John Russell

I went to Jodrell Bank as a boy in the '50s/early '60s and remember in the visitor centre hearing the regular pings of Sputnik 1. It was probably a recording but, still, it made a vivid memory.

As Trump champions fossil fuels, the world is betting on renewable energy Despite a U.S. retreat, solar and wind are overtaking fossil fuels globally, according to two reports published this week.

As Trump champions fossil fuels, the world is betting on renewable energy.

Despite a U.S. retreat, solar and wind are overtaking fossil fuels globally, according to two new reports.

grist.org/internationa...

#Renewables #Energy #Climate #Solar #Wind #Batteries

And so it begins... Client telling me that my (and counsel's) advice is wrong and that I need to consider various cited cases that support their view. Which cases don't exist. Client admits used an LLM AI, but comes back to me with further detailed argument, citing other cases which.. don't exist.

This strikes me as a pretty major Brexit shift from Starmer.

Perhaps the beginning of 'Brexit is sh1t and has caused real economic damage'.

Jan 2025

BREAKING NEWS
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to Maria Corina Machado for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

#NobelPrize

Sinister, Malevolent, Venomous: Stephen Miller Is Like No Other White House Aide in Modern US History Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff, has never hidden his disfigured and dangerous psyche. But now Donald Trump has empowered him to execute his fascist impulses.

"Sinister, Malevolent, Venomous: Stephen Miller Is Like No Other White House Aide in Modern US History"

Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff, has never hidden his disfigured & dangerous psyche. But now Trump has empowered him to execute his fascist impulses, writes John Harwood for Zeteo.

Energy requirements for AI mean that the only way for the bubble not to burst would require companies to multiply their carbon footprint to an unimaginable degree. Right now, while AI is barely functional and mostly a novelty for the lazy, it requires so much energy that data centers rival cities.

Nobel peace prize 2025: Norway fears repercussions if Donald Trump not honoured in ceremony US president has been conducting campaign to influence prize committee We don’t know for sure – the Norwegian Nobel Committee keeps the candidates’ names secret for 50 years, meaning there is no certainty and it’s all, frankly, guesswork. However, there is a workaround. We have an idea of a few people who are likely to be on the list when nominators — who are eligible individuals like members of government or university professors — choose to publicise their submissions. Anti-occupation activists Issa Amro from Hebron, Palestine and Jeff Halper from Jerusalem. (Nominated by Norwegian MP Ingrid Fiskaa) Donald Trump. The US president has said several times that he deserves the prize, and is openly envious that four of his predecessors, including Barack Obama, who have received the award. (Nominated by US Republican Representative Claudia Tenney) Chow Hang-tung. A prominent barrister and human rights activist who is jailed in Hong Kong. (Nominated by Norwegian MP Guri Melby) Continue reading...

Nobel peace prize 2025: Norway fears repercussions if Donald Trump not honoured in ceremony

More than half of world’s bird species in decline, as leaders meet on extinction crisis Biodiversity losses are growing, the IUCN reports as summit opens, but green turtle’s recovery ‘reminds us conservation works’ More than half of all bird species are in decline, according to a new global assessment, with deforestation driving sharp falls in populations across the planet. On the eve of a key biodiversity summit in the UAE, scientists have issued a fresh warning about the health of bird populations, with 61% of assessed species now recording declines in their numbers. Continue reading...

More than half of world’s bird species in decline, as leaders meet on extinction crisis

Nigel Farage earns over £1m from 12 'second jobs' - check how much your MP earns The Reform UK leader's most lucrative second jobs include hosting on GB News, serving as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion and recording videos for Cameo

Twelve Jobs Nigel has earned over £1 million in additional income since the general election.

To understand the scale of it, since the July 2024 election he's earned roughly £100k more as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion than Starmer gets as PM.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

The ‘profound’ global impact of China’s rise as an electrostate The country’s companies now dominate many clean technology industries

“I think China is using [clean technology] in a very, very geopolitically savvy way, taking advantage of America’s stupidity and regression back into a petrostate. China just wins. America has abrogated the playing field.”

www.ft.com/content/013e...

Antifa expert at Rutgers University says he is moving to Spain because of death threats An expert on anti-fascist groups who teaches at New Jersey’s flagship state university is moving his family overseas.

Are we great yet?

Mark Bray, a Rutgers University professor and expert on anti-fascist groups, is fleeing to Spain with his family due to death threats that stem from a campaign by Turning Point USA and other conservative groups to get him fired, falsely labeling him as an antifa member.

Nissan Leaf 2011 weight: 1600 kg.
Nissan Leaf 2026 weight: 1864-1956 kg (depends on battery size). And newer model is 40mm wider.
But one hopes the weight will come down when new battery technologies come along.

Attached is a suggestion I made several years ago. It would need to be part of a broader package, including eliminating first & business class, & ensuring even the first flight incurs the same tax & carbon costs as other fuels do. Aviation remains heavily dependent on its highly privileged status

A graphic showing the enormous improvements since the launch of the original Nissan Leaf 14 years ago the new one goes four times further charges three times faster has two times more power and is 36% cheaper than the original

Useful comparison

Luckily the Nissan Leaf is a great UK success story.
The figures would look even better for EVs if models were not also tending to increase in size as battery performance improves (i.e. marketing bloat).

Good morning with good news: Solar will generate 20% of global electricity in 2029 and 40% in 2045!

Fossil fuel generated electricity now is losing market share & plunges to 4% from 59% today.

See just released DNV Energy Transition Outlook 2025:
brandcentral.dnv.com/original/gal... #energysky

UK air temperatures and soil temperatures are warming at the same rate

climatelabbook.substack.com/p/monitoring...

EVs reach record 98.3 pct share of new car sales in Norway, surge across Europe The sale of electric vehicles (EVs) took off in September across Europe, led as always by Norway, but also with strong showings in key markets such as the UK, Denmark and Spain.

‘EVs reach record 98.3 pct share of new car sales in Norway, surge across Europe’ thedriven.io/2025/10/09/e...
See also how increasing EV use will reduce overall energy consumption in ‘How small increases in renewables produce big cuts in carbon emissions’ davidtoke.substack.com/p/how-small-...

The German electricity network operator reports increasing network reliability as renewables increase their share of generation www.bundesnetzagentur.de/SharedDocs/P...
See also ‘Renewables based systems are reducing blackouts in UK and USA!’ davidtoke.substack.com/p/renewables...

The Farage/Jenrick/Badenoch/Starmer effect?

AI is useful in many technical applications but cannot possess real creativity.
It can only pilfer and rearrange the copyright work of human artists and creators.

“Have you given any more thought to suspending habeas corpus?”

TRUMP: “Suspending who?” 🤷🏼

Aaand scene.

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK intelligence chiefs due to warn Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published

Is the government blocking the publication of a report into the national security threat posed by the climate crisis?

If so, why?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/08/national-security-threatened-climate-crisis-uk-defence-chiefs-warn

Big presence on the beaches of Normandy in 1944 too.

Great Britain has run on 100% clean power for record 87 hours in 2025 so far Clean-energy sources have powered Great Britain entirely for a record 87 hours this year — a milestone toward 2030 targets

In 2021, clean power covered Britain’s electricity demand for just 2.5 hours.
In 2025, it’s already 87 hours.

Still only 1.3% of the year – but the direction of travel is clear.

Dr Simon Evans reports

I worked as an Estate Agent during the COVID years. When Sunak gave a Stamp Duty break. Result was buyers put up their asking prices. When it ended in a mad dash for completions, those prices dropped back.

Today in 'war on the motorist' news.

Radical with Amol Rajan - Climate Migration: Confronting the Reality of Global Warming (Gaia Vince) - BBC Sounds Gaia Vince makes the positive case for immigration despite public concern over the issue.

Huge pleasure to talk to the lovely Amol Rajan this week. Hoping I made some sense!