Colin Murphy
@persuasivescience.bsky.social
Co-Lead LCFS and fuel policy research at UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. Fuel wonkery, climate policy, sustainable transportation, science comms. Thoughts are my own.
I'd like to announce an exciting new postdoc position we just opened up to work on new approaches to indirect land use change assessment and risk mitigation.
Please share through your networks!
its.ucdavis.edu/about-us/car...
Please share through your networks!
its.ucdavis.edu/about-us/car...
December 3, 2025 at 4:29 PM
I'd like to announce an exciting new postdoc position we just opened up to work on new approaches to indirect land use change assessment and risk mitigation.
Please share through your networks!
its.ucdavis.edu/about-us/car...
Please share through your networks!
its.ucdavis.edu/about-us/car...
Lovely new blog by @auffhammer.bsky.social, who clearly enjoyed a full helping of snark this Thanksgiving!
energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/a...
I 100% agree, I have a Ph.D. in this stuff and I can't understand half of my bill (except the total I owe, they're great at making that clear)
energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/a...
I 100% agree, I have a Ph.D. in this stuff and I can't understand half of my bill (except the total I owe, they're great at making that clear)
bsky.app
December 1, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Lovely new blog by @auffhammer.bsky.social, who clearly enjoyed a full helping of snark this Thanksgiving!
energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/a...
I 100% agree, I have a Ph.D. in this stuff and I can't understand half of my bill (except the total I owe, they're great at making that clear)
energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/a...
I 100% agree, I have a Ph.D. in this stuff and I can't understand half of my bill (except the total I owe, they're great at making that clear)
Interested in the GREET model for transportation LCA? Have you found the GREET model to be very confusing and tough to work with?
We can help with that! ITS-Davis will host a 2-day R&D GREET model training workshop model in Sacramento this November, I'll be your instructor!
conta.cc/4lfRBoP
We can help with that! ITS-Davis will host a 2-day R&D GREET model training workshop model in Sacramento this November, I'll be your instructor!
conta.cc/4lfRBoP
GREET R&D Model Training Workshop - Presented by the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies
Email from Register Now! GREET R&D Model Training Workshop November 4-5, 2025 UC Center Sacramento, 1115 11th Street, Sacramento, CA The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies will host
conta.cc
August 21, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Interested in the GREET model for transportation LCA? Have you found the GREET model to be very confusing and tough to work with?
We can help with that! ITS-Davis will host a 2-day R&D GREET model training workshop model in Sacramento this November, I'll be your instructor!
conta.cc/4lfRBoP
We can help with that! ITS-Davis will host a 2-day R&D GREET model training workshop model in Sacramento this November, I'll be your instructor!
conta.cc/4lfRBoP
Reposted by Colin Murphy
good morning, short thread on the raids in Camarillo, Ventura County, California. Friends of mine were tear gassed and fired upon with "less lethal" bullets for showing up with a bullhorn.
They carted away busloads of farmworkers.
Families torn apart. Children sobbing. This is Trump's America.
They carted away busloads of farmworkers.
Families torn apart. Children sobbing. This is Trump's America.
July 11, 2025 at 2:33 PM
good morning, short thread on the raids in Camarillo, Ventura County, California. Friends of mine were tear gassed and fired upon with "less lethal" bullets for showing up with a bullhorn.
They carted away busloads of farmworkers.
Families torn apart. Children sobbing. This is Trump's America.
They carted away busloads of farmworkers.
Families torn apart. Children sobbing. This is Trump's America.
Reposted by Colin Murphy
I just donated! RL Miller is the real deal. She shows up when things are tough.
In Trump's America... if you're far away, I will personally vouch for volunteer-run Friends of Fieldworkers, whicn can use donations right now, because familes are in crisis when breadwinners stay home -- or are carted off by the busload. friendsoffieldworkers.org/donate
Friends of Fieldworkers, Inc.
Our charity helps the families of farm workers of Ventura County, California. We befriend the families we serve and regularly stay in touch with them.
friendsoffieldworkers.org
July 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I just donated! RL Miller is the real deal. She shows up when things are tough.
True. The way to establish the water level a X year flood will hit is to watch that body of water over many 100's of years, or longer. You can't really do that while the climate is actively and significantly changing. We can model approximations, but our models are also in uncharted territory.
I don’t think there’s such a thing as 1000/100 year floods anymore.
When these terms were coined, the atmosphere was a tiny bit cooler, which means it could hold less moisture than it can today.
We have a different atmosphere, we need different terminology.
When these terms were coined, the atmosphere was a tiny bit cooler, which means it could hold less moisture than it can today.
We have a different atmosphere, we need different terminology.
July 7, 2025 at 8:42 PM
True. The way to establish the water level a X year flood will hit is to watch that body of water over many 100's of years, or longer. You can't really do that while the climate is actively and significantly changing. We can model approximations, but our models are also in uncharted territory.
I have a new blog up at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies: No, Your Gasoline Prices Will Not Rise by 65 cents per gallon in July. I'll give you three guesses to figure out what it's about.
its.ucdavis.edu/blog-post/no...
its.ucdavis.edu/blog-post/no...
No, Your Gas Prices Will Not Rise by 65 Cents per Gallon in July - ITS
California’s gasoline prices have been a topic of intense discussion in recent months, with some prominent voices repeatedly asserting they will jump 65 cents per gallon in July, due to changes in Cal...
its.ucdavis.edu
June 30, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I have a new blog up at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies: No, Your Gasoline Prices Will Not Rise by 65 cents per gallon in July. I'll give you three guesses to figure out what it's about.
its.ucdavis.edu/blog-post/no...
its.ucdavis.edu/blog-post/no...
Reposted by Colin Murphy
🌎 On #EarthDay, join us for our fourth annual #CAClimateSummit.
Register: theclimatecenter.org/summit2025
With policy experts, elected officials, business leaders, scientists, and activists, we'll explore how to draw down carbon and build resilience for a climate-safe future.
Register: theclimatecenter.org/summit2025
With policy experts, elected officials, business leaders, scientists, and activists, we'll explore how to draw down carbon and build resilience for a climate-safe future.
March 26, 2025 at 8:16 PM
🌎 On #EarthDay, join us for our fourth annual #CAClimateSummit.
Register: theclimatecenter.org/summit2025
With policy experts, elected officials, business leaders, scientists, and activists, we'll explore how to draw down carbon and build resilience for a climate-safe future.
Register: theclimatecenter.org/summit2025
With policy experts, elected officials, business leaders, scientists, and activists, we'll explore how to draw down carbon and build resilience for a climate-safe future.
Reposted by Colin Murphy
Lots of people saying, "just wait until the consequences hit!"
I would remind you that last time Trump was president, he botched a pandemic & a million Americans died. As a result, he was reelected & Americans turned on their own public health agencies.
I would remind you that last time Trump was president, he botched a pandemic & a million Americans died. As a result, he was reelected & Americans turned on their own public health agencies.
February 11, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Lots of people saying, "just wait until the consequences hit!"
I would remind you that last time Trump was president, he botched a pandemic & a million Americans died. As a result, he was reelected & Americans turned on their own public health agencies.
I would remind you that last time Trump was president, he botched a pandemic & a million Americans died. As a result, he was reelected & Americans turned on their own public health agencies.
Credit where it's due: This is a sensible decision we should have made long ago: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/09/u...
Trump Orders Treasury to Halt Minting New Pennies to Cut Waste
Can he do that? It’s not clear. But President Trump is right when he says that pennies “literally cost us more than 2 cents.”
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Credit where it's due: This is a sensible decision we should have made long ago: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/09/u...
Reposted by Colin Murphy
I wonder if we should be thinking of Musk's seizing of Treasury as an historic cyber-security breach that endangers the entire US and global financial system.
Every government and financial institution in the world should be demanding that Treasury arrest the hackers, restore integrity of US govt.
Every government and financial institution in the world should be demanding that Treasury arrest the hackers, restore integrity of US govt.
February 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
I wonder if we should be thinking of Musk's seizing of Treasury as an historic cyber-security breach that endangers the entire US and global financial system.
Every government and financial institution in the world should be demanding that Treasury arrest the hackers, restore integrity of US govt.
Every government and financial institution in the world should be demanding that Treasury arrest the hackers, restore integrity of US govt.
Reposted by Colin Murphy
Elon Musk illegally seized the purse strings of the United States. An unelected billionaire may have access to everyone’s social security numbers.
We need answers now. This power grab cannot stand.
We need answers now. This power grab cannot stand.
February 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Elon Musk illegally seized the purse strings of the United States. An unelected billionaire may have access to everyone’s social security numbers.
We need answers now. This power grab cannot stand.
We need answers now. This power grab cannot stand.
And once again, Democrats focus on winning past elections, not the upcoming ones.
Last week, Hakeem Jeffries issued a warning to Democrats in a private meeting.
Trump will "flood the zone" and Dems must focus. No chasing every outrage or nothing sinks in, Jeffries said, per source in room, urging a focus on cost of living.
Inside Resistance 2.0: www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
Trump will "flood the zone" and Dems must focus. No chasing every outrage or nothing sinks in, Jeffries said, per source in room, urging a focus on cost of living.
Inside Resistance 2.0: www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
Democrats' playbook for Trump 2.0: Tune out the noise and focus on economic issues
As Trump floods the zone in his first week in office, Democrats are departing from their "resistance" strategy in his first term and zeroing in on issues that cost them the last election.
www.nbcnews.com
January 28, 2025 at 5:16 PM
And once again, Democrats focus on winning past elections, not the upcoming ones.
Totally agree with this. Killing subsidies will slow the transition, not stop it. The fundamental advantages of battery-electric powertrains for light and medium duty applications are too great; some will cheaper than their ICE equivalents in the US even without subsidies within 20 years.
Even if Trump axes EV subsidies, they're going to infiltrate market share across the country. They're not $90k anymore 🚗 🇺🇸
January 28, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Totally agree with this. Killing subsidies will slow the transition, not stop it. The fundamental advantages of battery-electric powertrains for light and medium duty applications are too great; some will cheaper than their ICE equivalents in the US even without subsidies within 20 years.
Reposted by Colin Murphy
Trump just literally eliminated an Executive Order to reduce the price of prescription drugs. They are ripping you off, personally. They never gave a shit about the price of anything.
January 21, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Trump just literally eliminated an Executive Order to reduce the price of prescription drugs. They are ripping you off, personally. They never gave a shit about the price of anything.
Reposted by Colin Murphy
Well that will surely teach Trump a valuable lesson and reassure all that we are a nation of laws, not of kings.
Judge: the only lawful sentence permitted for the President-elect is an “unconditional discharge”
This is over
Hearing done
This is over
Hearing done
January 10, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Well that will surely teach Trump a valuable lesson and reassure all that we are a nation of laws, not of kings.
Reposted by Colin Murphy
I have so much to say about this...and will.
But for now: the problem is not just with economics (and whether we can do better), but rather the declining influence of objective analysis in our society. 1/
#EconSky
But for now: the problem is not just with economics (and whether we can do better), but rather the declining influence of objective analysis in our society. 1/
#EconSky
Economists Are in the Wilderness. Can They Find a Way Back to Influence?
Economists have long helped to shape policy on issues like taxes and health care. But flawed forecasts and arcane language have cost them credibility.
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2025 at 4:29 PM
I have so much to say about this...and will.
But for now: the problem is not just with economics (and whether we can do better), but rather the declining influence of objective analysis in our society. 1/
#EconSky
But for now: the problem is not just with economics (and whether we can do better), but rather the declining influence of objective analysis in our society. 1/
#EconSky
This wouldn't be a perfect solution, from the analytical perspective, but clearly a big step forward from the current approach.
There's a way to add iLUC/LUC to Used Cooking Oil via CARB LCFS. Currently CARB has a Crude Oil CI based on the source of Crude. You can apply a similar approach to UCO sourcing by country and that countries consumption of virgin oil (ie Indonesia UCO iLUC = palm)💡
January 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM
This wouldn't be a perfect solution, from the analytical perspective, but clearly a big step forward from the current approach.
Reposted by Colin Murphy
My father would womanize, he would start land wars with Denmark. He would make outrageous claims like claiming ownership of Greenland. Sometimes he would refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
January 7, 2025 at 8:49 PM
My father would womanize, he would start land wars with Denmark. He would make outrageous claims like claiming ownership of Greenland. Sometimes he would refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
-51 gCO2e/MJ seems like a pretty reasonable number for livestock digesters in the short term, e.g. the 10 year period the credits are authorized for (caveat: I haven't seen the math Treasury and DOE did to arrive at this number, but I have been reading a lot of livestock digester LCAs recently).
Although H2 producers are allowed to assume that manure CH4 would be vented, the regulations require these sources to use a standard emissions factor of -51 gCO2e/MJ.
That's about 10X more conservative than the California LCFS program, which allows factors as low as -790 gCO2e/MJ.
That's about 10X more conservative than the California LCFS program, which allows factors as low as -790 gCO2e/MJ.
California could lock in disastrous dairy methane rules, advocates…
CARB could finally regulate methane emissions from the state’s huge dairy farms and eliminate the special treatment dairy biogas gets via its clean fuel…
www.canarymedia.com
January 7, 2025 at 11:25 PM
-51 gCO2e/MJ seems like a pretty reasonable number for livestock digesters in the short term, e.g. the 10 year period the credits are authorized for (caveat: I haven't seen the math Treasury and DOE did to arrive at this number, but I have been reading a lot of livestock digester LCAs recently).
Reposted by Colin Murphy
I really wish we saw more emphasis on installing 120V outlets everywhere (at rental properties, public garages, workplace parking lots etc). If you were confident you could slow charge wherever you park, it would be fine for maybe 80-90% of days, with DC rapid chargers filling in the rest of time.
January 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I really wish we saw more emphasis on installing 120V outlets everywhere (at rental properties, public garages, workplace parking lots etc). If you were confident you could slow charge wherever you park, it would be fine for maybe 80-90% of days, with DC rapid chargers filling in the rest of time.
Reposted by Colin Murphy
We gotta reject “Well, RFK jr. is right about some things” and accept “if we don’t confront the real problems with our systems, it becomes much easier for con artists like this guy to manipulate people.”
January 2, 2025 at 4:23 PM
We gotta reject “Well, RFK jr. is right about some things” and accept “if we don’t confront the real problems with our systems, it becomes much easier for con artists like this guy to manipulate people.”
Happy New Year, Bluesky! I wanted to start the year with an example of the best science communication I've seen in... a while. Apologies for the fact that it's on a paywalled site (though @economist.com is one of my preferred sources for high-quality journalism) www.economist.com/interactive/...
The chart of everything
This chart shows every object that has ever existed, and raises a question: is the universe a black hole?
www.economist.com
January 2, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Happy New Year, Bluesky! I wanted to start the year with an example of the best science communication I've seen in... a while. Apologies for the fact that it's on a paywalled site (though @economist.com is one of my preferred sources for high-quality journalism) www.economist.com/interactive/...