Although I would argue that exploration especially works better with team work and collaborarion instead!

From Coal Tip to Clean Energy: The UK Projects Turning Former Mines Into Renewable Powerhouses Solar farms, wind turbines and geothermal heat pumps are breathing new life into former collieries. So why don't we hear more about them?

📌 ICYMI — From Coal Tip to Clean Energy: The UK Projects Turning Former Mines Into Renewable Powerhouses

Solar farms, wind turbines and geothermal heat pumps are breathing new life into former collieries. So why don't we hear more about them?

Which might not be so much of an issue now if you did not graduate with so much debt. The discussion seams to be about income, but student loan debt payments is a big change in last 20 yrs.

As an actual caver (speleologist) I take offence at this remark (although i did also laugh).

Q&A: Why does gas set the price of electricity – and is there an alternative? - Carbon Brief A surge in gas prices triggered by the Iran war has caused a knock-on spike...

I'd been wanting a good analysis on what the alternatives are to gas setting price of electricity.

As usual @carbonbrief.org has the answer www.carbonbrief.org/qa-why-does-...

A three span footbridge supported by two piers and cable stays crosses between two embankments. A group of hi vis clad students pose for the photo on the bridge above a University of Leeds banner.

A deep excavation with concrete walls, base and roof contains a group of hi vis clad students with green, orange or white hard hats holding a University of Leeds banner.

A footbridge with approach embankments crosses a small stream. The bridge is made of concrete and supported by swivel legs on foundations in the stream. A group of students in hi vis stand on the footbridge with a university of Leeds banner.

And even later for Friday, but grateful for the sleep in between. It was a hectic morning, but all projects got finished completely. A great achievement by the three teams, with thanks to the @constructionarium.bsky.social staff for all their help in the final details. Til next year!

Yes thet do. Alignment is very good.
One challenge remains grid infrastructure between offshore generation and population. But that needs resolving in all cases.

And some geology is better than others for storage, but you can do this to some extent anywhere. And the scale is its key benefit.

We are researching storing seasonally surplus renewables as heat for use at peak times. Its way less efficient than battery storage, but is important as to get off fossil fuels we also need to decarbomise heat, which has huge peak demand. We need to think whole energy system not just grid.

The subsurface for energy storage is still the biggest battery available and we need to be thinking in that way.

Launching a bridge deck from an embankment towards a concrete pier. Two operatives stand on a scaffold tower watching it approach.

A student pushes a small vibrating plate compactor on an approach embankment for a bridge.

Pouring concrete from a skip into the base of a deep excavation. The excavation is supported by temporary props. In the foreground is a laser level to control the concrete level. Three students and a supervisor help spread and finish the concrete.

I am late for Thursday. Some challenges with slow setting concrete in sub zero overnight conditions, but we still got half a bridge launched, box base slabs cast and approach embankments constructed. All set for completion today.

6 happy students in a braced excavation with an exposed tunnel opening behind them. Above ground others are working on construction of a small timber and steel building.

In the background, the arm of a large excavator which carries a concrete skip blocks the sun out. In the foreground is different stages of a bridge construction.

And now we have exposed a tunnel! Very cold with severe windchill today, but all projects progressing really well. Amazing effort from all our students in challenging conditions.

Concrete pouring from the back of a wagon into a precast bridge desk. Students in PPE using shovel to help move the concrete around the formwork area.

Concrete pouring from the back of a wagon into pre cast roof slabs. Students wearing PPE helping to move the concrete around the formwork.

Concrete pouring from the back of a wagon into a foundation supporting by formwork. Student in PPE using a vibrating poker to compact the concrete as it enters the foundation.

Concrete skip held by a large excavator for placement into a bridge pier supported by tall formwork. Students stand on a scaffold tower to help place and vibrate the concrete.

Its been concrete, concrete, concrete today. Our students have poured a bridge deck in two parts, 6 precast concrete roof panels, two foundations and one bridge peer💪. We have all accrued wind burn with it blowing 20+mph, but have escape the heavy rain felt up north. Tomorrow that changes.

The Lone Tree, Llyn Padarn near Llanberis in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, photo by Louise France, 'Wandering Welsh Girl'.

Students in yellow hi vis and blue hard hats crouch down fixing rebar into a cage that will be used for a column foundation. In the background other students in orange hard hats study construction drawings, whilst other participants walk past.

A large excavator moves bags of sand into position to dam a shallow river to allow for dry construction conditions. Two students in yellow hi vis and red hard hats, along with a supervisor in orange hi vis direct proceedings.

A hive of activity as many students in yellow hi vis and red hard hats are busy building timber formwork for subsequent casting of precast concrete

Its @constructionarium.bsky.social time again! Every year we come with our third year students to build cut down versions of classic structures. This year: Canary Wharf and North Greenwich stations, Millau Viaduct & Kingsgate bridge. Great progress on all projects today, and no rain!

Never mind their own contents list - most important is that there is geothermal energy on @quietriotpod.bsky.social

A great route 👌

Geothermal Campus Living Lab - Sustainability The Geothermal Campus Living Lab was begun in early 2024 as part of a collaboration between the University's Net Zero team, Facilities Directorate, Estates, Buro Happold, ANTS Group and Geosolutions L...

Closer to home and not online yet, but coming soon: sustainability.leeds.ac.uk/geothermal-c...

BBC Radio 4 - Evan Davis's Heat Pump Challenge, Heat pumps in the home Evan Davis explores how heat pumps work and why government wants us to install them.

Oh look at that… with impeccable timing, @evanhd.bsky.social appears to be back talking about heat pumps on the BBC!

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

The Zambezi river flows under a road bridge

Sunset on the Zambezi

Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria falls)

Applications open for a 3-year Post Doc position in Leeds (UK) on the #UKRI funded Still Waters project. We are looking for #hydrology #geomorphology modelling skills to embed surface hydrology into #malaria models with fieldwork in Zambia. Pls contact me for more details: tinyurl.com/3356rt44

Gateshead pioneers research into mine water heat technology Gateshead's Living Laboratory is providing

Good work going on with the Mining Remediation Authority around getting heat from old mines and into our buildings. Featuring our fibre optic cable interrogating equipment being put to good use.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Two cavers walking along a track on a snow covered moor, beneath clear blue skies.

Even if we ultimately went underground, it was so good to see the sunshine yesterday.

Underground sensors assess Aberdeen's geothermal energy potential The data will be used to build a 3D map of granite lying deep beneath the city.

Great to see this Aberdeen geothermal exploration make the news. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A square cut hypogenic walking sized cave passage with numerous stalagmites and small calcite straws. A muddy helmet-less caver sits in the centee admiring the formations, taking care not to damage or dirty them.

Will it ever stop raining?
At least our maze cave mapping project is an all weather activity. Here is some of the new 140m of cave explored and documented last weekend. What will this weekend hold i wonder?

The world, which sometimes seams a terrible place these days, is feeling a much better place with @norcrosscricket.bsky.social and Alex Hartley on my radio again.

That’s not cricket: How ‘creeping Hindutva’ stumped sportsmanship ahead of the T20 World Cup The reality of the sport is that the flap of a butterfly’s wings in local Indian politics can cause a typhoon in another country’s cricketing fortunes.

www.dawn.com/news/1970764...

I have a lot of sympathy for the PCB and Bangladesh. The BCCI has ever increasing power and political interference. Does that make the other boards innocent? No, but you have to recognise the power imbalance. As @elizabethammon.bsky.social says, the ICC needs to apply its own rules.

I am kind of with you on that tbh. Hugs.

A heavily scalloped underground stream passage, with a caver admiring a calcite formation in the distance

Small gours and causing steps in the stream passage, with a greenish pool beneath them

A high level passage above the streamway, with extensive calcite roof and wall formations, and a caver shining her light down a smaller oxbow part way up the wall.

There are a lot of horrible things happening in the world. I can't offer answers, or even cat pics. But I have been having a go at taking some cave pics while away at new year. First time for a while. Hopefully you will like them.

Bar chart showing annual

What are the key things in the Warm Homes Plan?

The headline is a big emphasis on electric technologies (sold, batteries, heat pumps), with less focus on insulation.

That will reduce bills - we think getting the full solar-battery-heat pump combo saves £1,000 on a typical yearly energy bill…