Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 29/09/2026great to see a communicado official with such prolific use of the term ‘sham’ 000
Reposted by Rob RalstonCenter for Climate Integrity @climateintegrity.org · 28/09/2026Alito’s recusal follows a recent investigation by @consumerwatchdog.bsky.social into his financial ties to the fossil fuel industry — and the warnings he received from ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 that climate deception lawsuits could adversely affect his investments.climateintegrity.orgWatchdog group reveals Justice Alito’s financial, ethical conflicts in Big Oil lawsuit before the court | Center for Climate IntegrityJustice Alito must recuse from Suncor v. Boulder under the court’s own Code of Conduct, watchdog says. 1169
Reposted by Rob RalstonJennifer Clapp 🇨🇦 @jennifer-clapp.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Was happy to speak with Swissinfo about the important topic of corporate power in food systems! Featuring new data too from @etcgroup.bsky.social and insights from Taarini Chopra! www.swissinfo.ch/eng/agribusi...swissinfo.chHow a handful of big agriculture companies have taken over food productionJust a few companies, including Swiss ones, account for a disproportionate share of the market for agricultural inputs like seeds, machinery and chemicals. 02413
Reposted by Rob RalstonKatharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 20/09/2026Elite athletes, musicians, actors & more often use cultural importance as an excuse for why they're exempt from cutting their emissions. In this new analysis led by @manuelsuter.bsky.social, we argue the opposite: visibility and influence should raise the bar, not lower it! Read more:nature.comThe climate responsibility of cultural influencers - npj Climate ActionIn socially influential fields such as elite sport, music, and film, cultural relevance is often invoked as a special moral status that exempts them from genuine emissions reduction. We argue that vis... 933391
Reposted by Rob RalstonManuel Suter @manuelsuter.bsky.social · 21/09/2026People with cultural influence have a special responsibility to act on climate change. This is the central argument of a new Comment we published, together with Pascal Stegmann and @katharinehayhoe.com. www.nature.com/articles/s44...nature.comThe climate responsibility of cultural influencers - npj Climate ActionIn socially influential fields such as elite sport, music, and film, cultural relevance is often invoked as a special moral status that exempts them from genuine emissions reduction. We argue that vis... 04810
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 21/09/2026some staggering quotes in this piece, including the claim by one IPCC scientist that sinply declaring funding from Saudi Aramco resolves any conflict of interest 27336
Reposted by Rob RalstonLondon Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 18/09/2026‘Palantir was willing to spend more on securing political access than almost all of its British and Continental competitors. It made donations to London think tanks and hosted parties at Davos.’ @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and @lucasamin.bsky.social, from July: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...lrb.co.ukPeter Geoghegan and Lucas Amin · ‘This looks absolutely rubbish’: Palantir and the NHSA decade ago Palantir was largely unknown in the UK. It now holds public contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds... 14525
Reposted by Rob RalstonKaren Gregory @karengregory.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Protect African Studies @ Edinburgh docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...docs.google.comProtect African Studies @ Edinburgh 11315
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 17/09/2026spoke to @criticaltakes.bsky.social about plastic waste, corporate power and the upcoming round of UN treaty talks to address the enormous global challenge of plastic pollution podcast available via the link below criticaltakes.org/society-and-...criticaltakes.orgNearly half a billion tonnes of plasticRob Ralston talks to Critical Takes about the role of corporate power in the plastic waste and pollution crisis and the prospects for a global treaty. 021
Reposted by Rob RalstonAndrew Simms @andrewsimms.bsky.social · 15/09/2026It’s not normal in a health & climate crisis to actively promote highly polluting products that make things worse. Congrats to Bristol - the latest city to end ads for things like fossil fuels, flights and SUVs. @badvertising.bsky.social @adfreecities.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukBristol becomes first city to ban fast fashion advertsNew rules prohibits the promotion of flights, cars and travel agents on council-owned billboards. 412655
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 07/09/2026one of the clearest cases of corporate capture you’ll find 021
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 07/09/2026all this depoliticization strategy is going to do, is tacitly legitimize the far-right and erode political engagement from citizens 020
Reposted by Rob RalstonNaomi Klein @naomiaklein.bsky.social · 05/09/2026In our new essay for the @financialtimes.com (you read that right), @astra.bsky.social and I link the extreme weather events we have all been living through to the rise of a new iteration of futureless fascism, wherein the rich and powerful plan for their bunkered survival behind fortressed borders. 391765683
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Its some kind of alchemy that Pablo Torre Finds Out is both incredibly entertaining and serious public interest journalism 010
Reposted by Rob RalstonDes Fitzgerald @desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Nearly 5000 researchers applied for an ERC starting grand in the last round. Just over 400 (less than 9%) were successful. Many people applying are spending up to 12 months working seriously on their application. This is absolutely crazy. erc.europa.eu/news-events/...erc.europa.euERC Starting Grants: €705 million to back Europe's next generation of researchersThe European Research Council (ERC) has today announced the winners of its latest Starting Grant competition. The funding, worth €705 million in total, will go to 421 early-career researchers across E... 33620
Reposted by Rob RalstonPhilipp Golka @pgolka.bsky.social · 01/09/2026How does assetization and assetmanagement inform social conflict? Join us for an online launch event for our NPE special issue "Asset Struggles" on Sept 17th 2PM (German time), featuring: @melindacooper.bsky.social, @jenmcarthur.bsky.social, @benbraun.eurosky.social ⬇️ Signup in post below ⬇️ 13414
Reposted by Rob RalstonArvind Ravikumar @arvindpawan1.bsky.social · 18/08/2026A geologist and a systems engineer walk in to a bar... ...and start arguing about whether we can actually pump enough CO2 underground to hit net zero. That's more or less how this paper got started with @hdaigle.bsky.social. Read on to find more: iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...iopscience.iop.orgCan we sequester carbon fast enough? growing disconnect between models and realityCan we sequester carbon fast enough? growing disconnect between models and reality, Daigle, Hugh, Ravikumar, Arvind P 923064
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 01/09/2026been doing some archival research on recycling as a 'fix' to plastic waste and the parallels with climate delay are striking corporate actors knew that recycling was not a viable or environmentally sustainable solution in the 1970s, but spent millions persuading publics and govts otherwise 1115
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 01/09/2026this is a very insightful thread that I think identifies the core issue with AI use in teaching: students have to be taught traditional research skills before they can assess how to use AI (if at all) in a way that is valuable 2288
Reposted by Rob RalstonLibrary of Congress @librarycongress.bsky.social · 25/08/2026The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of Dolly Parton, a music legend and titan of children's literacy. Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time. 🦋❤️ 194335187160
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 24/08/2026interesting to note the gradual ramping up petrochemical / oil industry campaigns in the run up to another round of UN plastic treaty negotiations 014
Reposted by Rob Ralstonhoneybakedsam.bsky.social @honeybakedsam.bsky.social · 22/08/2026Time once again for one of the canonical soccer Twitter post 211934308
Reposted by Rob RalstonEffin' Birds @effinbirds.com · 21/08/2026Never let a writer help you move 10665951090
Reposted by Rob RalstonGeorge Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 19/08/2026This is what the billionaire press and many politicians were campaigning so hard to destroy. Their freedom to drive took precedence over our children's freedom to thrive. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.comUlez led to better lung size and function among London children, study findsResearchers find capacity stunted by pollution restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone 352264803
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 18/08/2026good piece on the status of the UN plastic treaty, with insights from colleagues from the @scientistscoa.bsky.social an agreement based on the current negotiating text will be little more than a waste management treatytheguardian.comUN plastic treaty is going backwards, experts sayNGOs say agreement held back by tenuous human health commitments and lobbying from plastic industry 044
Reposted by Rob RalstonNaomi Klein @naomiaklein.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Everybody in the "climate space" (which means everyone on earth...) needs to understand these mind-blowing figures. Google's "total electricity consumption jumped from 31 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2024 to 43 TWh in 2025." In ONE year. The AI corporate arms race is eating the world. 7043332446
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 16/08/2026got some new PBT keycaps for my mechanical keyboard 😍 010
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 10/08/2026I worked in bars for several years before (unexpectedly) doing a PhD, and I definitely think doing a different job gives you a sense of perspective being able to research / teach as a profession is a privilege, but there are lots of things I miss about working behind a bar with my mates 120
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 06/08/2026the more I read on prediction markets, the more I think this form of platform capitalism simply cannot be allowed to operatetheguardian.comUS senators urge crackdown on wildfire betting amid warnings of arson riskExperts say growing trend on sites such as Polymarket and Kalshi could motivate people to start fires to win money 110
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Id love to read an academic / advocacy paper on why Edinburgh has systematically failed to address this problem there are some many push factors that should lead to meaningful change (historic, walkable city; tourist destination; good public transport) and yet… 240
Reposted by Rob RalstonProf. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · 05/08/2026“It’s time to make oil giants pay up to repair the climate breakdown they’re driving. Think how many fire and flood defences we could build, or how many solar panels we could install, if big oil paid their fair share in taxes.” www.theguardian.com/business/ng-...theguardian.comRevealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisisIran conflict windfall over three months reignites calls for companies ‘cashing in on human misery’ to pay for environmental damage 10478204
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 05/08/2026LSE are advertising a tenure track position on IPE with a specialism in global environmental politics - rare to see these positions come up, particularly those in GEP link to application form belowjobs.lse.ac.ukAssistant Professor in International Relations / International Political EconomyAssistant Professor in International Relations / International Political Economy, , <p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: black;"> </span></em></p> <p style="text-align: center;"... 01213
Reposted by Rob RalstonOil Change International @oilchange.org · 29/07/20261/6 🚨 NEW REPORT by @amnesty.org & partners, Nigeria: Lifting the Lid, exposes how Shell knew its pipelines were unsafe & allowed environmental damage to continue. Then it sold up to avoid $10.9bn in costs to decommission and clean up assets. 2106
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 01/08/2026this story has revealed a lot about the mindset of figures like Infantino the idea that FIFA can - and should - operate as if it is a transnational corporation with shareholders, is clearly so normalized that it must have seemed inconceivable to senior mgmt that this proposal would be opposed 120
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 29/07/2026one of the fun things about secondhand books is seeing what parts the previous reader found noteworthy 020
Reposted by Rob RalstonCorporate Europe Observatory (CEO) @corporateeurope.org · 29/07/2026EU countries are arguing about how best to weaken its carbon market in line with polluting industry wishes. History lesson: The #ETS' permeability to industry influence filled it with loopholes & meant it rewarded polluters with vast windfall profits for years: corporateeurope.org/en/climate-a... 👇 1127
Reposted by Rob RalstonDamian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 28/07/2026The @theguardian.com view on Europe’s #wildfires: politics must catch up with the new reality - At a time when the quickening pace of global heating has never been clearer, climate policies are being deprioritised #climatecrisis www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comThe Guardian view on Europe’s wildfires: politics must catch up with the new reality | EditorialEditorial: At a time when the quickening pace of global heating has never been clearer, climate policies are being deprioritised 13216
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 25/07/2026picked up this record as a bit of a joke, but listened to it this morning and it’s an absolute belter 030
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 24/07/2026new paper by Jason Hickel and Dylan Sullivan on the myth that poorer countries are 'catching-up' with richer countries through capitalist developmenttandfonline.comThe myth of catch-up development: trends in core–periphery inequality from 1960 to 2023The conventional narrative in international development holds that poorer countries are “catching up” with richer countries through the process of capitalist growth. This paper assesses this claim ... 051
Reposted by Rob RalstonPalok Biswas @pbiswas.bsky.social · 01/07/2026🎉 Our paper is out in Nature Portfolio npj Climate Action! 👉 📃 www.nature.com/articles/s44... 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: The choice of justice framing in climate models fundamentally determines both the global ambition for decarbonization and who bears its burden. 11911
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 23/07/2026will be interested to read Jäger's book based on this piece - his argument that we are living in a period of 'hyperpolitics' is persuasive, but I wonder whether this periodization glosses over contemporary climate / environmental movements that are not as fleeting as he might claim 030
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 22/07/2026great reporting on the litigation brought by Big Food companies against public health policies in battleground jurisdictions while the majority of these legal challenges fail, they should be understood as part of a political economy of delay www.lighthousereports.com/investigatio...lighthousereports.comBig Food vs. The PeopleWe expose Big Food’s 239 lawsuits against life-saving policies 132
Reposted by Rob RalstonCenter for Climate Integrity @climateintegrity.org · 20/07/2026A new poll from @dataforprogress.org and CCI finds that while natural gas greenwashing efforts have been noticeably effective, voters strongly support accountability for natural gas suppliers once they learn about the industry’s history of deception.dataforprogress.orgNatural Gas Accountability Receives Strong National SupportVoters across party lines support accountability for natural gas companies that intentionally mislead the public about the harms of natural gas. 04920
Reposted by Rob RalstonRebecca Leber @rebleber.bsky.social · 20/07/2026A major new investigation out today with new revelations about the oil and gas industry's long-running deception over natural gas. We lay out in new details and documents how big oil and gas manufactured the myth of "clean" natural gas. 819299
Reposted by Rob RalstonStephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 31/05/2026Yes. Using a computer now feels like this at all times. 2140964687
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 19/07/2026this image is even funnier with Infantino's hand just in frame what a farce haha 0152
Reposted by Rob RalstonChris Bertram @crookedfootball.bsky.social · 19/07/2026Ian Wright saying we shouldn’t forget the way the Iranian team and the Somali referee were treated. Correct. 2107532055
Rob Ralston @policyrelevant.bsky.social · 19/07/2026ofc fifa made an incredibly tacky inflatable trophy for trump 001
Reposted by Rob Ralston@AAllenSport @aallensport.arseblog.com · 19/07/2026Looking forward to England arranging a couple of friendlies between now and the end of the month so Declan Rice can get a few more minutes in his legs. 1556855