Jessica McKenzie
@jessimckenzi.bsky.social
editing & reporting climate stories @thebulletin.org // outdoorsy newsletter: http://pinchofdirt.substack.com // tips: [email protected] or [email protected] or jessimckenzi.01 on signal
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A perfect firestorm: The social, political, and climate forces that keep Athens burning
Athens and its suburbs have lost 37 percent of its forests and grasslands to wildfire since 2017. What will it take to keep the city from burning?
thebulletin.org
A few assorted observations from my latest story about wildfires in Greece: thebulletin.org/2025/08/a-pe...
November 25, 2025 at 3:40 PM
ya i spent all day reading about how poorly COP30 went and thinking about the generous amount of hope you have to have to think the international community would handle questions about and implementation of geoengineering any better...
November 25, 2025 at 3:32 PM
ya i spent all day reading about how poorly COP30 went and thinking about the generous amount of hope you have to have to think the international community would handle questions about and implementation of geoengineering any better...
i mean that has to be because it's all wrapped up in fantasies of power, control, and, not to be weird about it, but playing god, right?
November 25, 2025 at 3:28 PM
i mean that has to be because it's all wrapped up in fantasies of power, control, and, not to be weird about it, but playing god, right?
There's also very little discussion of what the actual risks and side effects could be, including: changing precipitation and ocean circulation patterns; reducing agricultural yields; degrading the ozone layer and increasing acid rain; or termination shock if geoengineering is abruptly ended
The University of Chicago’s new climate initiative: brave research program or potentially dangerous foray into solar geoengineering?
The University of Chicago is attempting to position itself as the place for serious scientific consideration of the logistics and implications of Earth system interventions aimed at reversing or count...
thebulletin.org
November 25, 2025 at 3:26 PM
There's also very little discussion of what the actual risks and side effects could be, including: changing precipitation and ocean circulation patterns; reducing agricultural yields; degrading the ozone layer and increasing acid rain; or termination shock if geoengineering is abruptly ended
It is rather odd to begin an article citing a recent paper by *40 scientists* that says "geoengineering was extremely unlikely to work and likely to have dangerous consequences" and then to go on to make the case that "these ideas are gaining traction" and cite the great thinkers thiel and musk
The idea that opposition to geoengineering is largely just lefty extremists and loopy right-wing chemtrail guys feels very much like part of the broader project to normalise it with the ultimate aim of ensuring it is actually deployed as a tacit replacement for mitigation
archive.ph/IYgEB
archive.ph/IYgEB
November 25, 2025 at 3:22 PM
It is rather odd to begin an article citing a recent paper by *40 scientists* that says "geoengineering was extremely unlikely to work and likely to have dangerous consequences" and then to go on to make the case that "these ideas are gaining traction" and cite the great thinkers thiel and musk
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
"After negotiators at COP30 retreated from meaningful climate action by failing to specifically mention the need to stop using fossil fuels in the final conference documents published Saturday," the disappointment inside the conference center was "pervasive," reports Bob Berwyn @bberwyn.bsky.social.
COP30 derided as 'the deadliest talk show ever'
Negotiators at COP30 retreated from meaningful climate action by failing to specifically mention the need to stop using fossil fuels in the final conference documents published Saturday.
thebulletin.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:44 PM
"After negotiators at COP30 retreated from meaningful climate action by failing to specifically mention the need to stop using fossil fuels in the final conference documents published Saturday," the disappointment inside the conference center was "pervasive," reports Bob Berwyn @bberwyn.bsky.social.
and also of course delighted to see this excellent 2022 @thebulletin.org article—about what happens when the Earth gets too hot for animals (livestock, wildlife, humans) to survive—get a well-deserved mention
thebulletin.org/2022/07/extr...
thebulletin.org/2022/07/extr...
What happens if the world gets too hot for animals to survive?
As extreme heat events become more common, humans will increasingly need technologies like air conditioning to survive. But what about the animals?
thebulletin.org
November 24, 2025 at 9:55 PM
and also of course delighted to see this excellent 2022 @thebulletin.org article—about what happens when the Earth gets too hot for animals (livestock, wildlife, humans) to survive—get a well-deserved mention
thebulletin.org/2022/07/extr...
thebulletin.org/2022/07/extr...
fantastic cop30 postmortem (and it really does seem more and more like a postmortem every year)
"The entire financial system, including government bonds and mortgages, is premised on the idea that tomorrow will look something like today. In a world that’s 3 degrees warmer, it assuredly will not"
@peterbrannen.bsky.social in @theatlantic.com -->>
www.theatlantic.com/science/2025...
@peterbrannen.bsky.social in @theatlantic.com -->>
www.theatlantic.com/science/2025...
November 24, 2025 at 9:53 PM
fantastic cop30 postmortem (and it really does seem more and more like a postmortem every year)
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
NASA and the European Space Agency plan to bring samples back from Mars. Could they harbor a type of life that scientists warn could trigger mass extinctions on Earth?
Read more from NASA mathematician Bill Taber. ⬇️
Read more from NASA mathematician Bill Taber. ⬇️
Black swans from the red planet—Could NASA bring back “mirror life” from Mars?
NASA and the European Space Agency plan to bring samples back from Mars. Could they harbor a type of life that scientists warn could trigger mass extinctions on Earth?
thebulletin.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:12 PM
NASA and the European Space Agency plan to bring samples back from Mars. Could they harbor a type of life that scientists warn could trigger mass extinctions on Earth?
Read more from NASA mathematician Bill Taber. ⬇️
Read more from NASA mathematician Bill Taber. ⬇️
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
"Cars are not safe for human beings. The average vehicle on the road now is about equivalent to the size and weight of a German Panzer tank during World War II." @jessimckenzi.bsky.social interviews David Obst about what he believes is the existential threat of "Big Car." @thebulletin.org
How 'Big Car' poses an existential threat to humanity
While Big Car kills many of us quickly, in deadly collisions, it is killing many more of us slowly, by polluting the environment, warming the Earth, sowing misinformation and doubt about climate scien...
thebulletin.org
November 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM
"Cars are not safe for human beings. The average vehicle on the road now is about equivalent to the size and weight of a German Panzer tank during World War II." @jessimckenzi.bsky.social interviews David Obst about what he believes is the existential threat of "Big Car." @thebulletin.org
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Holtec built an empire around mothballed nuclear power plants and incomplete nuclear initiatives. The firm's history of overpromising and under-delivery raises a question: Is this who we should trust with the future of #nuclear energy?
thebulletin.org/2025/11/how-...
thebulletin.org/2025/11/how-...
How Holtec International became an expanding (and controversial) nuclear power
The firm's history of overpromising and underdelivery raises a question: Is this who we should trust with the future of nuclear energy?
thebulletin.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Holtec built an empire around mothballed nuclear power plants and incomplete nuclear initiatives. The firm's history of overpromising and under-delivery raises a question: Is this who we should trust with the future of #nuclear energy?
thebulletin.org/2025/11/how-...
thebulletin.org/2025/11/how-...
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Had the pleasure of interviewing David Obst—lit agent for Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein, Daniel Ellsberg & promoter of Seymour Hersh—about his new book: Saving Ourselves From Big Car
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
How 'Big Car' poses an existential threat to humanity
While Big Car kills many of us quickly, in deadly collisions, it is killing many more of us slowly, by polluting the environment, warming the Earth, sowing misinformation and doubt about climate scien...
thebulletin.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Had the pleasure of interviewing David Obst—lit agent for Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein, Daniel Ellsberg & promoter of Seymour Hersh—about his new book: Saving Ourselves From Big Car
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
this headline strikes a nerve.
why does it make the story about our feelings about the practice instead of the slimy problems with the practice
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
why does it make the story about our feelings about the practice instead of the slimy problems with the practice
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
November 21, 2025 at 11:22 PM
this headline strikes a nerve.
why does it make the story about our feelings about the practice instead of the slimy problems with the practice
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
why does it make the story about our feelings about the practice instead of the slimy problems with the practice
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
adobe acrobat keeps forcing ai on me. i've unchecked this box multiple times and every time i relaunch the app, it's rechecked
November 21, 2025 at 5:31 PM
adobe acrobat keeps forcing ai on me. i've unchecked this box multiple times and every time i relaunch the app, it's rechecked
we have GOT to stop calling this techno drivel "artificial intelligence" www.404media.co/elon-musk-co...
Elon Musk Could 'Drink Piss Better Than Any Human in History,' Grok Says
Grok has been reprogrammed to say Musk is better than everyone at everything, including blowjobs, piss drinking, playing quarterback, conquering Europe, etc.
www.404media.co
November 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
we have GOT to stop calling this techno drivel "artificial intelligence" www.404media.co/elon-musk-co...
Still pissed about this btw www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Cancels Trail, Bike-Lane Grants Deemed ‘Hostile’ to Cars
The Trump administration canceled grants for street safety measures, pedestrian trails and bike lanes in communities around the country this month, each time offering a simple rationale for yanking ba...
www.bloomberg.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Still pissed about this btw www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Study after study shows that using LLMs is bad for cognition, bad for learning, bad for understanding, bad for mental health. So why are our schools and universities still relentlessly pushing them?
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Study after study shows that using LLMs is bad for cognition, bad for learning, bad for understanding, bad for mental health. So why are our schools and universities still relentlessly pushing them?
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Since the invention of the car, somewhere between 54 and 69 million people have died in traffic crashes. And that's not even considering the effects of air pollution and car-related lead exposure.
@jessimckenzi.bsky.social interviews David Obst about his new book, "Saving Ourselves From Big Car."
@jessimckenzi.bsky.social interviews David Obst about his new book, "Saving Ourselves From Big Car."
How 'Big Car' poses an existential threat to humanity
While Big Car kills many of us quickly, it is killing more of us slowly, by polluting the environment, warming the Earth, sowing misinformation and doubt about climate…
thebulletin.org
November 21, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Since the invention of the car, somewhere between 54 and 69 million people have died in traffic crashes. And that's not even considering the effects of air pollution and car-related lead exposure.
@jessimckenzi.bsky.social interviews David Obst about his new book, "Saving Ourselves From Big Car."
@jessimckenzi.bsky.social interviews David Obst about his new book, "Saving Ourselves From Big Car."
Obst confided he's disappointed the book hasn't made Big Car come after him, but as we discuss, Big Car is in a v. strong position rn...
In Sept, the Trump admin canceled federal grants earmarked for street safety measures, pedestrian trails & bike lanes because they are hostile to motor vehicles
In Sept, the Trump admin canceled federal grants earmarked for street safety measures, pedestrian trails & bike lanes because they are hostile to motor vehicles
Had the pleasure of interviewing David Obst—lit agent for Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein, Daniel Ellsberg & promoter of Seymour Hersh—about his new book: Saving Ourselves From Big Car
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
How 'Big Car' poses an existential threat to humanity
While Big Car kills many of us quickly, in deadly collisions, it is killing many more of us slowly, by polluting the environment, warming the Earth, sowing misinformation and doubt about climate scien...
thebulletin.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Obst confided he's disappointed the book hasn't made Big Car come after him, but as we discuss, Big Car is in a v. strong position rn...
In Sept, the Trump admin canceled federal grants earmarked for street safety measures, pedestrian trails & bike lanes because they are hostile to motor vehicles
In Sept, the Trump admin canceled federal grants earmarked for street safety measures, pedestrian trails & bike lanes because they are hostile to motor vehicles
^^obvi this stood out from Obst's book, not the Carpenter movie based on a Stephen King book lol
November 21, 2025 at 3:46 PM
^^obvi this stood out from Obst's book, not the Carpenter movie based on a Stephen King book lol
One thing that stood out: Everyone knows about Big Oil and the climate harms it causes, but Big Car is actually an even bigger umbrella that includes Big Oil and a bunch of other industries/actors that harm people and the environment for profit
November 21, 2025 at 3:44 PM
One thing that stood out: Everyone knows about Big Oil and the climate harms it causes, but Big Car is actually an even bigger umbrella that includes Big Oil and a bunch of other industries/actors that harm people and the environment for profit
Also I happened to watch John Carpenter's Christine for the first time this October (spooky season, ya know) and couldn't resist making that my lede...imo it's in need of a critical re-appraisal as a piece of anti-car media 🙃
November 21, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Also I happened to watch John Carpenter's Christine for the first time this October (spooky season, ya know) and couldn't resist making that my lede...imo it's in need of a critical re-appraisal as a piece of anti-car media 🙃
Had the pleasure of interviewing David Obst—lit agent for Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein, Daniel Ellsberg & promoter of Seymour Hersh—about his new book: Saving Ourselves From Big Car
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
How 'Big Car' poses an existential threat to humanity
While Big Car kills many of us quickly, in deadly collisions, it is killing many more of us slowly, by polluting the environment, warming the Earth, sowing misinformation and doubt about climate scien...
thebulletin.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Had the pleasure of interviewing David Obst—lit agent for Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein, Daniel Ellsberg & promoter of Seymour Hersh—about his new book: Saving Ourselves From Big Car
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat