Bryan McAvoy
@bryanmcavoy.bsky.social
Former NWS met, currently involved in state air quality work. Read the same cyberpunk novels the tech bros did. Reached different conclusions. Ardent Bokononist. Don't follow me! I mainly repost, which is to say, there is no original content herein. (:
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Statewide snowpack remains the worst on record, and it's not even close. It's barely half of where it should be.
Again...zero pleasure delivering this news. There are outs, but we're gonna need a railroad track of storms in late February-April to get us out of this.
#COwx
Again...zero pleasure delivering this news. There are outs, but we're gonna need a railroad track of storms in late February-April to get us out of this.
#COwx
February 3, 2026 at 10:16 PM
Statewide snowpack remains the worst on record, and it's not even close. It's barely half of where it should be.
Again...zero pleasure delivering this news. There are outs, but we're gonna need a railroad track of storms in late February-April to get us out of this.
#COwx
Again...zero pleasure delivering this news. There are outs, but we're gonna need a railroad track of storms in late February-April to get us out of this.
#COwx
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...
Siri, what happens when you kill the Chinese soybean market, end USAID food purchases, harass the labor pool, impose tariffs on inputs, kill ag research and support, and actively oppose wind and solar, which could offer farmers some financial diversification?
Siri, what happens when you kill the Chinese soybean market, end USAID food purchases, harass the labor pool, impose tariffs on inputs, kill ag research and support, and actively oppose wind and solar, which could offer farmers some financial diversification?
Former Farming Leaders Warn U.S. Agriculture Could Face ‘Widespread Collapse’
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:40 PM
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...
Siri, what happens when you kill the Chinese soybean market, end USAID food purchases, harass the labor pool, impose tariffs on inputs, kill ag research and support, and actively oppose wind and solar, which could offer farmers some financial diversification?
Siri, what happens when you kill the Chinese soybean market, end USAID food purchases, harass the labor pool, impose tariffs on inputs, kill ag research and support, and actively oppose wind and solar, which could offer farmers some financial diversification?
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Having a 1:483 reserves to ratios liability may *seem* bad, but when you consider that these liabilities are literally uninsurable by traditional methods you begin to wrap your head around how much this dumb program is an existential threat to California.
The current exposure for the California FAIR plan (California’s insurer of last resort) sits at $724 billion. Its liability almost doubled in two years and is now more than double the state’s annual budget. In its most recent financial reporting it had about $1.5 billion on hand.
February 3, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Having a 1:483 reserves to ratios liability may *seem* bad, but when you consider that these liabilities are literally uninsurable by traditional methods you begin to wrap your head around how much this dumb program is an existential threat to California.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Happy Anniversary to those who celebrate cat attorneys.
February 4, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Happy Anniversary to those who celebrate cat attorneys.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
A UAE investor secretly gave Trump $187 million and his top Middle East envoy $31 million. And then Trump gave that investor access to sensitive defense technology that broke decades of national security precedent.
Brazen, open corruption. And we shouldn't pretend it's normal.
Brazen, open corruption. And we shouldn't pretend it's normal.
February 3, 2026 at 4:26 PM
A UAE investor secretly gave Trump $187 million and his top Middle East envoy $31 million. And then Trump gave that investor access to sensitive defense technology that broke decades of national security precedent.
Brazen, open corruption. And we shouldn't pretend it's normal.
Brazen, open corruption. And we shouldn't pretend it's normal.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
😬 ‘Rush’ for new coal in China hits record high in 2025 as climate deadline looms
www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...
www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...
February 3, 2026 at 9:16 AM
😬 ‘Rush’ for new coal in China hits record high in 2025 as climate deadline looms
www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...
www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
DHS said that the woman CBP shot in the chest in Portland was “involved” in a gang shooting.
Her ~involvement~ was that suspected gang members sexually assaulted and robbed her.
Her ~involvement~ was that suspected gang members sexually assaulted and robbed her.
After Border Patrol shot two people in Portland, DHS claimed they were "vicious gang members" tied to a past shooting.
But records I obtained reveal a US prosecutor has since directly contradicted DHS, saying, "We're not suggesting he is a gang member." My dive into how DHS' claims have collapsed:
But records I obtained reveal a US prosecutor has since directly contradicted DHS, saying, "We're not suggesting he is a gang member." My dive into how DHS' claims have collapsed:
DHS’s account of two Venezuelans shot by border patrol falls apart in court: ‘A smear campaign’
Immigration officials said agent shot two ‘vicious gang members’ in Portland, but records obtained by the Guardian reveal US prosecutor contradicted claims
www.theguardian.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:02 AM
DHS said that the woman CBP shot in the chest in Portland was “involved” in a gang shooting.
Her ~involvement~ was that suspected gang members sexually assaulted and robbed her.
Her ~involvement~ was that suspected gang members sexually assaulted and robbed her.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Judge Reyes begins by explaining who the plaintiffs are: not "killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies" as Kristi Noem suggested.
They are a neuroscientist, a software engineer, a laboratory assistant, a registered nurse, and an economics major. All were facing deportation.
They are a neuroscientist, a software engineer, a laboratory assistant, a registered nurse, and an economics major. All were facing deportation.
February 3, 2026 at 12:54 AM
Judge Reyes begins by explaining who the plaintiffs are: not "killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies" as Kristi Noem suggested.
They are a neuroscientist, a software engineer, a laboratory assistant, a registered nurse, and an economics major. All were facing deportation.
They are a neuroscientist, a software engineer, a laboratory assistant, a registered nurse, and an economics major. All were facing deportation.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Next time someone asks you about energy and land use, maybe remind them that the ~35 million acres that currently grow corn for ethanol in the US could produce ~15 PWh per year of electricity from solar photovoltaics. That's ~3.5 times more than *total annual generation from all US power plants*.
February 1, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Next time someone asks you about energy and land use, maybe remind them that the ~35 million acres that currently grow corn for ethanol in the US could produce ~15 PWh per year of electricity from solar photovoltaics. That's ~3.5 times more than *total annual generation from all US power plants*.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
New High Snow Report in NC Mountains: 22.5" at Faust, NC. Just before we made this graphic.
February 1, 2026 at 2:33 PM
New High Snow Report in NC Mountains: 22.5" at Faust, NC. Just before we made this graphic.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
“Children were in the crowd screaming.”
Just experienced the most intense tear gassing of my life by federal officers outside the ICE facility in Portland where marchers gathered. There was no fast exit as they indiscriminately threw loads of gas and flash bangs. Children were in the crowd screaming. @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
February 1, 2026 at 2:15 AM
“Children were in the crowd screaming.”
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
I have spent fifty years rolling my eyes at conspiracy theories where all the elite rich people are in a secret evil gang, and thrillers where everyone remotely important has the same Dark Secret, and now sodding look.
January 31, 2026 at 8:21 AM
I have spent fifty years rolling my eyes at conspiracy theories where all the elite rich people are in a secret evil gang, and thrillers where everyone remotely important has the same Dark Secret, and now sodding look.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
January 30, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Much of the talk of powering AI data centers with next-gen nuclear & fusion is misdirection.
The sector will be past its hype scaling phase by the time any of those are operating. In the meanwhile, they're largely being powered by new gas plants, which can easily continue operating well past 2050.
The sector will be past its hype scaling phase by the time any of those are operating. In the meanwhile, they're largely being powered by new gas plants, which can easily continue operating well past 2050.
i was actually shocked to see the numbers on new research from Global Energy Monitor on new gas projects in the US: nearly 100 gigawatts of power—enough to power tens of millions of homes—are currently in development explicitly to power data centers. At the end of 2023 that number was 4 gigawatts
Data Centers Are Driving a US Gas Boom
Gas projects in the US pipeline explicitly linked to data centers increased by almost 25 times over the past two years, according to new research from Global Energy Monitor.
www.wired.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Much of the talk of powering AI data centers with next-gen nuclear & fusion is misdirection.
The sector will be past its hype scaling phase by the time any of those are operating. In the meanwhile, they're largely being powered by new gas plants, which can easily continue operating well past 2050.
The sector will be past its hype scaling phase by the time any of those are operating. In the meanwhile, they're largely being powered by new gas plants, which can easily continue operating well past 2050.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
ICE's decision to just leave cars abandoned in the roads is one of those dystopian things that makes you recoil in shock when you encounter it.
A legal asylum-seeker who works at Chipotle and plays music at a church in Maine went missing. His pastor searched and searched, eventually finding his abandoned car with the keys on the floor.
ICE grabbed him. No criminal record. No explanation.
ICE grabbed him. No criminal record. No explanation.
January 29, 2026 at 4:58 PM
ICE's decision to just leave cars abandoned in the roads is one of those dystopian things that makes you recoil in shock when you encounter it.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Gold, US dollar may converge further... share of foreign exchange reserves... $GLD $GC_F
January 29, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Gold, US dollar may converge further... share of foreign exchange reserves... $GLD $GC_F
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
The president of the United States had his Justice Dept. raid an election office and seize ballots in order to cast doubt on an election he lost. Yet, this is treated by legacy media as just another normal day.
I founded Democracy Docket because you deserve better. Subscribe now. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
I founded Democracy Docket because you deserve better. Subscribe now. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
January 29, 2026 at 3:01 AM
The president of the United States had his Justice Dept. raid an election office and seize ballots in order to cast doubt on an election he lost. Yet, this is treated by legacy media as just another normal day.
I founded Democracy Docket because you deserve better. Subscribe now. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
I founded Democracy Docket because you deserve better. Subscribe now. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
The use of gas for grid power generation competes against home heating in winter, leading to surges in demand so extreme that power plants resort to diesel and fuel oil.
“At one point last weekend, New England appeared to be one of the world’s leading consumers of oil for electricity generation.”
“At one point last weekend, New England appeared to be one of the world’s leading consumers of oil for electricity generation.”
Opinion | It’s Very Cold. Just Wait for the Grid to Fail.
www.nytimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:13 PM
The use of gas for grid power generation competes against home heating in winter, leading to surges in demand so extreme that power plants resort to diesel and fuel oil.
“At one point last weekend, New England appeared to be one of the world’s leading consumers of oil for electricity generation.”
“At one point last weekend, New England appeared to be one of the world’s leading consumers of oil for electricity generation.”
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
a BONKERS end to the year for China🇨🇳 wind... in December alone they installed 37GW, almost as much as Texas has installed to date (44GW)🤯
January 28, 2026 at 10:09 AM
a BONKERS end to the year for China🇨🇳 wind... in December alone they installed 37GW, almost as much as Texas has installed to date (44GW)🤯
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
The Trump administration has “virtually stopped enforcing the Clean Air Act,” lodging just one consent decree in a relatively small case since Trump’s inauguration, compared with 26 in the first year of Trump's first term, & 22 in Biden’s first year. peer.org/under-epas-z... 1/
Under EPA’s Zeldin, Pollution Enforcement Dying a Quick Death
Department of Justice Civil Pollution Settlements Plummet to Record Lows
peer.org
January 27, 2026 at 8:11 PM
The Trump administration has “virtually stopped enforcing the Clean Air Act,” lodging just one consent decree in a relatively small case since Trump’s inauguration, compared with 26 in the first year of Trump's first term, & 22 in Biden’s first year. peer.org/under-epas-z... 1/
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Of all the departures this past year at NOAA—via the fork offer, retirements, etc.— the one that stung the most was the firing of people in their probationary first year. They have more modern skills than those of us who received their PhDs in the 90s and 00s. My whole department is in its 50s now.
How many STEM Ph.D.s were lost from the U.S. federal government last year?
My colleagues @mghersher.bsky.social and @policyhound.bsky.social dug into a recent data release to find the answer. A @science.org exclusive.
www.science.org/content/arti...
My colleagues @mghersher.bsky.social and @policyhound.bsky.social dug into a recent data release to find the answer. A @science.org exclusive.
www.science.org/content/arti...
January 27, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Of all the departures this past year at NOAA—via the fork offer, retirements, etc.— the one that stung the most was the firing of people in their probationary first year. They have more modern skills than those of us who received their PhDs in the 90s and 00s. My whole department is in its 50s now.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Multiple countries sign landmark deal to build giant wind farms in the North Sea "that directly connect to various countries through high-voltage subsea cables, under plans that are expected to provide 100 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power."
The US, meanwhile, is shutting down offshore wind.
The US, meanwhile, is shutting down offshore wind.
UK joins European offshore windfarm plan to create world’s largest ‘clean energy reservoir’
Britain among 10 countries to build 100GW grid in North Sea linking countries through subsea cables
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Multiple countries sign landmark deal to build giant wind farms in the North Sea "that directly connect to various countries through high-voltage subsea cables, under plans that are expected to provide 100 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power."
The US, meanwhile, is shutting down offshore wind.
The US, meanwhile, is shutting down offshore wind.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
Comics retailing legend Greg Ketter standing up to ICE in Minneapolis. Yes, that's tear gas. He's 70 years old.
January 25, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Comics retailing legend Greg Ketter standing up to ICE in Minneapolis. Yes, that's tear gas. He's 70 years old.
Reposted by Bryan McAvoy
In the early 1930s the SA was roughing people up, creating chaos in neighborhoods, seeking to terrorize with the occasional killing. By the late 1930s it had been supplanted by the SS, which was much better trained.
Also, may I say that I don’t agree with people saying ICE and CBP need “more training.” They’re doing exactly what this administration has trained them to—impose a reign of fear in blue cities. They don’t need more training. They need to be ripped up root and branch.
January 25, 2026 at 3:50 PM
In the early 1930s the SA was roughing people up, creating chaos in neighborhoods, seeking to terrorize with the occasional killing. By the late 1930s it had been supplanted by the SS, which was much better trained.