Helen Gray
Research student @LSHTM. @wbtiuk Steering Group #Breastfeeding #PolicyMatters #IYCFE #FoodSecurity. IBCLC and mum of three. Also anthropology, archaeology, human evolution, messing about in boats, #ActiveTravel and #ClimateEmergency
- Reposted by Helen GrayPart 1 of 3... 📸 These photos show just how awful the school run in an urban environment can be. 🚲🚶🏽We asked parents in the London borough of Lewisham to share photos capturing their experiences of taking their children to school. 👀 What you see here highlights some recurring issues.
- Reposted by Helen GrayUltra-processed. Cheap. Low in goodness. Too many children are still served unhealthy food at school. Watch our animation featuring Emma Thompson and young campaigners to see the impact and join the call to improve #schoolfood standards 🍽️🌈 🎬 Watch the animation → youtu.be/DEAaBcKx23A
- Reposted by Helen GrayIt was such a privilege to get to work on this amazing material from an incredible site and team - now the earliest handheld wooden tools in the archaeological record, taking evidence back to 430,000 years! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
- Reposted by Helen GrayFor a while, it looked like our society was serious about making work life more family friendly. It's a sad day when a large employer, like mine, decides to take a giant step backward.
- Reposted by Helen GrayBuckland wrote this despite understanding that women of his time, whether his wife Mary, or #MaryAnning whose work he benefitted from, were serious, skilled palaeontological fieldworkers & thinkers... Here's the @trowelblazers.bsky.social article on Mary Buckland trowelblazers.com/2014/05/09/m...
- Reposted by Helen GrayRemember this one? “Humans aren’t very efficient movers—until you put us on a bicycle, when we become some of the most energy-efficient land travelers in the animal kingdom.” Proven science via Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social #CityMakingMath
- Reposted by Helen GrayPoint from @ndzitina.bsky.social govt is looking at policies in isolation ex. bf + shared parental leave. They can clash &d put families in really difficult situations. Govt needs to look at this holistically, so many impacts, so many different depts have a role to play : climate, housing etc
- Reposted by Helen GrayBeing able to identify hoaxes, avoid scams & debunk propaganda is a civic skill required in today's information society. That's why curriculum for students in Finland includes media literacy lessons, aimed at safeguarding a precious resource: the truth. Via @aljazeera.com
- Over to you, @wandsworthlabour.bsky.social @TFL @london.gov.uk
- “They cut speed limits, changed street design, removed space for cars… Now it appears that work is paying off. #Oslo & #Helsinki are reaping the rewards of committed action on making their roads safer, reducing pedestrian fatalities to zero last year.” #VisionZero #SpeedKills
- Reposted by Helen GrayHim: a wombat and his girlfriend were caught on a backyard camera. Me: how do you know it wasn't a wombat and her boyfriend Him: you know you could be called strident lol www.sciencedaily.com/releases/201...
- Reposted by Helen GrayBig moment for Europe: in December, fully electric cars outsold petrol-only cars in the EU for the first time. This shows that clear, consistent policy works. Which is exactly why backtracking now would be a mistake. Rolling back targets or creating uncertainty would slow investment and innovation.
- Reposted by Helen Gray“Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic and made way for parks, people-streets and bike-lanes.” Better for the climate, better for health, better for livability and quality of life. Common sense. Such a no-brainer, it’s remarkable that more cities HAVEN’T done the same.
- Reposted by Helen GrayIt has become increasingly clear that X - a platform now actively producing explicit and abusive material against women and children - is not an appropriate platform to be using for our comms. I will keep pushing for action from the govt & relevant authorities in this area.
- Reposted by Helen GrayThe government's Road Safety Strategy was just published. Could it spell the end of Ghost Plates? Find out, here lauralaker.substack.com/p/goodbye-to...
- Reposted by Helen GrayAre you a PhD student interested in using museum collections in your research? Our next free doctoral training webinar takes place next Wednesday. Join us for guidance and examples of uncovering marginalised and minoritised stories in collections. collections.reading.ac.uk/whats-on/doc...
- Reposted by Helen GrayMy New Year's resolution: to tidy up my open browser tabs. What do you think? Too ambitious? #NYE2026
- Reposted by Helen Graythis is incredible stuff. most state DOTs would spend tens of billions on highway expansions to try and see numbers like this (that wouldn’t even pan out anyway thanks to induced demand lol)
- Reposted by Helen GrayIf your house of worship is silent about the cruelty and the attacks on your neighbors by ICE, you’re at the wrong church, mosque, synagogue, temple, or gurdwara. Powerful ad by Interfaith Alliance — a plea for humanity.
- Reposted by Helen GrayRUTHERFORD COUNTY: “Her whole focus is regaining custody of her daughter.” Woman gives birth in custody, ICE separates from her baby for 35 days even after all charges dropped - locked up in Louisiana while her newborn is in state custody in Tennessee.
- Reposted by Helen GrayStill looking for that perfect Christmas gift? We have a huge range of unique, expert-led workshops lined up for 2026! From bronze casting and Stone Age sewing, to corn dollies, belt weaving, chainmail & flintknapping.. Check out our 2026 workshops: www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/whats-on/cal...
- Reposted by Helen GrayI lived thru the end of public smoking. Early in my career I presented to city councils who were smoking, in front of audiences who were smoking. Smoking in restaurants, airplanes, hospitals… All of that seems insane now, but it was very controversial when we DID change it. We CAN change things.
- Reposted by Helen GrayHello! A little Sunday evening survey... 📝 We're looking for examples where info or resources concerning achievements of 🏺⛏️ #trowelblazing women in archaeology, geology or palaeontology have been removed or vanished from public sources in the past year due to external pressures... Pls repost!
- Reposted by Helen GrayEvery 1/10th degree of warming that we can still prevent is an essential gift we can give our children and grandchildren. Every 1/10th degree of warming we fail to prevent is a profound burden on—if not a crime against—our children and grandchildren.
- Reposted by Helen Gray🧪 #Palaeolithic scicomm : words & visuals matter in reporting. Based on Google News results, all but three major news sites used some variation of "human" or "people" to report this. Those that didn't? BBC & The Guardian used "man" (now altered)... and GB news used "cavemen" (I'd bet deliberately)
- 🧪🏺🦣 Strong case for *oldest fire-starting* 🔥 capacity, before 400 Ka, suggested by multi-stranded analysis: geochem, magnetic, sedimentary evidence of anthropogenic burning, + heated lithics + remains of iron pyrite. Behaviourally heading towards #Neanderthals. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Helen GrayOkay. This is angering me. First of all, “MAN”!? We’re not in the nineteenth century FFS. There’s a better word and it is “Humans”. And secondly - who the f£&k thought HUMANS only learned to control fire 50,000 years ago???!!! www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
- Reposted by Helen GrayI wish a notice like this wasn't necessary. www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
- Reposted by Helen GrayThe Westminster All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking (APPGCW) has outlined recommendations to tackle the rise of illegally modified e-bikes, to protect the future for legal, safe e-bike use that benefits so many. Read their recommendations in full: appgcw.org/resources/in... 2/2
- Reposted by Helen GrayE-bikes help more people travel in a healthy and sustainable way. However, illegally modified e-bikes and unlicensed e-motorbikes pose serious safety risks due to the dangerous speed they can travel at, and risk of fire from unregulated batteries. 1/2
- Reposted by Helen GrayFrom an emergency management perspective this is the same old story -- it parallels many other types of hazards -- where instead of actually mitigating our risk people are left on their own to try an prepare while other big industries walk away with $$$$.
- Reposted by Helen GrayAnother great write up of the National Emergency Briefing by one of the scientists involved. Includes link to the open letter calling for an urgent televised briefing for the public. (Link below: please sign) theconversation.com/what-we-told...
- We’ve worked hard to get fairer infant formula prices for all!
- We’ve long called for action on the marketing & pricing of infant formula. The UK govt has committed to 6 CMA recommendations (still voluntary) All infant formulas are nutritionally the same, yet profit margins are high (50–75%!) We need action: >> affordable formula all year #BabiesBeforeProfits
- Reposted by Helen GrayGreat podcast explaining to Americans how “balcony solar” took off in Europe, with millions in Germany 🇩🇪 alone now harvesting solar power with these panels that you just take home and plug in, and they pay back their price within a few years.
- Reposted by Helen GrayBased on the landmark EAT-Lancet report, surplus nitrogen must be halved – meaning agricultural nitrogen inputs must be cut by 42% by 2050. And nitrogen fertiliser corporations have flown under the radar for far too long. (4/5)
- Ooh I love maps like this! 🤞🏼
- Reposted by Helen GrayThe NSF Bio Anthro Program DDRIG, Cultural Anthrpology DDRIG, and Archaeology DDRIG have all been archived (as of yesterday afternoon). Please speak with your grad students and plan accordingly. To say I am angry and depressed about this is an understatement.
- Reposted by Helen GrayWow, this is some 🧵
- Reposted by Helen GrayThese results are shocking for Wandsworth 😳 3 of the 10 most dangerous junctions of all London are in Wandsworth. We should not accept this @london.gov.uk @drrosena.bsky.social @fleuranderson.bsky.social @marshadecordova.bsky.social
- Reposted by Helen GrayThe CS7 cycle superhighway, which runs through #Tooting, #Balham and #Clapham, has been named as the most dangerous place in London for cyclists for the third successive year, reports The Standard: www.standard.co.uk/news/transpo...
- Reposted by Helen GrayI really cannot recommend this excellent piece on Hammersmith Bridge highly enough
- Reposted by Helen GrayPlease read @fleuranderson.bsky.social “The 9,000 vanished vehicles weren’t displaced elsewhere, nor did they represent lost economic activity. They were replaced by alternatives that were more efficient in the new system. […] people tried new transport modes and often found they were better.”
- Reposted by Helen GrayI met residents at this junction just last month to see how bad it is for walking and cycling: bsky.app/profile/caro.... They told me that TfL and Wandsworth Council have done nothing for three years to make it safer. ❓ will this junction still be the most dangerous in London in 12 months time.
- Massive thanks to @wandsworthcycling.bsky.social for showing me the problem of traffic cutting across Upper Tooting Rd from side street to side street, barging in front of people crossing the road and bullying people riding bikes along CS7 out of the way. My heart was in my mouth 🫣
- Reposted by Helen GrayA thread on public scholarship, accessibility, and citation ethics in my annotated bibliogaphy and a list of some of my fave academic podcasts: bsky.app/profile/rhig...
- Reposted by Helen GrayWe’re proud to support the #NationalEmergencyBriefing on Nov 27 in Westminster. This event brings together leading scientists, economists & security experts to share the evidence on the climate and nature crisis: www.nebriefing.org For us, it’s about protecting the places people love.
- Reposted by Helen Gray3. Change the record! Language matters. Bashing wildlife and those who protect it isn’t helping anyone
- Reposted by Helen Gray2. Defend the long-standing laws that protect our already scarce and most precious species and keep Biodiversity Net Gain, a scheme which requires nature to be improved while homes are built.
- Reposted by Helen GrayAt next week's budget, we're calling on the Chancellor to: 1. Recognise that nature - more of it, and better access to it - will boost the economy and could save the NHS billions of pounds
- Reposted by Helen GrayNature isn’t a “blocker” – it makes our lives better. Our coast, countryside, heritage and wildlife underpin our food, water and health and put millions of pounds into the economy. The Government must not weaken the laws that protect them.
- Reposted by Helen GrayIf you are free tomorrow night I’m chairing this rather good panel on what we can do to respond to environmental crisis vs the role of government or business. If you are in London you can come in person. If not (or if it’s too cold) you can tune in online www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/livin...
- Reposted by Helen GraySeveral minute piece on the BBC. Lots of detectorists. No archaeologists. No-one from PAS. No-one from museums. No discussion of the costs or responsibilities involved. 😡 #Archaeology #Detecting #Treasure #BBC #News
- Reposted by Helen GrayIf we don’t fix the climate, pollution, and nature crises, we can’t fix anything. They are already actively amplifying poverty, hunger, and division. They are what stand between all of us, regardless of geography or ideology, and the better future we all seek. That's why I'm convinced that ...
- Reposted by Helen GrayMy point is that it doesn't have to be that way. We are nowhere near maxing out investment in & implementation of sol'ns that benefit people, health, climate and nature at the same time. This is what we should be prioritizing, sol'ns with the greatest number of wins for people + the planet together.
- Reposted by Helen GrayIf you take the time to read the whole Gates memo (which I did), the bulk of the content was mostly solid and encouraging. Really! It was the FRAME that was off--very off, from the first line. And when your framing is off, then how you make decisions and set priorities is off. THAT'S the problem.
- Reposted by Helen GrayDale Spender's study in 1980 found when women made up about 17% of a room, men assessed the gender balance as equal. And when women spoke 30% of the time, men assessed that women dominated the conversation I think about this in relation to so much these days
