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Nick Grant

@ecominimalnick.bsky.social
2.2K followers 507 following 542 posts

Energy consultant and design engineer. Specialising in Passivhaus building, archives and museums. Teaching building physics with coaction.org.uk The Good Building Book with Jon Broom - www.bloomsbury.com/uk/good-building…

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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 17h
www.ai.gov/initiatives/... Stumbled on this and assumed it was a SNL sketch!!
ai.gov
Presidential AI Challenge
The Presidential AI Challenge seeks to inspire young people and educators to create AI-based innovative solutions to community challenges while fostering AI interest and competency.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Model Behavior: George Saunders on.substack.com/p/model-beha... Worth a read on AI and writing, very good.
on.substack.com
Model Behavior: George Saunders
“Of course, if AI can cure cancer, bravo. I’m all for it. But even with cancer cured, death will still arrive somehow.”
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Very good! How actions shape values, and why it's not the other way around. "We do not think our way into new ways of acting nearly as often as we act our way into new ways of thinking." kasperbenjamin.substack.com/p/how-action...
kasperbenjamin.substack.com
How actions shape values, and why it's not the other way around.
And why it is easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting, and what that means for whoever decides what you repeat.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The Only Lasting Solution to Social Care Will Come From the Bottom-Up open.substack.com/pub/zeteouk/...
open.substack.com
The Only Lasting Solution to Social Care Will Come From the Bottom-Up
Our broken social care system is a political hot-button issue and Andy Burnham has vowed to fix it. But finding the cash is only one of his problems. He needs to empower those who shoulder the burden.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Workshop using the Venn diagram in The Good Building Book at the AECB conference Manchester. Placing images of buildings on the diagram in search of rare examples that achieve beauty, function and economy. Many recognised @jurajmikurcik.bsky.social ‘s house and put it in the middle!
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Marianne Heaslip @marianneh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Running a workshop at the AECB conference next Friday. Should be fun assuming I've recovered from this horrid cold by then: aecb.net/wp-content/u... Though I'm sad that our workshop clashes with @ecominimalnick.bsky.social 's session and I'll miss that.
A workshop description: 

People First Retrofit, 
Marianne Heaslip and Helen Grimshaw

Arguments about whether retrofit should be 'fabric first' or 'heat pump and energy systems first' are getting tiresome. PPR take a different approach - focusing on people, context and understanding first. We'll explore through case studies and discussion what this means in a range of homes - and the implications for policy makers and practitioners.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Writing The Good Building Book, Jon and I had students and lecturers in mind as a key audience. A number of positive reviews by lecturers and students confirm the value. Please consider adding it to your reading list if you are involved in any aspect of building. www.waterstones.com/book/the-goo...
waterstones.com
The Good Building Book by Jon Broome, Nick Grant | Waterstones
Buy The Good Building Book by Jon Broome, Nick Grant from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.
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Lloyd Alter @lloydalter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I have written about it- about how all those terraces on top of living rooms are going to attract leaks and lawyers- and quoted @ecominimalnick.bsky.social about the need for radical simplicity. "Every jog and every corner is an opportunity for failure." And don't get me started on upfront carbon
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Alice Roberts @profaliceroberts.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I’ve reached the point - well actually, I reached it a while ago - where I’m militantly anti-AI. Fine - use it in bioscience labs and radiology where it might help analyse data more effectively. Use it sparingly for systems engineering. Everywhere else, it can fuck off.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The end of humans in a decade due to AI is grabbing sensational headlines. It might not happen, we may just loose our jobs and any reason to live other than to digest an alternative reality of AI slop. Which is the worst case scenario?
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NewsThump @newsthump.com · 10/09/2026
Whenever we see someone post that they're stopping their donation to the RNLI, like some right-wing virtue-signalling flex, we can't help but think of this. You can donate to the RNLI here: buff.ly/bsku22S
Only 1.2% of RNLI calls are for asylum seekers in the Channel — red poster arguing that cancelling RNLI donations equates to saying "I hate migrants... I'm willing to jeopardise the lives of the other 98.8% of rescues," followed by the sarcastic "Lovely people, right?"
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
substack.com/@fridaysecon...
substack.com
Jessica Friday (@fridayseconomics)
👀
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Good opportunity for an M&E engineer looking for a change lnkd.in/p/eZqktDCQ
lnkd.in
Inside Outside Engineering is growing! We are a small specialist MEP & Passivhaus consultancy based in London. Our work covers genuinely interesting and diverse projects across the UK: residentia...
Inside Outside Engineering is growing! We are a small specialist MEP & Passivhaus consultancy based in London. Our work covers genuinely interesting and diverse projects across the UK: residential la...
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
theguardian.com
The trollers v the scrollers: Edith Pritchett’s Bayeux tapestry for the modern age
Didn’t manage to get tickets to the exhibition of the 11th-century artwork at the British Museum in London? Don’t worry, our cartoonist has got you covered, capturing the many battles of our times in ...
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Israelis shoot dead two Palestinian teenagers after settlers encircle village
Troops escort settlers into al-Mughayyir and raze village outside Hebron as ethnic cleansing of West Bank continues
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
It's a death cult. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
JD Vance says he’s doing ‘God’s work – and if that leads to the end times, OK’
Vice-president says on evangelical podcast he would feel ‘not shocked if the antichrist was walking among us’
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
www.thenerve.news/p/john-sween...
thenerve.news
Charisma, cruelty, greed: John Sweeney on the ‘dark genius’ of Nigel Farage
In an exclusive extract from his new book, the Nerve’s Reform correspondent explores the career of ‘a leader who never seems to suffer the consequences of his actions’ – and asks if he should ever be ...
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
substack.com/@silverartic...
substack.com
Rhonda (@silverarticfox)
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... not even an exaggeration
theguardian.com
Martin Rowson on Trump and the consequences of the climate crisis – cartoon
Experts say unusual heat this year has melted the ice that holds Himalayan glaciers in place – which is thought to have led to the floods in Nepal and Tibet
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Could these alternative homes be the future in a hotter Britain?
The Passivhaus standard is growing in popularity as UK homeowners adapt to hotter summer temperatures.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
theguardian.com
‘The country of my birth has lost its heart’: Miriam Margolyes on how to fix broken Britain
At 85, the actor has lived through much political upheaval. But, she writes, today’s hostile times feel like ‘the worst yet’. She reflects on her journey from teenage Tory to full-throated leftist – a...
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/o... My strong intuition is that AI going rogue may well be a real fear but even the dumbest AI is a powerful weapon for humans to direct now. Throw in crypto as fuel and access to a few social media sites that are now where world leaders announce war plans . . . .
nytimes.com
Opinion | Stop Testing A.I. Like an App. Test It Like a Weapon. (Gift Article)
Responding to the safety risks A.I. pose means coming to terms with an uncomfortable truth: A.I. models are weapons.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2... “What this allows over time is almost this kind of Cambrian explosion in communication and intelligence,”
theatlantic.com
It May Be Time to Panic About AI
Bots are starting to conspire with one another. Can they be reeled back in?
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/technology/2... No shit
theguardian.com
AI’s potential climate benefits outweighed by role in boosting fossil fuels, study finds
Modelling finds AI-driven productivity gains in coal, oil and gas enable more emissions than applications in renewable energy avoid
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Smelt smoke when I woke up today. Fire is over 20 miles away near Ebbw Vale.
Air Quality meter reading 120 micrograms per m3 PM 2.5 and 205 for PM 10.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Once a rare sight in the UK I have been watching the humming bird hawk moths every evening this week. Saw 3 lastnight. 240 fps slowed to 24. Beautiful and chilling.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
What we should grasp is that this is what Trump is *for*. It's why fossil fuel companies and the ultra-rich backed him. The kleptocracy, the cruelty, the culture wars, all these, while real & grim enough, distract us from seeing the true purpose of his presidency. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump administration to pay German firm $1.22bn to cut offshore wind leases
Agreement with RWE is fifth deal Trump team has made with energy companies, offering payouts to give up projects
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 05/08/2026
Murderous heat, an endangered food supply, decimated landscapes: embrace the Mediterranean life | George Monbiot
theguardian.com
Murderous heat, an endangered food supply, decimated landscapes: embrace the Mediterranean life | George Monbiot
As climate disaster stares us in the face, the radical right says ‘Embrace the Mediterranean life’. Embrace death, more like it, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 05/08/2026
Russian attack on Kyiv region kills at least 14 people, say Ukrainian authorities
theguardian.com
Russian attack on Kyiv region kills at least 14 people, say Ukrainian authorities
Air raid alerts last for more than an hour as Moscow inflicts another heavy bombardment on Ukraine’s capital Russian strikes in and around Kyiv killed at least 14 people, ⁠injured 27 and ⁠damaged warehouses, ​emergency service officials said. Some reports put the death toll at 15. Air raid alerts lasted for more than an hour as Moscow’s forces continued a series of deadly heavy attacks on the Ukrainian capital. The military administration said seven sites were hit in an assault that began on Wednesday after midnight. Continue reading...
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/w... This is about AI going rogue without human prompting or help and with safety measures in place.
nytimes.com
When A.I. Goes Rogue (Gift Article)
It was the stuff of science fiction — until recently.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Every silver lining has a cloud :-) www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Grey lump with orange wings’: hummingbird hawk-moths descend on UK gardens
Boom in hummingbird hawk-moth sightings put down to hot weather, strong winds and food scarcity in Europe
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Juraj Mikurcik @jurajmikurcik.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Thanks Nick. I’m banking on you & Dai to reclaim that Harewood podium finish 😉
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
thenerve.news
Stewart Lee: I wanted a King of the North. Not  a King of the North Sea
In the face of heat and urban wildfires, is  Andy ‘Burn Them!’ Burnham really going to approve more oil drilling? So much for net zero – or voting Labour again
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Dr David S Anderson @dsaarchaeology.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Original Tweet from @Mantia: What’s something that seems obvious within your profession, but the general public seems to misunderstand?

Quote tweet from @hwitteman: That $35 that scientific journals charge you to read a paper goes 100% to the publisher, 0% to the authors. If you just email us to ask for our papers, we are allowed to send them to you for free, and we will be genuinely delighted to do so.
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Robert Gumpert @ragumpert.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Tish Murtha’s searing documentation of broken Britain www.huckmag.com/article/tish...
huckmag.com
Tish Murtha’s searing documentation of broken Britain
Vandalism on a Grand Scale — Capturing youth unemployment and poverty in north-east England during the ’80s, the photographer never lived to see her work…
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Solid uninsulated brick wall at midday before it had time to fully heat up.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Our next gravity race www.gravity-games.co.uk very competitive!!
gravity-games.co.uk
HOME | Gravity Games
The gravity games is Yorkshire's best down hill speed challenge.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
youtu.be/WvV4iYLQcpc?... refreshing!
youtu.be
Full interview: Colorado CD1 candidate Melat Kiros
YouTube video by Next 9NEWS
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
All set for Richard’s Castle Soapbox race tomorrow with @jurajmikurcik.bsky.social at the wheel for Team Passivaggressive. Always the cheapest cart on the podium despite some impressive crashes! Great event raising money for local charities. www.richardscastlesoapbox.co.uk
richardscastlesoapbox.co.uk
Soap Box Derby | Richards Castle | Race your carts 28th June 2026
Our Soap Box Derby is held on Hanway Common, Richards Castle on 28th June 2026, 10am to 4pm
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Not exactly the Dakar rally but managed 60 mile round trip keeping up with traffic on 90 yo Cotton MC. 1932 Rudge engine doing about 100 miles per UK gallon.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Absolutely. However it doesn’t matter how fit or heat adapted you are if you can’t loose heat of metabolism you die.
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el último marciano @elultimomarciano.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
This paragraph by @dorianlynskey.bsky.social , the author of the review, is GOLD
The problem with the Al business is the same thing that drives enshittification. The improbable price-to-sales ratios of tech companies are based on the promise of future growth, hence high-stakes bets like the Metaverse or the failed social media platform Google+. The AI sector's colossal valuation derives largely from the salaries of the human workers it aims to replace - Morgan Stanley predicts it will add almost a trillion dollars a year to the S&P 500. And because the net worth of tech bosses is tied to stock value rather than actual profits, they have a personal incentive to keep investors excited: today AI may be a money pit, but just you wait. If the investor is the real target of the Al industry's marketing, then the consumer becomes simply a cog in the hype machine. Individuals using chatbots are not so much a crucial revenue stream as unwitting salespeople for the message that the machines will replace us any day now, as are journalists who cover such snake-oil absurdities as the AI-generated
"actor" Tilly Norwood.
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Larry & Paul @larryandpaul.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
⚠️ NOW HIRING: UK Prime Minister (AGAIN) youtu.be/5NPD12TE7W4?...
youtu.be
Now Hiring: UK Prime Minister (2026) - Larry & Paul
YouTube video by Larry & Paul
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Rigged up a 12V fan and speed controller, tie wrapped to a small tripod to keep me cool at the computer when it warms up this afternoon. You can buy USB fans but I have not tried them.
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
24C in the shade, under trees by a pond at 205m above sea level in rural Herefordshire at 8.20am . . .
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I do come across people using fans to try and cool a room without people in it (a store say). When you stand in front of the fan it feels like it is cooling but the room mysteriously just gets hotter than without the fan!!
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I have not checked out the references but this article raises some counterintuitive points about fans. www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
When is it too hot to use a fan?
Climate chamber experiments in older people offer conflicting answers
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
It's just one long stream of BS from these fossil fuel-backed clowns. Adopting their policies would destroy a million jobs (see next post) while creating almost none in return. Total environmental and social vandalism. The absolute state of "conservatism". www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Populist and rightwing figures take aim at Ed Miliband and UK net zero policies at ‘anti-woke Davos’
Kemi Badenoch, who joined US anti-abortion activists and European far-right parties at ARC, described energy secretary as a ‘villain’
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Healthy humans can survive high temperatures but die if we can't dump the heat we generate. Over 100F/37C the only mechanism is evaporation which slows as RH rises. We can't cheat physics. (OK, we radiate to a clear sky but gain heat from hot surfaces & solar). www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-...
Graphs showing danger zone for combination of high temperature and RH
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Nick Grant @ecominimalnick.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Elon Musk's Secret Surgery Center open.substack.com/pub/thedreyd...
open.substack.com
Elon Musk's Secret Surgery Center
Think of something you have never said out loud.
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