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Stephen Welch

@welchsfire.bsky.social
22 followers 45 following 5 posts

Fire researcher, Edinburgh Fire Research Centre

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Stephen Welch @welchsfire.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Interesting, but this graph itself should be awarded a low grade for lack of clarity, e.g. text mentions fall in "24/25" but x axis labels are just years, no gridlines so hard to line up anyway, and when you do it seems the "24" data point is coloured with light blue implying it's also a "forecast"?
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Reposted by Stephen Welch
Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 20/05/2026
Shocking stats: Climate change is ALREADY costing the UK £60bn every year, or 2% of GDP Without climate adaptation, this could rise to £260bn (5% of GDP) by 2050, says CCC's Baroness Brown The committee says UK should invest £11bn a year to become more resilient
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Reposted by Stephen Welch
The i Paper @theipaper.com · 01/04/2026
Grenfell was tragic ‘but everyone dies in the end’, says Reform’s new housing chief trib.al/z8SAs1o
inews.co.uk
Grenfell was tragic 'but everyone dies in the end', says Reform's new housing chief
Reform UK's Simon Dudley suggested post-Grenfell safety rules have gone too far
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Stephen Welch @welchsfire.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Nothing to do with your reporting but an example of the complete confusion in many online source of relevant concepts of "flammability", "fire retardance", "flame resistance" and "fire resistance", the distinction is critical to avoid misuse and misinterpretation, much more education needed on this!
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Stephen Welch @welchsfire.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
eg: "Polyurethane foam is typically rated Class 1, an A-level fire-resistance rating, which means it is highly resistant to fire and will not cause any significant damage to structural elements...Polyurethane foam is safe to use in your home and office...a non-toxic material that is flame-resistant"
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Stephen Welch @welchsfire.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
2. “PU foam is often treated with fire-retardant … But untreated, it can be highly flammable” – might imply treatment solves problem, no, all it does is make it harder to ignite and slows initial burning, in a confined environment it will still burn. Internet awash with misinformation on this! [2/2]
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Stephen Welch @welchsfire.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Very good to see this work but there's 2 critical issues here: 1. It is strictly not correct to say "sparklers likely cause of fire"; yes, they may have been main source of ignition, but the real "cause" is the combination of regulatory failures, including any flammable materials installed [1/2]
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Reposted by Stephen Welch
Unofficial BBC Top Stories Bot @bbctopstories.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Elon Musk sparks crisis talks at UK's elite Royal Society
bbc.com
Elon Musk sparks crisis talks at UK's elite Royal Society
The world's most prestigious science institution has been considering whether to remove Musk as a fellow.
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