Kate Petersen
@k8petersen.bsky.social
Writer. Science and climate communicator. Former Stegner fellow at Stanford. Daughter of Gallahop. Opinions are my own.
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Yes it’s Valentine’s Day. But it’s also the chosen birthday of Frederick Douglass who was born in 1818 on a plantation in Talbot County, Maryland. He escaped from slavery & rose to become the most eloquent and forceful voice for the abolition of slavery & for Black voting rights in the U.S.
February 14, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Yes it’s Valentine’s Day. But it’s also the chosen birthday of Frederick Douglass who was born in 1818 on a plantation in Talbot County, Maryland. He escaped from slavery & rose to become the most eloquent and forceful voice for the abolition of slavery & for Black voting rights in the U.S.
grim and tired lol
Next pandemic is gonna be lit 🔥
We’ll all be chugging protein drinks and swallowing deworming tablets and talking about “that which cannot be named” while our social media feeds tell us that anyone who died did not do enough push-ups…
We’ll all be chugging protein drinks and swallowing deworming tablets and talking about “that which cannot be named” while our social media feeds tell us that anyone who died did not do enough push-ups…
February 14, 2026 at 2:25 AM
grim and tired lol
Reposted by Kate Petersen
As the US doubles down on fossil fuels and blocks wind & solar installations, its emissions are ticking up.
In contrast, China's emissions appear to have peaked. In the last 2 yrs, they installed more new solar energy each year than the U.S. has in its entire history.
More from @carbonbrief.org:
In contrast, China's emissions appear to have peaked. In the last 2 yrs, they installed more new solar energy each year than the U.S. has in its entire history.
More from @carbonbrief.org:
Analysis: China’s CO2 emissions have now been ‘flat or falling’ for 21 months - Carbon Brief
China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 1% in the final quarter of 2025, likely securing a decline of 0.3% for the full year as a whole.
www.carbonbrief.org
February 12, 2026 at 10:40 PM
As the US doubles down on fossil fuels and blocks wind & solar installations, its emissions are ticking up.
In contrast, China's emissions appear to have peaked. In the last 2 yrs, they installed more new solar energy each year than the U.S. has in its entire history.
More from @carbonbrief.org:
In contrast, China's emissions appear to have peaked. In the last 2 yrs, they installed more new solar energy each year than the U.S. has in its entire history.
More from @carbonbrief.org:
Reposted by Kate Petersen
In other words, long enough that habeas petitions can be filed on their behalf in Minnesota before they're whisked off to an immigration detention facility somewhere in the Fifth Circuit (where, under that court's current law, they wouldn't be eligible for a bond hearing).
Incredibly powerful opinion chronicling the awfulness in Whipple and the ways it interfered with the right to counsel.
One key part of the ruling (that ICE will likely appeal ASAP); Judge Brasel bars ICE from transferring anyone out of Minnesota within 72 hours of arrest.
One key part of the ruling (that ICE will likely appeal ASAP); Judge Brasel bars ICE from transferring anyone out of Minnesota within 72 hours of arrest.
February 13, 2026 at 1:03 AM
In other words, long enough that habeas petitions can be filed on their behalf in Minnesota before they're whisked off to an immigration detention facility somewhere in the Fifth Circuit (where, under that court's current law, they wouldn't be eligible for a bond hearing).
along with scientific findings not being revocable by the state, a humble request to news orgs to illustrate these social posts and news stories with graphics that show the public health impacts of climate.
the news is not, in fact, about his face, and linking it to that image lends the state power.
the news is not, in fact, about his face, and linking it to that image lends the state power.
BREAKING: The EPA revokes scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public health, removing a key basis for the climate change fight.
Live updates: Trump's EPA revokes scientific finding that underpinned US fight against climate change
The Trump administration revoked a scientific finding at the center of U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, a significant rollback of regulations.
bit.ly
February 12, 2026 at 8:15 PM
along with scientific findings not being revocable by the state, a humble request to news orgs to illustrate these social posts and news stories with graphics that show the public health impacts of climate.
the news is not, in fact, about his face, and linking it to that image lends the state power.
the news is not, in fact, about his face, and linking it to that image lends the state power.
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Key facts about SAVE Act 2.0 you won't hear from GOP sponsors:
-"Show your papers" requirement far more restrictive than voter ID
-Voters would have to show documents in-person at election office, traveling up to 4.5 hours to do so
-States would be forced to hand over voter rolls to Kristi Noem
-"Show your papers" requirement far more restrictive than voter ID
-Voters would have to show documents in-person at election office, traveling up to 4.5 hours to do so
-States would be forced to hand over voter rolls to Kristi Noem
Breaking: House passes new version of SAVE Act, worst voter suppression bill considered by Congress. Could disenfranchise:
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
-21 million Americans w/out access to citizenship papers
-69 mil married women who took partner’s name
-21 mil w/out valid drivers license
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The GOP’s “show us your papers” bill Is the latest effort to help Trump take over elections
“If the SAVE Act were to pass, it would be the worst voter suppression law that Congress has ever enacted"
www.motherjones.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Key facts about SAVE Act 2.0 you won't hear from GOP sponsors:
-"Show your papers" requirement far more restrictive than voter ID
-Voters would have to show documents in-person at election office, traveling up to 4.5 hours to do so
-States would be forced to hand over voter rolls to Kristi Noem
-"Show your papers" requirement far more restrictive than voter ID
-Voters would have to show documents in-person at election office, traveling up to 4.5 hours to do so
-States would be forced to hand over voter rolls to Kristi Noem
Thinking of the community of Tumbler Ridge -- parents, siblings, teachers, friends. This shouldn't happen anywhere.
February 11, 2026 at 4:30 AM
Thinking of the community of Tumbler Ridge -- parents, siblings, teachers, friends. This shouldn't happen anywhere.
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Just a few weeks ago, the administration cancelled all remaining department of energy grid resilience projects in Puerto Rico. All of them. www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-end...
The end of DOE’s grid work in Puerto Rico
The Trump administration has canceled all eight of the remaining awards devoted to distributed energy on the island.
www.latitudemedia.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Just a few weeks ago, the administration cancelled all remaining department of energy grid resilience projects in Puerto Rico. All of them. www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-end...
Reposted by Kate Petersen
The great Chester Himes and Griot, his beloved blue point Siamese, named "after the magicians in the courts of West African kings." Himes also said that if he stayed away too long, Griot would wreck his studio and chew up his books. #Caturday
February 8, 2026 at 1:40 AM
The great Chester Himes and Griot, his beloved blue point Siamese, named "after the magicians in the courts of West African kings." Himes also said that if he stayed away too long, Griot would wreck his studio and chew up his books. #Caturday
Reposted by Kate Petersen
🫐 new poem in the yale review 🫐
"I had fallen in love with the past
tense, wishing I could always speak in it & end
most of my verbs with a firmness that felt
like clarity. But
that was no way to order an iced mocha."
From "Tale of the Blueberries" by Chen Chen, TYR's Poem of the Week:
tense, wishing I could always speak in it & end
most of my verbs with a firmness that felt
like clarity. But
that was no way to order an iced mocha."
From "Tale of the Blueberries" by Chen Chen, TYR's Poem of the Week:
Chen Chen: “Tale of the Blueberries”
A poem by Chen Chen: “I needed a cold book for the warm weather.”
yalereview.org
February 7, 2026 at 5:26 PM
🫐 new poem in the yale review 🫐
devastating ruling. devastating dissent.
Judge Dana Douglas's dissent sets up the unusual circumstances of this appeal, the stakes of this case, and the error of the majority very well from the start.
"Straining at a gnat, the majority swallows a camel."
"Straining at a gnat, the majority swallows a camel."
February 7, 2026 at 4:23 AM
devastating ruling. devastating dissent.
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Again- when lots of measles circulates, more fully vaccinated people get measles. This is a problem for all of us
Oh boy. “The University of Florida and the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County are investigating potential measles exposure in two UF classes following two confirmed cases in the county.
Health officials have begun contacting individuals who may have been exposed.” @aetiology.bsky.social
Health officials have begun contacting individuals who may have been exposed.” @aetiology.bsky.social
Measles exposure reported in two University of Florida classes, university says
The University of Florida and the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County are investigating potential measles exposure in two UF classes following two confirmed cases in the county.
www.news4jax.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Again- when lots of measles circulates, more fully vaccinated people get measles. This is a problem for all of us
while 'could have' is a train that left a long time ago, still an astonishing portrait of the gazillionare fragility/ego coin.
Jeff Bezos’s wealth has increased an average of $70 million every day of 2026, meaning that he could have offset The Post’s losses with what he’s made since Monday.
February 5, 2026 at 3:28 AM
while 'could have' is a train that left a long time ago, still an astonishing portrait of the gazillionare fragility/ego coin.
Reposted by Kate Petersen
February 5, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Bad news for democracy which is bad news for climate. Thinking about Sammy Roth's formulation here: "All the good journalism in the world won’t make a dent in the climate crisis on its own. But healthier information ecosystems are a necessary precondition for durable political and economic change."
@sammyroth.bsky.social reporting that the Post cuts include 14 climate journalists:
www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...
www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...
Breaking: Washington Post gutting its climate team
Clean energy dies in darkness. Courtesy of Jeff Bezos.
www.climatecoloredgoggles.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:46 AM
Bad news for democracy which is bad news for climate. Thinking about Sammy Roth's formulation here: "All the good journalism in the world won’t make a dent in the climate crisis on its own. But healthier information ecosystems are a necessary precondition for durable political and economic change."
Reposted by Kate Petersen
These 2 kids detained last week were brought back to MN today. But school officials say many others from the Columbia Heights district are missing. They're not sure if they're in ICE detention or have moved away with their families. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
‘I don’t have words’: 2 more kids from Liam Conejo Ramos’ Columbia Heights school taken into ICE custody
The children were taken into ICE custody after their mother was detained at a court appointment. School leaders say the mother asked them to bring the kids to the detention center because there were n...
www.mprnews.org
February 5, 2026 at 12:07 AM
These 2 kids detained last week were brought back to MN today. But school officials say many others from the Columbia Heights district are missing. They're not sure if they're in ICE detention or have moved away with their families. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Reposted by Kate Petersen
I’m actually quite moved by how swiftly she pivots away from her own grief and trauma - real and justified though it is - to remind us not to take our eyes off the women who were assaulted
In an interview with NPR, Melinda French Gates confirmed that she ended her marriage with Bill Gates because of allegations contained in the Epstein files.
February 4, 2026 at 1:14 AM
I’m actually quite moved by how swiftly she pivots away from her own grief and trauma - real and justified though it is - to remind us not to take our eyes off the women who were assaulted
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Scientists say increasing shipping traffic in the Arctic is interfering with narwhals’ ability to hunt and communicate. Conservation groups are urging the International Maritime Organization to instate mandatory measures to reduce underwater noise.
As the Arctic Grows Noisier, Narwhals Are Becoming Quieter - Inside Climate News
For most of their evolutionary history, narwhals have relied more on sound than sight to survive in the Arctic’s dark icy waters. The speckled toothed whales—sometimes referred to as “unicorns of the ...
insideclimatenews.org
February 2, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Scientists say increasing shipping traffic in the Arctic is interfering with narwhals’ ability to hunt and communicate. Conservation groups are urging the International Maritime Organization to instate mandatory measures to reduce underwater noise.
great piece by @sammyroth.bsky.social.
born and raised in a Lower Basin state near the end of 20C, I grew up marveling at the bad settler math of the Colorado River Compact and the way negotiations to correct for the actual river and changing climate have been shuffled down the road for so long.
born and raised in a Lower Basin state near the end of 20C, I grew up marveling at the bad settler math of the Colorado River Compact and the way negotiations to correct for the actual river and changing climate have been shuffled down the road for so long.
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:13 PM
great piece by @sammyroth.bsky.social.
born and raised in a Lower Basin state near the end of 20C, I grew up marveling at the bad settler math of the Colorado River Compact and the way negotiations to correct for the actual river and changing climate have been shuffled down the road for so long.
born and raised in a Lower Basin state near the end of 20C, I grew up marveling at the bad settler math of the Colorado River Compact and the way negotiations to correct for the actual river and changing climate have been shuffled down the road for so long.
Reposted by Kate Petersen
A student & I got a 4 page review on a manuscript we submitted to a peer reviewed journal. It’s hard not to suspect AI. But however this was generated, this line was so troubling: "There is mention of limitations to the research, which also undermines transparency and credibility of the manuscript."
February 3, 2026 at 3:04 AM
A student & I got a 4 page review on a manuscript we submitted to a peer reviewed journal. It’s hard not to suspect AI. But however this was generated, this line was so troubling: "There is mention of limitations to the research, which also undermines transparency and credibility of the manuscript."
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Great news!
Haiti’s TPS continues for now!!!!! And zowie: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.283214/gov.uscourts.dcd.283214.124.0_1.pdf
February 3, 2026 at 2:21 AM
Great news!
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Feb. 1, 1960, 4 NC A&T students sat-in at the “whites only” counter at Woolworths in Greensboro. Their defiance ignited a movement led to the birth of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
Young people fuel movements. It is inspiring to see that today they still do.
#BlackHistoryMonth
Young people fuel movements. It is inspiring to see that today they still do.
#BlackHistoryMonth
February 1, 2026 at 9:59 PM
Feb. 1, 1960, 4 NC A&T students sat-in at the “whites only” counter at Woolworths in Greensboro. Their defiance ignited a movement led to the birth of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
Young people fuel movements. It is inspiring to see that today they still do.
#BlackHistoryMonth
Young people fuel movements. It is inspiring to see that today they still do.
#BlackHistoryMonth
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Okay! This has already inspired a bunch of DMs, so I made a page on the website. If you have 50,000+ Skymiles and would be willing to book flights to get someone home, please fill this out.
Donate Your Skymiles — Stand With Minnesota
Donate your Delta Skymiles to get people home from Texas
www.standwithminnesota.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Okay! This has already inspired a bunch of DMs, so I made a page on the website. If you have 50,000+ Skymiles and would be willing to book flights to get someone home, please fill this out.
Reposted by Kate Petersen
Beautiful design by Tsmishian (Alaska Native) artist to support those in MN via the ACLU NARF fund
www.customink.com/fundraising/...
www.customink.com/fundraising/...
Support Ptarmigan Squadron for ACLU and NARF
This rebel design, representing the Alaska state bird: the willow ptarmigan, along with the Big Dipper and the North Star, was created to stand in solidarity with the people of Minnesota and with ever...
www.customink.com
February 1, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Beautiful design by Tsmishian (Alaska Native) artist to support those in MN via the ACLU NARF fund
www.customink.com/fundraising/...
www.customink.com/fundraising/...
Beauty. And the fact of these vests. The fact of press vests in Gaza. And all the wheels for peace that are moving at once. 💜
The Alex Pretti Memorial Ride in Minneapolis today was massive and so powerful to be a part of. I've seen estimates of 3-5 thousand riders, taking up to an hour for the ride to pass through an intersection.
February 1, 2026 at 1:47 AM
Beauty. And the fact of these vests. The fact of press vests in Gaza. And all the wheels for peace that are moving at once. 💜