Bronwen Konecky
@otherrock.bsky.social
390 followers 160 following 16 posts
Assistant Prof, researcher of tropical climate/paleoclimate, stable isotopes, biomarkers, models, mud. Runs on geoscience & music (the 'other kind of rock'). More geoscience and less music these days, but here's hoping. she/her
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Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
voosen.me
Honestly, this 8.8-mag quake and tsunami seems a fabulous demonstration of the capabilities that the US, Japan, and others have marshalled to protect their citizens.

This doesn't just exist. It has to be built and maintained.
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
ljrissler.bsky.social
“More than 140 employees of the National Science Foundation have signed a letter denouncing what they described as efforts to undermine one of the country’s main science funding agencies. … Out of fear of retaliation, all but one of the employees’ signatures are redacted.”
Amid Fear of Retaliation, N.S.F. Workers Sign Letter of Dissent
www.nytimes.com
otherrock.bsky.social
FYI, #AGU25 will be PC-only (no macs) 🙃
Computer message saying that Macs can no longer be used for presentations at AGU 2025
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
costasamaras.com
NOAA is essential to the health, welfare, and safety of all Americans. Dismantling climate.gov makes us all less safe. Here’s an article we wrote about the value of NOAA to the American public: bsky.app/profile/cost...
climate.noaa.gov
Our final updates have been posted to the Climate.gov website, and this will be our final post to our social media channels.
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
haleythiemwx.bsky.social
Sad to see that leadership didn’t approve of my suggested post language (assuming since this is what is posted) that I submitted on my last day in May as the social media manager.

Allow me share some of our team’s kind words here instead:
otherrock.bsky.social
and many of these swaths of the USA are not prone to wildfires locally, so folks do not have a habit in place of checking the AQI (which is second nature in, e.g., the west)
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
astrokatie.com
If you burn down a forest, you don't miss out on lumber for just that season. You have to replant all the trees, nurture them, and wait for them to grow.

The science and research budget cuts happening now are wanton, senseless arson. Recovery, if it ever happens, will take generations.
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
dianaolick.bsky.social
One of the most fascinating interviews I've ever done. Seriously. On the eve of #hurricane season, #tornadoes moving across the South and Canadian #wildfire smoke descending on the upper Midwest, there is no more important time to focus on #climate impact on #finance #economy. @climate.noaa.gov
JPMorgan hired NOAA's chief scientist to advise clients on navigating climate change
Last year, JPMorgan hired Sarah Kapnick as the bank's chief climate scientist. She's now advising clients on how climate change will impact their investments.
www.cnbc.com
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
joshuasweitz.bsky.social
How bad will it be? Catastrophic.

Proposed cuts to #NSF, #NIH, and #NASA will set the US R&D landscape back 25 yrs+, cause economic and job loss now, and undermine innovations to come.

But, this is the WH's *proposed* budget.

Speak up now before it is too late.

(inflation adjusted $-s below)
NSF, NASA and NIH budgets per year, inflation adjusted from 2000-2025 along with the proposed cuts. NSF includes research component only. Massive cuts across all sectors, well below support spanning 25 years.
otherrock.bsky.social
2 weeks ago, an EF3 tornado tore through my neighborhood and others in STL city. Relief efforts are almost entirely grassroots, which on the one hand is beautiful, and on the other hand is so depressing. Houses' roofs and brick walls are torn wide open like dollhouses and yet, no one is coming.
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
alexwitze.bsky.social
The marathon livestream of weather & climate scientists talking about their research, and its importance, continues. Drop in anytime through the weekend for learning opportunities. I just heard a discussion about what everyone's favorite cloud is! #wx wcstreamathon.netlify.app
The Weather & Climate Livestream
Join us starting May 28th, as meteorologists and climate scientists from across the US share their research and answer your questions.
wcstreamathon.netlify.app
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
bobkopp.net
There’s so much happening right now, I thought I’d put together a running thread on the dismantling of #climate and research and knowledge infrastructure in the United States 🧵
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
voosen.me
BREAKING from @science.org: The Trump admin is seeking to kill nearly all climate research at NOAA, its climate science agency.

Its near-final budget proposal would end all NOAA research labs, academic institutes, and regional climate centers. And it wants to fully end the NOAA Research division.
Trump seeks to end climate research at premier U.S. climate agency
White House aims to end NOAA’s research office; NASA also targeted
www.science.org
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
katharinehayhoe.com
The rationale for this cancellation is climate denial.

There is no dressing it up, there is no tiptoeing around it.

Yet climate change doesn’t care if we believe it. It will destroy our homes, multiply insurance rates, wreak economic havoc and more — regardless of our opinions or voting record.
A screen capture of the text of the link below, explaining why they will no longer support cooperative modeling of the earth’s climate system. Another screen capture explaining why they no longer support sub seasonal to seasonal predictability research. That’s weather, folks. They don’t support weather research. A third screen capture explaining why a regional coupled model project is being canceled, as it includes alleged changes to precipitation patterns and sea level rise.
otherrock.bsky.social
Ok this is excellent to know-- was mentally preparing for a sudden, late-night "all hands on deck" data rescue
otherrock.bsky.social
Paleo folks: Does anyone know if NOAA/NCEI's Paleoclimatology database is part of NOAA's Amazon Web Services contract? Does the US paleo community need to start archiving datasets at Pangaea now too? FAIR data principles don't really work if the website can disappear with little notice.
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
kejames.bsky.social
I worry all the competitive rhetoric over the years has brainwashed everyone to think that there is stable global demand for science and if the jobs aren’t here they will move somewhere else. No, there will just be less science.
otherrock.bsky.social
Happy omega day to those who celebrate.

The March equinox is our reference point for the ever-changing position of perihelion relative to the solstices.

Seasons, stars, time itself, they’re always changing. So find yourself a good reference point.

A little mindfulness from #paleoclimatology 🤓
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
murshedz.bsky.social
"[T]he entire system felt rigged, designed to make it nearly impossible for anyone to get out.

The reality became clear: Ice detention isn’t just a bureaucratic nightmare. It’s a business. These facilities are privately owned and run for profit."

This story is beyond insane ...
I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped
I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky
www.theguardian.com
otherrock.bsky.social
Hey #StLouis, the air quality outside is extremely dangerous. Stay indoors. It’s WILD that we got 1,000,000 tornado alerts last night but have gotten NO alerts about the wildfire smoke & dust borne by that same weather system! Did the air quality alert folks at #NOAA / #NWS get fired or something?
Screen shot showing hazardous air quality levels
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
agu.org
AGU has joined a lawsuit challenging the firing of probationary employees at federal agencies.

These actions weaken science, harm public health & the environment, and threaten national security. 🧵 #StandWithScience
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
kylelukoff.bsky.social
It's happening again. Stillwater (MN) Area Public Schools are restricting access to my book "Call Me Max," citing bogus concerns about "the age and maturity of the intended audience." You can read my full letter to them here: www.kylelukoff.com/blog-1/2025/.... I'll also post the highlights below.
The cover of the book "Call Me Max," a smiling white transgender boy in overall, with a dog.
Reposted by Bronwen Konecky
iaglr.bsky.social
IAGLR and dozens of other scientific societies have united on a call to action urging Congress to prioritize the integrity and funding of scientific research. By investing in science, lawmakers can help safeguard our future and foster an informed citizenry. www.ucsusa.org/about/news/s...
48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science
48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 scientists signed on to a letter asking Congress to protect the future of science
www.ucsusa.org