“It's as much about the [cycling] community's mental health as it is about the exercise...you’re a bloke, and you’re riding along, you’re facing forward and things get discussed that might not otherwise get discussed. You’re in a mentally safe place... All enabled by the bike.”

But where do you start, if you don’t own a bike and you haven’t been on one in many years? Video footage - Ed Cartledge

Tony suggested finding someone who does have a bike. And inevitably if they’re keen, they’ll have more than one. And if that one doesn’t fit you, they’ll have a friend who has a bike. And then he suggests just getting out for a ride. Wear a helmet and gloves, and go for it.

And of course, we asked him the question on everyone’s minds. What about the Sheffield hills?

“My cycle to work is a parabola…I’ve never lived anywhere flat, and when you cycle on the flat it gets kind of boring…Whereas in the Peak District you’re either going uphill which is hard work, or going downhill which is great fun…I love going downhill”

We also offer help to staff to make it easier to start cycling. We’re part of the Cycle to Work scheme, and The Cycle Hut is there to help. Find out more: sheffield.ac.uk/efm/cycling

The bike I’m riding is a Cycle to Work scheme bike 🚴

Good job team! Must say I did prefer our original title! “Is spending money on controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) for space (SpaCEA) decadent … or a route to sustainably feeding an Earth population?”

A lovely eulogy for a really nice man.

MAJOR UPDATE: All planetary boundaries are assessed, and six are crossed. For the first time ever, scientists have quantified all nine planetary boundaries. Six of them are already transgressed and we are increasing pressure on the others. Read more: buff.ly/45Ps1QG

The huge tragedy of the UK is that for 31 of past 44 years The Tories and their asset stripping short termism has downgraded our country. Decent housing was turned into an unaffordable asset - we have gone from the second most equal society in Europe ( after Germany) in 1975 to

another nice chat!

Great to see it out there for people to use.

Shameful greenwash from shameless polluters. theguardian.com/business/2023/…

We enjoyed a spectacular evening last night, when Prof Anthony Ryan Anthony J Ryan OBE, hosted by Prof Hazel Assender, treated us to the Hirsch Lecture 2024: 'Neofossils: bio-based plastics to sequester CO2'. Thank you, Tony! MPLSOxford

We've got to keep calling out this sustainable airline fuel greenwash.

Reflections on COP28 Grantham Centre with a coruscating view from Tom Wood

Free at last!

In 1999 Yoshi Ishii got his PhD in Polymer Science - went back to Japan to work for Ashai Kasei on batteries - and now needs polymer science in his job again.

🌎 Today is #EarthDay. This year’s theme is #PlanetvsPlastics. But is it time we stopped demonising plastics? 🤔 Our Co-Director Anthony J Ryan OBE shares his thoughts on the topic for Earth Day and explains why we need to reassess our views on plastics. ⬇️ grantham.sheffield.ac.uk/reassessing-pl…