The U.S. administration is rolling back critical climate initiatives, pulling out of the Paris Agreement, pausing wind farm permits, and reversing EV incentives—all while doubling down on fossil fuels.
But the rest of the world isn’t waiting; and you don't have to, either. From record clean energy investments to rapid battery innovation, global progress is accelerating and experts say the clean energy revolution is unstoppable.
This week’s newsletter dives into the challenges and opportunities we face—and how individuals can make a difference when we act together.
There's never been a better week to start a conversation with what you learn here ⬇️
talkingclimate.ca/p/no-one-per…
No one person can halt global climate progress
U.S. climate action falters, but the world marches on - and so can youKatharine Hayhoe (Talking Climate)
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My reading list
Field work recently took us up to the beautiful Dornoch Firth.
Fencing is now in place to extend protection to existing saltmarsh and areas to be planted.
The Dornoch site was the original site to trial fencing as a successful method to support saltmarsh plantings establish and prevent further erosion of vulnerable sites.
#Saltmarsh #NatureScot #NatureRestorationFund
Dirk reshared this.
You can use AI
You've probably heard of AI (Artificial Intelligence). If you have a question like "What fabrics can be washed in hot water?" here's an easy way to make AI work for you:
1. Go to duckduckgo.com/?q=DuckDuckGo+A…
2. Click Get Started, then Next, then I Agree
3. Type your question in the chat box at the bottom of the page and hit enter or return.
Here's the answer I got to the question above:
Several fabrics can be washed in hot water, but it's important to check the care labels for specific instructions. Here are some common fabrics that are generally safe to wash in hot water:
Cotton: Most cotton fabrics, including towels, bed linens, and clothing, can be washed in hot water to help remove stains and bacteria.
Linen: Linen can typically withstand hot water washing, which helps maintain its cleanliness and freshness.
Polyester: Many polyester blends can be washed in hot water, but it's best to check the care label, as some may recommend cooler temperatures.
Towels: Bath towels and washcloths are often washed in hot water to ensure they are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
White Fabrics: White cotton or polyester fabrics can usually be washed in hot water to help maintain brightness and remove stains.
Synthetic Fabrics: Some synthetic fabrics, like nylon and acrylic, can be washed in hot water, but again, check the care label.
Always remember to separate colors and whites, as hot water can cause colors to bleed. Additionally, some fabrics may shrink or become damaged in hot water, so it's essential to follow the manufacturer's care instructions.
Pretty good if you ask me!
Reflections on a salt pan on a saltmarsh last week.
These small pools form on saltmarsh and remain filled with water after the tide is out.
#saltmarsh #NatureScot #NatureRestorationFund #reflection
Dirk reshared this.
Negative news gets the clicks and shares: but it can also leave us feeling overwhelmed and powerless. That’s why, every week, I share good news too. Like what? Like how hundreds of cities around the world--including the most recent, Chicago--are now powering all their municipal buildings with renewables.
Want to stay inspired and be encouraged to take action? Ditch doom-scrolling and try hope-scrolling: following people, organizations, and stories that share progress and ideas for a better future. My latest newsletter is packed with resources that will brighten your feed.
Check them out, and share!
talkingclimate.ca/p/would-you-…
Would you click if I said the world was ending?
Chicago’s solar energy shift, why bad news sells, and how to green your online feedKatharine Hayhoe (Talking Climate)
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I read Blue Machine by Helen Czerski
The full title is Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World. This is a fascinating book about how the ocean works. Temperature, density, salt content—all play a part in determining what lives where, the weather, and much more. The ocean has a huge influence on human life, though this is not widely recognized. Years ago, I heard Jacques Cousteau say that human civilization could not survive the death of the oceans. This book provides more background on that statement. Highly recommended.
Author Helen Czerski has videos on YouTube which are worth watching. This one is a high-level summary of the book: youtube.com/watch?v=hNUcwcO6AS…
- YouTube
Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.www.youtube.com
I read The High House by Jessie Greengrass
I read Awe by Dacher Keltner
The full title is Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
Being a Christian Scientist, there was a lot in the book I didn't agree with, but what I did agree with is summarized by these two quotes, particularly the second one:
It also merits considering what was not mentioned in stories of awe from around the world. Money didn't figure into awe, except in a couple of instances in which people had been cheated out of life savings. No one mentioned their laptop, Facebook, Apple Watch, or smartphone. Nor did anyone mention ccanonsumer pur-chases, like their new Nikes, Tesla, Gucci bag, or Montblane pen.
Pg 18
In fact, it is hard to imagine a single thing you do that is better for your body and mind than finding awe outdoors.
Pg 128
Wildfires in Los Angeles County have taken a devastating toll, with thousands of lives affected by toxic smoke, destruction, and displacement. As climate change fuels faster, bigger, and more destructive fires, it’s clear this crisis isn’t in the future—it’s here now.
Action is our antidote to despair and, while we can't tackle these challenges alone, we can make change happen together. Make sure you're prepared, support your community and disaster response efforts, and most of all, push for climate policies that cut emissions and build resilience.
Read more and, as always, please use this to start conversations this week!
talkingclimate.ca/p/winter-wil…
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Spotted this lichen crusted post that has seen a lot of weather on the Eden saltmarsh.
#LichenSubscribe #PostOfTheDay #Saltmarsh #NatureRestorationFund #NatureScot
Dirk reshared this.
#Saltmarsh #NatureScot #NatureRestorationFund
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Redbournbury Watermill & Bakery
🇫🇮 Good News: Finland is rapidly becoming a global climate leader with innovations ranging from the world’s largest underground thermal storage facility to a sustainable data center that warms local communities and green business loans to accelerate change. Even their dietary guidelines are going climate-friendly!
🔥 Not So Good News: 2024 may be the hottest year yet, with record-breaking weather extremes (including the devastating fires in Los Angeles today) being fueled by fossil fuels. Experts warn the stakes are high, but every bit of warming we prevent can make a difference.
💡 What You Can Do: The new year is a good time to take on a new, climate-positive habit. From big (going car-free) to small (reducing food waste), every step counts. This year, I’m focusing on love—for people, places, and the planet—because that's what recharges our batteries and inspires us to act. 🌱✨
Read more here ⬇️
substack.com/home/post/p-15449…
Lessons from Finland
Finnish climate action, a year of climate extremes, and a New Year’s challengeKatharine Hayhoe (Talking Climate)
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Unfortunately we have wasted all the good efforts by allowing the forestry industry to go grossly over the sustainable logging amounts, turning the land use sector into a source of emissions instead of a sink. We are looking at failing on our commitments and potentially facing a price tag up to billions of euros due to it.
And the current government is working overtime to water down climate efforts and environmental protections.
These are the key facts everyone needs to know about climate change, according to @yaleclimatecomm :
It's real.
It's us.
It's serious - and already dangerous.
But there are solutions.
I shared this post across 7 different social media platforms, including FB, LI, Mastodon, Threads, X and Twitter both pre-and post-Musk.
Here's how their engagement stacked up. 🧵
fediscience.org/@kathhayhoe/11…
Climate Change:It's real.
It's us.
It's serious - and already dangerous.
But there are solutions.
The science is clear: the faster we cut emissions, the less suffering we will cause, and the better off we'll all be.
Torsten likes this.
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Dirk, Kim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷, Glyn Moody, Torsten, Tim Chambers, Flipboard Science Desk, Debbie Goldsmith 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈⧖, John Wilker 👨🏽💻, stib and Dr. Katharine Hayhoe reshared this.
Yes I do find your analysis really helpful, and I can guess how much work this actually is. I am still lukewarm about LinkedIn because I find it slow and in fact difficult to maneuver.
So a more or less parallel operation on bluesky and mastodon is the current answer for me.
Torsten likes this.
We had 113 consecutive days above 100 in Phoenix last year, 61 of them above 110! The previous record was 76 days.
Without shelter, this place is uninhabitable and it's only getting worse.
I think people who say warmer is better have their heads in air-conditioned sand.
Thank you, Dr. Hayhoe, for your posts here and your dedication to climate science.
Torsten likes this.
@Nonya_Bidniss Well, I admire your work and professionalism. You're doing important work that we all benefit from.
Masto dudes: What the fuck? I want to hear more about this. I will NOT engage with threads or bluesky. Kindly SHUT THE FUCK UP and let the good Doctor work. Oh noes, you would have presented the data differe-SIT DOWN, asshole, you DIDN'T do the work, so you opinion on presentation isn't important. She's a fucking expert, let her present the way she prefers, she prefers it for a reason.
Sorry. I'm fucking fed up with dickheads making this environment so unpleasant for certain groups of people; the ogenies are one of the biggest things I came here to get away from. It's coming between us and important work, and I'm fucking furious.
Shut the fuck up, guys.
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😂 "It's not real" -- until it gets real for these people.
The stupidity (or is it only ignorance) of some folks is mind-blowing.
@Ruth_Mottram that is interesting - would you say that is true for normalised values (per 1k followers)?
LI is a very different platform. Mostly business/professional people. I've had to figure out how to use it very differently. Like a foreign language :)
@annepm225 thank you!
No, I didn't include Instagram as it's not a text-based social media platform, but I should consider it for sure!
@alienghic you are not alone: that is the subject of one of my most-watched Global Weirding episodes!
youtube.com/watch?v=SpjL_otLq6…
I recently updated it at a global conference of evangelical leaders: lausanne.org/video/faith-and-t…
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I'm stumped at how to make arguments to my pre millennial biblical literalist mother.
The belief that disasters are good because they herald the immanent return of Christ who can magically return Earth to a pure state, and thus we are in no danger because God will step in and save us is pretty immune to any arguments I can think of.
I saw your first post but didn't engage because its the core consensus and shouldn't be controversial.
I do feel like we have many engineering solutions, but a shortage of political solutions
The oil companies and governments know climate actions threatens their power base and are fighting it in every way they can. (Spending lavishly on legislatures and propaganda, taking over political processes, or starting wars)
Not wanting to mansplain, just describing my experience with your posts.
Here are hashtags I follow.
#ClimateChange
#AnthropogenicClimateChange
#CleanEnergy
#GreenEnergy
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@ketan We will start to see more #DataStrikes
How to poison the data that Big Tech uses to surveil you and mess with the algorithms.
technologyreview.com/2021/03/0…
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Torsten likes this.
That is why I follow you, because you build an interesting bridge btw science and religion.¹ 🤗 Which often enough means dispelling the political fog with which religious topics are surrounded in order to misuse them. Religious sources are often more reasonable (minding their historical context) than many might think.
¹I am not religious myself, but I understand that religions are a formative part of our history and that they are part of life for many people.
@alienghic
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Thanks. It is very interesting to see the engagement per 1.000 followers spread over the social media platforms.
Mastodon is less then that I expected but way above LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
The loss in engagement going from Twitter to X is amazing.
I am impressed with the job Threads is doing.
I do think that this is really good for Mastodon. Most people do properly prefer Bluesky or Threads and some of them created a Mastodon account first but left as soon as there where options available. This is properly the case because those other platforms do feel easier to get into.
But the engagement on mastodon could convince some big social media accounts to rethinkabout creating an Mastodon one as well.
@paulschoe I was at first too, but unfortunately algorithm changes made in November have essentially frozen my account there and tanked engagement on Threads. I have another analysis just comparing Threads and Bluesky here:
@teledyn I'm just not there. As one human there's a limit to the number of platforms I can juggle.
As for bubbles, it depends on why you're on a certain platform. The reason I engage on different platforms is because of the different audiences on each.
I notice this dared not a stroll into Tumblr 🤣
but also, what value have interaction stats when we know those platforms constrain to bubbles? At best, it illustrates Hawking's assertion "There is no Archimedian Point."
And maybe, for that reason, Anecdote IS data, provided we sum all Feynman graphs! I often post identical items to Mastodon and Tumblr, and over the past two years, yes, the energy is very different, which is why I spend more time there: it's safer.
@Ruth_Mottram
I think raw follower counts are misleading.
I suspect It would be more useful to see the number of monthly or daily active followers.
At the very least follower counts need to be weighted by age of the platform. (Older platforms will have larger absolute numbers, but will also have lost more to attrition)
from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making a solid argument there and curing an old grumpy atheist of another prejudice about evangelicals 🙏
I watched the whole thing… here's me cheering for you not being an outlier 🙀
Thank you. Growing queer in a fundamentalist church burned any religious feelings out of me. Though I did get left with a bunch of religious references many people don't get. Like
Donald Trump views the 7 deadly sins as a daily to do list. Most rich folk only specialize in a few of the sins, but no he has aimed to master them all.
Or did the evangelicals going to trump rallies miss all those warnings about false prophets?
According to the Atlantic some pastors are even struggling with trying to hold sermons quoting Jesus and getting accused of spouting "woke bullshit" so its not just depressed atheists wondering about nominal Christians getting deceived.
And does trump remind anyone else about the story of the golden calf? He even loves surrounding himself with gold to make the analogy extra obvious.
@katharinehayhoe.com
I'm sorry to see that you plan to post more often on BlueSky than on here, but I thank you for posting!
I read your posts but rarely make a comment since I don't have anything to add. I read your posts so that I can learn.
Anyway, sending you the best of luck, and sorry to hear that you get so much "friendly fire" here 😬
Wow, that difference between #Threads and #Bluesky in just 2 months is just amazing.
'At the end of October, both my accounts had 20k followers. Today, Bluesky is at 80k, but Threads has dropped to 19.7k. ;
It shows the effect of algorithms and how also Musk can indeed completely stop a successful account, with tens of thousands of followers, from being seen anymore on X.
I know that the same thing happened to YouTube channels.
Musk, 10 years ago: Global warming is an existential threat to human existence.
Recently: Global warming is a hoax.
Hidden Killers Food, Water, Air, An Exhaustive Compendium on Global Warming Driven Climate Change
tinyurl.com/2ptesj2a
Any platform that is actively boosting or suppressing content needs to be viewed and regulated as a broadcaster. They should be required to get a broadcast license and be under the same scrutiny and anyone else in that position of mass influence.
This is no longer #FreeSpeech
Caesar reshared this.
Hi, sorry for intruding, but I have red-green colorblindness (deuteranopia) and the choice of colors for this graph makes it illegible for me. The ALT text only mention that is is a graph, but not the data behavior, so it didn't add any information that could help me interpret the graph.
Considering that around 5% of the population has this condition, I would suggest that you use a palette that maximizes the readability, including colorblind people.
Thank you!
There are an awful lot of people on Mastodon who feel they need to tell posters that they're "doing it wrong". Almost always (99%) men.
@doctormo @alberto_cottica @ketan
Well first there is already much published research showing that gender plays a huge role in how people interact and respond online.
But second, on my Facebook page (back when it was still alive, pre-August 2018) a climate scientist named Jonathan Baker (obviously white, male) and I took turns responding to negative comments (nearly all of which were from accounts that appeared to be men).
The difference in people's responses was massive. At least half the time, he'd get an "oh, thank you for sending this info, I will consider it" or a non-offensive clarifying question. 100% of the time they'd just double down on me and I'd have to block them.
There might be permissibility to be more heavy handed and disrespectful of female presenting scientists.
A test might be interesting, see if inventing an alter ego invites abusive replies.
It's also possible instances give very different outcomes. On floss social I rarely ever see those posts and have to view the original page in a browser to see most of the abuse.
Thank you so much for being a positive presence here and for sticking it out. As someone passionate about creation care and the positive force religion can play in environmental conversations, your communications work has been very inspiring.
I am sorry about the know-it-alls here. I find them annoying too. I will definately follow on Fedi Bridge. I hope that BlueSky can resist the pressure that a lot of the other social media companies seem to be buckling under.
@JonnyT that was my first thought after parsing @kathhayhoe survey results, particularly in regards to the FB gags placed on her outreach. Like, I guess the trolls and hate bots weren't effective enough in bludgeoning her into silence.
With regards to the mansplaining and friendly fire here on Mastodon, I'm sorry. It's a thing, and I've been guilty of it in the past probably too. This is the first I've heard of your work, though environmental sciences have been a big part of my career and I've faced many of the same headwinds: ignorant belligerence, scripted hate bots, shadow bans and cruely the worst, indifference.
With regards to this community here on Mastodon I would ask for your forbearance in the overhelpfull opinionated people here. Were an odd bunch who choose to be here by one way or another because it's not a corporate platform. The Internet in 2024 wasn't the Internet in 2014 or 2004... It's been under continual assault and that's left a trail of brutalized and traumatized people who have collected here rather than BS, because they don't want to deal with the same muzzles you've had to wear on FB or Reddit or particularly X.
This isn't and can't be a justification for bad behavior.... I just hope it can be the common point of empathy that keeps your important work in the Federated media spaces. 🫶
@katharinehayhoe.com This is all but impossible for a red-green colorblind person to parse, even for someone like me with only a modest level of the affliction. I love what you're doing here but the presentation makes it extremely difficult to get the facts out. It's a near-perfect example of how red-green colorblindness affects color perception. Please use a different color (or texture) scheme.
Background:
By virtue of your talents and prominence in the field you've become the tallest nail. That's going to attract beligerance no matter the platform. If and when BS turns corpo-fascist there will be space for your contributions here.
Hopefully by then we'll have a handle on the issues you've raised here Keep being a bright light in the darkness!
Oh man, I am one of those friendly firing partisans. I think, I'll have to change my behaviour.
Just to note that I, for one, block bsky.brid.gy and threads and have never been on X/twitter or any Meta platforms so won't see your posts unless you at least mirror them here.
Happy New Year from the Green Shores team!
We're looking forward to getting more sites planted, continuing our monitoring program, growing more plants and working with more volunteers.
#Saltmarsh #NatureScot #NatureRestorationFund
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My final newsletter of 2024 is your ultimate Climate Conversation Cheat Sheet—spotlighting the year's highs, lows, and most unforgettable moments in climate news.
❗Not So Good News: Did you know warmer waters are shrinking fish, cacao prices tripled last year due to climate impacts, fossil fuel pollution causes 8M+ premature deaths annually, and we had 41 more extreme heat days thanks to climate change?
💡Good News: Solar and wind made up 90% of new energy in the US last year while China installed more solar in 2024 than the US has in its history! Plus, scientists are discovering game-changing innovations like carbon-eating bacteria in the Mediterranean, universities are making climate education mandatory, and grandmothers and musicians are using their voices to call for climate action.
✅ What You Can Do: Electrify your home, prepare for extreme weather, and join local climate action groups. As Bill McKibben often reminds us, our biggest impact comes from collective action.
Read more and share what you learn with everyone you know - so that together, we can make a difference.
Dirk reshared this.
I love that the lawyer who connected climate attribution to health risk science is one of @Nature’s 10 people who shaped science in 2024.
She led the lawsuit against the Swiss government for violating the rights of older women by failing to take steps to prevent climate change.
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Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, & Old Sarum
Deanna is here and today we drove a rental car to Stonehenge. A lot of other people were there too, but with the ancient stones, the mist, and the barrows on the horizon in every direction, it was still magical.
From Stonehenge, we drove into Salisbury to see the cathedral. It was closed, but still very impressive.
On the way out of town, we stopped briefly at Old Sarum, which has a long and interesting history. It held a previous version of Salisbury Cathedral, and also held a castle used by William the Conqueror.
Andy Fletcher
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •The USA staying behind everyone in the change towards a low carbon world won't end up doing themselves any favours.
They will just end up with expensive power and an industry behind everyone else thereby losing the chance to be a major player in the future.
Their loss thanks to short term thinking
#renewables #energy
Andi89S4051
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •On the other side, fascism and climate change denying is going hand in hand.
🖤♥️
Paul Sutton
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •Mirrabooka
in reply to Dr. Katharine Hayhoe • • •