James Pocklington

Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World a book by Helen Czerski. WINNER OF THE 2024 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION FINANCIAL TIMES 2023 HIGHLIGHT'Helen Czerski weaves together physics and biology, history and science, in a beautifully poetic way.'Professor Alice...

Just seen Ocean in the cinema. It’s a great campaigning film, with crucial footage of the damage that overfishing and especially bottom trawling does. I hope that’s the end of bottom trawling - it’s a horrendous practice.

For the great story of the ocean itself, do read Blue Machine 😉 🌊
#OceanFilm

View through beech woodland in winter with bright sunlight creating long shadows in the clearing between trees

Lots of interesting contrast in this beech woodland west of Louth, Lincolnshire

Actually, this is mostly about infrastructure; if we design for poor behaviour from people driving, that's what we'll get. Most "infrastructure" we see out on streets is to manage or mollycoddle people driving.

If the accreditation means confirmation that the e-bike they're riding is legal, then I'm all for it

Cannonball Gouda?

Six months ago, I wrote that 'the case is settled' for low traffic. It makes our streets safer and our air cleaner. It's effective, affordable, and good for our economy. Every representative poll has shown consistent majority support for low traffic, in Oxford and across the UK. And now we've heard from the citizens' assembly: a robust democratic process involving 40 people, invited by lottery to represent all walks of life. They heard from trades and small businesses. They heard from bus companies and taxi firms. Most importantly, they heard from well-informed experts rather than ill-informed rentaquotes. And having heard evidence from all sides, these ordinary people overwhelmingly agreed that the future for Oxford city centre must be car-free. At the same time, the County Council has published bold visions for city centre streets which put people first. The case is settled. Low traffic is popular and it works. The only question now is: why wait any longer? Owen McKnight Oxford

‘The case is settled. Low traffic is popular and it works. The only question now is: why wait any longer?’

My letter on the citizens’ assembly, in today’s Oxford Mail.

Lincolnshire Rookery

We'd like to make it easier for #gardeners to know when to plant #veg in their regions of the UK. Sign up to our #CitizenScience trial, where we'll be using #beans as a barometer to build a better veg growing calendar 👉https://cognitoforms.com/GardenOrganic1/BuildABetterVegPlanner #VegCalendar

bit.ly/3tgxjGS. Apparently the national average is 27 birds per watcher...I saw 1 :(

Two parts of a cut wooden branch showing smiling faces within the grain

We found this wonder of nature within the lopped branch of a sycamore...this is not the work of AI ,CGI or a permanent marker....just nature wanting humans to smile more and take action to save ourselves while we still have time #embracelife #climatecrisis #actnow

#cycling #bikesnotbombs

Would it matter to family farms if the land was worth less?

Thoughts on the UK farmer rebellion. #farmertax Are farms over valued as an asset for the very reason they currently provide an attractive way to avoid inheritance tax? If that loophole is closed the value of farms will reduce and perhaps better reflect the true profitability of the land for sale.

Thanks 👍...btw any idea when manufacturers stopped using ROC on labels?

Mostly the Wikipedia's entries but thinking there's a lot more to it than that...can you offer some links?

Old box of dominoes with a made in Taiwan R O C label

Found a box of quality dominoes in a local charity shop. Made in #Taiwan ROC label...a small detail that has me researching the strained post war relationship between Taiwan and the mainland. #thingstodoonadayoff

In the Netherlands it is very common to see entire classes out on their bikes with their teachers attending a field trip