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flyingsparkes.bsky.social

@flyingsparkes.bsky.social
452 followers 1.2K following 443 posts

Ex-science teacher and Head of Dept. Now working at UEA on PGCE delivery. Green Party and striving for lower impact living.

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Reposted by @flyingsparkes.bsky.social
Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 16h
Other work by the Ladybird artists ‘October’ (From a 1958 calendar by the always fabulous Ronald Lampitt)
A cloudy day in October casts long shadows so it’s early or late. An allotment is busy with autumn activity and the plots are all super well-tended. 
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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Mind-boggling - just mind-boggling Now expected to peak at an extraordinary 4.2C in December
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Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 19/09/2026
A new mega poll by YouGov reveals that an overwhelming majority of constituencies want to rejoin the EU. Only 4 constituencies were not sure. It’s time to put EU membership on the table. bestforbritain.org/uk-membership-mo…
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Naomi Smith @pimlicat.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
NEW MRP JUST DROPPED: All but four constituencies in GB support UK membership of the EU. In those four, the most popular option was 'Don't Know' (Ashfield, Clacton, Great Yarmouth and Boston and Skegness).
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flyingsparkes.bsky.social @flyingsparkes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This looks good www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Norwich to get new half marathon event for first time in 34 years
Steven Hitcham says half marathons can be more appealing for new runners.
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Norwich FoE @norwichfoe.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
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Cathy Tuttle @cathytuttle.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Paris is a city that's been WINNING the WAR ON WALKING. In the past decade city leaders built 300+ School Streets, launched a 15-minute city and reclaimed their downtown waterfront. It's a place people can enjoy an evening outside on what used to be a car freeway. This is what every city deserves.
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
“Copenhagen reported that 62% of its residents are now commuting to work or school by bike — an increase from 52% in 2015 & 36% in 2012, when the City Council launched a 14-year-plan to improve the quality, safety & comfort of cycling.” #Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.
latimes.com
Copenhagen has taken bicycle commuting to a whole new level
Cycling has been a part of that good life in Copenhagen for decades. In recent years, it has enjoyed yet another unfathomable surge in popularity — taken to the next level thanks to constantly improvi...
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Environmental Voter Project @environmentalvoter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Clean energy = freedom. Clean energy = security. Clean energy = affordability.
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Walk Ride Rochdale @walkriderochdale.org.uk · 11/09/2026
We’d just like to remind #BBCBreakfast that there is no such thing as free #parking - either it’s paid for by the user or it’s another hidden subsidy for drivers paid for by the rest of us.
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Ainslie Cruickshank @ainsliecruickshank.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
It's been another tough year for gray whales — as of mid-August 187 have washed up along the west coast of North America, many of them showing signs of starvation. I wrote up a summary of what's been happening over the last few years for @sciam.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/gray...
scientificamerican.com
Gray whales are washing up dead on the West Coast. The reason is alarming
Up and down the Pacific coast, dead gray whales are mysteriously washing ashore—and scientists think they know why
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
“Research analysing more than 26,000 wildfires in Spain found that native broadleaf woodland had the lowest ignition risk and was less prone to intense fires” Rewilding - the smart approach to preventing fires & floods: rewildingeurope.com/news/rewildi...
rewildingeurope.com
Rewilding: the smart approach to preventing fires and floods | Rewilding Europe
Working with nature is one of our greatest opportunities to build a more resilient and prosperous Europe. As climate change fuels more frequent and intense wildfires, floods and droughts…
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Lee Hurley @hleehurley.com · 05/09/2026
As gangs of masked men block Dover port, I will just leave this here www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Five Just Stop Oil activists receive record sentences for planning to block M25
Campaigners receive longest ever sentences for non-violent protest after being convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance
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Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 05/09/2026
There's an argument for calling them masked thugs, because that is factually true. There's an argument for calling them pathetic cosplaying loser incels, also true, and laughing at them damages their tough-guy self image and hurts recruitment. There is no argument for calling them protesters.
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Lewis Graham @lewisgrahamlaw.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
This is so bizarre, even by Oxbridge standards
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Jon Owen @anotherjon.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
How has this been achieved? Well, to touch on just two interventions: Khan inherited Johnson's plan for a ULEZ, and introduced it 2019. Nitrogen Dioxide levels are 27% lower across London than they would have been without the ULEZ. And, in 2016, London had 90km of Cycleways. Today, it has 450km.
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Channel 4 News @channel4news.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation. 🔗 Read the exclusive story on Substack:
channel4news.substack.com
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
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Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
A reminder: Climate change isn’t something we can recycle, bike, or shop our way out of alone. Individual choices matter. But systemic change matters more.
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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The flim-flam and fripperies of late stage capitalism just keep on coming www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Dyson launches £420 toothbrush that films ‘live cleaning footage’ inside your mouth
James Dyson says ‘complete dental system’ will also include toothpaste and mouth rinse that each cost £8.50
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Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
A broader point: Polarisation is costing us time we don’t have. We can argue about culture wars, or get on with tackling what’s coming. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Cross-party talks needed to tackle climate crisis, say Lib Dems
Andy Burnham urged to seek consensus over response to extreme heat and forthcoming ‘super El Niño’
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East Anglia Bylines @eastangliabylines.co.uk · 29/08/2026
With emotive warnings on social media about aggressive drunk wasps, there are ways we can live with wasps, as Vanna Bartlett explains. Humans must learn to live with wasps - an insect in serious decline & very crucial to a healthy ecosystem. Here's how 👇
eastangliabylines.co.uk
Uninvited but indispensable: how to live with wasps
Wasps, once a common summer sight, are now in decline yet they remain vital pollinators and we must learn to live alongside them
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Ed Douglas @calmandfearless.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Pretty good going from BBC R4's Today to talk for 15 minutes about the disaster in Nepal and not once mention the impact of climate change A massive chunk of glacier collapsed and fell 1.2km, reduced to 'flash flood'.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Some key stats here: "Spain’s high-speed rail sees passenger numbers double as fares fall by 40%... Liberalisation has not simply redistributed passengers between competing railway companies. Rail has attracted travellers who might previously have chosen to fly." www.railwaypro.com/wp/?p=141129
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Two-thirds of UK news articles about wildfires this summer haven’t mentioned climate change - but ignoring it doesn’t make it go away, it just makes averting the worst of it even harder @eciu.net
uk.themedialeader.com
Two-thirds of UK news articles about wildfires this summer haven't mentioned climate change
Analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit adds to concerns that national newspapers are failing to link this summer's extreme weather to climate change and the net-zero policies necessary to mitigate its drastic effects.
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The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 27/08/2026
The climate crisis is already putting pressure on our food, water, and infrastructure. Real resilience means tackling the causes as well as preparing for the consequences.
A green graphic with a notebook saying 'Labour's shopping list', with a list below with checked boxes reading: tinned food; bottled water; toilet paper. Underneath, there is a crossed out box saying 'climate action', with a sign hanging below it with the words 'sold out'.
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Caroline Russell @carolinerussell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The community cost of accommodating cars in towns and cities is becoming extremely apparent with rain on widespread hard standing leading to surface water flooding. Then there's the cost of physical inactivity to the NHS. Perhaps we can now prioritise walking, cycling and catching the bus?
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flyingsparkes.bsky.social @flyingsparkes.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
What a beautiful planet we have the privilege to be a part of.
Sunset over the South Norfolk countryside. Moonrise over the South Norfolk countryside.
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Gregory Norminton @gregorynorminton.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
It wasn't an earthquake: it was climate change. A glacier collapsing caused the horror in Nepal. "Just enjoy it." - Richard Tice, Reform UK
eos.org
The 26 August 2026 catastrophic debris flow in Nepal and Tibet
Initial observations on the 26 August 2026 catastrophic debris flow in Nepal and Tibet, which has killed hundreds of people.
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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
A direct line can be drawn from the fossil fuel corporation CEOs in their smart suits and swanky offices, to the brutal deaths of the terrified people you can see in these films Himalayan glaciers are collapsing, and meltwater lakes breaching, due to global heating www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...
bbc.co.uk
Hundreds missing, including 291 foreign tourists, after deadly flash flood on Nepal-Tibet border
In Tibet, CCTV captured a wall of mud and water hitting a border crossing. The missing in Nepal include more than 100 from India and 12 from the UK.
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geta52.bsky.social @geta52.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
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New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Make no mistake: these energy bill rises don’t have to be our new normal. But bills will keep rising until we get off the rollercoaster of expensive international fossil fuel markets. 🧵 bbc.com/news/articles/cqjkl1xvgw5o?xtor=AL-71-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bbbc.news.twitte
bbc.com
Household energy bills to hit three-year high as Ofgem announces 4% rise from October
A household using a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £60 a year more, regulator Ofgem says.
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lucygobag.bsky.social @lucygobag.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
UK to warn citizens to stock up on food amid threat from climate crisis and hostile states
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beastiebelle.bsky.social @beastiebelle.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
#Amazon are a disgrace. Hoarding books is now an act of rebellion. Sneaky Stinky
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Dr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they) @doctorvive.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
In honor of the death of eternal legend Dolly Parton, here’s her 2023 #ClimateChange anthem “World on Fire.” “Liar, liar, the world’s on fire / What’cha gonna do when it all burns down … Still got time to turn it all around.” 😭💚🙏 m.youtube.com/watch?v=0QJX...
m.youtube.com
Dolly Parton - World On Fire (From The 58th ACM Awards)
YouTube video by DollyPartonVEVO
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Doug Parr @dougparr.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A key political test for new UK PM Andy Burnham is whether to approve Rosebank & Jackdaw oil & gas fields New academic research shows economic damage caused from CO2 produced would be between £119bn and £336bn, compared with estimated £28.7bn economic benefits www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Climate damage would obliterate any economic benefits of new North Sea fields, analysis shows
Exclusive: Economic harm of CO2 pollution from Rosebank and Jackdaw forecast to far outweigh any boost to UK
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Tuesday Adams ™ 🌹 @tuesdayadams111.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Beauty. 🌹
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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Thinking about the UK gov report "National Security Assessment on Global Ecosystems", Feb 2026. The language is incredibly stark. And it's *national security*, not exactly from tree-huggers: "Global ecosystem degradation & collapse threaten UK national security and prosperity... (high confidence)"
gov.uk
National security assessment on global ecosystems (accessible version)
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National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · 24/08/2026
“For generations as a nation we've drained wetlands, straightened rivers and moved water off the land as quickly as possible. Here, we've reversed that approach and the results are remarkable." Aerial images of Holnicote in Somerset reveal the benefits of rewilding: bit.ly/4g9Linx
bit.ly
Rewilded land remains green amid drought-stricken English countryside, images show
National Trust’s Holnicote estate says restored wetlands and rivers offer proof of resilience to drought, wildfires and flooding
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Kevin Wilson @kwilsonhfx.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Shocking.
NTSB graph showing the relationship between miles biked per person per year and cyclists killed per billion miles biked. There's an obvious negative trend (people bike more in place where it's safer to do so.
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Froglife @froglife.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
We’re hiring a Head of Science & Research! Join Froglife and help lead our growing research into UK reptiles and amphibians. 3 days/week | Flexible/home-based Apply by 2nd Sept 2026. ow.ly/rJkH50Zyo6V #ConservationJobs
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Jack Graham @timescarcass.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Yeah, it's important to stress that this kinda stuff is not just evil; it is intellectually worthless, exploded, disproved, crackpot horseshit. We're not avoiding the conversation. The conversation is not worth having. Pretending there's a conversation to be had is deceit and collaboration.
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Liberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Successive Government clampdowns on the right to protest have had a huge impact on the climate movement's ability to participate in protest and other forms of direct action. We spoke to Byline Times about this 'chilling effect'. bylinetimes.com/2026/08/20/w...
bylinetimes.com
Where Are the Climate Protests? Human Rights Group Warns Government Crackdown Is Silencing the Green Movement
Liberty says a slew of new anti-protest measures, including a ban on 'cumulative disruption' are silencing calls for government action to prevent catastrophic climate collapse
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Bunny Bunny training arc @fitterflittermouse.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Your vehicle is never more valuable or important than a cyclist’s life. Slow down. Pay attention. Drive small vehicles.
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This iconic Fabian Todorovic cartoon is still one of the best I’ve seen at illustrating the remarkable amount of space we surrender to cars, leaving little space left for everyone and everything else. The text added later makes the bonus point that many drivers still manage to complain about it.
Cartoon image of a street with much of the space taken up by a car with a single driver, while the rest of the street has people tightly packed in a bus, a bus shelter and riding bikes in a bike lane. Adding insult to injury, the driver says “damn those bike paths and bike lanes taking all the space.”
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LindaFly @lindafly.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
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Emjayess @em-jay-ess.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I knew I saved this for a reason!
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Extreme heat more dangerous for people 60 and over than previously thought - Study finds older adults could face harmful heat stress at just 1.5C of warming above preindustrial levels #climatecrisis www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
Extreme heat more dangerous for people 60 and over than previously thought
Study finds older adults could face harmful heat stress at just 1.5C of warming above preindustrial levels
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 17/08/2026
A few cooler days won't undo weeks of dry conditions. The threat of wildfires remains high. Dry ground and careless behaviour can quickly lead to a fire. Please act responsibly and report any suspected arson to the police.
london-fire.gov.uk
Grass and Wildfires
Wildfires can be devastating. Find out how to prevent them, and what to do if you spot one.
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Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🧵Weather maybe getting cooler, but what has been the impact of recent heatwaves on public attitudes to and salience of climate and net zero? Two thirds of the public say they are worried about hot weather and 86% think climate change at least partially responsible.
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Rupert Read @rupertread.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Bbc #Wato (Jonny Dimond) just did a whole item on the Thames barrier needing replacing early… without once mentioning the >reason< why!: ie Without mentioning human caused climate chaos / sea-level rise. In the middle of this summer of extreme climate impacts, that’s a stunning fail. Pse repost.
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