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James Heydon

@jheydon.bsky.social
811 followers 824 following 37 posts

Associate Prof. in #Criminology at the Uni of Nottingham. Environmental harm, deviance and regulation. Currently focusing on #airquality and #airpollution.

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Reposted by James Heydon
Nathan K. Hensley @nathankhensley.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Weird not to see real estate expansion projects, chatbot TAs, or ed-tech privatization on this report of what makes university experience valuable to students
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Doctors and Scientists Against Wood Smoke Pollution @dsawsp.org · 14/05/2026
“The BMJ’s findings are a warning, not just for England but for Europe. When industry funds its own research and selectively presents the results, people lose access to accurate information about risks that affect their health every day.”
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James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Record all lectures, provide assessment questions in advance, allow widespread use of AI for most tasks & don't require attendance...who would have thought it? #academia #highered
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Mums for Lungs @mumsforlungs.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
This government committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever - yet this isn't achievable without strong action to reduce #AirPollution. Thanks to @fionaharvey.bsky.social for covering our letter to Keir Starmer calling for a Clean Air Act.
theguardian.com
Labour must fulfil promise to introduce clean air act, charities urge
Party held out prospect of act while in opposition but plan did not make it into election manifesto
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Thomas Penny @thomaswpenny.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
If anyone in government has a few minutes to run the country in between plotting leadership challenges, could they please cast their eye over the devastation of Higher Education in the UK. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
Thousands of University of Nottingham staff told they are at risk of redundancy
Institution says it could run out of money by 2031 and wants to cut more than 600 academic and support posts
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Michael Merrifield @astromikemerri.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
How totally totally crass to find the destruction of the thousand careers of a thousand dedicated staff “exciting.” 1/3 www.timeshighereducation.com/news/notting...
timeshighereducation.com
Nottingham ‘would run out of money’ by 2031 without further cuts
Vice-chancellor defends deep job losses at embattled institution, insisting restructure will help it adapt to changed environment in higher education
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Men are extremely keen to explain to me that Britain *needs* a domestic steel production plant and doesn't necessarily *need* universities. Okay. Steel contributed about £1.7bn to the UK economy in 2024. Universities contributed more than £200bn.
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
A good chance to share my colleagues' work on how being in a car makes streets feel more threatening www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Hoody, goody or buddy? How travel mode affects social perceptions in urban neighbourhoods
When travelling through a new environment people can and do make very quick judgements about the local conditions. This paper explores the idea that s…
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Leana Hosea @leanahosea.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
People living in areas with elevated air pollution are 11% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than those living in areas with cleaner air, study finds. The sharpest differences were for liver, colorectal, kidney, lung + bladder cancers. www.euronews.com/health/2026/... 🧵1/9
euronews.com
Air pollution raises cancer risk beyond the lungs, report warns
Breathing polluted air significantly increases the risk of developing and dying from multiple cancers - including liver and breast cancer - according to a new report calling for stricter air quality s...
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Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Hannah Healy set out to investigate air pollution from a family wood burning stove..... www.which.co.uk/news/article...
which.co.uk
Is my wood burner damaging my health? I tracked pollution in my home to find out - Which?
A growing body of evidence suggests that wood burners could be bad for our health - I tracked pollution from my stove to investigate its impact
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Emma Ischinsky @emmaischinsky.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
The first paper of my dissertation is published now in @sociologyjnl.bsky.social! Press coverage of the richest Germans is rare but focused on a minority of highly visible individuals and varies along the historical origins of fortunes. doi.org/10.1177/00380385261428292
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Internet Archive @archive.org · 12/04/2026
“We are collateral damage.” - Mark Graham, Wayback Machine When preservation is caught in the crossfire, it’s not just libraries that lose—it’s the public’s access to history, knowledge, and truth. The web shouldn’t disappear behind closed doors. ➡️ www.sfexaminer.com/news/technol...
sfexaminer.com
Publishers’ AI battle hits Internet Archive
SF organization losing access to some news content
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 19/03/2026
😬UK gas prices just hit highest level since 2022😬 At current prices… * New wind & solar from latest "AR7" auction would cut the bill for UK gas imports by £5.5bn/y * A single (1) home heat pump would cut bill for gas imports by more than £600/y www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why...
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Elise Wang @elisewang.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
My book is (FINALLY!) back in stock! If you're interested in the medieval origins of how we think about criminal guilt (with lots of little medieval stories), this is for you. tinyurl.com/bdy4v3np
A watercolor green book cover with a figure of Felony hanging herself. Title: The Making of Felony Procedure in Middle English Literature
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Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
In the last 10 years, we have learned that air pollution is linked to cognitive decline and dementia. But bold policies can improve the air that we breathe. Ajit Niranjan reports on progress on #airpoolution on the Breathe Cities and @c40cities.bsky.social networks.
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
It makes zero logical sense to require speed limiters on e-scooters & e-bikes but not SUVs that weigh 100x more. Useful research here. findingspress.org/article/1587...
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Analysis: Clean energy will cut UK gas imports by [much] more than North Sea drilling #energy By @daisydunne.carbonbrief.org et al www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why...
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Harvey J. Miller @mobileharv.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Interventions such as cycle lanes, uptake of electric cars and restrictions on polluting vehicles helped to drive the improvements in air quality
theguardian.com
London, San Francisco and Beijing achieve ‘remarkable reductions’ in air pollution
Cycle lanes, electric cars and other interventions have helped 19 global cities slash levels of pollutants by more than 20%
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James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
📢 A very thorough piece of investigative journalism here from the British Medical Journal. Not a good look for certain industry players. Read more: www.bmj.com/content/392/... #airpollution #airquality #woodburning #publichealth
bmj.com
The growing threat of domestic wood burning stoves—and industry’s legal attempts to shut down clean air campaigns
As public health officials warn about rising emissions from urban wood burning, a BMJ investigation finds that just under a third of councils in high use areas have faced pressure from the stove indus...
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Rosaleen Duffy @rosaleenduffy.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
1/ Calling all ECRS - we have 4x 3 year post docs on Multispecies Mutualisms working with us at Sheffield. Don't want to read through all the stuff to work out if its right for you? Here is a short video explainer 🎥 digitalmedia.sheffield.ac.uk/media/Multis...
digitalmedia.sheffield.ac.uk
Multispecies Mutualisms - Join Our Research Team!
We’re hiring 4 Postdoctoral Research Associates (PDRAs) In this video, members of the team share insights into four exciting PDRA opportunities currently available. If you are ready to take the next s...
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
New study of media collision reporting from @patrickrerat.bsky.social "Cyclists are placed at the center of the narrative, while motorists are either omitted or reduced to their vehicles... Making these biases visible is essential for challenging motonormativity" findingspress.org/article/1575...
findingspress.org
Blaming Cyclists, Invisibilising Drivers: How Motonormativity Shapes Swiss Media Collision Reports | Published in Findings
By Lucca Reymond, Patrick Rérat. In Swiss media reports on collisions between cyclists and motorists, cyclists tend to be foregrounded, while motorists are often rendered invisible. Such reporting imp...
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Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Tackling residential wood combustion "could lead to outsized improvements in air quality.” An opportunity to reduce the toll of 8,600 premature deaths each year in the US and 2,600 in the UK. My latest piece for @theguardian.com. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Wood burning pollution leads to 8,600 premature US deaths a year, study finds
Wood is primary heating in 2% of homes but contributes to producing 21% of country’s wintertime particle pollution
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James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
With new UK consultations open on air quality and domestic #woodburning, I am resharing an article I wrote for The Conversation on wood-smoke, PM2.5 and the limits of current regulation. theconversation.com/wood-burning... #publichealth #airquality #cleanairnight
theconversation.com
Wood-burning stoves face new restrictions – but a loophole from Britain’s smog years is fuelling the problem
The UK wants cleaner air. But its rules are stuck in the age of smog.
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Emma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Ok, let’s do this🙄 We’ll start with an explainer covering: 🕒What is a 15-minute city 🏫What on Earth is going on with Oxford 👽Where the conspiracy theories have come from And then we’ll look at the Telegraph article 🧵 1/25
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Mums for Lungs @mumsforlungs.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
A reminder that we have an #AirPollution UK starter pack. Please use and share!
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James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
With new UK consultations open on air quality and domestic #woodburning, I am resharing an article I wrote for The Conversation on wood-smoke, PM2.5 and the limits of current regulation. theconversation.com/wood-burning... #publichealth #airquality #cleanairnight
theconversation.com
Wood-burning stoves face new restrictions – but a loophole from Britain’s smog years is fuelling the problem
The UK wants cleaner air. But its rules are stuck in the age of smog.
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James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
I remember @rcrohit7.bsky.social and I recommending this back in our 2020 indoor emissions study (doi.org/10.3390/atmo...). Feels like a lifetime ago, but great to see some action on the issue #cleanairnight #woodburning #airquality #airpollution
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
ICYM - Wood-burning stoves face new restrictions – but a loophole from Britain’s smog years is fuelling the problem, writes @jheydon.bsky.social #airpollution theconversation.com/wood-burning...
theconversation.com
Wood-burning stoves face new restrictions – but a loophole from Britain’s smog years is fuelling the problem
The UK wants cleaner air. But its rules are stuck in the age of smog.
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Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
"Recognising that wood-burning stoves are not harmless appliances is the first step in reducing exposure" - @jheydon.bsky.social Wood burning and cooking are big sources of indoor #airpollution. My latest for @theguardian.com, in case you missed it. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Staying at home could leave you exposed to indoor air pollution, study reveals
Secondhand tobacco smoke and routine tasks such as operating the stove shown to be biggest emitters of indoor pollution in UK homes
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Reposted by James Heydon
Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Being indoors can give us some protection from outdoor air pollution, but it also traps pollution produced inside our homes. "Consider not lighting fires when children, or people with health conditions, are in the same room" @jheydon.bsky.social Piece by me. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Staying at home could leave you exposed to indoor air pollution, study reveals
Secondhand tobacco smoke and routine tasks such as operating the stove shown to be biggest emitters of indoor pollution in UK homes
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
NEW RESEARCH: UK heat pumps can perform far better than many think. Our analysis of HeatPumpMonitor.org data shows well-designed systems achieve ~40% higher efficiency than past trials (SCoP 3.86 vs 2.81), cutting bills (~£224/yr) and emissions. Open access: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
As #woodburning starts up again and the nights draw in, it's worth sharing this again. A lot can be done between no regulation on the one hand and total bans on the other 🔥 🔥 🔥 #airquality #airpollution #particulatematter #emissions #autumn #winter #publichealth airqualitynews.com/health/whats...
airqualitynews.com
What’s to be done about the UK’s Wood Burning Stove Problem?
Dr James Heydon is an Assistant Professor in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham. His research centres on how formal and informal social controls can be used to a...
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Naomi Oreskes @naomioreskes.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
If you think mis- and disinformation is no big deal , read this: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Relative engagement with sources of climate misinformation is growing across social media platforms - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Relative engagement with sources of climate misinformation is growing across social media platforms
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Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 06/09/2025
Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia: doi.org/10.5281/zeno... We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity. 1/n
Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or
even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in
the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or
apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we
are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not
considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This
is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse
and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece,
we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology
industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to
relevant work to further inform our colleagues.Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI
(black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are
in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are
both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and
Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf.
Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al.
2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA).Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms
are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe.Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles
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Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Burning ban on deep peat comes into force at the end of the month. Piece by Helena Horton. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
theguardian.com
Burning on England’s deep peat banned
New rules come into force from 30 September in order to restore habitats and reduce flooding
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Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
Yep. "…clear that fossil-fuel companies, and their adjacent organizations, are the primary lobbyists for CCUS subsidies and that these subsidies benefit fossil-fuel companies at the expense of both taxpayers and the future health of our planet" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Tracing sources of funds used to lobby the US government about carbon capture, use, and storage
Analysis of U.S. federal lobbying disclosures from 2005 through 2024 identifies the fossil fuel sector as the primary force behind a multipronged $954…
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Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
How did the ‘Island of Strangers’ speech impact Labour support? Negatively, especially among 2024 Labour voters.
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
"UK government trial of M365 Copilot finds no clear productivity boost" www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/m...
theregister.com
M365 Copilot fails to up productivity in UK government trial
: AI tech shows promise writing emails or summarizing meetings. Don't bother with anything more complex
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Nicola Carr @nicolacarr.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
Important information for anyone attending the European Society of Criminology in Athens and for members of ESC. Petition outlines serious concerns. Consider what you can do to support 👇👇 👇#eurocrim
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Science Magazine @science.org · 29/08/2025
The population directly exposed to wildland fires increased by 40% globally from 2002 to 2021, according to a new study in Science. scim.ag/4oUL1Y1
scim.ag
Increasing global human exposure to wildland fires despite declining burned area
Although half of Earth’s population resides in the wildland-urban interface, human exposure to wildland fires remains unquantified. We show that the population directly exposed to wildland fires incre...
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Simon Birkett, Clean Air in London @cleanairlondon.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Top story: #Beddington Incinerator broke #AirPollution limits 916 times www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Croydon incinerator broke pollution limits 916 times in two years
The Environment Agency are currently considering enforcement action against the operator, Viridor.
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Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Perceptions have real effects www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-insti...
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Ian Carrillo @iansociologo.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
Many measurements of AI's carbon footprint just focus on data centers. But this narrow approach obscures other emissions that AI facilitates. If Shell is using AI to support fossil fuel extraction and burning, then why not include that in AI's carbon footprint? www.shell.com/what-we-do/d...
shell.com
Artificial Intelligence | Shell Global
Find out how Shell works with Artificial Intelligence: from machine learning to computer vision, from deep learning and virtual assistants to robotics.
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Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
New piece on Carbon Colonialism, net-zero nonsense, and how the UK Government's climate advisors (and many experts) shy away from speaking truth to power. We need a fundamental reboot of climate policy; - physics doesn't care about political sensibilities. theconversation.com/the-uks-year...
theconversation.com
The UK’s year of climate U-turns exposes a deeper failure
Breaking free of the dangerous pretence that current efforts suffice demands a fundamental rethink of the UK’s climate policy consensus.
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Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
Let's be clear: all the AI in edtech stuff (Canvas, Blackboard, Grammarly, Duolingo, OpenAI, the rest) is all about the "lock-in" - locking in students as subscribers or institutions via long-term license agreements for value generation. Is there good pedagogic evidence for it? No.
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Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
“More pollutants are being released ... from rockets and satellites than ever before. We’re in uncharted territory, as humans have never added this much pollution to the upper layers of the atmosphere." - Prof Eloise Marais @ucl.ac.uk Piece by me www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Scientists call for action to address air pollution from space launches
Satellite mega-constellation missions behind threefold increase in emissions of climate-altering soot and CO2
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