Tom Higgs
@thiggs.bsky.social
Reposted by Tom Higgs
Each year “the record” is broken, despite our team thinking “surely the birds can’t possibly fit anymore plastics in their stomachs!”
But then, in 2025, we found 894 plastics inside a single chick that was only 90 days old 💔
📸 caption: worst chicks in 2010, 2015, 2021, 2025
But then, in 2025, we found 894 plastics inside a single chick that was only 90 days old 💔
📸 caption: worst chicks in 2010, 2015, 2021, 2025
September 16, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Each year “the record” is broken, despite our team thinking “surely the birds can’t possibly fit anymore plastics in their stomachs!”
But then, in 2025, we found 894 plastics inside a single chick that was only 90 days old 💔
📸 caption: worst chicks in 2010, 2015, 2021, 2025
But then, in 2025, we found 894 plastics inside a single chick that was only 90 days old 💔
📸 caption: worst chicks in 2010, 2015, 2021, 2025
Reposted by Tom Higgs
The pistachio problem - a fashionable food that's sinking the ground it grows on from its thirst for water.
In a changing climate, carbon footprints don't show everything about how sustainable our food really is.
Pistachios - time to be a treat, not a staple?
theconversation.com/can-producer...
In a changing climate, carbon footprints don't show everything about how sustainable our food really is.
Pistachios - time to be a treat, not a staple?
theconversation.com/can-producer...
Can producers keep up with our hunger for pistachios?
Pistachio production will require even more water use by 2050 if temperatures and greenhouse gas levels continue to rise.
theconversation.com
September 2, 2026 at 9:26 AM
The pistachio problem - a fashionable food that's sinking the ground it grows on from its thirst for water.
In a changing climate, carbon footprints don't show everything about how sustainable our food really is.
Pistachios - time to be a treat, not a staple?
theconversation.com/can-producer...
In a changing climate, carbon footprints don't show everything about how sustainable our food really is.
Pistachios - time to be a treat, not a staple?
theconversation.com/can-producer...
New article out in The Conversation today: climate change-driven droughts and warmer winters will hit pistachio production quite hard
theconversation.com/can-producer...
theconversation.com/can-producer...
Can producers keep up with our hunger for pistachios?
Pistachio production will require even more water use by 2050 if temperatures and greenhouse gas levels continue to rise.
theconversation.com
September 2, 2026 at 8:38 AM
New article out in The Conversation today: climate change-driven droughts and warmer winters will hit pistachio production quite hard
theconversation.com/can-producer...
theconversation.com/can-producer...
Reposted by Tom Higgs
It is no longer enough for a material to be capable of being produced in a climate-neutral way ‘in theory in the future’; it must be low-carbon or carbon-negative right now. THREAD
June 3, 2026 at 10:36 AM
It is no longer enough for a material to be capable of being produced in a climate-neutral way ‘in theory in the future’; it must be low-carbon or carbon-negative right now. THREAD
Reposted by Tom Higgs
Wow, in 7 EU countries aviation CO2 emissions are higher than those from cars, and in countries like Spain, Germany and France still more than 50% of them
And yet in sustainable transport circles aviation remains a bit of a niche topic relative to cars transportenvironment.org/state-of-eur...
And yet in sustainable transport circles aviation remains a bit of a niche topic relative to cars transportenvironment.org/state-of-eur...
August 18, 2026 at 8:37 AM
Wow, in 7 EU countries aviation CO2 emissions are higher than those from cars, and in countries like Spain, Germany and France still more than 50% of them
And yet in sustainable transport circles aviation remains a bit of a niche topic relative to cars transportenvironment.org/state-of-eur...
And yet in sustainable transport circles aviation remains a bit of a niche topic relative to cars transportenvironment.org/state-of-eur...
Reposted by Tom Higgs
The People’s Emergency Briefing has been screened nearly 2,000 times around the UK - and Germany is preparing its own.
The inside story of a climate briefing that made experts cry
The People’s Emergency Briefing has been screened nearly 2,000 times around the UK - and Germany is preparing its own.
l.euronews.com
August 17, 2026 at 5:50 AM
The People’s Emergency Briefing has been screened nearly 2,000 times around the UK - and Germany is preparing its own.
Reposted by Tom Higgs
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
85% of UK farmland is used to feed livestock.
and half of our wheat harvest doesn't feed people, it feeds animals
August 15, 2026 at 11:55 AM
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
85% of UK farmland is used to feed livestock.
and half of our wheat harvest doesn't feed people, it feeds animals
Reposted by Tom Higgs
Not to be some wild-eyed innocent, but I think it should be slightly bigger news that The Lancet have crunched the numbers and found that Musk's USAID cuts will kill 14 million people. And that's just by 2030.
That's 9,600 people a day, every day, until the next world cup rolls around.
That's 9,600 people a day, every day, until the next world cup rolls around.
New estimate of Elon Musk’s death toll just dropped www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
August 13, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Not to be some wild-eyed innocent, but I think it should be slightly bigger news that The Lancet have crunched the numbers and found that Musk's USAID cuts will kill 14 million people. And that's just by 2030.
That's 9,600 people a day, every day, until the next world cup rolls around.
That's 9,600 people a day, every day, until the next world cup rolls around.
Reposted by Tom Higgs
The Haywain 2026
August 13, 2026 at 11:55 AM
The Haywain 2026
Reposted by Tom Higgs
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐭𝐡: 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬
Today is the 'Glorious Twelfth' - the start of the grouse shooting season. But our uplands should be so much more than playgrounds for bloodsports.
Read our article on why it's time to take them back: www.huntsabs.org.uk/grouse-moors...
Today is the 'Glorious Twelfth' - the start of the grouse shooting season. But our uplands should be so much more than playgrounds for bloodsports.
Read our article on why it's time to take them back: www.huntsabs.org.uk/grouse-moors...
Grouse moors in England – let’s take them back! - Hunt Saboteurs Association
The HSA fights on many fronts and, while we have been focussing on hunt opening meets in recent weeks, we don’t forget the injustices taking place elsewhere. With this in mind, moorland campaigner and...
www.huntsabs.org.uk
August 12, 2026 at 10:33 AM
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐭𝐡: 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬
Today is the 'Glorious Twelfth' - the start of the grouse shooting season. But our uplands should be so much more than playgrounds for bloodsports.
Read our article on why it's time to take them back: www.huntsabs.org.uk/grouse-moors...
Today is the 'Glorious Twelfth' - the start of the grouse shooting season. But our uplands should be so much more than playgrounds for bloodsports.
Read our article on why it's time to take them back: www.huntsabs.org.uk/grouse-moors...
Reposted by Tom Higgs
“AI-driven productivity gains in the oil and gas industry will substantially increase global emissions, according to a report led by two former Microsoft employees, outweighing any potential gains from clean energy.”
www.ft.com/content/8f16...
www.ft.com/content/8f16...
AI will boost oil and gas production more than green energy, report finds
Debate over tech impact on greenhouse gas emissions stoked by latest study
www.ft.com
August 11, 2026 at 10:58 AM
“AI-driven productivity gains in the oil and gas industry will substantially increase global emissions, according to a report led by two former Microsoft employees, outweighing any potential gains from clean energy.”
www.ft.com/content/8f16...
www.ft.com/content/8f16...
Reposted by Tom Higgs
European summers aren't what they used to be!
Grey curve is the climate of 1950-90. Every coloured line is a summer since 1991. Every one since 2005 sits beyond the 95th percentile of the curve.
This isn't a shifting #climate. It's already a new one! 🤯🥵
Plot inspired by Barriopedro et al. 2011
Grey curve is the climate of 1950-90. Every coloured line is a summer since 1991. Every one since 2005 sits beyond the 95th percentile of the curve.
This isn't a shifting #climate. It's already a new one! 🤯🥵
Plot inspired by Barriopedro et al. 2011
August 10, 2026 at 7:10 AM
European summers aren't what they used to be!
Grey curve is the climate of 1950-90. Every coloured line is a summer since 1991. Every one since 2005 sits beyond the 95th percentile of the curve.
This isn't a shifting #climate. It's already a new one! 🤯🥵
Plot inspired by Barriopedro et al. 2011
Grey curve is the climate of 1950-90. Every coloured line is a summer since 1991. Every one since 2005 sits beyond the 95th percentile of the curve.
This isn't a shifting #climate. It's already a new one! 🤯🥵
Plot inspired by Barriopedro et al. 2011
Reposted by Tom Higgs
All bodies of water in England polluted with toxic chemicals, official data shows
All bodies of water in England polluted with toxic chemicals, official data shows
Environment Agency assessments find just 14.3% of country’s surface waters in good ecological status
www.theguardian.com
August 6, 2026 at 10:08 AM
All bodies of water in England polluted with toxic chemicals, official data shows
Reposted by Tom Higgs
Animal agriculture’s destructive impact on the planet is clear. Research shows that 90% of water now taken from natural systems for irrigation is used to feed the world’s over 80 billion land animals killed for food each year ✍️Dr Carys Bennett
Wales Is on Fire. Meat is Fanning the Flames
Dr Carys Bennett A mountain is burning on my doorstep. Since 19 July, wildfires have ripped through Mynydd Garnclochdy near Blaenavon. When the smell of acrid smoke drifted across the valleys, it felt...
nation.cymru
July 30, 2026 at 7:48 AM
Animal agriculture’s destructive impact on the planet is clear. Research shows that 90% of water now taken from natural systems for irrigation is used to feed the world’s over 80 billion land animals killed for food each year ✍️Dr Carys Bennett
Reposted by Tom Higgs
We're often told that capitalism and market liberalisation are closing the gap between rich and poor countries, and the old colonial inequalities are fading.
Is it true?
We explored this question in a new paper, just published in NPE. Buckle up for some interesting results! 🧵
Is it true?
We explored this question in a new paper, just published in NPE. Buckle up for some interesting results! 🧵
August 3, 2026 at 9:45 AM
We're often told that capitalism and market liberalisation are closing the gap between rich and poor countries, and the old colonial inequalities are fading.
Is it true?
We explored this question in a new paper, just published in NPE. Buckle up for some interesting results! 🧵
Is it true?
We explored this question in a new paper, just published in NPE. Buckle up for some interesting results! 🧵
Reposted by Tom Higgs
Everything I’ve seen about the spycops inquiry suggests that it was always about bullying, molesting and generally fucking with a bunch of greenies and antinuclear protestors, because they are the kind of people the state can fuck over and stomp on with impunity, for fun.
Undercover police unit closed down over unjustified surveillance, spycops inquiry told
Senior officer behind closure says SDS caused ‘incalculable harm’ by infiltrating groups that posed no threat
www.theguardian.com
August 2, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Everything I’ve seen about the spycops inquiry suggests that it was always about bullying, molesting and generally fucking with a bunch of greenies and antinuclear protestors, because they are the kind of people the state can fuck over and stomp on with impunity, for fun.
Reposted by Tom Higgs
AlphaFold was always bait-and-switch; now Google confirms it. A hyper-narrow bioinformatrics model with actual science bolted on whose guesses can be experimentally checked was never a licence for socially-applied slop at scale, but it's done its job. Effort transferred to LLMs.
July 31, 2026 at 3:58 PM
AlphaFold was always bait-and-switch; now Google confirms it. A hyper-narrow bioinformatrics model with actual science bolted on whose guesses can be experimentally checked was never a licence for socially-applied slop at scale, but it's done its job. Effort transferred to LLMs.
Reposted by Tom Higgs
This is one of the best things I've read in a while about the psychology of car supremacy, and how those of us who even *question* it are viewed as heretics.
Thanks to @pflax1.bsky.social for sending this my way.
Thanks to @pflax1.bsky.social for sending this my way.
We Don’t Have a Culture of Convenience in North America. We Have a CULT of Convenience.
And you can tell the difference by what happens when you question it.
medium.com
July 29, 2026 at 3:15 PM
This is one of the best things I've read in a while about the psychology of car supremacy, and how those of us who even *question* it are viewed as heretics.
Thanks to @pflax1.bsky.social for sending this my way.
Thanks to @pflax1.bsky.social for sending this my way.
Reposted by Tom Higgs
I designed this yesterday (firstly just for myself, out of anger, now I postet it on Insta). Maybe I will print some posters.
July 29, 2026 at 5:49 PM
I designed this yesterday (firstly just for myself, out of anger, now I postet it on Insta). Maybe I will print some posters.
Reposted by Tom Higgs
I've confirmed that the UK's new Sovereign AI Fund does no due diligence on whether AI companies use copyrighted work without permission before investing in them.
It took me 3 Freedom of Information requests to find this out:
🧵 1/10
It took me 3 Freedom of Information requests to find this out:
🧵 1/10
July 29, 2026 at 8:05 AM
I've confirmed that the UK's new Sovereign AI Fund does no due diligence on whether AI companies use copyrighted work without permission before investing in them.
It took me 3 Freedom of Information requests to find this out:
🧵 1/10
It took me 3 Freedom of Information requests to find this out:
🧵 1/10
Reposted by Tom Higgs
Open letter to the PM on Rosebank & Jackdaw oil and gas fields, covered in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Full letter here: climateuncensored.com/letter-to-th...
Full letter here: climateuncensored.com/letter-to-th...
July 27, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Open letter to the PM on Rosebank & Jackdaw oil and gas fields, covered in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Full letter here: climateuncensored.com/letter-to-th...
Full letter here: climateuncensored.com/letter-to-th...
Reposted by Tom Higgs
Remember the “108 ancient woodlands” HS2 was going to destroy?
The actual ancient woodland loss for HS2 in full would be 39 hectares.
This one ancient woodland that Reform wants to destroy is *40 hectares*
This quarry will produce mostly crushed aggregate.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The actual ancient woodland loss for HS2 in full would be 39 hectares.
This one ancient woodland that Reform wants to destroy is *40 hectares*
This quarry will produce mostly crushed aggregate.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Kent council accused of 'ecocide' over Oaken Wood quarry plan
Campaigners are "horrified" by the plans but the council says "no decision has been made".
www.bbc.com
July 27, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Remember the “108 ancient woodlands” HS2 was going to destroy?
The actual ancient woodland loss for HS2 in full would be 39 hectares.
This one ancient woodland that Reform wants to destroy is *40 hectares*
This quarry will produce mostly crushed aggregate.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The actual ancient woodland loss for HS2 in full would be 39 hectares.
This one ancient woodland that Reform wants to destroy is *40 hectares*
This quarry will produce mostly crushed aggregate.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Tom Higgs
If you stood on Briggate at 8am on a weekday in 1957, and stood there again in 2026, in which year could you reach more of the city in half an hour?
Samuel Bancroft has crunched the numbers. Since the 1950s, Leeds has got bigger - but the city has effectively shrunk.
Samuel Bancroft has crunched the numbers. Since the 1950s, Leeds has got bigger - but the city has effectively shrunk.
July 25, 2026 at 9:00 AM
If you stood on Briggate at 8am on a weekday in 1957, and stood there again in 2026, in which year could you reach more of the city in half an hour?
Samuel Bancroft has crunched the numbers. Since the 1950s, Leeds has got bigger - but the city has effectively shrunk.
Samuel Bancroft has crunched the numbers. Since the 1950s, Leeds has got bigger - but the city has effectively shrunk.
Reposted by Tom Higgs
Favorite passage from Life After Cars
July 25, 2026 at 11:27 PM
Favorite passage from Life After Cars
Reposted by Tom Higgs
25 tonnes of nurdles, more than 1 billion nurdles, were spilled into the Tyne last week and are washing up on our beaches, north and south of the Tyne. Likely one of the largest ever plastic pollution events in the UK.
There is remarkably little mention of this on here.
There is remarkably little mention of this on here.
July 26, 2026 at 7:30 AM
25 tonnes of nurdles, more than 1 billion nurdles, were spilled into the Tyne last week and are washing up on our beaches, north and south of the Tyne. Likely one of the largest ever plastic pollution events in the UK.
There is remarkably little mention of this on here.
There is remarkably little mention of this on here.