Samantha Wannop

Huge news from the UK today: after UN climate talks in which there was a massive fight over language on fossil fuels, the UK government today announced that it will in fact be keeping many millions of barrels of oil & gas in the ground. Deeds rather than just words for a change! 🧵

Beyond the negative headlines, some truly good things came out of Cop30 In this week’s newsletter: Ultimately, climate progress will come from real-world action, and this year’s summit made some promising strides on that front

Beyond the negative headlines, some truly good things came out of Cop30

“More than 80 countries supported a transition away from fossil fuels, but were blocked by countries that refused to support this necessary step. More than 90 countries supported improved protection of forests. That too did not make it into the final agreement.” Carolina Pasqualil, Greenpeace Brazil

An actual just energy transition needs two things: a clear plan to get rid of fossil fuels, and serious money for climate adaptation. COP30 ended weak on both.

We do have the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM), but what is a just transition mechanism w/o the money or political will to make it happen?

UK cuts contribution to Aids, tuberculosis and malaria fund by £150m Campaigners say 15% cut, which is smaller than had been feared, is serious setback in efforts to combat the diseases

NEW: UK confirms 15% cut to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria for its next funding round, a decision aid agenices say will result in hundreds of thousands of otherwise avoidable deaths.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Booker prize 2025: the six shortlisted books, reviewed by experts Six works of literary fiction at its most adult.

Six works of literary fiction at its most adult.

BAD NEWS! Should the swift brick vote have taken place earlier today we would have won. Tories whipped YES but by the time of the vote, support had gone home just like 2 years ago. It is an AGONISING reality. Tell your MP & steve.reed.mp@parliament.uk what you think. GUTTED.

UK opts out of flagship fund to protect Amazon and other threatened tropical forests Decision is bitter blow to Brazil ahead of fund’s launch at Cop30 – and an embarrassment to Prince William

UK opts out of flagship fund to protect Amazon and other threatened tropical forests

Very sorry to hear that. Thank you for all you have done

Just come across this fabulous website...

'Rewild Your Street - transforming urban streets for wildlife'

What a wonderful idea... and so many useful resources!

If you want to attract more #wildlife to your garden/street this is a great place to start.

www.rewildmystreet.org

#nature

The world’s energy problem The world faces two energy problems: most of our energy still produces greenhouse gas emissions, and hundreds of millions lack access to energy.

Read our colleague Max Roser’s article, “The world’s energy problem”, for a global perspective on this issue: ourworldindata.org/worlds-energ...

Plans to weaken protections for national parks will have ‘disastrous consequences’ say green groups Exclusive: Letter from 170-plus organisations calls on government to drop proposed changes to planning law

Just extraordinary to witness this nature-hating government sabotaging Labour’s own legacy. And for absolutely no reason: nature protection isn’t blocking development - it’s a necessary prerequisite for it (& for everything else, come to that…)

Rare wildflower bloom blankets Chile's Atacama desert One of the world's driest deserts is transformed into a sea of wildflowers after a rare bloom.

Rare wildflower bloom blankets Chile's Atacama desert

Some good news.

London is meeting legal limits for toxic NO2 pollution for the first time – almost 200 years earlier than predicted – following the Mayor’s "world leading air pollution policies," City Hall announces.

The Ultra Low Emissions Zone - and similar policies - really do work.

Beijing + 30: Looking Back on Women’s Rights, Progress and Backlash Over eleven unusually rainy, cold days in September 1995, around 17,000 delegates from189 governments gathered in Beijing for the Fourth UN World Conference on Women. At the same time, more than 30,00...

The UN commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women today.

Mayra Buvinic looks back at the common history of the global women’s movement and the UN starting in the 1970s, offering takeaways on progress for women framed by this history:
https://bit.ly/46wDBBL

The words we use to talk about nature are disappearing. Here’s why that matters. We’ll need to do more than ‘touch grass’ to revive them.

The words we use to talk about nature are disappearing. Here’s why that matters.

We’ll need to do more than "touch grass" to revive them.

grist.org/language/nat...

#Climate #Language #Words #Dictionary #Environment #Culture #Librarians

Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor): 35cm (13.8in) Photographers Doug Gimsey & Tobias Baumgaertner captured these two widowed fairy penguins looking over the Melbourne skyline. The lighter penguin is an elderly female whose partner died. The darker one is a male who lost his partner 2yrs previously. 🐧

How Sweden’s ‘secondhand only’ shopping mall is changing retail Circular retail is not just about what we buy, but how and where we buy it.

Circular retail is not just about what we buy, but how and where we buy it.

Without nature, there is no economy: www.enlightenmenteconomics.com/blog/index.p...

‘Self-termination is most likely’: the history and future of societal collapse An epic analysis of 5,000 years of civilisation argues that a global collapse is coming unless inequality is vanquished

“But even if you don’t have hope, it doesn’t really matter. This is about defiance. It’s about doing the right thing, fighting for democracy and for people to not be exploited.” Luke Kemp, on his new book Goliath’s Curse.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Half of UK councils still use pesticides in public places, research finds Pesticide-free movement has grown, but many local authorities still spray weedkiller linked to wildlife declines and cancer

More councils are taking action to curb pesticide use on parks, playgrounds, pavements, and housing estates, but legislation is still needed!

My Bill (2nd reading soon) would introduce a national phase-out of pesticide use in public spaces by local authorities.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

🚨 @carolinelucas.bsky.social: “The #CANBill is back in Parliament today. We need to build pressure on the Government to make time for it. If you share my frustration, join the campaign, and make sure the Government hears loud and clear that this is urgent and must be passed into law, now.”

‘Forever chemicals’ in school uniforms could be banned under proposed law Amendments to children’s wellbeing and schools bill call for ban on Pfas and synthetic fibres over health concerns

Today #HouseofLords, my amendment on exposure - with uniforms - of school pupils to micro- & nano-plastics, #PFAS & other chemicals that permeate environment & will be building up in their bodies through life
@bsacandjac.bsky.social @chemtrusteurope.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Clothes from UK brands found discarded in Ghana wetland dumps – video Unearthed and Greenpeace investigation found items from Next, George at Asda and Marks & Spencer on a rubbish dump in a protected wetland in Accra

Brilliant video put together by @theguardian.com from footage we gathered investigating new fashion dumps polluting protected wetlands in Ghana

We found Next, M&S, George garments in the conservation area, and H&M, Zara, Primark in a 3rd dump upstream

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Treasury cuts to cycling and walking budget unlawful, rules Court of Appeal Treasury cuts to cycling and walking budget unlawful, rules Court of Appeal FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10 June 2025 In a historic judgment, the Court of Appeal has today ruled in Transport Action Network’...

Treasury cuts to cycling and walking budget UNLAWFUL, rules Court of Appeal
transportactionnetwork.org.uk/treasury-cut...

Brighton’s fishy past and the Blessing of the Nets An annual event celebrates Brighton's fishing community

A perfect #SundayRead for a rather rainy day in #Sussex - an article about the traditional "Blessing of the Nets" on #BrightonBeach
sussexbylines.co.uk/community/hi...

Why biological diversity should be at the heart of conservation For the last several decades, global biodiversity has been in crisis. Yet, as we celebrate International Day for Biodiversity on May 22, which commemorates the adoption of the Convention on…

For the last several decades, global biodiversity has been in crisis. Yet, as we celebrate International Day for Biodiversity on May 22, which commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity, we offer some recent Mongabay stories highlighting lessons from undoing past harms:

Lithium is the fuel of the future — and one of the biggest lithium deposits in all of Europe resides in Cornwall.

The “white gold rush” has already begun, but the public are set to pay for its development while private firms pocket the profits.

We can fix that. Here's how. 🧵

Everyone should read this.

Stylised print of a tall tree without leaves in a dip between two reddish hills in front of a golden streaked sky

'Sunset Sycamore Gap' etching by contemporary Northumberland based UK printmaker Rebecca Vincent #WomensArt