Sign in

Phil Metcalfe

@philipimetcalfe.bsky.social
863 followers 337 following 64 posts

Nature Based Solutions advisor at the Environment Agency working on a range of Natural Flood Management projects across Devon and Cornwall. Views are most certainly my own.

PostsRepliesMedia
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Amazing habitat and birdlife at the Calstock managed realignment freshwater marsh. Superb effort by colleagues and the landowner to make this a reality 👏
Intertidal freshwater marsh with reedbed and open water habitats on the River Tamar with steep wooded hillside and the village of Calstock in the distance
031
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Fantastic footage and what an amazing beetle. I mistakenly thought that it was restricted to the Cabilla and Redrice Woods area. Lovely to know it's range is greater than that 🙂
120
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Two-thirds of global energy is wasted, mostly as combustion heat. Electrification gets rid of most of that waste rather than replacing it. From my keynote at the Eurelectric PowerSummit.
12371142
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Wonderfully clear and insightful argument. And for the remaining waste heat generated perhaps this technology could come in handy?: youtube.com/watch?v=MuQR...
youtube.com
How the Super Soaker Inventor Just Killed the Steam Engine
YouTube video by Undecided with Matt Ferrell
000
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
www.gov.uk/government/n... Fantastic news 👏 👏👏
gov.uk
Smarter use of government land to support nature and climate
Half a million hectares to help deliver for nature recovery and climate adaptation, strengthening climate resilience
000
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
British summer time 🫠 Well at least the swallows are having a good time. Makes me wonder how they forage across areas where the hedges are cut back to the knuckle every year. They've spent all day circling the trees catching insects. We need more trees across our landscapes!
031
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Marco Petagna @petagna.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
#Metoffice warnings updating for the next few days Heavy rain towards the SW Snow towards the NE of the UK #weatheraware www.metoffice.gov.uk
metoffice.gov.uk
Weather and climate change
Met Office weather forecasts for the UK. World leading weather services for the public.
031
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 08/12/2025
We have various severe weather warnings in place for strong winds and heavy rain associated with #StormBram. Follow these top tips from our partners to help stay safe and be #WeatherReady: 🍃 Wind: bit.ly/3VZqfqU 🌧️ Rain: bit.ly/3iEb7kd
bit.ly
5 tips for staying safe in heavy rain
When there is a rain warning in place, here are 5 tips for staying safe in heavy rain.
2187
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
The speakers messages were very clear. Climate change is all of the below: #climateemergency #foodsecurityemergency #healthemergency #economicemergency #securityemergency
000
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
www.nebriefing.org/open-letter-... please do add your signature to this 🙏
nebriefing.org
National Emergency Briefing
An unfiltered assessment of the latest threats to UK food supply, health and national security from eight leading experts to an invitation-only audience - also covering positive solutions. Westminster...
120
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... When I visit beaver territories in the UK it's so abundantly obvious that they will support rare an common species alike. The extraordinary levels of biomass and habitat heterogeneity are seldom seen in other environments. Great to see it measured!
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Habitat heterogeneity and food availability in beaver‐engineered streams foster bat richness, activity and feeding
Beavers reshape ecosystems in ways that benefit bat richness, activity and feeding activity. We linked increased habitat structures (standing deadwood and canopy heterogeneity) and prey abundance to ...
010
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Martin Lewis @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com · 02/09/2025
Expect your mobile to go off 3pm Sunday! Be prepared for a test of the Govt's emergency alert system. Full info... www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2025/09... LIVING WITH DOMESTIC ABUSE? If you've a hidden mobile, you the link above has details of how to opt out of the alert. Pls share
19391493
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
Yet more land managers recognising the need to tackle climate change and consider change and uncertainty to restore floodplain functionality and improve community flood resilience. A long journey ahead but very exciting!
A large area of floodplain grassland with riparian trees lining the river banks and wooded farmland on rising land in the background
120
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Alan Puttock @alanputtock.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
New PhD funding opportunity: Quantifying natural flood management through peatland restoration in the upland moorland environment (Physical Geography @exeter.ac.uk ) @dpanici.bsky.social @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social @uoe-creww.bsky.social www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
exeter.ac.uk
Quantifying NFM through peatland re | University of Exeter
The University’s Department of Geography invites applications for a PhD studentship funded by the Environment Agency and South West Water and the University of Exeter to commence as soon as possible t...
1912
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
"Through the death of a million ash trees, a more resistant population of ash is appearing." Spectacular news!! www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘New hope’: ash trees rapidly evolving resistance to dieback, study reveals
Subtle DNA changes in trees demonstrate Charles Darwin’s natural selection – although human help may be needed
030
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
I will be delivering a seminar on #OurFragileMoments at the @exeter.ac.uk, UK on Thursday, May 8th from 4-5PM local time: www.exeter.ac.uk/events/detai...
exeter.ac.uk
Details | University of Exeter
65316
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Sean Carroll @seanmcarroll.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
The reality of sex and gender is complicated. It calls for nuanced examination and thought. The public sphere is terribly bad at this. Add in the close ties between gender and people's self-image, and the issue is ripe for demagoguery. Or you could just be kind to people different from you.
1829555
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 15/03/2025
I’m am adaptation scientist and here’s what I had to say about this—many years ago already.
theguardian.com
We cannot adapt our way out of climate crisis, warns leading scientist
Katharine Hayhoe says the world is heading for dangers people have not seen in 10,000 years of civilisation
20555184
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Elliot Swartz @elliotswartz.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
People are afraid of lab-grown meat because everyone keeps calling it lab-grown meat People will stop being afraid of it when they try it and realize it tastes good But politicians can't keep interfering with the freedom to try it in the first place www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/s...
nytimes.com
Who’s Afraid of Lab-Grown Meat?
Mississippi became the third state to ban cell-derived meat, a product not for sale in the United States. But not all livestock producers are opposed to cultivated protein.
1113
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
IUCN UK Peatland Programme @iucn-uk-peat.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
📣 New publication! Our latest #Briefing document, covering the issue of tracks and roads on peatlands, is now available on our website. Read Networks of change: Tracks and roads on peatlands bit.ly/3Fx9xMq #Policy #Science #Peatlands 📷 Richard Lindsay
Tracks on a peatland
132
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
Great resource, thank you for sharing! Will be interesting to ask questions and apply some of the findings across Dartmoor 🙂
010
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Labour MP Richard Burgon raises looming welfare cuts during PMQs, criticising the “easy option” of cutting benefits for the poor and vulnerable: “So instead of cutting benefits for disabled people wouldn’t the moral thing to do…introduce a wealth tax on the very wealthiest people in our society”
523651
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
🌞 Solar just keeps getting better! The latest NREL PV efficiency charts highlight record-breaking solar tech: ⚡ 33.9% – Longi’s perovskite-silicon tandem ⚡ 27.09% – Longi’s heterojunction back-contact ⚡ 23.64% – First Solar’s thin-film CIGS ⚡ 47.6% – Fraunhofer ISE’s four-junction cell
816746
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Martin Lewis @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com · 03/03/2025
Pls help me spread word tomorrow (Tue) 8pm on ITV I'll be talking you through how to check if you can boost your State Pension by possibly £10,000s. There is an urgent deadline coming after which many lose the opportunity. This is a must watch for anyone age 40 to 73.
15251114
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
The magic thing about a few sunny days in a row, is knowing that the night sky will be wondrous ✨
Trees in flower with a blue and partially white cloud sky in the background Crescent moon and Venus in the late evening sky with silhouetted trees in the foreground
080
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Huge news!! 🥰🥳 naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2025/02/28/b...
naturalengland.blog.gov.uk
Beaver wild release: a milestone for nature recovery in England
By Stuart Otway, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Complex Cases Unit and Delphine Pouget, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Species Recovery & Reintroductions Team  After centuries of absen...
000
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 26/02/2025
NEW: Official advisers CCC say UK shld cut emissions 87% by 2040 ⚖️Net cost of net-zero 73% less than thought 💷Total cost to 2050 = £108bn (~£4bn/yr, 0.2% GDP) 🏡🚗H’hold energy/fuel bills to fall £1,400 🔌Electrification is key THREAD + charts www.carbonbrief.org/... 1/10
16534309
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Great book. Great chapter. Grotesque men.
150
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Alan Puttock @alanputtock.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
#beaver droning with Devon Wildlife Trust today. Amazing seeing the dams and wetland spread all the way across the valley bottom now at this site #NatureBasedSolutions @exeter.ac.uk @uoe-creww.bsky.social
316450
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
NT Arlington in North Devon is absolutely awash with them ❤️ Especially along the floodplain of the Barnstaple Yeo river. Perhaps one to add to the map?
020
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Facinating new tool to investigate the environmental, social and economic benefits of agroforestry from the University of Illinois 🌳🐄🌳🌾 I'll be diving into the platform to see how it works. Interested to see if we should pilot a similar platform here in the UK? #agroforesty phys.org/news/2025-02...
phys.org
New agroforestry maps plot environmental, social and economic benefits of trees
There's a longstanding attitude in many farming communities that trees and agriculture don't mix. But agroforestry—the intentional integration of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems, such as plan...
051
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Landscape character, historic environment, common land, designations, habitat homogeneity etc don't make delivery of grants terribly easy either.
000
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Fantastic word! And much needed after the cold winds of late 🙏
010
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
My better half and I had this very conversation yesterday. An extraordinary act of self harm, were it not in the pursuit of greater riches?
000
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
Hey, folks, do you want to follow real, science-based solutions to climate change? Especially in these dark times? Then please follow @projectdrawdown.bsky.social and sign up for our newsletter! We will be your fearless, fact-based source of climate solutions! Let’s go!
210529
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
Wonderful shot! And a wonderful place. My wife and I went on honeymoon there (staying in Campione d'Italia). We want to retire there!
110
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
Fantastic photos! Really impressive to wood pasture at these scales!
010
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
A vision of what the UK could become 🤞... If the agroforestry grant scheme and farm advisory network support farms to move in a more resilient and sustainable direction.
031
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
72 species of saproxylic beetles!! 🤯 👏👏 Dead wood is surely one of the most undervalued biodiversity treasure troves of habitats! 😍
020
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Let the avalanche of false promises coming to light commence 🏁
000
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
👏👏👏💪
010
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
UK food security 2024 (links to full report). Climate shocks continue to threaten domestic food supply as well as global imports. Drought and water stress on Spanish produce particularly worrying 🙈 The race is firmly on to improve domestic resilience and sustainability. www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
UK Food Security Report 2024 published
UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published the UK Food Security Report 2024
052
Reposted by Phil Metcalfe
Rémi Cardinael @remicardinael.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
#JustOut Modeling carbon sequestration in soils and biomass in heterogeneous #agroforestry systems? See our new study using the DayCent model on 5 temperate silvoarable and 1 silvopastoral systems @usyseth.bsky.social @johansix.bsky.social @cirad.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...
0142
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
Logged forests might not be the end of the road for biodiversity in tropical forest ecosystems! Wonderful study highlighting high levels of biodiversity when left to regrow. Its hard not to get a little bit Jeff Goldblumy when you read such things 😪 theconversation.com/nature-benef...
theconversation.com
Nature benefits when logged tropical forests are left to recover – here’s how
While tropical forests are home to rare species, logged forests still feel and sound like forests, while oil palm plantations are agricultural landscapes.
010
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
Great news! It fascinates me that they maintained their position on hydrogen for so long despite the rise and inimitable success of electric vehicles. It also surprises me how many sensible people I know still maintain that hydrogen is the future, is it a fixation with fuel pumps?
0100
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
3️⃣
000
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
Fantastic, I'll reach out tomorrow. And thank you for the cordial exchange, it reminds me of how nice this place is.
030
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
It would be great to hear your thoughts more on this, perhaps we could have a call at some point? Many thanks, Phil
130
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
I appreciate that there is a lot of technological ground to make up, and I am by no means a an expert on the matter, but if we dismiss controlled environment agriculture as a viable option, we are surely leaving ourselves susceptible to issue with food supply in the future.
120
Phil Metcalfe @philipimetcalfe.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
In fact, there is evidence that we'll need to further industrialise agriculture if we want to meet the food requirements of 10+ billion people by 2050. Pair that with climate uncertainty and things look bleak.
120