Andy Fryers

[Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand]

This is again a project of an unfathomable scale that's just been completed in China and barely anyone has heard of it in the rest of the world https://t.co/US51aTcbK0

China has just finished constructing a continuous 3,046-kilometer (1,892-mile) green barrier - made of plants and trees - completely encircling the Taklamakan Desert, the world's second-largest shifting sand desert which is about the size of Germany (!).

To put this in perspective, this is like building a living wall from Paris to Istanbul, or from Los Angeles to Chicago – except they built it in one of the world's most inhospitable environments.

They spent about 40 years building this "green wall". The final 285 kilometers was completed in 2024 on November 28. They built the "wall" with desert-hardy plants like Populus euphratica (desert poplar), Haloxylon (saxaul), and Tamarix (salt cedar), along with innovative sand-control engineering and solar panel installations.

The objective of the project is to contain the desert's expansion and to protect surrounding agricultural areas and cities from sandstorms. Before this project, many towns in the region had to be relocated multiple times due to encroaching sand. For instance, the town of Qira in Xinjiang had to move three times in its history, with sand dunes once approaching as close as 1.5 kilometers from the town center.

This is easily one of human history's most ambitious and grandest ecological engineering projects. It's insane when you think about it: completely containing a desert the size of Germany!

And it's also insane how little attention this has received globally: sadly we've apparently lost the capacity to be impressed by such a project, let alone have the boldness of vision to conceive of one ourselves. All resulting in the fact that whilst China is out there completing 40-year missions to tame entire deserts, we can barely fix potholes in our roads.

[Climate Spring @climate__spring]

📢The inaugural @climate_fiction Prize longlist is out!

📚We're so proud to support this exciting prize, celebrating the stellar array of novels being written in the #ClimateFiction space!

Read more about the books and authors via the @thebookseller👇
https://t.co/NnlTkJ5B91

[Andy Fryers @AndyFryers]

Great to see the longlist out in the wild. I really enjoyed reading these on behalf of @hayfestival I hope you enjoy read them as well.
Now onto the harder job of selecting the shortlist.

[Climate Spring @climate__spring]

✨ The inaugural @climate_fiction Prize longlist will be unveiled next week!

Keep your eyes peeled for the announcement on 20th November!

@nicolawriting @toritsui @AndyFryers @urbanbirder

Find out more about the prize, supported by Climate Spring: https://t.co/NPdHQ6lxeB

[Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband]

Today the PM announced our new world-leading target to cut UK emissions by 81%.

There is no national security or economic security without climate security.

That's why we have announced this target today.

To protect future generations, deliver jobs and drive economic growth.

[Danny Dorling News @dannydorling]

“Sharing”

“Fairness”

“Unfairness”

“Hoarders” of riches.

“Thieves” of opportunity.

The “selfish” minority.

The “greedy” few.

The “good” society.

The “bad” apples poisoning the whole barrel for all.

The “ugly” reality.

The “kind” among us.

What, if we changed our words?

[Nicola Chester @nicolawriting]

Uplifting experience speaking this week with @AndyFryers of @hayfestival & @climate_fiction prize founder Rose Goddard @BusinessGreen’s #NetZeroFestival. How we need imagination, story & main character energy to light paths through the Climate & Nature Crisis. Longlist 20/11!

[Rt Hon Chris Skidmore @CSkidmoreUK]

Many thanks to Baroness @theresa_may for quoting the Net Zero Review #MissionZero in her maiden speech and focusing on climate change.

#MissionZero as a template for further climate action has now has well over 100 of its 129 recommendations adopted by the UK government

[James Murray @James_BG]

Rose Goddard: ‘fiction that doesn’t engage with climate change will seem increasingly out of date’. Quotes another author who said stories that ignore climate change are science fiction. #NetZeroFestival

[Roman Krznaric @romankrznaric]

What can Doughnut Economics learn from history? Tune in to this world premiere tag-team joint talk with my favourite economist @kateraworth on Nov 22 at @longnow https://t.co/sTDdPJ65xC #HistoryforTomorrow @doughnutecon

[Climate Spring @climate__spring]

📢The #longlist for the Climate Spring-supported @climate_fiction prize is coming on 20th November - we can't wait! 📚🌏

Find out more about how this new literary prize is championing the #ClimateFiction genre⤵️

🔗https://t.co/NPdHQ6kZp3

[Andy Fryers @AndyFryers]

@climate_fiction @nicolawriting @hayfestival @climate__spring It was a really stimulating afternoon and a great long list.

[Ed Hawkins @ed_hawkins]

Combining the warming stripes and biodiversity stripes.

By @findingnature.

#ShowYourStripes #BiodiversityStripes

https://t.co/UHggnVQ5A1

[Ed Hawkins @ed_hawkins]

Changes and variations in Arctic sea ice cover every September from 1979 to 2024

[Mark Lynas @mark_lynas]

The world is likely to add half a terawatt of new solar installations by the end of the year. I would NEVER have believed we could move this fast, even 5 years ago. We're now likely on track to meet the pledge of tripling global renewables made at COP28. https://t.co/l5Ebt3QV5r

[Andy Fryers @AndyFryers]

@AdamRutherford This is quite the claim.

[Andy Fryers @AndyFryers]

Congratulations @helenczerski a great book and a well deserved win.

[The Wainwright Prizes @wainwrightprize]

The Winner of the 2024 #WainwrightPrize for Conservation is Blue Machine by @helenczerski

Congratulations to Helen for this wonderfully timely, elegant, and impassioned ocean voyage.

#WainwrightPrize24 @TorvaBooks

[Hay Festival @hayfestival]

Is Wales’ future green?

Join Hay Festival Global sustainability director @AndyFryers at the upcoming @globalwelsh Connect to London event for an exploration of the key issues.

Book now 🍃 https://t.co/d6yO7fGnjt

[Kate Raworth @KateRaworth]

If you'll be in Bristol on 23 September do not miss the fireworks of this conversation on ecological crisis, radical revolt and lessons of hope from history. I have a feeling it's going to be brilliant.