Rob
@robertferry.bsky.social
Climate policy, society, and the built environment. Architect, LEED AP BD+C. https://landartgenerator.org
They really did just stop oil. Fascinating story.
“This pivot did not emerge from ideology—it was built on coercion. The 2015 Indian fuel blockade, masked as constitutional concern, exposed Nepal’s dependence. Their leaders faced a brutal reality check…”
“This pivot did not emerge from ideology—it was built on coercion. The 2015 Indian fuel blockade, masked as constitutional concern, exposed Nepal’s dependence. Their leaders faced a brutal reality check…”
The Nepalese EV transition.
In simple terms, brown on this graph is India's share and blue is China's share.
The trigger? India effectively halted all imports of petroleum into Nepal in 2015, an "undeclared blockade", which was "masked as constitutional concern".
robbieandrew.github.io/carsales/
In simple terms, brown on this graph is India's share and blue is China's share.
The trigger? India effectively halted all imports of petroleum into Nepal in 2015, an "undeclared blockade", which was "masked as constitutional concern".
robbieandrew.github.io/carsales/
November 26, 2025 at 7:25 AM
They really did just stop oil. Fascinating story.
“This pivot did not emerge from ideology—it was built on coercion. The 2015 Indian fuel blockade, masked as constitutional concern, exposed Nepal’s dependence. Their leaders faced a brutal reality check…”
“This pivot did not emerge from ideology—it was built on coercion. The 2015 Indian fuel blockade, masked as constitutional concern, exposed Nepal’s dependence. Their leaders faced a brutal reality check…”
Battery capacity nearly four times gas!
The September Electric Power Monthly is out from EIA.
www.eia.gov/electricity/...
Looking at the Capacity added to the US grid so far in 2025, we can see that almost 90% comes from Solar and Wind.
#energysky
www.eia.gov/electricity/...
Looking at the Capacity added to the US grid so far in 2025, we can see that almost 90% comes from Solar and Wind.
#energysky
November 26, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Battery capacity nearly four times gas!
I’m not at all saying it will be easy, but the nations calling for phase out of fossil fuels are in many cases fossil fuel importers. If they all decarbonize rapidly together the roadmap gets executed whether petroleum exporting counties like it or not.
Fiji's Story of Energy is Just Being Written - Land Art Generator
How can Fiji transition to 100% clean energy? Fiji’s 20-year National Development Plan calls for all power to be generated from renewable sources by 2030 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Lik...
landartgenerator.org
November 26, 2025 at 12:49 AM
I’m not at all saying it will be easy, but the nations calling for phase out of fossil fuels are in many cases fossil fuel importers. If they all decarbonize rapidly together the roadmap gets executed whether petroleum exporting counties like it or not.
Now that Pittsburgh has a shiny new $1.7 billion airport terminal, it’s time to connect it to downtown by train.
November 25, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Now that Pittsburgh has a shiny new $1.7 billion airport terminal, it’s time to connect it to downtown by train.
Reposted by Rob
"Adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps collectively saved US households between $5.6 to $8.8 billion in 2023 alone."
"80% of users are satisfied with their heat pumps, and nearly 95% of EV owners are likely to consider purchasing another EV for their next vehicle."
"80% of users are satisfied with their heat pumps, and nearly 95% of EV owners are likely to consider purchasing another EV for their next vehicle."
New Brattle Report Finds Beneficial Electrification Delivers Billions in Savings to US Households Along with Significant Emissions Reductions - Brattle
Harnessing the benefits of electric technology over the last decade saved US households between $5.6 to $8.8 billion in 2023 alone and prevented more than
www.brattle.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:39 PM
"Adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps collectively saved US households between $5.6 to $8.8 billion in 2023 alone."
"80% of users are satisfied with their heat pumps, and nearly 95% of EV owners are likely to consider purchasing another EV for their next vehicle."
"80% of users are satisfied with their heat pumps, and nearly 95% of EV owners are likely to consider purchasing another EV for their next vehicle."
Just in time for holiday reading, here is the latest energy landscape study from LAGI. With the rise of hyperscale data centers, we thought it would be interesting to look at how much land area would be required to power Amazon's 2.2 GW Project Rainier data center in Indiana.
Powering Data Centers with Solar, Wind, and Batteries - Land Art Generator
How to Power a 2.2 GW A.I. Data Center with Solar Wind & Batteries Alone There are many ways to power a data center. One of our favorites is the Homegrown Energy proposal by Rewiring America. But if w...
landartgenerator.org
November 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Just in time for holiday reading, here is the latest energy landscape study from LAGI. With the rise of hyperscale data centers, we thought it would be interesting to look at how much land area would be required to power Amazon's 2.2 GW Project Rainier data center in Indiana.
A look at what is possible.
Could California be done with gas electricity by 2030? The rapid acceleration of battery storage systems seems to point in that direction.
Could California be done with gas electricity by 2030? The rapid acceleration of battery storage systems seems to point in that direction.
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
A look at what is possible.
Could California be done with gas electricity by 2030? The rapid acceleration of battery storage systems seems to point in that direction.
Could California be done with gas electricity by 2030? The rapid acceleration of battery storage systems seems to point in that direction.
The Soviet economist Evgeny Preobrazhensky, called this process "primitive socialist accumulation.”
“The approach contradicts traditional Republican thinking about the power of the free market to identify winners and losers.”
“The approach contradicts traditional Republican thinking about the power of the free market to identify winners and losers.”
$10 Billion and Counting: Trump Administration Snaps Up Stakes in Private Firms
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:26 PM
The Soviet economist Evgeny Preobrazhensky, called this process "primitive socialist accumulation.”
“The approach contradicts traditional Republican thinking about the power of the free market to identify winners and losers.”
“The approach contradicts traditional Republican thinking about the power of the free market to identify winners and losers.”
Diplomats didn’t mention any other large petroleum exporting countries that also benefit? Just Saudi Arabia and Russia, huh?
November 25, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Diplomats didn’t mention any other large petroleum exporting countries that also benefit? Just Saudi Arabia and Russia, huh?
I’m sorry but this is how I feel.
Leaf blowers are an obnoxious manifestation of human ignorance and cruelty. Leave the leaves.
Leaf blowers are an obnoxious manifestation of human ignorance and cruelty. Leave the leaves.
Kindly Go Fuck Yourself With Your Shitty Fucking Gas-Powered Leafblower, You Tremendous Asshole
Sometimes I ask myself if humans are good or bad or somewhere in the middle. I wonder if we are worthy of the world, if civilization was worth its cost. Then I remember that humans invented the lea…
terribleminds.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I’m sorry but this is how I feel.
Leaf blowers are an obnoxious manifestation of human ignorance and cruelty. Leave the leaves.
Leaf blowers are an obnoxious manifestation of human ignorance and cruelty. Leave the leaves.
"Living with the climate crisis in the Philippines."
This photo series by Gideon Mendel is quite striking.
"This frequent flooding is hard. It’s been like this for a few days now. It’s hard when all the stuff is floating."
www.theguardian.com/world/galler...
This photo series by Gideon Mendel is quite striking.
"This frequent flooding is hard. It’s been like this for a few days now. It’s hard when all the stuff is floating."
www.theguardian.com/world/galler...
November 24, 2025 at 5:11 PM
"Living with the climate crisis in the Philippines."
This photo series by Gideon Mendel is quite striking.
"This frequent flooding is hard. It’s been like this for a few days now. It’s hard when all the stuff is floating."
www.theguardian.com/world/galler...
This photo series by Gideon Mendel is quite striking.
"This frequent flooding is hard. It’s been like this for a few days now. It’s hard when all the stuff is floating."
www.theguardian.com/world/galler...
Vinaka vakalevu to everyone in Fiji who has helped to make this project a success. It is a real honor to have such strong support and lasting partnerships! I can't wait to see what next year brings as we share the functioning prototypes and work together towards construction with Marou Village.
😊 🌴
😊 🌴
We are honored to learn today that the Hon. Viliame Gavoka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, took the time today on the floor or Parliament to share the progress of LAGI 2025 Fiji on the occasion of the exhibition at Fiji Arts Council.
Hon. Gavoka briefed Parliament on Fiji’s LAGI 2025 role and its support for climate resilience.
YouTube video by FijiGovernment
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Vinaka vakalevu to everyone in Fiji who has helped to make this project a success. It is a real honor to have such strong support and lasting partnerships! I can't wait to see what next year brings as we share the functioning prototypes and work together towards construction with Marou Village.
😊 🌴
😊 🌴
For doing the right thing and opposing the export of 12 million tons of coal per year from their port, the City of Oakland may now be forced into bankruptcy by a Kentucky jury who will decide how many hundreds of millions of dollars to they owe to the developer.
A Stand Against Coal Could Push Oakland Toward Bankruptcy
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
For doing the right thing and opposing the export of 12 million tons of coal per year from their port, the City of Oakland may now be forced into bankruptcy by a Kentucky jury who will decide how many hundreds of millions of dollars to they owe to the developer.
The equitable decarbonization rich nations should aspire to achieve.
“Pakistan's rooftop solar generation will for the first time exceed power demand on the country's electrical grid during daytime hours in some major industrial regions next year, a senior government official told Reuters.”
“Pakistan's rooftop solar generation will for the first time exceed power demand on the country's electrical grid during daytime hours in some major industrial regions next year, a senior government official told Reuters.”
www.reuters.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:49 PM
The equitable decarbonization rich nations should aspire to achieve.
“Pakistan's rooftop solar generation will for the first time exceed power demand on the country's electrical grid during daytime hours in some major industrial regions next year, a senior government official told Reuters.”
“Pakistan's rooftop solar generation will for the first time exceed power demand on the country's electrical grid during daytime hours in some major industrial regions next year, a senior government official told Reuters.”
This distinction is critically important and rarely used by tech journalists.
All of the good stuff we’re seeing from AI: medicine discovery, energy demand management, etc. are machine learning + big data.
LLMs are for cheating, bad poetry, stealing art, deepfakes, and worsening mental health.
All of the good stuff we’re seeing from AI: medicine discovery, energy demand management, etc. are machine learning + big data.
LLMs are for cheating, bad poetry, stealing art, deepfakes, and worsening mental health.
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 23, 2025 at 2:26 PM
This distinction is critically important and rarely used by tech journalists.
All of the good stuff we’re seeing from AI: medicine discovery, energy demand management, etc. are machine learning + big data.
LLMs are for cheating, bad poetry, stealing art, deepfakes, and worsening mental health.
All of the good stuff we’re seeing from AI: medicine discovery, energy demand management, etc. are machine learning + big data.
LLMs are for cheating, bad poetry, stealing art, deepfakes, and worsening mental health.
Reposted by Rob
One of the revelations of this sordid saga is that the neoliberal consensus on low taxes led to runaway wealth inequality and a class of elite sociopaths who acted above the law.
Could this lead to public support for reasonable limits on personal wealth accumulation through progressive tax reform?
Could this lead to public support for reasonable limits on personal wealth accumulation through progressive tax reform?
Opinion | How the Elite Behave When No One Is Watching: Inside the Epstein Emails
www.nytimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:09 PM
One of the revelations of this sordid saga is that the neoliberal consensus on low taxes led to runaway wealth inequality and a class of elite sociopaths who acted above the law.
Could this lead to public support for reasonable limits on personal wealth accumulation through progressive tax reform?
Could this lead to public support for reasonable limits on personal wealth accumulation through progressive tax reform?
So much for the fake concern about whales when it comes to offshore wind projects…
November 23, 2025 at 1:16 AM
So much for the fake concern about whales when it comes to offshore wind projects…
You see, endangered animals can be concerned about shareholder dividends too.
“The proposals would allow the government to assess economic factors, such as lost revenue from a ban on oil drilling near critical habitat, before deciding whether to list a species as endangered.”
“The proposals would allow the government to assess economic factors, such as lost revenue from a ban on oil drilling near critical habitat, before deciding whether to list a species as endangered.”
“This was the week from hell for environmental policy in the United States,” said Pat Parenteau of Vermont Law and Graduate School. “Unless stopped by the courts, each of these proposed rollbacks will do irreparable harm to the nation’s water quality, endangered species and marine ecosystems.”
In One Week, Trump Moves to Reshape U.S. Environmental Policy
www.nytimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:09 AM
You see, endangered animals can be concerned about shareholder dividends too.
“The proposals would allow the government to assess economic factors, such as lost revenue from a ban on oil drilling near critical habitat, before deciding whether to list a species as endangered.”
“The proposals would allow the government to assess economic factors, such as lost revenue from a ban on oil drilling near critical habitat, before deciding whether to list a species as endangered.”
There are studies coming out that link the state legalization of online sports books to a spike in domestic violence. Of course this was a foreseeable outcome of the 2018 Supreme Court decision that made this insidious wealth extraction engine possible.
www.lrl.mn.gov
November 22, 2025 at 7:27 PM
There are studies coming out that link the state legalization of online sports books to a spike in domestic violence. Of course this was a foreseeable outcome of the 2018 Supreme Court decision that made this insidious wealth extraction engine possible.
Perhaps the most obvious reason why the energy transition is inevitable is that 3/4 of the world’s people live in countries that import fossil fuels and the sun shines everywhere.
Clean electrification is inevitable
Podcast Episode · Volts · 11/21/2025 · 1h 23m
podcasts.apple.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Perhaps the most obvious reason why the energy transition is inevitable is that 3/4 of the world’s people live in countries that import fossil fuels and the sun shines everywhere.
The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has told Cop30 delegates that he was ready to fight for his roadmap “to phase out oil, coal and gas in whatever forum was necessary.”
November 21, 2025 at 12:05 PM
The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has told Cop30 delegates that he was ready to fight for his roadmap “to phase out oil, coal and gas in whatever forum was necessary.”
They must not mind the wind turbines!
Vanished 240 years ago, the UK’s largest bird of prey – the white-tailed eagle – just returned to English skies like it never left.
share.google/GTps20C2Op8T...
share.google/GTps20C2Op8T...
Vanished 240 Years Ago, the UK’s Largest Bird of Prey Just Returned to English Skies Like It Never Left
After vanishing from England centuries ago, a fearsome predator is now soaring back into southern skies—and it's not just passing through.
share.google
November 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM
They must not mind the wind turbines!
When will be finally get it together and make a statutory distinction between infrastructure permits for projects that pollute our water, soil, and atmosphere versus projects that have the potential to safeguard the future of human civilization? Pipelines and renewables shouldn't be treated equally.
huge news: a key house committee just advanced a major bipartisan permitting deal that would block future presidents from rescinding permits for political reasons
good for anyone who wants to build renewables, bad for anyone who wants to block pipelines
via @heatmap.news
good for anyone who wants to build renewables, bad for anyone who wants to block pipelines
via @heatmap.news
House Permitting Bill Would Block Trump From Pulling Permits
It was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee on Thursday by a vote of 25 to 18.
heatmap.news
November 20, 2025 at 9:43 PM
When will be finally get it together and make a statutory distinction between infrastructure permits for projects that pollute our water, soil, and atmosphere versus projects that have the potential to safeguard the future of human civilization? Pipelines and renewables shouldn't be treated equally.
Progress on housing thanks to a once forgotten 30-year old law. Great story!
“In the months since Pustilnikov’s court victory, the Beverly Hills Planning Commission has voted to approve nine builder’s remedy projects, totaling 659 units…more housing than Beverly Hills had built in recent memory.”
“In the months since Pustilnikov’s court victory, the Beverly Hills Planning Commission has voted to approve nine builder’s remedy projects, totaling 659 units…more housing than Beverly Hills had built in recent memory.”
The Housing Strategy That Has California NIMBYs in a Corner
www.nytimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Progress on housing thanks to a once forgotten 30-year old law. Great story!
“In the months since Pustilnikov’s court victory, the Beverly Hills Planning Commission has voted to approve nine builder’s remedy projects, totaling 659 units…more housing than Beverly Hills had built in recent memory.”
“In the months since Pustilnikov’s court victory, the Beverly Hills Planning Commission has voted to approve nine builder’s remedy projects, totaling 659 units…more housing than Beverly Hills had built in recent memory.”