John Butler

The UK still needs HS2, delivered in full. There's no viable alternative.

Me, from years back, making this point:

If you're not familiar with @thedailytism.com , I HIGHLY recommend becoming familiar with them. They're brilliant. Searingly funny, on a daily basis, making the world better one highly-entertaining satirical article at a time. Having now worked with them, I can confirm they're also just top humans.

Advertorial: Whaaat? This cishet autistic white dude with beard actually has Edinburgh show worth seeing A cisgender, heterosexual autistic white guy with a beard has wowed commentators by having an Edinburgh Fringe show that people actually want to go and see on purpose, it has been claimed.  Do Zombies...

For better or worse I've shared this from @thedailytism.com on my LinkedIn so I might as well share it here too. I am a sensible professional consultant. I'm also a creator of darkly funny musical shows about zombies (@the-woodlouse.bsky.social ). Both are true! thedailytism.com/advertorial-...

I find internal overheating hardest to cope with when there's no air movement. On a breezy day I prefer to keep windows a little open as the cross ventilation makes it feel cooler. Today is still and feels airless, so I'm shifting to closing the windows and breaking out the fan.

It's national Get That Slightly Squeaky Fan Out of the Loft Day for those of use that don't live in a house where overheating risk was properly considered. It's already 24° in my office but the air movement from the fan helps it feel more comfortable, squeak not withstanding.

This episode is amazing. If you want to know what it’s actually like being autistic (as opposed to the stereotypes) it’s a must-listen. I’m autistic & this episode is just about the most validating thing I’ve listened too, ever.

Also, effing funny. Also the best (wholly justified) righteous rants.

It’s definitely decidedly weird, architecturally. My heart sinks a little everytime it starts to loom out the landscape as I drive to Dorchester.

This!

Migrants have not done “incalculable damage to our society”. People scapegoating, othering, and encouraging hatred of migrants (and others) *have* done that.

UK MPs:

1. The Supreme Court ruling is not "the law", nor has it changed existing legislation.

2. The EHRC's interim update is also not "the law". It isn't even "guidance".

3. The upcoming EHRC guidance, likewise, is not "the law". Again, the legislation hasn't changed.

1/

Love this chart

Good things:
1. Finally able to concentrate on work again enough to make progress through the first of several late reports
2. Coffee break in the sun outside my back door, staring at the sky
3. See my first swift of the year gliding about above
4. See a Kite (the bird variety) drifting about above

A half-dismantled workstation, with empty screen stands still reaching out above a desk, with one computer monitor facedown on the desk below it. Various books and albums are visible, including a PHPP manual to the left of the desk. Pots and speakers are on the shelves behind.

Workspace officially decommissioned until after house move next week! Hopefully up and running again with minimal delay. Brace, brace.

This analogy definitely works if your kid has a disability or health condition that means they can’t get a Saturday job and if they don’t get a Saturday job, you let your kid starve to death

It also features an excellent introduction to heat pumps from Paul Rychnovsky. He managed to explain the functioning of them so clearly that I actually understood it properly at last :-D

YouTube video by Dorset CAN Dorset Retrofit Reimagined: Building Skills for a Retrofit Future - Webinar 2

The recording of my recent webinar is now up. It's a an overview of some key retrofit physics and what that means practically onsite for installers and for successful low energy retrofit.

youtu.be/ca1rPFt51a4?...

SBUK’s latest webinar, this lunchtime

Heads-up that I've changed my bluesky handle to @jbsustbuild.bsky.social from @thewoodlouse.bsky.social to avoid confusion with my creative alter ego (@the-woodlouse.bsky.social). It's always possible that this will make things worse, but at least I've tried!

Potentially combinations of them all, depending on the day.

Excellent investigatory air / smoke test and thermal image survey by @thermalimageguy.bsky.social . Very thorough, very clear, and incredibly helpful!

Watching a very depressing but incredibly useful smoke test video of a post retrofit house. Lots of leakage at floor to wall junction (suspect leakage through floor, and wall not properly sealed to floor), and a fair bit around windows (both through window seals, and join of window to building).

Outstanding work here from @thedailytism.bsky.social

EPDs & straw 🌾 what do they tell us about embodied carbon? 🌍

Watch our latest webinar with @thewoodlouse.bsky.social
🎥 ➡️ youtu.be/rCIBXu-LKaQ

#strawconstruction #embodiedcarbon #epds #sustainablebuilding #biogeniccarbon

Timber framing or load-bearing straw bale?

🌿🏗️ 25th March, 1pm - 2pm, Hawkland will explore their approach to timber framing for straw bale builds, using their latest project as a case study.

🎟️ Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/timber-fra...

#strawbalebuilding #timberframing #naturalbuilding

Latest ‘everything in life can be related back to something Douglas Adams wrote’ moment: managed to include in a talk about retrofit, carbon emissions, and building physics, a reference to Dirk Gently, the importance of a holistic approach and the interconnectedness of all things.

Radio 4 continuity announcer waiting just long enough after the 6 O’clock news failed to appear to make me start to wonder whether the shit had finally *really* hit the fan, apocalypse wise

A quick overview of EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) & a look at what the UK Straw EPD says about the excellent environmental credentials of straw as a building material.

Also covers how biogenic (plant-based) carbon storage *should* be accounted for and a brief look at straw availability

Imminent! I’ll give a broad overview of how to read EPDs, what goes into making them, and then delve into the low environmental impact of straw

trans folk are worth fighting for with no other reason than common humanity, but that obviously isn't enough for some people, so shove the evidence in their faces. it has to be LGB WITH the T. Has to be.

Periodic shout-out for the glorious genius of @thedailytism.bsky.social They make me guffaw in an ungainly manner on a daily basis, and help make life better by providing much needed relief from the awfulness of the General State of Things (GSoT), often whilst also commenting on the GSoT