have partnered to advance sustainability in European football
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 09/08/2026
New lifecycle study in the journal Science concludes: there are substantial climate benefits to swapping an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle for an electric vehicle (EV), *even if the ICE vehicle is brand new.* Even if it's a brand new hybrid!
science.org
The climate benefits of retiring a fully operational internal combustion engine vehicle
Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles represent the single largest source of carbon dioxide emissions for most US households. Although battery electric vehicles (BEVs) considerably reduce use-phas...
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BladeoftheSun @bladeofthes.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Tackling Climate Change is very simple. Stop burning Fossil Fuel. You do that by building Wind and Solar. China builds 5x as much Wind and Solar as all of Europe and North America combined. We aren't even trying.
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Well done BBC for standing up to this man who wanted my money for no reason except he could.
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Stephen Frost @sfrost.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
😔“In 2005, about 7.5% of the UK’s front gardens were paved; by 2025 that had risen to 55%” “… changing paved gardens back to grass could reduce night-time temperatures by as much as 0.5C, and adding trees would double the benefit”
theguardian.com
Weatherwatch: Paving over front gardens is leading to hotter nights
Changing paved areas to grass and planting trees can reduce urban heat island effect by as much as 1C, study shows
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Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · 05/08/2026
Base Power just raised another $1 billion for its low-cost home battery subscriptions that cut home power costs and shore up the grid.
canarymedia.com
Base Power raises $1B to get big batteries into more homes
The startup, newly valued at $13 billion, is now manufacturing batteries in Texas. It offers an affordable way for homeowners to get backup power and it…
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
A shop on 1950’s Hereford? No, taken today. It looked like they had any piece of hardware you could imagine, and cut keys.
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Crop yields down, our countryside scorched and over 2800 people are dead due to this summer's heatwaves. Meanwhile fossil fuel giants are raking in record profits. We must end this rampant profiteering, and cut fossil fuels from our energy mix as soon as possible.
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Kevin Williams @gaytonausa.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Wrote this over the weekend: I was really worried when my parents showed up with a new Ioniq 6 lease in the middle of rural North Carolina. There aren’t many charging stations, and this was now their only car. Turns out, my worrying was for nothing. They love it. insideevs.com/features/803...
insideevs.com
I Was Worried When My Parents Went Full EV, But They Proved Me Wrong
Even if you’re in your 70s and in Rural North Carolina, it’s not hard to live a full EV lifestyle.
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Jonathan Watts @jonathan-watts.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
The Lovelock Papers: Shell’s Hidden Climate Knowledge Under Scrutiny as Court Battle Looms. Ahead of a landmark climate lawsuit, confidential documents show how British scientist James Lovelock warned executives of the risks of burning fossil fuels in the 1960s. www.desmog.com/2026/07/29/t...
desmog.com
The Lovelock Papers: Shell’s Hidden Climate Knowledge Under Scrutiny as Court Battle Looms
“What seems to be important,” wrote the visionary British scientist, James Lovelock, in June 1966, is “the almost certain fact that the climate is worsening and the probability that the combustion of ...
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Solar powers record share of Britain’s electricity mix in July
Farms and rooftop panels contribute 14.4% to the grid – and figures reveal a surge in new installations
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 27/07/2026
++BREAKING++ The Daily Telegraph has... *rubs eyes* ...published something sensible about climate change: "I’m coming to the view that the Online Right is going wrong, eschewing compassion or charm, talking itself into corners of angry irrelevance. Take climate change."
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
““We are experiencing exactly what the climate models in the 1990s said we should now,” said Andy Pershing, … at Climate Central, a climate change non-profit. “That is, more frequent, & severe heatwaves, bigger temperature anomalies, more humidity, ”” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Scorching US heatwave to hit 70 million people with third ‘heat dome’ in month
Temperatures of 95-105F (35-40C) are expected, spanning Gulf of Mexico coast to the Great Plains and the midwest
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Patrick - Here for the craic❗️🤷🏼‍♂️😉 @paddyopatrick.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
I’m not old enough to remember Wildfires causing such carnage in Europe, I’m over 60.. Right wing climate change deniers like Farage, Tice/Reform, Lowe, Truss, Badenoch etc taking grubby money from fossil fuel Companies need a metaphoric slap❗️ More than 250,000 flee wildfires in France & Spain
bbc.co.uk
More than 250,000 evacuated as wildfires rage in France and Spain
Spain's PM warns of "complex hours" ahead as authorities in France say they are far from bringing blazes burning near Bordeaux under control.
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Finland’s radical answer to renewable energy’s biggest headache: The world’s largest sand battery www.cnbc.com/2026/07/25/f...
cnbc.com
Finland’s radical answer to renewable energy’s biggest headache: The world’s largest sand battery
A small Finnish town has turned to the world's largest commercial sand battery to tackle a major hurdle in the energy transition: intermittency.
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Candice Holmes @candiceholmes.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
#GoodMorning. It's ordinary people who lose their homes, livelihoods and loved ones while governments delay action on climate change. We all end up paying the price for political inaction. #r4today
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John 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🔴👹 @j0hnbev.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
#DontLookUp was a documentary #r4today
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Bob Kennard @bobkenn.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
BBC R4’s World at One just now lead with an attack on a synagogue. According to police recoded events there were 4,478 hate crimes against Muslims during recent 12-month period, compared with 2,873 attacks on Jews in the same period. Surely this broader problem should have been quoted in the prog?
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Alan Wager @dralanwager.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
So the average British punter doesn’t have a penchant for a fruity Lost Mary’s, and isn’t interested in charity shop bargain hunting or Maccas double cheeseburgers. And loves going to the bank rather than using an app on their phone. I have never felt more out of touch.
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Climate crisis-driven heat ‘sucking soils dry’ as extreme drought hits Europe - Analysis shows heatwaves are making atmosphere thirstier, damaging water supplies, food production and power generation @wwattribution.bsky.social #climatecrisis Story by me www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Climate crisis-driven heat ‘sucking soils dry’ as extreme drought hits Europe
Analysis shows how heatwaves are making atmosphere thirstier, damaging water supplies, food production and power generation
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