Howard Lee
@hlee.bsky.social
Geologist and Science Writer: If you want to see what climate change can do to the planet just look at Earth's past!
https://h-lee.com/
https://h-lee.com/
Reposted by Howard Lee
MISLEADING: A new academic paper by @qmul.bsky.social has attracted significant media attention by claiming that EVs & heat pumps deliver no proven carbon savings in UK ahead of 2030 clean power target - and should therefore be postponed.
Here is why this paper should never have been published.🧵
Here is why this paper should never have been published.🧵
February 12, 2026 at 3:10 PM
MISLEADING: A new academic paper by @qmul.bsky.social has attracted significant media attention by claiming that EVs & heat pumps deliver no proven carbon savings in UK ahead of 2030 clean power target - and should therefore be postponed.
Here is why this paper should never have been published.🧵
Here is why this paper should never have been published.🧵
Reposted by Howard Lee
The paper’s heating comparison appears to assume 100% gas boiler efficiency. Government-commissioned field trials suggest real-world seasonal performance of UK gas boilers is closer to 82.5%.
February 12, 2026 at 3:13 PM
The paper’s heating comparison appears to assume 100% gas boiler efficiency. Government-commissioned field trials suggest real-world seasonal performance of UK gas boilers is closer to 82.5%.
Reposted by Howard Lee
This is why we have NOT celebrated the FY26 budget. Trump doesn't follow laws.
NASA science is the first victim of Vought's schemes to destroy science & Congress can't hide from their responsibility anymore.
We will fight it in streets and the courts!
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...
NASA science is the first victim of Vought's schemes to destroy science & Congress can't hide from their responsibility anymore.
We will fight it in streets and the courts!
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...
POLITICO Pro: White House withholds NASA science funds
The administration did not say why it had done so.
subscriber.politicopro.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:36 PM
This is why we have NOT celebrated the FY26 budget. Trump doesn't follow laws.
NASA science is the first victim of Vought's schemes to destroy science & Congress can't hide from their responsibility anymore.
We will fight it in streets and the courts!
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...
NASA science is the first victim of Vought's schemes to destroy science & Congress can't hide from their responsibility anymore.
We will fight it in streets and the courts!
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...
Reposted by Howard Lee
We delivered hundreds of more rubber ducks from constituents to their representatives, each one representing a demand to impeach & remove the quack, RFK Jr.!
Contact your representative by visiting standupforscience.net/impeach-rfkjr
Contact your representative by visiting standupforscience.net/impeach-rfkjr
February 11, 2026 at 3:00 PM
We delivered hundreds of more rubber ducks from constituents to their representatives, each one representing a demand to impeach & remove the quack, RFK Jr.!
Contact your representative by visiting standupforscience.net/impeach-rfkjr
Contact your representative by visiting standupforscience.net/impeach-rfkjr
This kind of thing is typical of governments where competence is relegated below cronism and loyalty to the leader
We are being governed by dunces and liars. A child’s party balloon? www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
Border Officials Are Said to Have Caused El Paso Closure by Firing Anti-Drone Laser
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:57 PM
This kind of thing is typical of governments where competence is relegated below cronism and loyalty to the leader
Reposted by Howard Lee
Bath Abby in Bath, Great Britain #WindowsOnWednesday #Photography #Monochrome #B&W #Architecture #Interiors 📷
February 12, 2026 at 6:28 AM
Bath Abby in Bath, Great Britain #WindowsOnWednesday #Photography #Monochrome #B&W #Architecture #Interiors 📷
Reposted by Howard Lee
Remember "range anxiety"?
Still there, but the definition has changed: Now it's anxiety of Western carmakers trying to catch up with BYD & Co.
thedriven.io/2026/02/12/b...
Still there, but the definition has changed: Now it's anxiety of Western carmakers trying to catch up with BYD & Co.
thedriven.io/2026/02/12/b...
February 12, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Remember "range anxiety"?
Still there, but the definition has changed: Now it's anxiety of Western carmakers trying to catch up with BYD & Co.
thedriven.io/2026/02/12/b...
Still there, but the definition has changed: Now it's anxiety of Western carmakers trying to catch up with BYD & Co.
thedriven.io/2026/02/12/b...
Journalism in an authoritarian country - avoid anything the leader might object to 👇
NEW: “CBS Evening News” producer Alicia Hastey sends a bombshell farewell note:
Stories are “evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations.”
Stories are “evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations.”
February 12, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Journalism in an authoritarian country - avoid anything the leader might object to 👇
Reposted by Howard Lee
Many tropical regions sit close to dangerous heat thresholds, yet heat stress awareness remains low across sub-Saharan Africa.
A new study sparked by the intense Feb 2024 heat in Kenya shows daily max temps & Heat Index values were 3–4°C above normal, driven by dry heat, not humidity.
1/ 🌡️🧪
A new study sparked by the intense Feb 2024 heat in Kenya shows daily max temps & Heat Index values were 3–4°C above normal, driven by dry heat, not humidity.
1/ 🌡️🧪
February 12, 2026 at 10:07 AM
Many tropical regions sit close to dangerous heat thresholds, yet heat stress awareness remains low across sub-Saharan Africa.
A new study sparked by the intense Feb 2024 heat in Kenya shows daily max temps & Heat Index values were 3–4°C above normal, driven by dry heat, not humidity.
1/ 🌡️🧪
A new study sparked by the intense Feb 2024 heat in Kenya shows daily max temps & Heat Index values were 3–4°C above normal, driven by dry heat, not humidity.
1/ 🌡️🧪
Reposted by Howard Lee
Evolutionary biology helps address many of today’s challenges.
Today, on Darwin’s birthday we celebrate evolution as a unifying concept in biology #DarwinDay 🧪
Today, on Darwin’s birthday we celebrate evolution as a unifying concept in biology #DarwinDay 🧪
February 12, 2026 at 10:28 AM
Evolutionary biology helps address many of today’s challenges.
Today, on Darwin’s birthday we celebrate evolution as a unifying concept in biology #DarwinDay 🧪
Today, on Darwin’s birthday we celebrate evolution as a unifying concept in biology #DarwinDay 🧪
Reposted by Howard Lee
🌟OPEN ACCESS🌟 Can Raspberry Shake stations monitor geothermal-related seismicity in urban environments? A new #SRL explores this question based on a deployment near Strasbourg, France. ⚒️
buff.ly/JbC1idd
buff.ly/JbC1idd
February 12, 2026 at 3:00 AM
🌟OPEN ACCESS🌟 Can Raspberry Shake stations monitor geothermal-related seismicity in urban environments? A new #SRL explores this question based on a deployment near Strasbourg, France. ⚒️
buff.ly/JbC1idd
buff.ly/JbC1idd
On climate tipping points 👇 which is why we need much more information on rapid warming events in Earth's past 🧪⚒️
eos.org/articles/ear...
eos.org/articles/ear...
Earth’s Climate May Go from Greenhouse to Hothouse - Eos
Uncertainty in climate models could mean Earth systems are perilously close to their tipping points, scientists warn.
eos.org
February 12, 2026 at 12:31 PM
On climate tipping points 👇 which is why we need much more information on rapid warming events in Earth's past 🧪⚒️
eos.org/articles/ear...
eos.org/articles/ear...
Reposted by Howard Lee
If Russian propagandists are fantasising about joining forces with America to fight Europe there is something fundamentally wrong with America.
Russian propagandist Solovyev fantasizes about a large-scale war in Europe,with the idea of a "united Russian-American army"fighting the EU:
"I don’t rule out the possibility of a war unfolding in the European theater of military operations -a united Russian-American army against the army of the EU
"I don’t rule out the possibility of a war unfolding in the European theater of military operations -a united Russian-American army against the army of the EU
February 12, 2026 at 11:52 AM
If Russian propagandists are fantasising about joining forces with America to fight Europe there is something fundamentally wrong with America.
Reposted by Howard Lee
Journalism places verifiable information into the public record and leaves others—officials, courts, markets, communities—to decide what follows. It functions as a form of civic maintenance, keeping the factual record from fragmenting entirely. @mongabay.com
news.mongabay.com/2026/02/what...
news.mongabay.com/2026/02/what...
What is lost when environmental coverage is cut
Word that the Washington Post would be cutting roughly one-third of its staff spread quickly this week. Among those affected were at least a dozen reporters, editors, and visual journalists covering c...
news.mongabay.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:59 AM
Journalism places verifiable information into the public record and leaves others—officials, courts, markets, communities—to decide what follows. It functions as a form of civic maintenance, keeping the factual record from fragmenting entirely. @mongabay.com
news.mongabay.com/2026/02/what...
news.mongabay.com/2026/02/what...
Reposted by Howard Lee
EXCLUSIVE: A Ukrainian dad escaped Vladimir Putin’s drone and missile attacks back home only to be grabbed by a band of laughing ICE stooges in a Walmart parking lot in Minneapolis.
Laughing ICE Goons Seize Dad Who Fled Ukraine War at Walmart
Dmytro Kulyk is facing deportation as refugees become the Trump administration’s latest target.
trib.al
February 12, 2026 at 12:13 PM
EXCLUSIVE: A Ukrainian dad escaped Vladimir Putin’s drone and missile attacks back home only to be grabbed by a band of laughing ICE stooges in a Walmart parking lot in Minneapolis.
Reposted by Howard Lee
An analog dataviz if you will: The circle of life if you are a blueberry. Marvelous piece of work. Simple yet gorgeous. Source: buff.ly/2WJcosJ
February 12, 2026 at 11:35 AM
An analog dataviz if you will: The circle of life if you are a blueberry. Marvelous piece of work. Simple yet gorgeous. Source: buff.ly/2WJcosJ
"In short, the [Republican] state attorneys general object to the document treating facts as facts"
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
After Republican complaints, judicial body pulls climate advice
Meant to help judges handle scientific issues, document is now climate-free.
arstechnica.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:17 PM
"In short, the [Republican] state attorneys general object to the document treating facts as facts"
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
arstechnica.com/science/2026...
Reposted by Howard Lee
"Switzerland’s military has terminated its contract with Palantir… following a security audit… concluded that U.S. intelligence agencies could potentially access sensitive Swiss defense data… significant reputational warning for the data analytics firm"
www.newscase.com/palantirs-sw...
#R4Today
www.newscase.com/palantirs-sw...
#R4Today
Palantir's Swiss Exit Highlights Global Data Sovereignty Challenge | NewsCase
Switzerland's military has terminated its contract with Palantir Technologies Inc. following a security audit. The review concluded that U.S. intelligence ag
www.newscase.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:05 AM
"Switzerland’s military has terminated its contract with Palantir… following a security audit… concluded that U.S. intelligence agencies could potentially access sensitive Swiss defense data… significant reputational warning for the data analytics firm"
www.newscase.com/palantirs-sw...
#R4Today
www.newscase.com/palantirs-sw...
#R4Today
Reposted by Howard Lee
Months after the killing of Charlie Kirk, a growing number of lawsuits by people claim they were illegally punished, fired and even arrested for making negative comments about Kirk. n.pr/46w2RJ6
Free speech lawsuits mount after Charlie Kirk assassination
Months after the killing of Charlie Kirk, a growing number of lawsuits by people claim they were illegally punished, fired and even arrested for making negative comments about Kirk.
n.pr
February 12, 2026 at 10:27 AM
Months after the killing of Charlie Kirk, a growing number of lawsuits by people claim they were illegally punished, fired and even arrested for making negative comments about Kirk. n.pr/46w2RJ6
Reposted by Howard Lee
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
February 12, 2026 at 7:38 AM
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
Reposted by Howard Lee
Way-hey! After concerted local pushback, New Jersey company decides not to contract with ICE:
"The contract with ICE will not move forward, a Holman spokesperson told Patch.
"I have been informed that we declined that particular body of work," the spokesperson said...
patch.com/new-jersey/c...
"The contract with ICE will not move forward, a Holman spokesperson told Patch.
"I have been informed that we declined that particular body of work," the spokesperson said...
patch.com/new-jersey/c...
February 12, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Way-hey! After concerted local pushback, New Jersey company decides not to contract with ICE:
"The contract with ICE will not move forward, a Holman spokesperson told Patch.
"I have been informed that we declined that particular body of work," the spokesperson said...
patch.com/new-jersey/c...
"The contract with ICE will not move forward, a Holman spokesperson told Patch.
"I have been informed that we declined that particular body of work," the spokesperson said...
patch.com/new-jersey/c...
Reposted by Howard Lee
This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.
More than 400 people, including hundreds of citizens, were “sorted” at gun point into racial and ethnic groups by 200 ICE agents who fired flash-bang grenades into cars with people inside, pointed guns at children & demanded their zip tied parents not comfort them. apple.news/Ausdx6kWtT0e...
Idaho families sue over immigration raid that swept up hundreds, including U.S. citizens — NBC News
About 400 people, including children and U.S. citizens, were detained for four hours while they were denied food and water in the raid, according to the lawsuit.
apple.news
February 12, 2026 at 2:26 AM
This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.
Reposted by Howard Lee
The person photographed here who is in their bathrobe filming armed, masked federal agents in St. Paul is MPR News journalist @samstroozas.bsky.social @mprnews.org . She is an incredible journalist and person. We do not deserve her.
A high-speed car chase involving a federal agent in St. Paul ended with a multi-vehicle crash and injuries to the fleeing driver, who was taken away in an ambulance. bit.ly/4kvJo0M
📸: Leila Navidi
📸: Leila Navidi
February 11, 2026 at 9:26 PM
The person photographed here who is in their bathrobe filming armed, masked federal agents in St. Paul is MPR News journalist @samstroozas.bsky.social @mprnews.org . She is an incredible journalist and person. We do not deserve her.
Reposted by Howard Lee
My doomer-worry about AI is not that the LLMs become omnipotent and take over the world but that the wealthy and powerful use it as a means to consolidate power and marginalize or lay off skilled workers and also everything about our technological and political and social life gets worse
February 11, 2026 at 8:20 PM
My doomer-worry about AI is not that the LLMs become omnipotent and take over the world but that the wealthy and powerful use it as a means to consolidate power and marginalize or lay off skilled workers and also everything about our technological and political and social life gets worse
Reposted by Howard Lee
Again, *please* avoid reverting to the Miocene in less than a century.
We aren't going to be remotely safely adapting to *that*.
We aren't going to be remotely safely adapting to *that*.
February 12, 2026 at 12:17 AM
Again, *please* avoid reverting to the Miocene in less than a century.
We aren't going to be remotely safely adapting to *that*.
We aren't going to be remotely safely adapting to *that*.