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simonhedges.bsky.social
Simon Hedges
@simonhedges.bsky.social
570 followers 570 following 200 posts
Conservationist for >30 years most of them spent working on human-wildlife coexistence and focused on elephants (and Banteng, Dhole, et al.) with WCS, IUCN, & CITES/MIKE. Now at ZSL working to maximize impact; views my own, https://linktr.ee/simonhedges1
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simonhedges.bsky.social
Simon Hedges @simonhedges.bsky.social · 4d
"It’s very clear that #nature has been drastically deprioritised and we are left with a one-dimensional focus purely on carbon" - Zac Goldsmith

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
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Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
iucnshark.bsky.social
IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group @iucnshark.bsky.social · 4d
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has just been updated and now includes assessments of 1,266 species of sharks, rays, and chimaeras.
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
guyshrubsole.bsky.social
Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 6d
Plans to weaken protections for national parks will have ‘disastrous consequences’, say environmentalists

Pleased to have signed @campaign4parks.bsky.social's letter urging Ministers to drop plans to remove the Protected Landscapes Duty on public bodies 1/

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Plans to weaken protections for national parks will have ‘disastrous consequences’ say green groups
Exclusive: Letter from 170-plus organisations calls on government to drop proposed changes to planning law
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
jappliedecology.bsky.social
Journal of Applied Ecology @jappliedecology.bsky.social · 12d
We're thrilled to announce our first-ever webinar!

@hollietree.bsky.social & @pettorelli.bsky.social will be joining us to discuss how Integrated Nature-Climate Action can strengthen policy responses to biodiversity loss & climate change 🌍🧪

Learn more & register for free here 👇
bit.ly/4mJGwx2
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
ottoenglish.bsky.social
Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 12d
In shocking: "most people want to eat competitively priced, good quality fresh food and don't care where it comes from or what Nigel Farage thinks" news.
dphinnemore.bsky.social
David Phinnemore @dphinnemore.bsky.social · 12d
‘Polling commissioned by POLITICO shows the government’s agri-food deal agreed in principle with Brussels is popular with Remainers and Leavers alike — even when they're told it means following EU rules.

‘Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of voters back the deal…
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
nixrust.bsky.social
Nix Rust @nixrust.bsky.social · 12d
Kemi Badenoch has vowed to repeal the UK’s Climate Change Act, a move so reckless it demands more scrutiny than polite debate. This matters not just for polar bears or coral reefs, but for our people, our economy, our very future.

#ClimateChange #ClimateEmergency
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Kemi Badenoch vows to repeal Climate Change Act
Tory leader says she would replace it with ‘cheap energy’ strategy, ending decades-long consensus on climate
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
punkrockscience.bsky.social
Dr. Stephanie @punkrockscience.bsky.social · 13d
Even when she saw terrible, horrible things, she kept hoping and working and fighting for a better future. May we all carry some of her spirit into the work ahead.
newyorker.com
The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 13d
The naturalist Jane Goodall died today at 91. Hope, she argued, is not merely “passive wishful thinking” but a “crucial survival trait.” Revisit a conversation with Goodall, from 2021: nyer.cm/F55JtsS
An image of Jane Goodall and a chimpanzee, from 1965. Photo courtesy CBS Photo Archive / Getty.
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
mongabay.com
Mongabay @mongabay.com · 13d
Scorpions have survived for more than 400 million years & endured five mass extinctions, but habitat destruction, climate change & overharvesting now pose significant threats to their survival.

Only five scorpion species have international trade protection, despite 350 being sold in the pet trade.
Consider the scorpions
Scorpions are a marvel. Some navigate by the stars and communicate by vibrations. They fluoresce under UV light and can live for decades. Scorpions give birth to live young who cling to their backs,…
news.mongabay.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
katharinehayhoe.com
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 13d
The world has lost its most powerful advocate for nature and hope. Yet many remain who will continue her legacy and I know she will continue to inspire generations more.
A screenshot of a post by the Jane Goodall Institute on LinkedIn stating that they learned that Dr. Goodall passed away due to natural causes in California while on her speaking to her current speaking tour there.
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simonhedges.bsky.social
Simon Hedges @simonhedges.bsky.social · 13d
RIP Jane Goodall

Full obituary in NYT, gift article

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/o...
Jane Goodall, Eminent Primatologist Who Chronicled the Lives of Chimps, Dies at 91
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
nisreenalwan.bsky.social
Prof Nisreen Alwan @nisreenalwan.bsky.social · 14d
Can we all just shout about how despicable it is to scapegoat migrants for everything? Can we just stop being too polite or shy about it? Can we condemn it at work, with friends, family, on SM, everywhere? Can we just not keep calm & carry on until it’s too late?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Stop blaming migrants and tackle UK’s real problems, 100 charities tell home secretary
A letter warns Shabana Mahmood that ‘targeting refugees will do nothing to tackle’ problems with housing and the NHS
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
dorianlynskey.bsky.social
Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 13d
Authors have to worry about quoting one line of a song lyric in a book but this is apparently fine
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
prehistoricsociety.bsky.social
The Prehistoric Society @prehistoricsociety.bsky.social · 15d
Some very sad news from Cornwall. Our thoughts go to Andy’s family and friends.
Dear all, I am extremely sorry to inform you that Dr Andy Jones died earlier this week after an illness.. Many members will have known Andy as manager of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit, as well as a long-standing and much respected trustee and leader for CAS.. People who love archaeology in Cornwall, in our Society, and beyond, will miss him greatly. Many of you will have known Andy and his gentle, kind manner personally. Or you may have appreciated his driving passion for examining prehistoric life, not just in Cornwall but throughout the South-West, and much further afield. You may have read his remarkable report on the Whitehorse Hill cist, high on the northern downs of Dartmoor, and his numerous other ground-breaking publications. Perhaps you joined one of his exciting CAS investigations: field walking for flints in cliff-top fields or excavating iconic sites, like Trethevy Quoit. You may have enjoyed hearing talks given by either Andy himself or by one of the many high-profile speakers Andy invited to talk to CAS, using his extensive academic contacts. His loss will be felt widely, throughout Cornwall and far beyond. Our thoughts are with Andy's family, with Anna, Freya and Oscar. Pete Herring, President of the Cornwall Archaeological Society
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
dorianlynskey.bsky.social
Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 17d
Excited to be a contributor to a publication I think the UK media landscape sorely needs
thenerve.news
THE NERVE @thenerve.news · 18d
Coming soon…

pressgazette.co.uk/news/former-...
Former Observer big-hitters launch new title with redundancy payouts
Five former Observer journalists including Carole Cadwalladr have launched their own culture publication using their redundancy money.
pressgazette.co.uk
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
rebeccarhelm.bsky.social
Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 20d
I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA

10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
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simonhedges.bsky.social
Simon Hedges @simonhedges.bsky.social · 20d
Why #AI systems might never be secure

What if a document you ask AI to summarise 'had been planted with an instruction to “copy the contents of the user’s hard drive and send it to [email protected]"'? Yup, it's likely to do that as well

Gift article

www.economist.com/science-and-...
Why AI systems might never be secure
A “lethal trifecta” of conditions opens them to abuse
www.economist.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
guyshrubsole.bsky.social
Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 21d
“Trump’s America. Don’t let it become Farage’s Britain,” Davey said in a refrain he repeated several times.

Excellent work by @eddavey.libdems.org.uk - we need to hear this from the PM too

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Lib Dems the last block against ‘forces of darkness’ led by Farage, says Ed Davey
Lib Dem leader’s conference speech takes aim at Reform by predicting it would bring Trump-style policies to UK
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
profstevegriffin.bsky.social
Steve Griffin @profstevegriffin.bsky.social · 23d
Whether paracetamol, the Vee word, or any other tenuous 💩 RFK & eejits decide causes #Autism, they have one thing in common.

They lay the blame firmly at the parent's door. Just unbelievably cruel.

It's a complex, polygenic, largely unpredictable syndrome. Fact.

@peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
london.gov.uk
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 22d
Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain.

They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.

Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.
Farage vows to scrap indefinite leave to remain, placing thousands at risk of deportation
Reform UK plans to force non-citizens to apply for visas with high salary thresholds and no access to NHS services
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
yannbigant.com
Yann Bigant @yannbigant.com · Sep 15
How many people can the wildlife trade really support? A critical examination of the 'livelihoods' argument.

therevelator.org/wildlife-tra...
Wildlife Trade: Does the ‘Livelihoods Depend on It’ Defense Hold Up? • The Revelator
New research into the turtle-meat trade reveals that assumptions and unsubstantiated claims could hurt conservation efforts.
therevelator.org
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
guyshrubsole.bsky.social
Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 27d
I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore.

So I wrote a blog about ten things you can do *right now* to help defeat Farage, Musk, and rightwing populism.

From scrutinising Reform councillors to demanding the UK Govt leave X - get involved:

guyshrubsole.substack.com/p/ten-things...
Ten things you can do to help defeat Farage, Musk, and rightwing populism
I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore.
guyshrubsole.substack.com
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
eia-news.bsky.social
Environmental Investigation Agency @eia-news.bsky.social · Sep 14
In ‘What on Earth?’ EIA UK Senior Wildlife Campaigner Linh Nguyen and EIA US Senior Wildlife Policy Analyst Taylor Tench discuss the main findings of our new report
Listen now at https://loom.ly/8caQdQY
#Vietnam #illegalwildlifetrade #poaching #elephants #ivory #rhinos #rhinohorn #pangolins
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Reposted by Simon Hedges
vestaeleuteri.bsky.social
Vesta Eleuteri @vestaeleuteri.bsky.social · Aug 5
Happy to share this article on @theconversation.com covering our study on elephant gestures 🐘👋 @angelastoeger.bsky.social @nakedprimate.bsky.social Lucy Bates, Josh Plotnik

theconversation.com/do-elephants...
Do elephants make deliberate gestures to ask for things? Our study says yes
Elephants were found to gesture intentionally when they wanted humans to give them apples. This trait was thought to exist mainly in primates.
theconversation.com
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simonhedges.bsky.social
Simon Hedges @simonhedges.bsky.social · Sep 13
Analysis of habitat connectivity and aggregation suggested that more than half of global #forests have become more fragmented over the past two decades, painting a picture of widespread forest degradation beyond the direct effects of #habitat loss

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Fragmentation increased in over half of global forests from 2000 to 2020
Habitat fragmentation, in which contiguous forests are broken into smaller, isolated patches, threatens biodiversity by disrupting species movement, shrinking populations, and altering ecosystem dynam...
www.science.org
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simonhedges.bsky.social
Simon Hedges @simonhedges.bsky.social · Sep 12
Yes, a great image
apantesis.bsky.social
apantesis @apantesis.bsky.social · Sep 12
instead you captured essence of hawkmoth! too fast for photo
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