Lara Williams
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lararhiannon.bsky.social
Lara Williams
@lararhiannon.bsky.social
8.1K followers 440 following 230 posts
I write about climate change for @opinion.bsky.social and pursue the outdoors
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lararhiannon.bsky.social
while researching this article I came across the saddest chart -- declines in parental engagement in chatting, playing, singing, reading, drawing with under fives.

I'm sure most of this is down to things out of control of the parents -- financial/time pressures.

via @literacy-trust.bsky.social
percentage point change in selected daily activities between 2019 and 2024 -- chatting down 12.2%, playing down 20.2%, reading down 15.6%, singing down 20.9% and painting/drawing down 15.8% engagement in activities by parents of children aged 0 to 5 2019 to 2024. chatting, playing, reading, singing, painting/drawing all have seen declines
August 28, 2025 at 11:10 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
A humble book doesn’t stand a chance against the modern internet’s sophisticated algorithms -- that's now showing up in reading performance and enjoyment around the world

🎁 via @opinion.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
PISA mean reading scores for denmark, oecd average, norway, germany, france, uk. all have seen recent declines
August 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
We have plastic in our brains. And our livers, kidneys, heart, bloodstream and more. In just 8 years, scientists have observed an increase in the amount of bodily plastic.

The outcomes of becoming part-plastic are not good.

🎁 via @opinion.bloomberg.com

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
bar chart showing amount of microplastics found in human organs (brain, liver, kidney) in 2016 and 2024. Liver and brain levels have increased a lot, with the brain having by far the most -- 4.9 micrograms per gram of tissue in 2024.
August 11, 2025 at 9:31 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
spotify made me a great playlist of nearly exclusively irish music but had the gall to describe it as "english"
screenshot of spotify daylist described as english folk traditional thursday afternoon, consisting of irish bangers from Lankum, Lisa O'Neill, OXN and John Francis Flynn
July 17, 2025 at 4:13 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
Record-breaking spring sunshine in the UK was welcomed by many -- solar industry, retailers, the general public -- but there's a flipside which is only getting worse in the extreme summer heat: the lack of rain & threat of excess deaths

via @opinion.bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
bar chart showing total uk spring sunshine hours using data from the met office national climate information centre. data is variable with a sharp dramatic increase from 2024 to 2025 -- which is the tallest bar
July 1, 2025 at 9:36 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
In the CCC's progress report, there's lots of encouraging news. Credible plans and some risks cover 61% of emissions reductions needed by 2030.

But interesting point on engineered removals, which links nicely to my piece about @carbongap.bsky.social's report

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
screenshot of CCC's progress report. For the required emissions savings to achieve the 2030 NDC: • Credible plans exist for 38%. This mostly covers emissions savings from the projected roll-out of renewable electricity generation and EVs, as well as some progress in decarbonising the iron and steel sector in industry. • Some risks are attached to 23%. These are predominantly delivery risks for planning, grid connections, and successful Contracts for Difference auctions to deliver the rest of the renewables deployment required by 2030 under the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. There are also some risks around the ability of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism to deliver the required roll-out of heat pumps. • Significant risks are attached to 20%. This is predominantly for policies to drive industrial electrification and the uptake of CCS in industry, improvement to efficiencies of petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles, the decarbonisation of public sector buildings, and plans for peatland restoration and tree planting. • Insufficient plans exist for 14%. The key area this applies to is the roll-out of heat pumps, where existing programmes and funding cover only a portion of the required market scaleup. There are also insufficient plans for a proportion of the engineered removals required in the Government’s plans. There is a gap of 4% between the quantified plans in the CBDP and the 2030 NDC. Two parts are highlighted: credible plans exist for 38% and there are also insufficient plans for a proportion of the engineered removals required in the Government's plans.
June 25, 2025 at 10:54 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
does @markgongloff.bsky.social and I have to say it again? www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Simpsons meme; bus driver in first frame says don't make me tap the sign. in the next frame he's tapping the sign which says "a US brain drain doesn't benefit anyone"
May 23, 2025 at 2:57 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
I'm for SURE a Subaru 360
subaru 360 kei car
May 16, 2025 at 8:27 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
I was obsessed with Japan's dinky cars when I was there. The orange one was actually a teeny pick up -- adorable AND practical.

@chrismaxbryant.bsky.social is right: SUVs need to die. All hail the kei car.

via @opinion.bloomberg.com

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
woman stands next to a series of tiny white people carriers woman stands next to three tiny cars in japan, all shaped somewhat like a cube
May 16, 2025 at 8:24 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
🍇Champagne's harvests have been steadily getting earlier as temperatures rise.

That has some pretty big implications for grape ripeness, flavor and the safety of the region's pickers

Read my latest for free via @opinion.bloomberg.com

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/feat...
Scatterplot showing the earliest opening date of the harvest in the Champagne region each year. Dates range from mid-October to mid-August, getting steadily earlier. A trend line shows the trend getting earlier.
March 31, 2025 at 1:29 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
In the UK, meat consumption has steadily declined.

But in recent years, that's likely to be down to sticker shock more than climate/moral concerns www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
area chart showing meat consumption per person per week since 1974. It's steadily declined
March 24, 2025 at 1:46 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
According to CDR.fyi, Microsoft has bought more than 60% of all carbon removal credits so far.

Will new guidance from SBTi change demand?

via @opinion.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
pie chart showing tons of carbon removal purchased by company. About 60% is Microsoft, followed by frontier, google and airbus. the remaining 27% is labelled "other".
March 24, 2025 at 9:47 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
From last week:

Because oil-spill cleanup is really hard, the best thing we can do is not spill it. We've got better at that.

But the North Sea collision is a reminder that as long as we use fossil fuels, our oceans aren’t safe

via @opinion.bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
bar chart showing quantity of oil spilled from tankers in metric tons, since the 1970s. Oil spills have gone down.
March 17, 2025 at 3:05 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
The Balanced Pathway in the CCC's seventh carbon budget sees engineered removals growing from 0 to 21MtCO2e around 2040.

That’s an enormous change for a country that has problems erecting pylons

via @opinion.bloomberg.com

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
stacked area chart showing engineered carbon removal growing from nothing in 2023 to more than 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2050. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage makes up the most capacity, followed by direct air capture, then enhanced weathering and biochar
March 5, 2025 at 10:54 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
It might seem like there's a net zero backlash, but:

The CCC finds that the public are more ambitious than the gov expects. They just want clarity about what they’re being asked to do.

My v. interesting chat with @elpinchbeck.bsky.social @ @opinion.bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Most People in the UK Are Worried About Climate Change bar chart showing survey results to the question how worried are you about climate change. 80% said they were very worried or somewhat worried.
January 29, 2025 at 9:48 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
Aviation is growing so fast that the same amount of fossil kerosene may be burned in 2049 as in 2023, even as SAF mandates ramp up

@opinion.bloomberg.com
Chart via @transenv.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Europe’s Aviation Sector May Be Burning the Same Amount of Fossil Fuel in 2049 as in 2023 Fuel burnt, in million metric tons of oil equivalent. Fossil kerosene, biofuels and e-kerosene. Biofuels and e-kerosene absorb most of the growth in fuel demand by 2049, but fossil fuel use goes down very slowly after peaking in 2034
January 23, 2025 at 10:53 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
The humble smart meter is key to energy security and decarbonizing the power grid.

To achieve a just energy transition, everyone needs one and they all need to work properly. But making that a reality is only becoming more complex

free via @opinion.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Installation Numbers Have Dropped As Low-Hanging Fruit Picked Off. Bar chart showing number of domestic and non-domestic smart meters installed per year. The bars peak in 2018 at 5.1 million before slowly coming down. The last full year, 2023, saw just 3.5 million meters installed
January 14, 2025 at 1:37 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
nothing but respect for MY sports personality of the year
Jasmin Paris sits exhausted, eyes closed, by the yellow gate/finish line of the Barkley Marathons
December 17, 2024 at 8:50 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
Which safety sheet is for Bovaer 10, the feed additive causing an awful lot of fuss, and which one is for Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)?

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
. Exposure controls Engineering measures: Ensure there is sufficient ventilation of the area. Respiratory protection: Respiratory protective device with particle filter. Hand protection: Protective gloves. Eye protection: Safety glasses. Ensure eye bath is to hand. Skin protection: Protective clothing. Environmental: Prevent from entering in public sewers or the immediate environment. Precautionary statements Prevention: P201 - Obtain special instructions before use. P280 - Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection, face protection, or hearing protection. P264 - Wash thoroughly after handling.
December 6, 2024 at 5:28 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
It's just that the uncertainty is higher...

The Met Office has a handy matrix to illustrate this.
four by four Grid matrix showing warning impacts. Y axis is unlikely to very likely; x-axis is very low impact to high impact. Red is the top right square (very likely and high impact).
November 25, 2024 at 10:40 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
Thrilled to be named one of the #Press30under30, alongside 29 other inspiring journalists (including some fellow City grads and @bloomberg.com colleagues!)

Check them all out here: press30under30.com/press30/en/p...
2024 winner card for press 30 under 30 awards
October 25, 2024 at 9:34 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
Voluntary corp. pledges have dominated efforts to end deforestation, but it’s clear they aren’t enough to deliver results at a sufficient pace.

That's why it's unacceptable for nations to be dragging their feet on demand-side regulation www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti... via @opinion.bsky.social
Line chart showing path to end deforestation by 2030 and deforestation levels globally 2015-2023. There is a big gap between 2023 and the target path
October 15, 2024 at 11:57 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
Most people in the US trust climate scientists, but it appears that trust is shaky.

That's a problem that will be particularly salient as scientists seek to scale up new climate tech.

Free to read via @opinion.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Doubt in Climate Scientists’ Understanding Has Increased. Stacked bar chart showing percentage of Americans who say climate scientists understand the best ways to address climate change in 2016, 2021 and 2023. More people believe climate scientists don't understand the best ways to address climate change in 2023.
October 10, 2024 at 2:43 PM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
Sogflation and heatflation are making food more expensive. But price is not the only way the climate crisis may be altering our grocery baskets.

Criminals, for example, are exploiting olive oil’s price shock
bar chart showing quarterly notifications to the EU Alert and Cooperation Network related to olive oil. Alerts reached a record high at the start of the year
September 27, 2024 at 10:20 AM
lararhiannon.bsky.social
Dry-powder inhalers are better for the planet, but some asthmatics may struggle to inhale medicine without assistance from a propellant (which is where the emissions come from)
bar chart showing metered dose inhalers vs dry powder inhalers carbon footprint per inhale. metered dose are at least 10x more polluting
September 12, 2024 at 10:25 AM