Ben Cooke

Writing about the environment and clean tech for the Times. DMs open for tips. benjamin.cooke(at)

[Ember @ember_energy]

“This is about as obvious a technology shift as I have seen in my career,” said Ember's @KingsmillBond, speaking with @BenCooke135 at the Times about the #ElectrotechRevolution
https://t.co/4WvkEO84J0

[Ben Cooke @BenCooke135]

Ah thanks Geoffrey, hope you're well!

[Geoffrey Lean @GeoffreyLean]

Excellent must read by @BenCooke135 https://t.co/XNPxGre42d

[James Murray @James_BG]

Some very heavily caveated hopium on how Trump will not derail global climate action. https://t.co/h3tdg4qfP7

[James Murray @James_BG]

It barely featured in the campaign, but it looks like the world’s most powerful economy is about to elect a climate denying authoritarian who hates clean technology. The chances of global temperatures spiralling out of control just increased substantially.

[Ben Cooke @BenCooke135]

Fatih Birol, head of the IEA, has come out in favour of Labour's controversial mission to decarbonise the power sector by 2030. "It's a good target" he told me. "It’s an ambitious target but I think the UK can achieve it.”
https://t.co/yscAeoqJSZ

[ECIU @ECIU_UK]

Air pollution deaths falling after closure of coal plants

The Lancet has found that deaths from air pollution are falling worldwide, but the impacts of climate change on health are hitting harder than ever before.
@BenCooke135
https://t.co/EZ9C5HV9Pn

[Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf 🌏 🦣 @rahmstorf]

The Times on the underestimated risk of an #AMOC collapse, particularly for the British Isles.
This risk can be minimized by sticking to the Paris climate agreement and phasing out fossil fuels, fast.

https://t.co/tytWXH5dcE

[ECIU @ECIU_UK]

The UK could turn as cold as Scandinavia. Why aren’t we preparing?

If a vital ocean current collapses temperatures will plummet over the decades that follow — and Britain is ‘ground zero’.

@BenCooke135
https://t.co/vt2obgY4w1

[Ben Cooke @BenCooke135]

To read more of the series (it's 10 articles long!) head over to https://t.co/O1emJNwO5T for brilliant pieces by @whippletom, @matildakdavies, @emmaftaggart, and @henryfabird.

[Ben Cooke @BenCooke135]

For the last couple of months colleagues and I have been working on a series about Labour's net zero challenge: everything it has to do to adapt to climate change and transition to clean energy. First up - and free to read - is Ed Miliband's battle with opponents of renewables

[Ben Cooke @BenCooke135]

And I've written about one of the scariest curve balls climate change could throw at Britain: the collapse of a crucial ocean current that could turn our climate Scandinavian. According to @LaurieLaybourn the government isn't ready. https://t.co/g7RluQ8phS

[ECIU @ECIU_UK]

Labour’s net zero challenge in five charts, from trees to EVs

The Conservatives cut emissions from electricity, industry and waste — but now Labour has to tackle the most stubborn issues.

@BenCooke135 @matildakdavies
https://t.co/BXHFKLJsEj

[Read Jackson Rising @JPHilllllll]

Thinking about how “climate change will manifest as a series of disasters viewed through phones with footage that gets closer and closer to where you live until you're the one filming it” as @PerthshireMags said.

[Simon Evans @DrSimEvans]

⚡️🚘BREAKING: For the first time ever, more than half of cars sold in China last month were electric

New-energy vehicles, including EVs and PHEVs, reached a record-high 51.1% of retail sales in July, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association

EVs are already noticably trimming China's oil demand: Just the increase in EVs on the road since last year shaved ~4% off transport fuel demand:

https://t.co/M1hJxqcACn

[Ben Cooke @BenCooke135]

@MichaelEMann That would be great! Will let you know.

[Ben Cooke @BenCooke135]

Good to catch @MichaelEMann when he was in London a few weeks ago, to chat about the big uncertainty hanging over the net zero transition - could Trump stop it in its tracks?

[Prof Michael E. Mann @MichaelEMann]

"Could Trump torpedo the green transition?" by @BenCooke135 for @thetimes: https://t.co/jMSJe9pIK3

[Ben Cooke @BenCooke135]

@MichaelEMann @thetimes Thanks for the chat Mike!

[James Murray @James_BG]

If the Inflation Reduction Act has the catalysing effect it is designed to have on both the US and global clean energy transition - and the early signs are pretty good - Biden will be remembered as one of the most important Presidents of all time.