Ben Purvis

In no way is it acceptable to non-consensually paste AI generated text (slop) into shared work. Endless screaming

Flawed economic models mean climate crisis could crash global economy, experts warn States and financial bodies using modelling that ignores shocks from extreme weather and climate tipping points

William Nordhaus received the Nobel Memorial Prize for these flawed economic models, and Bjorn Lomborg built a highly lucrative career on them.
They told rich and powerful people what they wanted to hear.
While helping to consign us all to catastrophe.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Staff ,supporters and students gathered outside Firth Court today in solidarity with colleagues locked out and facing withheld pay after lawful strike action at
@sheffielducu

Punishment is not negotiation. ✊

There is money for "education" if and only if that money is being directly funneled to corporations. Anything involving actual learning, however, well there's no magic money tree

Our chapter is a contribution to a collection of Global Food Stories published by Berlin Universities Publishing.

It forms part of the Sustainable Food Cultures project led by colleagues at TU Berlin.

www.tu.berlin/en/alfa/rese...

First publication of the year 👇

We discuss what social and cultural sustainability mean for food systems, and how life cycle thinking can move beyond looking just at carbon to consider the people involved at each step from farm to fork.

bsky.app/profile/gran...

Screenshot of email that reads: “This status will remain in place until the University receives notification that you are no longer participating in that action. During this period, any work undertaken will be regarded as voluntary.”

Well that’s me locked out. No pay for the foreseeable future, all because I refuse to reschedule lost teaching, for which I have already lost pay as part of the strike. Please donate to support @sheffielducu.bsky.social members like me at www.gofundme.com/f/heubvb-sup...

Highlights • Data Centres are responsible for 1.7 % of global electricity consumption. • Data Centres in the United Kingdom consume approximately 2.5 % of the nation's electricity. • Data Centres contribute to 1 % of all energy-related greenhouse gases. • By 2026, the energy consumption of data centre is projected to double to around 1000 TWh compared with 2022. • Data Centres support the transition to net zero by providing flexibility through adjusting their energy consumption.

Data centres that briefly wind down during grid stress are shaving a small slice off a net harm, they are not 'supporting the transition'

In the same way CCS *might* slightly reduce emissions, but overall end up facilitating new fossil fuel use....

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I volunteer in a repair cafe: we can help you learn to fix your broken Christmas gift Hundreds of items are taken to repair cafes after Christmas in the hope that they can be fixed.

Christmas gift already broken? You’re not alone. 🎁😢

Dr Stuart Walker from our Sustainability Assessment Team volunteered at a repair café to help fix people's faulty gifts.

Read his @uk.theconversation.com article to find out how these community hubs are tackling waste ⬇️
tinyurl.com/5x5dzhkf

Donate to Support University of Sheffield striking staff!, organized by Mark Pendleton I'm the branch treasurer for the University of Sheffield University and… Mark Pendleton needs your support for Support University of Sheffield striking staff!

As things wind down for the holidays, @sheffielducu.bsky.social members are facing a threat of 100% pay deductions from January, thanks to our Scrooge-like management. We’ve now set up a fundraiser to bolster our local solidarity fund. If you can spare some change, please do! gofund.me/ac2b3adcb

Day 11 of our current strike at @sheffielducu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk …

The story goes that we can’t afford to keep staff in their jobs but we can afford this 👇

There is absolutely nothing left to the UK but bigotry and spite. A hateful place, you can almost taste it in the air, makes it hard to breathe.

University of Sheffield staff 'intimidated' by pay forfeit warning University of Sheffield to withhold pay if staff do not make up for teaching missed while striking.

We will resist the bullies with our usual courage and resolve - for the good of our students, our university, and our city. We won't allow the dismantling of higher education without resistance. @ucu.org.uk @sheffielducu.bsky.social @ucuhallam.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

University of Sheffield staff 'intimidated' by pay forfeit warning University of Sheffield to withhold pay if staff do not make up for teaching missed while striking.

Great to see media coverage of the hostile and punitive approach taken by management at @sheffielduni.bsky.social towards @sheffielducu.bsky.social staff striking to protect jobs. Threats and intimidation won't work. We're out until we win!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Check out this post about our current situation from a colleague at another university. @sheffielducu.bsky.social

A picket line outside a unversity building

A picket line outside a unversity building

A picket line outside a unversity building

A picket line outside a unversity building

Tuesday my union offered to call off 2 weeks of strikes, in return for postponing the redudnacy of, maybe, 5 people for three months. Yesterday the uni wrote to all staff saying "not interested", unless we completely caved. Today we toured picket lines across campus:
@sheffielducu.bsky.social

Two black dogs at the ucu picket.

A curious dog on a lead at the Sheffield UCU and Sheffield Hallam rally.

A happy dog posing in front of a "Stop the Cuts to Higher Education" UCU placard.

A black and white dog with a mulicoloured scarf over it's head. It is leashed and has an open mouth an happy expression.

Some of our furrier members have been enjoying our strong turnout over the past couple of weeks. Lots of comrades to cuddle
#picketpups

A UCU official dispute placard

On the picket today (until it starts raining at least) cc @sheffielducu.bsky.social

JOINT RALLY ANNOUNCEMENT:
Join us on Monday 17th November, 12:30PM @ Bakers Pool, Sheffield. For a joint rally with Uni of Sheffield. There will be speakers from both branches and we will hear from Dave Pike, TUC Regional Secretary, NE Yorkshire and Humber.

Flight from reality: sustainable aviation, Jet Zero, and the technofix This paper argues that rising aviation emissions, which are disproportionally driven by the wealthy, pose a serious threat to climate goals. Using the UK’s Jet Zero strategy as a case study, it exp...

Clear the UK is positioning itself as a leader in greenwashing the aviation industry, chiming with the great analysis of the Jet Zero strategy by @garethdale.bsky.social, Josh Moos, and Alistair Bernal Holmes

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Less positive news is that it has done so by dominating the global market, representing a massive 25% of global SAF consumption!

(90% of UK SAF is from used cooking oil imported from China)

Various interesting implications of this, of which its hard not to be cynical

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation statistics: data tables Data on the supply of renewable fuel, as required under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO).

Spending my Friday night lost in UK renewable fuel statistics for some more 'Sustainable' Aviation Fuel work..

Some good news is the UK seems to be on track to meet the target of 2% SAF use by 2025 (provisional data indicates being very close to meeting this in 2024)

www.gov.uk/government/s...

"𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻"

Dr Joshua Forstenzer, Professor Thomas Webb and Dr Stephen Allen talking on stage at the Sustainability Symposium 2025.

A view of the crowd at the Sustainability Symposium 2025

Jon Alexander speaking at the Sustainability Symposium 2025

Harun Morrison speaking at the Sustainability Symposium 2025

Last week we brought together academics, artists and activists for the @sheffielduni.bsky.social Sustainability Symposium 2025 🌎

The day was full of fascinating discussions about interdisciplinarity, communities of practice, and the role of art and storytelling in activism. #SheffSustSymp 1/4

BREAKING: Our members at the University of Sheffield have voted overwhelmingly for strike action against the University Executive Board’s ongoing campaign of job cuts, and the threat to staff workload and wellbeing that they represent.

@sheffielducu.bsky.social member? This is your last chance to vote. Whatever your views, please protect democracy in your union, and do so immediately. Thank you. Please share. @ucu.org.uk #UCUstrike

University of Sheffield @ucu.org.uk members, have you voted? If you haven't, please do so immediately as the deadline is soon. Trade union solidarity is one the most important tools we've got left in our much troubled world. Don't waste it. @sheffielducu.bsky.social @ucuhallam.bsky.social

Ditching the declaration: the real cost of Reform UK's plans to rescind the climate emergency in Kent Reform UK look set to rescind the climate emergency declaration in Kent. But does the motion align with the latest research? Our Green Watch team share their views.

The Reform UK led #Kent County Council is on the verge of ditching its #climate emergency declaration, despite the motion being at odds with the latest research.

@richsulley.bsky.social from our #GreenWatch team shares his expert views. Read the full story here ⬇️
tinyurl.com/bdyz5zfs

It feels almost comical at this stage. Something quite insidious too in terms of the amount of TU rep, HR, and staff time that is being cannibalised by constant overlapping collective consultation processes

Anyway, vote yes for strike action, and yes for action short of a strike x