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Helen

@helengreengray.bsky.social
160 followers 203 following 221 posts

Excellent local gov decarbonisation manager, community energy coop director, general eco botherer

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Reposted by Helen
Tyne and Wear @tyneandwear.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Only 28% of nurdles 'recovered', researchers say #TyneAndWear
bbc.co.uk
Just over a quarter of nurdles cleared after River Tyne spillage
Scientists predict that nurdles will continue to wash up on North East beaches.
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Reposted by Helen
Gregory Norminton @gregorynorminton.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
People support clean energy but think others don't. People support clean air but think others don't. People support low traffic neighbourhoods but think others don't. And they think others don't because vested interests and right-wing media work hard to create that impression.
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Reposted by Helen
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
It’s a mark of the corruption of our whole way of thinking about the world that trying to meet a planetary emergency is routinely described as “ideological”, while continuing to accelerate it is presented as “pragmatic” and “economic”.
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UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
❓Want to know what the options are for the UK's future relationship with the EU?❓ Have a look at our 'UKICE staircase' which sets them out: ukandeu.ac.uk/introducing-... And find more detail in our recent report: 'Ten years on: What next for UK-EU relations?' media.ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/u...
A graphic showing seven different options for the UK's EU relationship: TCA minus, the TCA, TCA plus, Customs union, Swiss-style, EEA and Rejoin.
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Reposted by Helen
Jess McCabe @jessmccabe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Burnham wants a new generation of council housing. But what are local authorities building already? Are they anything like ready to step up to that job? The answers can be found in my latest survey of every council in Britain: www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/bigg...
insidehousing.co.uk
Biggest Council House Builders 2026
Which councils built the most homes in Britain last year? Jess McCabe reveals Inside Housing’s exclusive data
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Potentially transformative of the UK...let's see.
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Reposted by Helen
Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Installing solar panels and a battery in a UK home saves £681 a year on average, the first study of its kind has found: www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
thetimes.com
Solar panels and a battery cut energy bills by two thirds
Private installations reduce costs even during winter months and would pay for themselves in 17 years, researchers found after analysing data from bills
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Necessary but depressing thread.
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Reposted by Helen
WillP @wiilp.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Come on Screwfix, you've cut the power consumption by half, that's amazing! Why the teeny tiny writing, why not shout about it? If you have 5 year old LEDs, it's economic to throw them away and replace with new ones, pays back quickly
2.9 W for 470lm6 W for 470lm
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Reposted by Helen
Le Monde in English @english.lemonde.fr · 27/09/2026
Thousands march for climate across France: 'I wish there were more of us, after the summer we've just had'
lemonde.fr
Thousands march for climate across France: 'I wish there were more of us, after the summer we've just had'
From Bordeaux to Paris, organizers say 120,000 people took part in 260 demonstrations 'for the climate, for life, for peace, for social justice.
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
64 years of (arguably) the environmental movement.
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
MP Chain 🏛️ I recognised 1️⃣3️⃣ MPs in a row. How long is your chain? toys.jamesomalley.co.uk/mpchain/
toys.jamesomalley.co.uk
MP Chain — How many MPs can you recognise?
Pick the named MP from two portraits. One wrong answer ends your chain.
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Reposted by Helen
Guardian Environment @environment.theguardian.com · 23/09/2026
Twenty years after An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore still believes in the climate fight: ‘We are going to win this’
theguardian.com
Twenty years after An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore still believes in the climate fight: ‘We are going to win this’
Former US vice-president still has optimism for climate advocacy two decades after groundbreaking documentary
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Reposted by Helen
Alastair Harper @alastairharper.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Thomas Edison in 1910. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves on this net zero business, lads
Someday some fellow will invent a way of concentrating and storing sunshine to use instead of this old, absurd Prometheus scheme of fire.
I'll do the trick myself if someone doesn't get at it....
This scheme of combustion in order to get power makes me sick to think of—it is so wasteful.... We should utilize natural forces and thus get all of our power. Sunshine is a form of energy, and the winds and the tides are manifestations of energy. Do we use them? Oh no; we burn up wood and coal, as renters burn up the front fence for fuel.
We live like squatters, not as if we owned the property. There must surely come a time when heat and power will be stored in unlimited quantities in every community, all gathered by natural forces. Electricity ought to be as cheap as oxygen, for it cannot be destroyed.
Now, I am not sure but that my new storage battery is the thing. 167
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's awful but I don't even know of a feminist/women's environmental group I can join.
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Reposted by Helen
Guardian Environment @environment.theguardian.com · 22/09/2026
Solar and wind generation meet record 80% of power demand on Australia’s national grid
theguardian.com
Solar and wind generation meet record 80% of power demand on Australia’s national grid
Rooftop solar alone generates more than half of all power used, as clear sunny days and low demand drive record-breaking surge
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Reposted by Helen
Helen @futurestand.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Aaargh! It’s great that medical misogyny has been properly researched like this, but reading about it makes me want to hit things. As the article mentions, it’s not even just that women receive less treatment, we also get ‘accused’ of being anxious. Aaaaaaaargh! www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
theguardian.com
Women with same health conditions as men ‘less likely to be offered active treatment’
Men with heart, kidney or liver conditions more likely to be offered intervention compared with women, global analysis finds
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Reposted by Helen
North East PTUG @northeastptug.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Bus late again this morning? Forced to drive because the journey to work would take twice as long by bus? Well you've only got one more week to have your say in the North East bus branching consultation! Please respond and call for better buses across our region. Link and pointers below!
A graphic reminding people that the consultation closes in one week.
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Reposted by Helen
PluginSolarCalculator.com @pluginsolar.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Lots of questions this week about where plug-in solar panels can be installed. Garden, wall, balcony, shed, flat roof… there are a few options, but planning rules vary depending on where and how the panels are installed. This guide breaks down the main options and the planning rules for each.
pluginsolarcalculator.com
Where Can You Install Plug-in Solar Panels? Planning Rules in England
Understand the planning rules for installing plug-in solar panels on roofs, outbuildings, walls, balconies and garden frames.
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Reposted by Helen
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The money required to build a net zero emission economy really is not far off a rounding error in the grand scheme of things and the vast majority of it is money we need to spend regardless to replace outdated 21st century infrastructure.
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Don't threaten me with a good time etc
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
22 years ago.
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Reposted by Helen
Knepp Wilding @kneppwilding.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
For every euro spent on prevention, four to seven euros in damage could be saved. But this isn't only about economics: it's about protecting the planet for those already living on it. Read the article here: 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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Reposted by Helen
Francis Sealey @globalnet21.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Cutting traffic cuts vandalism, burglary and violence, research shows Researchers analysed data from tens of thousands of households across England, Scotland and Wales to examine how changes in traffic levels relate to how safe people feel in their communities. www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article...
leeds.ac.uk
Cutting traffic cuts vandalism, burglary and violence, research shows
Lowering traffic on urban streets can cut vandalism, burglary and violence, according to a significant new study by Leeds researchers.
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Reposted by Helen
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
A serious democratic society simply cannot allow this. That's £72 million from just two men. (Both, until lately, based overseas). The average UK earner (full-time) would have to work for over 1,800 years to raise that much. It's a nuclear strike on any pretence at the equality of political power
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Reposted by Helen
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Unalloyed good news as order placed for UK's first fleet of battery electric trains. Zero emission services are on their way for the TransPennine lines (in a decade or so's time). www.businessgreen.com/news/4535608...
businessgreen.com
UK's first major battery-electric train fleet to run across Pennines in 'landmark' £1bn deal
Plans unveiled for £1bn investment to build new fleet of 29 battery-electric trains at Alstom's Derby facility, enabling smoother, quieter, faster, and greener travel across the Pennines
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Reposted by Helen
womensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The Bayeux Tapestry, a 70 meter long medieval masterpiece created by artisan women, is actually an embroidery in crewel (wool yarn) on a linen ground. Depicting the Norman conquest of England, it was made in the 11th century & currently displayed at the British Museum #WomensArt
Four images of an 11th century embroidry featuring figures and horses on a light material background
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Reposted by Helen
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Over 90% of suitable commercial rooftops still lack solar installations, despite the potential to lower energy bills, secure pay back periods of circa five years, and provide enough power for 20 million homes. www.businessgreen.com/news-analysi...
businessgreen.com
Are businesses squandering the rooftop solar opportunity?
New report reckons over 90 per cent of suitable commercial roof space still lacks solar installations that could cut energy bills and slash emissions
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Good news!
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Reposted by Helen
Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
It's really hard to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere: removing something so dilute is like removing tiny needles from a gigantic haystack, again & again, at huge energy, financial & environmental cost. Very useful thread here on why we can't just assume CO₂ removal is a magic climate pill:
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Reposted by Helen
Trussell @trusselluk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
It’s #NationalFoodbankDay today but 26 years ago there was no food bank day because there were no food banks. Now, because of the cost of living and our poor social security system there’s more than 1,400.
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Reposted by Helen
Alison Stenning @alisonstenning.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
A 4-minute piece on BBC Breakfast which, whilst also focusing on Port of Tyne, does include coverage of the volunteer effort. The questions at the end are pertinent, in terms of responsibility for the spill. If Port of Tyne staff were supporting the ships in the port, how did this disaster happen?
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Reposted by Helen
laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
If you haven’t read the dedication of Gloria Steinem’s autobiography My Life on the Road, it is really worth taking a second today.
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Reposted by Helen
Lauri Myllyvirta @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
NEW from me: China's CO2 emissions fell by 1% in the second quarter of 2026, as oil consumption plummeted amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis, with EVs and public transport among the key factors. Oil consumption fell by 9% overall and by 16% for transport. 🧵
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Backed up by a free trial and support scheme for SMEs as we did in county Durham years ago @london.gov.uk
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Amusing how often people jump to conspiracy in reality councils don't have the capacity (never mind the will) to conspire at anything, they're too busy and skint trying to keep the lights on.
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Reposted by Helen
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Actual good news. www.businessgreen.com/news/4534899...
businessgreen.com
UK solar installations smash records across the country
Latest government data shows 'record numbers' of solar installations across every UK region so far this year
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Reposted by Helen
Sofia Ropek Hewson @sofiahewson.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Political funding is too concentrated, and we can see large donors buy influence. Most of Reform’s funding has come from donations over £100k. In 2023, nearly a third of all money given to political parties came from nine sources. We need donation caps, so politics can be shaped by voters instead.
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Reposted by Helen
Saganism @sagan.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
"We've arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science and technology. And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces." - Carl Sagan
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Tyne and Wear @tyneandwear.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Major donors help Rothbury Estate bid move closer #TyneAndWear
bbc.co.uk
Rothbury Estate donations help bid move closer
Conservation groups attempting to buy the entire Rothbury Estate have under £4m left to fundraise.
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Reposted by Helen
Oliver Morton, Eater of Sun @eaterofsun.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
According to official statistics, If you include the emissions associated with everything consumed in the UK, no matter where it is made, the total in 2023 (most recent year for which figures are available) is 699 Mt CO2e. That is a 24% reduction since 1990. www.ons.gov.uk/economy/envi...
ons.gov.uk
Measuring UK greenhouse gas emissions - Office for National Statistics
Outline of the three measures of UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: territorial, residence and footprint, used for policies, including domestic and international targets.
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Reposted by Helen
Alison Stenning @alisonstenning.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The companies responsible for the 17-tonne nurdle spill that is polluting England’s north east coast seem to have given up, as they stand insurer-funded clean-up teams down, leaving volunteers and council teams to keep going.
chroniclelive.co.uk
Nurdle fury as clean-up team cut back and volunteers 'exploited'
Volunteers who have devoted thousands of hours to clearing plastic pellets from the North East's beaches after July's nurdle spill are furious after it emerged
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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
This is a huge source of frustration in local gov. Same principle applies to NetZero - take action now to save pain and cost down the line.
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Reposted by Helen
Guardian Environment @environment.theguardian.com · 21/08/2026
Rewilded land remains green amid drought-stricken English countryside, images show
theguardian.com
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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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
But what about China??
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Reposted by Helen
Zach Boren @zdboren.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
as britain endures its worst harvest on record, it's worth knowing: 85% of UK farmland is used to feed livestock. and half of our wheat harvest doesn't feed people, it feeds animals
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 14/08/2026
REMINDER: As UK govt launches consultation on weaker EV targets, worth noting that this could cost consumers £3bn a year by 2030 (cos EVs are far cheaper to own) It could also add 8% to net oil imports and undermine UK's single-biggest climate policy www.carbonbrief.org/...
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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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Helen @helengreengray.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Aye, no rush, in your own time...
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Reposted by Helen
Alison Stenning @alisonstenning.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Will be back nurdling at the weekend, but in the meantime sharing the newest Tyne nurdle spill press release from the North Tyneside community volunteers: docs.google.com/document/u/0... Please share - for media interest but also just so more people know what’s happening.
PRESS RELEASE
Spring tide looms as nurdle volunteers demand more action

North East England - 11 August 2026

• A new spring tide between 14-18 August is expected to bring a fresh wave of nurdles onto beaches. Organisers are urging clean-up volunteers to prioritise these days.
• Volunteers have logged more than 5,300 hours in total, including almost 4,900 hours of hands-on beach clean-up across 2,336 sessions, plus a further 400+ hours of admin and manufacturing work behind the scenes, recovering around half a tonne of nurdles from North East beaches on their own.
• Despite reports the official clean-up operation is making progress, the total weight of nurdles recovered from the river and sea by authorities remains unclear.
• Following the community's open letter, the Port of Tyne has agreed to allow trained volunteers onto the river on Tuesday 11 August - but campaigners say it is not enough.
• Millions of nurdles remain trapped in the river, marinas and harbours, continuing to wash onto beaches from Newbiggin-by-the-Sea to Roker beach.
• Community representatives met Government minister Stephen Morgan when he visited South Shields on Monday to share their concerns.
• Campaigners are backing a UK parliamentary petition calling for mandatory "zero plastic pellet loss" rules, matching new EU law, and are urging supporters to sign before it closes on 13 September.
• The community demands the Environment Agency give the Civil Emergency category to nurdle spill.
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