eco Nick
@econick.bsky.social
Home energy efficiency retrofit consultant at www.owensinsight.com. AECB member. Fan of PHPP. Trying to decarbonise Sussex in small bites. Slow hill walker.
Reposted by eco Nick
'Designing procurement to include architecture competitions is an opportunity to ensure new housing that will inspire and last; will respond to and serve increasingly diversifying needs; and, perhaps most importantly, reinvigorate public engagement with and trust in public processes'
yes yes yes
yes yes yes
October 31, 2025 at 8:17 PM
'Designing procurement to include architecture competitions is an opportunity to ensure new housing that will inspire and last; will respond to and serve increasingly diversifying needs; and, perhaps most importantly, reinvigorate public engagement with and trust in public processes'
yes yes yes
yes yes yes
Reposted by eco Nick
I wrote a bit about the UK Government's Climate and Growth Plan coming out on Weds, which is to show how the UK will meet it's legally binding target of emissions reductions around 2035
TL;DR - there's a lot to do
www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/how-to-...
TL;DR - there's a lot to do
www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/how-to-...
How to not mess up the UK’s next climate plan - Greenpeace UK
The UK’s climate plan is due—and this time it has to deliver. From fixing electricity prices to making clean tech easy, here’s what needs to happen to cut emissions and improve everyday life.
www.greenpeace.org.uk
October 27, 2025 at 11:38 AM
I wrote a bit about the UK Government's Climate and Growth Plan coming out on Weds, which is to show how the UK will meet it's legally binding target of emissions reductions around 2035
TL;DR - there's a lot to do
www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/how-to-...
TL;DR - there's a lot to do
www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/how-to-...
The quoted statistic - only 5,900 of 60,000 responded - means the National Audit Office conclusion of 98% “failures” is completely flawed - shame on you NAO. (And my external insulation works brilliantly well).
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
No reason to abandon external wall insulation | Letter
Letter: Jason Palmer says it is vital to meet climate targets and we need trained installers
www.theguardian.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:25 PM
The quoted statistic - only 5,900 of 60,000 responded - means the National Audit Office conclusion of 98% “failures” is completely flawed - shame on you NAO. (And my external insulation works brilliantly well).
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by eco Nick
£80 Billion p.a. lost forever. Was it incompetence from Farage and Johnson or something worse ?
"The economic disaster that is Brexit"
(A lot worse than I had thought)
Will Hutton in @theobserveruk.bsky.social
(A lot worse than I had thought)
Will Hutton in @theobserveruk.bsky.social
October 26, 2025 at 8:00 PM
£80 Billion p.a. lost forever. Was it incompetence from Farage and Johnson or something worse ?
Can anyone tell me how much global warming is baked in to the climate datasets that are in the PHPP version 10.6 software?
I’m assuming 0 deg C. But if I add an extra 1.75 degrees, I get some really horrendous overheating predicted . . .
I’m assuming 0 deg C. But if I add an extra 1.75 degrees, I get some really horrendous overheating predicted . . .
October 16, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Can anyone tell me how much global warming is baked in to the climate datasets that are in the PHPP version 10.6 software?
I’m assuming 0 deg C. But if I add an extra 1.75 degrees, I get some really horrendous overheating predicted . . .
I’m assuming 0 deg C. But if I add an extra 1.75 degrees, I get some really horrendous overheating predicted . . .
Have any of you Passivhaus types tried using PHPP to model variants that:- have a woodburner; - phase out a gas boiler by substituting a heat pump?
I seem to be at its limits of logic, and it’s stoking up the wood usage quite unreasonably. Inbuilt Luddite?
I seem to be at its limits of logic, and it’s stoking up the wood usage quite unreasonably. Inbuilt Luddite?
a black stove with a glass door has a few logs inside
ALT: a black stove with a glass door has a few logs inside
media.tenor.com
October 12, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Have any of you Passivhaus types tried using PHPP to model variants that:- have a woodburner; - phase out a gas boiler by substituting a heat pump?
I seem to be at its limits of logic, and it’s stoking up the wood usage quite unreasonably. Inbuilt Luddite?
I seem to be at its limits of logic, and it’s stoking up the wood usage quite unreasonably. Inbuilt Luddite?
Commercial interest rates are higher than the cost of government borrowing. So for infrastructure projects private finance is stupidity!
😡This is madness!
The government is shelling out millions to Deloitte to advise on bringing PFI back into the NHS.
PFI deals signed under Blair are still damaging our NHS today, yet Wes Streeting wants to set another ticking time bomb under our NHS.
We have to stop this.
The government is shelling out millions to Deloitte to advise on bringing PFI back into the NHS.
PFI deals signed under Blair are still damaging our NHS today, yet Wes Streeting wants to set another ticking time bomb under our NHS.
We have to stop this.
September 25, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Commercial interest rates are higher than the cost of government borrowing. So for infrastructure projects private finance is stupidity!
Reposted by eco Nick
I wonder who funds the CPS? Cui bono?
Ah, yes. That’a secret, isn’t it?
Ah, yes. That’a secret, isn’t it?
September 22, 2025 at 6:55 AM
I wonder who funds the CPS? Cui bono?
Ah, yes. That’a secret, isn’t it?
Ah, yes. That’a secret, isn’t it?
Reposted by eco Nick
My analysis here not only explains why the CPS numbers are wrong - but estimates that if they'd got their own arithmetic right, they would have concluded that migrants are a large long-term fiscal *benefit*. (3/3)
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
The long-run fiscal impact of recent migrants
docs.google.com
September 22, 2025 at 6:45 AM
My analysis here not only explains why the CPS numbers are wrong - but estimates that if they'd got their own arithmetic right, they would have concluded that migrants are a large long-term fiscal *benefit*. (3/3)
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
Great Britain wastes £180,000 every hour switching off wind turbines and overpaying gas generators to switch on. That's £963,425,704 so far this year! wastedwind.energy. So crazy - switch the grid to regional pricing & put the AI data centres in the places where power is lost from switch offs.
Wasted Wind
Britain wastes millions a day switching off wind turbines. See how much has been wasted today, and in 2025.
wastedwind.energy
September 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Great Britain wastes £180,000 every hour switching off wind turbines and overpaying gas generators to switch on. That's £963,425,704 so far this year! wastedwind.energy. So crazy - switch the grid to regional pricing & put the AI data centres in the places where power is lost from switch offs.
Reposted by eco Nick
It doesn’t matter if you’re working class or a billionaire: climate change will hurt your grandchildren.
That’s why I cannot understand oil executives who sacrifice the planet’s health for their short-term profits
We must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels NOW.
That’s why I cannot understand oil executives who sacrifice the planet’s health for their short-term profits
We must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels NOW.
September 18, 2025 at 5:09 PM
It doesn’t matter if you’re working class or a billionaire: climate change will hurt your grandchildren.
That’s why I cannot understand oil executives who sacrifice the planet’s health for their short-term profits
We must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels NOW.
That’s why I cannot understand oil executives who sacrifice the planet’s health for their short-term profits
We must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels NOW.
Reposted by eco Nick
Stupidity in the council resolution is breath-taking
Reform UK want a new nuclear reactor at Dungeness, on Kent coast. A site already needing continual maintenance to stop it being undermined by sea level rise
A new reactor there, with waste fuel stored for a century, would be a complete liability
Reform UK want a new nuclear reactor at Dungeness, on Kent coast. A site already needing continual maintenance to stop it being undermined by sea level rise
A new reactor there, with waste fuel stored for a century, would be a complete liability
September 11, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Stupidity in the council resolution is breath-taking
Reform UK want a new nuclear reactor at Dungeness, on Kent coast. A site already needing continual maintenance to stop it being undermined by sea level rise
A new reactor there, with waste fuel stored for a century, would be a complete liability
Reform UK want a new nuclear reactor at Dungeness, on Kent coast. A site already needing continual maintenance to stop it being undermined by sea level rise
A new reactor there, with waste fuel stored for a century, would be a complete liability
Reposted by eco Nick
5/4
AND....
A much larger poll than Times one published today by More in Common shows "strong support" for clean energy, and that concern over climate change has become "a unifier in time of polarisation"
Clearly some newspapers don't want a united Britain
www.businessgreen.com/news/4518762...
AND....
A much larger poll than Times one published today by More in Common shows "strong support" for clean energy, and that concern over climate change has become "a unifier in time of polarisation"
Clearly some newspapers don't want a united Britain
www.businessgreen.com/news/4518762...
'Quiet sense of pride': Large majority of Brits back ambitious climate action
Poll of over 7,000 people reveals strong support for clean energy, nature restoration, and climate action - but a deep disillusionment with politics and the cost of living remains
www.businessgreen.com
September 10, 2025 at 6:33 AM
5/4
AND....
A much larger poll than Times one published today by More in Common shows "strong support" for clean energy, and that concern over climate change has become "a unifier in time of polarisation"
Clearly some newspapers don't want a united Britain
www.businessgreen.com/news/4518762...
AND....
A much larger poll than Times one published today by More in Common shows "strong support" for clean energy, and that concern over climate change has become "a unifier in time of polarisation"
Clearly some newspapers don't want a united Britain
www.businessgreen.com/news/4518762...
UK Government needs to adopt proportional representation both for Labour to survive in office and to solve this short termism problem
@catherinemitchell.bsky.social at #Tyndall25UEA makes the v.important observation that, in the UK, the ‘first past the post’ political system reinforces short-termism. Without changes in this it’s difficult to see how the scale of change to deliver on our climate commitments can be achieved.
September 9, 2025 at 7:06 AM
UK Government needs to adopt proportional representation both for Labour to survive in office and to solve this short termism problem
Reposted by eco Nick
Keynote at #Tyndall25UEA conference by @goneri76.bsky.social He links zero CO2 by 2050 with Paris 1.5°C commitment without overshoot, etc. I really can’t see how this can be possible. Latest 50% 1.5°C carbon budget is ~90GtCO2 from start 2026; just over 2 yrs of current global CO2.
#CriticalDecade
#CriticalDecade
September 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Keynote at #Tyndall25UEA conference by @goneri76.bsky.social He links zero CO2 by 2050 with Paris 1.5°C commitment without overshoot, etc. I really can’t see how this can be possible. Latest 50% 1.5°C carbon budget is ~90GtCO2 from start 2026; just over 2 yrs of current global CO2.
#CriticalDecade
#CriticalDecade
Reposted by eco Nick
How do you heat a city with freezing cold seawater?
The answer lies in Esbjerg, Denmark, where one of the world's largest heat pumps is transforming the North Sea into a sustainable energy source.
The answer lies in Esbjerg, Denmark, where one of the world's largest heat pumps is transforming the North Sea into a sustainable energy source.
September 4, 2025 at 2:47 PM
How do you heat a city with freezing cold seawater?
The answer lies in Esbjerg, Denmark, where one of the world's largest heat pumps is transforming the North Sea into a sustainable energy source.
The answer lies in Esbjerg, Denmark, where one of the world's largest heat pumps is transforming the North Sea into a sustainable energy source.
Reposted by eco Nick
New piece on Carbon Colonialism, net-zero nonsense, and how the UK Government's climate advisors (and many experts) shy away from speaking truth to power. We need a fundamental reboot of climate policy; - physics doesn't care about political sensibilities. theconversation.com/the-uks-year...
The UK’s year of climate U-turns exposes a deeper failure
Breaking free of the dangerous pretence that current efforts suffice demands a fundamental rethink of the UK’s climate policy consensus.
theconversation.com
August 22, 2025 at 9:28 AM
New piece on Carbon Colonialism, net-zero nonsense, and how the UK Government's climate advisors (and many experts) shy away from speaking truth to power. We need a fundamental reboot of climate policy; - physics doesn't care about political sensibilities. theconversation.com/the-uks-year...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Agree wholly. The government should just get on with this, no further foot dragging.
Agree wholly. The government should just get on with this, no further foot dragging.
Heat pumps could halve heating bills with energy system reform, study finds
Steps to make electricity cheaper, such as ending levies, could transform prospects for pumps, thinktank shows
www.theguardian.com
August 29, 2025 at 4:56 AM
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Agree wholly. The government should just get on with this, no further foot dragging.
Agree wholly. The government should just get on with this, no further foot dragging.
Reposted by eco Nick
Sharp contrast
A 5% loss of UK GDP by end of decade from nature degradation. WWF (and UK govt) say business investment in nature needs to lead in preventing this
Meanwhile Prime Minister & Chancellor declare war on bats & newts, strip away nature protections
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
A 5% loss of UK GDP by end of decade from nature degradation. WWF (and UK govt) say business investment in nature needs to lead in preventing this
Meanwhile Prime Minister & Chancellor declare war on bats & newts, strip away nature protections
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Nature loss will cut UK GDP by 5% without action from private sector, say experts
Report finds regenerative approach could yield economic benefits while helping to meet environmental targets
www.theguardian.com
August 26, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Sharp contrast
A 5% loss of UK GDP by end of decade from nature degradation. WWF (and UK govt) say business investment in nature needs to lead in preventing this
Meanwhile Prime Minister & Chancellor declare war on bats & newts, strip away nature protections
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
A 5% loss of UK GDP by end of decade from nature degradation. WWF (and UK govt) say business investment in nature needs to lead in preventing this
Meanwhile Prime Minister & Chancellor declare war on bats & newts, strip away nature protections
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Can we have one for Hassocks please - it’s crying out for a modern wind turbine up on the South Downs near the Jack & Jill windmills - a windy site with a history of wind power. Connect the past with the present!
Using a geospatial tool called LENZA, they are mapping out grid infrastructure, potential renewable sites, and suitability for wind/solar – helping communities visualise what’s possible.
August 8, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Can we have one for Hassocks please - it’s crying out for a modern wind turbine up on the South Downs near the Jack & Jill windmills - a windy site with a history of wind power. Connect the past with the present!
I just signed a @stopburningtrees.bsky.social petition: Say No to New AI Data Centre Powered By Drax. Sign here: actionnetwork.org/petitions/sa... tree burning is not zero carbon over the next 50 years, so not good enough.
Say No to New AI Data Centre Powered By Drax
Drax, the University of York and the North Yorkshire Combined Authority have just submitted a bid to host an AI data centre at Drax, powered by burning millions of trees.
The Government recently de...
actionnetwork.org
July 30, 2025 at 6:36 AM
I just signed a @stopburningtrees.bsky.social petition: Say No to New AI Data Centre Powered By Drax. Sign here: actionnetwork.org/petitions/sa... tree burning is not zero carbon over the next 50 years, so not good enough.
Must express my appreciation for the Kirk Hill wind turbines and the Kirk Hill cooperative. Doing a great job generating electricity and very well sited.
July 28, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Must express my appreciation for the Kirk Hill wind turbines and the Kirk Hill cooperative. Doing a great job generating electricity and very well sited.
Reposted by eco Nick
Generative AI features are already making profit vs companies like Microsoft hiding additional fees 🤔
Here’s the thing: my plan never changed. Microsoft added generative AI features, then tried to charge me more for them. Even though they clearly still had my old plan, without those features, as a hidden option it would only tell me about when I canceled.
www.disconnect.blog/p/ive-had-it...
www.disconnect.blog/p/ive-had-it...
July 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Generative AI features are already making profit vs companies like Microsoft hiding additional fees 🤔
Reposted by eco Nick
Great letter from Dr Richard Lowes, Exeter University + RegulatoryAssistance Project on the continuing insane electricity pricing conditions given the need to incentivise clean energy uptake.
Still no published plan (promised by Boris Johnson in 2022)
www.ft.com/content/4931...
Still no published plan (promised by Boris Johnson in 2022)
www.ft.com/content/4931...
July 11, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Great letter from Dr Richard Lowes, Exeter University + RegulatoryAssistance Project on the continuing insane electricity pricing conditions given the need to incentivise clean energy uptake.
Still no published plan (promised by Boris Johnson in 2022)
www.ft.com/content/4931...
Still no published plan (promised by Boris Johnson in 2022)
www.ft.com/content/4931...