Hi friends! Today, I want to share a gem from the “Coaching for Leaders” podcast by Dave Stachowiak with Zach Mercurio, author of The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance. This episode is a reminder that leadership isn’t just about strategy or innovation—it’s also about people. And as someone who balances R&D work with a creative life at home, I’m...
Electrolyser Horizons, H100 Fife, and All-Energy: A Week Fuelled by Hydrogen
Hi energy innovation enthusiasts! 🌿⚡Last week was a bumper ride of project closures, on-the-ground exploration, and lively Gaelic sun flair — all centred around green hydrogen. Let me take you for a quick spin through the week, where history and technology met in a surprising, flamed-out climax. 🎥 1. Electrolyser Horizons: Reshaping Hydrogen Strategy Across the UK The week began with the closeout...
“Rebel Ideas” and the Power of Diverse Thinking in a World of Innovation (and Card-Creation!) 🌱💡
Hi there, energy systems enthusiasts and craft lovers and gardeners alike! As someone who splits her time between accelerating clean energy tech and scribbling patterns on greeting cards or gardening, I’m always curious about how diverse thinking shows up in different worlds. While recently listening to Matthew Syed’s “Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking” on audiobook, I found...
When a Book Doesn’t Wow You: My Thoughts on “Originals”
My weekly blogs are inspired by real-life events in that week, like listening to books, gardening, and my research. But not every week is filled with memorable events worth writing about. This week, I listened to “Originals” by Adam Grant, and while it wasn’t a standout read for me, it did offer a few valuable insights. My Take on “Originals” I have to admit...
Reflecting on the IMechE Decarbonise, Power, Store Event
This week’s post is a day delayed because I was participating in the IMechE event, Decarbonise, Power, Store. The event brought together three key themes—decarbonization, power generation, and energy storage—under one roof, fostering a rich exchange of ideas. It was a highly informative day, and I was honoured to be a panellist in the session on the challenges of operations versus maintenance in...
My Asparagus Adventure
Gardening is all about learning, and my recent foray into growing asparagus has been a valuable lesson in planning and research. Here’s my story and the key takeaways from this short stint. The Initial Plan As a novice gardener in Scotland, I was on the hunt for vegetables that thrive in our cool, damp climate. Given our limited variety of veggies at home, I was looking for something we enjoy and...
Book Review: “Scatterbrain: How I Finally Got Off the ADHD Rollercoaster” – A Spring Gardening Companion
Last weekend, the weather was lovely with sun and a slight breeze, making it a perfect time to get on with Spring gardening tasks. I spent several hours outdoors weeding, mulching, and planting spring bulbs. It was a great opportunity for some quality “me time,” and to keep my brain occupied, I listened to “Scatterbrain: How I Finally Got Off the ADHD Rollercoaster” by...
Can a Vertical Planter Help Me Beat the Slugs This Year?
Last year, I took my first stab at gardening, and I chose strawberries as my inaugural crop. It was a thrilling experience, but I quickly learned a valuable lesson: Never underestimate the power of slugs! The particularly wet summer and winter didn’t do my young plants any favors, and most of my strawberries ended up as a feast for slugs and other insects. My first harvest was a modest couple of...
The Uneven Road to EV Adoption in the UK
By Priya Bhagavathy and Hannah Budnitz Online Interactive Tool The UK has a net zero target by 2050, as enshrined in law, and with transport being the largest emitting sector, accelerating electric vehicle (EV) uptake is fundamental to reaching that target. Luckily, the adoption of new technologies is rarely linear; instead, has been shown to follow an S-curve as uptake moves from tech-savvy to...
How should we share the benefits of the low carbon transition?
This is a cross post of the original write up in the Oxford Martin School site. Ten years since the Climate Change Act, the UK has made significant progress in reducing emissions from the power sector. Overall emissions have dropped by nearly 60 per cent on 2008 levels and, while five years ago fossil fuels contributed nearly two-thirds of the UK’s power, by August 2018 over 60 per cent was...