Quote from the FT: Italy’s industry minister Adolfo Urso has called for the immediate suspension of the EU’s carbon emissions trading system to help cut soaring energy prices. “The suspension of the ETS [European trading system] should be considered precisely as an emergency response to the conflict, pending a more thorough revision of the system,” Urso told an Italian newspaper. The ETS requires polluting industries to purchase permits for their carbon emissions. Urso had called for its suspension before the war erupted, but said the issue was more urgent now because of the current surge in energy prices. Scrapping the system, he said, would cut the cost of Italy’s gas-reliant electricity production by €25-€30 per megawatt hour.

Quite noteworthy that the same people who years fighting the energy transition are now demanding quick dismantling of climate laws in response to the US/Israel-Iran war-made energy crisis.

How much better would we be prepared in Europe if we had more forcefully transitioned to headpumps and EVs?

🔑 Supporting the inter-governmental process led by #Colombia & the #Netherlands on #JustTransition away from #FossilFuels (tinyurl.com/46fwbnz3) is a priority

👇incl through integration of evidence in #Durham on 19-20/3 with UN HumanRights & #COP30 Envoy Denise Dora: tinyurl.com/4svr77ht

I just learned that Ayatollah Khamenei and Ayatollah Khomenei are not the same person. Here's my plan for regime change in Iran....(1/23)

Fifth session of the Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law :

Anyway here is the exciting report from the fifth session of the Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law from last October. I spoke on the marine environment and State obligations in light of the trhee recent climate AOs. Great recs in here: digitallibrary.un.org/record/41018...

Took time out of my day to attend a research seminar outside my field, was actively asked for my input… and then treated to a tone from an audience member usually reserved for explaining gravity to a fish. Truly thriving in this high-risk interdisciplinary learning environment.

I cannot explain how wild it is to describe to folks from sunny places like Miami that I come from a region that had an 18-day consecutive streak of rain pishing doon and nae sun. No wonder we’re aw miserable x

The defection of Suella Braverman, who was sacked twice from Government in disgrace, spent £700m of taxpayers' money to send four volunteers to Rwanda on a deportation scheme that was then scrapped and has a public approval rating of minus 32 is currently being described as a "major coup" for Reform

Pix of minister being hit by pepper ball

Homeland Security doesn’t like it when we call ICE and Border Patrol “the Gestapo.”
So let’s set the Gestapo aside. Instead I’ll use this thread to compare Trump’s thugs to other secret police and terror squads from different times and places. It’s tyranny, no matter where it comes from. 1/10🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵

Globally, no single day in 2025 was cooler than its 1991-2020 average.
climate.copernicus.eu/global-clima...

Prime Minister Carney assembles a LEGO set gifted by the Danish Ambassador.

Prime Minister Carney assembles a LEGO set gifted by the Danish Ambassador.

It was time to build this weekend (with LEGO).
 
Thanks to Ambassador Harris for the gift. Solidarity with Denmark. 🇨🇦🇩🇰

Mantra for this semester: having less teaching ≠ needing to absorb more voluntary commitments.

The University of Aberdeen School of Law is recuriting two Lecturers. One in Maritime and Commercial Law and another in Public Law and Anti-SLAPP.

More details in the links below. Feel free to get in touch if you'd like to chat about the Maritime Law post: www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs/vacanci...

My neighbours are snowboarding in the park outside our building while I am stuck in non-snowy Glasgow until the trains start running again :(

After Venezuela, which countries could Trump target next?

Very normal press we have here treating it like some sort of game

Just out: My short essay in the IJMCL 40th anniversary special issue reflects on three recent climate change advisory opinions and their implications for international fisheries law.

brill.com/view/journal...

Pretty unreal that the President launching a war from his private golf club is just a thing that happens now

Lots to unpack in the Peggie v Fife judgment, and much of it has already been covered on here, but it's useful imo to highlight a single sentence from para 1024: "a protected belief does not give carte blanche to say whatever the person holding those beliefs wishes".

AUCEL Appoints Dr Eddy Wifa and Dr Mitchell Lennan as New Co-Directors

In exciting news at this busy time I am pleased to announce I am now Co Director of Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law (AUCEL) www.abdn.ac.uk/law/news-eve...

If only there were a cautionary tale about being too eager to accept the apparent time-saving capabilities of new technology.

Today I showed a TikTok in my lecture but I was also Rickrolled in an internal Reply-all email chain so I am now very confused as to what year it is.

This latest "barrister meets AI" disaster is something all stage 1 law students should read. It is vital about the key skill of case reading - you mustn't use AI to substitute for the skill of being able to find cases and find key content in cases:

tribunalsdecisions.service.gov.uk/utiac/ui-202...

Really enjoyed being a part of this! Thanks so much to the panelists for their insightful viewpoints. Learned a great deal.

Literally everyone I know with indefinite leave to remain is either in the NHS or education - so I’m not sure how they can prove they’ve contributed more to society than they’ve always done. They’ve certainly done more than any no mark Labour politician whose sat on their lazy arse their entire life

Why recognize the State of Palestine?

Isn't it pointless?

Mere symbolism?

Isn't the two-state solution an illusion?

Or even a trap?

Whatever your view, take a minute to read this speech by Palestine's Deputy Ambassador to the UN from June 30.

digitallibrary.un.org/record/40861...

Defining Away Palestine

A must-read piece by @ntinatzouvala.bsky.social

voelkerrechtsblog.org/defining-awa...

“As academic and other institutions in the Global North closed ranks in support of a nuclear state unleashing unspeakable violence against an intentionally starved population, /1

Turns out it’s very easy to entertain a law of the sea academic in Belfast @mitchlennan.bsky.social

I used to go at enormous lengths debating my fellow Ukrainians (especially pro-Israel ones) telling them that if we lose the war, our situation will be very much like that of Palestine. People laughed at me.

"We cannot afford to despair. Plastics producers know that change is possible and that the case for it grows stronger by the day. They have fought it off for now, but they must not prevail."
Read more in @theguardian.com bit.ly/4lB2CBl

People posting about how they’ve never seen em dashes used before the rise of ChatGPT are really great at telling folks they’ve never read a book before.

!