Lucibee

@lucibee.bsky.social

1655 Followers 853 Following

Science defender and eco-worrier. (she/her) No DMs please (can't access).

White buddleia has produced a solitary purple spray.
Tweet from Allister Heath says: "Britain can't stop climate change. Scrap net zero and embrace Mediterranean life" Image shows a wind turbine on fire. Meanwhile, wildfires rage across the Mediterranean region due to climate change.
A frog in a mini pond
Extract from the report: Given the variability in how pacing is understood and used, the study opted to record any discussion of movement as part of recovery. Even with this capacious definition that included references to movement or exercise (such as, ‘going for a walk’) as well as using pacing as an approach to energy management, only 39% of participants spoke about this overall, with little difference between those who fully recovered and those who are recovering. The surprising finding is that around 60% of participants recovered or significantly improved without adopting an intentional practice of movement. Assumptions around efficacy should not be made, given that for many of the other 40%, movement was reported to have played a significant role in recovery. Moreover, it is possible to pace and increase exercise and movement without defining this as a conscious practice. It is surprising to learn that only 35% of participants with a diagnosis of ME/CFS adopted a practice of pacing or movement.
Graph of recovery. 25 people at <5 years, 12 at 5-9 years, 14 at 10-19 years, 3 at 20-29 years, 4 at 30-35 years. The graph would look much nicer if the time periods were all equal (5 years).
DHSC webpage shows images of "Our ministers": Yvette Cooper, Baroness Merron, Sharon Hodgson, Preet Kaur Gill, Diana Johnson, Karin Smyth.
Bright red zinnia, now with added yellow sparkles.
A large healthy courgette plant with no mildew.
ME/CFS: Health Services Question for Department of Health and Social Care UIN 16891, tabled on 8 July 2026 Question from Sir Julian Smith (Conservative, MP for Skipton and Ripon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to support those with very severe ME.
A yellow Gazania. Each petal has a broad streak of orange down the centre.
A bright red multi petalled zinnia.
A dark pinky purple gazania flower. The centre is yellow and there are some sparkly blue bits too.
A bright orange zinnia flower. The centre is red, and surrounded by yellow starburst reproductive bits.
A north-facing patio, shaded by a big green gazebo. There are lots of plants in pots and a couple of garden chairs. I know they’re facing the back door, but you can move them if you don’t want to sit there.
Nearly 6ft of chicory, covered in blue blooms.
A gorgeous blue chicory flower
ThermPro thermometer reads 50C, 21% humidity.
Hydrangea flowers are going a bit crispy in the heat.
Rachel Reeves (UK Chancellor of the Exchequer) posts on X: "I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better. But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him."
Andy Burnham on X posts: Always worth knowing when bin day is. [Image shows Burnham shaking Count Binface's hand at the recent Makerfield by-election.]
Sharon Hodgson MP answered on 3 July 2026: 3 July 2026 Integrated care boards (ICBs) are expected to commission services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) across all levels of severity, including those with severe and very severe ME/CFS, in line with national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies set by NHS England. Prioritisation and funding remain at the discretion of ICBs. Officials in the Department and NHS England are currently actively considering whether a specialised service for very severe ME/CFS should be commissioned by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. A final decision will not be made until after the abolition of NHS England is complete, in April 2027, when processes will be clearer. This is as a result of potential changes to the legislative process which may occur as a result of transformation in NHS England. Officials continue to progress this action as far as possible ahead of April 2027, so that work can continue at pace following the completion of transformation in NHS England. This could include convening the clinical committee ahead of time.
Form text from "reassurance" that Sharon Hodgson MP has been sending to MPs and constituents who have asked about the delay to a severe ME service: "I would also like to reassure [constituent’s name] that we are taking steps to raise awareness of ME/CFS among healthcare professionals. The Department and NHS England have developed an e-learning programme to support healthcare professionals deliver the right care for patients with ME/CFS. All four sessions of this programme are now available; sessions 1, 2 and 3 have universal access, while the fourth session, which includes support and clinical management for severe ME/CFS, is only available to healthcare professionals. Further information can be found at learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288."
Data shows number of users by type of (primary) email account. Numbers shown are completed/uncompleted (total). 1. An Introduction to ME/CFS (launched 15 May 2024): gov.uk 10/9 (19), ac.uk 132/52 (184), nhs.uk 293/283 (576), other 112/182 (294). 2. ME/CFS: guidance for community-based healthcare practitioners (launched 9 Jan 2025): gov.uk 1/1 (2), ac.uk 33/16 (49), nhs.uk 102/107 (209), other 30/68 (98). 3. Managing severe ME/CFS (launched 7 Sept 2025): gov.uk 1/0 (1), ac.uk 9/11 (20), nhs.uk 51/45 (96), other 7/4 (11). 4. Supporting people with severe ME/CFS (from 16 March 2026): gov.uk 1/0 (1), ac.uk 17/6 (23), nhs.uk 31/27 (58), other 17/55 (72). 5. Support and clinical management of severe ME/CFS (from 16 March 2026): gov.uk 1/0 (1), ac.uk 12/3 (15), nhs.uk 28/16 (44), other 5/3 (8). Caveats apply. I'm still waiting for clarification for one point from the notes sent with the data.
Data received (6 July 2026): [data table] Completed sessions up to 20 June 2026: table header: Module name (first launch date); Government email account (gov.uk); Higher education email account (ac.uk); NHS email account (nhs.uk); Other. 1. An Introduction to ME/CFS (launched 15 May 2024): 10 gov.uk, 132 ac.uk, 293 nhs.uk, 112 other. 2. ME/CFS: guidance for community-based healthcare practitioners (launched 9 Jan 2025): 1 gov.uk, 33 ac.uk, 102 nhs.uk, 30 other. 3. Managing severe ME/CFS (launched 7 Sept 2025, but subsequently split into the final 2 sessions): 1 gov.uk, 9 ac.uk, 51 nhs.uk, 7 other. 4. Supporting people with severe ME/CFS (from 16 March 2026): 1 gov.uk, 17 ac.uk, 31 nhs.uk, 17 other. 5. Support and clinical management of severe ME/CFS (from 16 March 2026): 1 gov.uk, 12 ac.uk, 28 nhs.uk, 5 other. Note that modules 3 and 5 are only available to "clinical" staff (those with an NHS email account). The other modules are available to all registered users.
A fabric banner depicting the blue 350.org logo, bordered by a speech bubble in orange fabric.
A smiling woman in a crowd of climate campaigners on The Wave march in Hyde Park, central London (December 2009) holds a fabric banner with the 350.org logo on it.
A smiling woman, standing on her patio, displays a 2m knitted plarn banner depicting the 350.org logo in turquoise (3), dark blue (5), and swirly orange (0).
Tweet from Department of Health and Social Care shows a Bayeux Tapestry parody mock up with the words "How art we fortifying the NHS?".
FB post from Dave Gibbons from Great Torrington, Devon. Right, this is a serious and VERY FUCKING IMPORTANT post. Not copy-and-paste chainmail. Not AI. All written by me, Dave. PLEASE read carefully to the end, I implore you. No humour content. Just a real, human, plea for help. Now: Look at the photo. It shows the extent of the AI Data Centre and BESS (Battery Storage) sites proposed for just north of Great Torrington, the town in rural North Devon where I live. And, when I say 'just north' I mean as in 'look out of the window/walk on a footpath' distance. Now compare it to the size of the town itself. This is accurate, not an invention or exaggeration. I didn't create the map but it is correct. The proposed site will encompass 850 acres. No, wait: I'm going to repeat that in big letters. EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY ACRES Which is twice the size of the biggest in the UK right now, and more than twice the urban/built-up acreage of our town. It's proposed to be built on land which is currently (in fact always has been) occupied by farmland, footpaths and Grade II listed buildings. Part of the North Devon Biosphere, a UNESCO project. Abutting historic common land, an iron age settlement/hillfort and a reservoir. Wildlife, fauna, you name it. So, here it is: I need your help. Share this post. Reach out. Support. Do whatever the hell it takes. [post continues at https://www.facebook.com/dave.f.gibbons/]
A frilly pink rose called 'Alan Titchmarsh'.
Text of a tweet posted on X by Maha Hussaini (@MahaGaza). "To walk safely in Gaza, stay away from cars because they might be targeted, and avoid buildings because they could be bombed. Don’t head west toward the sea because gunboats may open fire. Don’t move too far north, east, or south either, those are yellow areas [occupied by the Israeli military], meaning certain death. Don’t look up at the sky, there are quadcopters watching. Don’t dig into the ground, they might think you’re digging tunnels or preparing an attack. So what’s left? Where are we supposed to go?" - Israa Ar-Ramly, Palestinian journalist in Gaza. tr. Maha Hussaini, head of media Euro-Med Monitor (text format - me)
Temperature of 36.8C in shade, just outside my back door. 4pm Thursday 25 June 2026, mid Wales (near Hay-on-Wye).
Tall climbing pea plants, with purple and crimson flowers, and green or purple pods.
A hot sun in an orange sky above a cityscape.
Text: NHS England’s recent stocktake of ME/CFS and long COVID services concluded in early 2025. It aimed at providing a nationwide overview of service delivery in commissioning and contracting, and confirmed that the widely recognised challenges were: 1. significant variation in care delivery across England. 2. a lack of comprehensive activity data. In summary, the IDP aimed to: 1. improve diagnosis and condition management support for children and adults with ME/CFS, including access to healthcare more widely. 2. provide a more standardised service offer and better data. 3. ensure that professional staff have the skills, experience and resources required to appropriately support people with ME/CFS.
Highlighted section of the UK Government's ME stocktake in December 2024 shows total referrals for ME/CFS as "no data" for all columns (regions of the UK).
A cultivated wild area of the garden with two lard self-sown poppies. One is a frilly “breadseed” variety, and the other is a lilac opium poppy with two open blooms.
Screenshot of tweet from Paul Powlesland on X: "What're you in for mate?" "Cleaning a river without a permit. What about you?" @EnvAgency is really plumbing new depths of malevolent uselessness. Image shows picture of Paul in waders and a blue and white striped sweater, standing in a river. Headline reads: Environmental lawyer facing up to 2 years in prison for clearing rubbish from East London river. Paul Powlesland, 40, and a group of volunteers filled over 200 bags of rubbish from the River Roding in Barking, East London.
YOUR COMPLAINT: Minimisation of myalgic encephalomyelitis  I'd like to complain about the way that ME, or myalgic encephalomyelitis, was introduced on your show yesterday. Your doctor presenter, Dr Oscar Duke, said that 'chronic fatigue syndrome is probably the best way to describe it.' Having said he was there to provide 'the facts', he provided a statement that is factually incorrect, as chronic fatigue is NOT the best way to describe ME. Continued use of the term CFS trivialises the condition, which leaves 25% of patients very severely affected, unable to leave their houses or beds, or even to see a doctor. Please can the BBC stop using this term.   ---------- Thank you again for contacting us, BBC Complaints Team www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
MECFS orgs and online long COVID communities have promoted a very particular ideology around long COVID. Common beliefs include the idea that recovery is impossible until cures are found, that mind-body techniques are fraudulent and useless, that energy is always constrained to a certain number of "spoons" per day, and that exercise is dangerous and likely to make the condition worse. Another common belief is that the medical system is aligned against people with long COVID and that many doctors don't recognize the illness as real.
Thank you for contacting us about the Health Headlines item on Morning Live on 20 May. In this section of the programme Dr Oscar discussed a headline published in The Times: “Landmark ME study will map patients’ DNA in mission to find cure.” His aim was to help viewers better understand the story and its wider context. Outlining the condition for viewers who might be unfamiliar with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), he explained it can be a significantly debilitating illness, affecting an estimated 400,000 people in the UK at any given time, and highlighted the research and funding issues referenced in the article. Currently, the NHS website states that ME is “also called chronic fatigue syndrome”. However, we recognise that many people living with this condition feel that this terminology and description of the symptoms fails to fully describe their own experience. In light of some of the feedback we received, the programme revisited this subject in greater depth on 2 June, hearing from the ME Association and Action for ME in the process. You can watch it on BBC iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002x6zc/morning-live-series-8-02062026 We hope you will be reassured that we recognise the seriousness of this condition and also the strength of feeling that exists around media coverage of this subject. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. If you’d like to understand how your complaint is handled at the BBC, you might find it helpful to watch the short film on the BBC Complaints website about how the BBC responds to your feedback. It explains the BBC’s process for responding to complaints, what to do if you aren’t happy with your response and how we share the feedback we receive. Kind regards, BBC Complaints Team
Allegation: “Wessely threw a boy into a swimming pool to see whether he would sink or swim”. The reality: In 1988 I was a senior registrar in psychiatry at the National Hospital for Neurology. A child had been admitted unable to walk or speak. I was asked to assess him as part of my regular duties, which I did. My intervention was to get him transferred as rapidly as possible from the ward on which he was, which was an adult ward largely full of people with advanced neurological diseases such as motor neuron disease and multiple sclerosis, and get him admitted to Great Ormond Street hospital next door. I did not see the child again. Some month later I was asked by social services to provide a report to support the care proceedings that had been brought by child protection services elsewhere, which I did. Needless to say, I have never thrown this child, or any other, into a swimming pool.
Quote from Wired article: "In the ME/CFS community, Wessely and Sharpe became talismanic symbols of medical science gone wrong. Their every statement was subject to intense scrutiny. The Guardian reported on a “campaign of intimidation, attacks, and death threats.” [highlighted text begins] Wessely was accused of, among other things, throwing a sick boy into a pool to see if he would sink or swim. [highlight ends] (Wessely denies this allegation, and many others, on his personal webpage.)"
Quote from article: "Nothing about long Covid adds up. Consider prevalence rates: How could one study find it affected 3.3 percent of the population of the UK but others an alarming 51 percent of South Americans and 86 percent of Egyptians?"
Highlighted text from the ME Final Delivery Plan: Healthcare practitioners from across disciplines and people with personal experience, including carers, will come together to produce a ‘Language Matters in ME/CFS’ guide, led by an independent clinician and supported by DHSC. Progress: DHSC discussed with the Task and Finish Group and invited nominations for a clinician to lead this work and collaborate closely with DHSC and patients with lived experience. Timeline and outcome: Expected by November 2025. The guide is developed and fully considers the consultation respondents’ feedback on language.
A large pot of chives in bloom. The flowers are slightly different. Some complete globes. Some more lilac in colour.
A host of purple lupins with intensely green foliage.
Close up of Geranium flower.
A blackbird waits patiently for me to get back to work.
A tiny plant with tiny white flowers in the lawn.
An overexposed image of a pair of concrete nest bowls under the eves with a bird poking its head out.
Screenshot of four osprey chicks in a nest from the Birds of Poole Harbour Osprey nestcam. The two biggest are about a week old. The middle one (chick 3) is a few days younger, and the final tiny one hatched this morning.
A black and yellow striped bug. A bit like a wingless wasp.
Global climate heatmap comparing summer 1976 with summer 2024. Temperature anomaly is shown. The summer 1976 map is mostly blue with some isolated heat spots over the UK, mid USA and an El-Nino pattern in the eastern Pacific. The summer 2024 map is mostly reds and dark reds, particularly in the northern hemisphere.
Graph shows temperature plots from inside and outside (sun and shade) on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th July 2022, during the summer heatwave. Outside, the temperature soared to 35-36 degrees, while inside it stayed at a relatively cool 23-24 degrees (C). Location: mid Wales borders, Powys.
Screenshot of a graph showing UK highest annual temperatures from 1950 to 2025 (data from Met Office). The graph is composed of red dots, which range between 27 and 36 degrees C in the 50s and 60s, increasing steadily up to between 32 and 41 degrees C in 2020s. Today's maximum of 34.8 is shown with a pink star. The previous record for May in the UK was 32.8°C.
A green carpet of tiny yellow clover.
A tiny white four-petalled flower on a sticky hairy cleavers plant.