Rob
@robertferry.bsky.social
Climate policy, society, and the built environment. Architect, LEED AP BD+C. https://landartgenerator.org
Pinned
Rob
@robertferry.bsky.social
· Nov 24
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
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.
😊 🌴
😊 🌴
They really want to bring Albert Speer back from the dead.
Trump aide wants Washington NFL stadium to be "classical"
National Capital Planning Commission chairman Will Scharf has suggested the upcoming Washington Commanders stadium should have a "classical" design.
www.dezeen.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:49 AM
They really want to bring Albert Speer back from the dead.
Every election conservatives run on a platform of restricting democracy because of an epidemic of illegal voting. Every time they waste our money on a study it comes back the same: There is none. Safest bet ever that whoever is on the right side of the debate stage in 2028 will bring it up again.
Initial Review Finds No Widespread Illegal Voting by Migrants, Puncturing a Trump Claim
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:44 AM
Every election conservatives run on a platform of restricting democracy because of an epidemic of illegal voting. Every time they waste our money on a study it comes back the same: There is none. Safest bet ever that whoever is on the right side of the debate stage in 2028 will bring it up again.
Every time there is a mass-shooting, conservatives are quick to blame our national mental health crisis because it can’t possibly be the fault of the gun lobby. And they know it’s hard to argue against providing more and better mental health care, but clearly they were never serious.
Trump Cuts $2 Billion in Federal Funding for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Every time there is a mass-shooting, conservatives are quick to blame our national mental health crisis because it can’t possibly be the fault of the gun lobby. And they know it’s hard to argue against providing more and better mental health care, but clearly they were never serious.
Spoiler: It’s the oil resource curse. Funny thing about solar and wind energy—they never result in boom and busts or resource curse dynamics because the feedstocks flow free from the sky.
Venezuela Suffers From a Century-Long Curse. Will the U.S. Inherit It?
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Spoiler: It’s the oil resource curse. Funny thing about solar and wind energy—they never result in boom and busts or resource curse dynamics because the feedstocks flow free from the sky.
What is the opposite of Joy Division?
We're on pace to see +0.5 degree just about every decade. We'll pass 2 degrees above pre-industrial well before 2040 unless we quickly alter course. Beyond that, the risks of tipping points and major disasters become even more extreme. They are already extreme.
We're on pace to see +0.5 degree just about every decade. We'll pass 2 degrees above pre-industrial well before 2040 unless we quickly alter course. Beyond that, the risks of tipping points and major disasters become even more extreme. They are already extreme.
NEW: 2024 has just been confirmed as the warmest year on record, and the first to breach the 1.5C threshold.
We used a ridgeline (Joy Division inspired) chart to visualise daily temperature anomalies since 1940.
2024 clearly stands out with 100% of its days above 1.3C and 75% above 1.5C.
We used a ridgeline (Joy Division inspired) chart to visualise daily temperature anomalies since 1940.
2024 clearly stands out with 100% of its days above 1.3C and 75% above 1.5C.
January 14, 2026 at 6:16 PM
What is the opposite of Joy Division?
We're on pace to see +0.5 degree just about every decade. We'll pass 2 degrees above pre-industrial well before 2040 unless we quickly alter course. Beyond that, the risks of tipping points and major disasters become even more extreme. They are already extreme.
We're on pace to see +0.5 degree just about every decade. We'll pass 2 degrees above pre-industrial well before 2040 unless we quickly alter course. Beyond that, the risks of tipping points and major disasters become even more extreme. They are already extreme.
Come on North America! EVs are so great! I can’t imagine going back to owning a gas powered car now. It would be like going back to a typewriter from a laptop.
Good morning with good news: Global EV sales rose 20% in 2025 to 20.7 million!
Sales rose 3.6 million in 2025, after rising 3.5 million in 2024 & 3.2 million in 2023.
Sales fell 4% in North America, but were up 33% in Europe, 17% in China & 48% in ROW!
rhomotion.com/news/global-... #energysky
Sales rose 3.6 million in 2025, after rising 3.5 million in 2024 & 3.2 million in 2023.
Sales fell 4% in North America, but were up 33% in Europe, 17% in China & 48% in ROW!
rhomotion.com/news/global-... #energysky
January 14, 2026 at 4:32 PM
Come on North America! EVs are so great! I can’t imagine going back to owning a gas powered car now. It would be like going back to a typewriter from a laptop.
More biomimicry success. Learning from nature to design the next generation of solar power systems. "An engineering physicist by training and a recreational sailor, he knew how much torque wind could exert. Yet nature thrived in it—trees flexed, leaves feathered."
Vertical Solar Panels—Wind-Resistant Trackers for High Latitudes
Traditional solar fails in the windswept north. Two Swedish inventors are betting on aerodynamic resilience to solve the latitude gap
www.scientificamerican.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:06 PM
More biomimicry success. Learning from nature to design the next generation of solar power systems. "An engineering physicist by training and a recreational sailor, he knew how much torque wind could exert. Yet nature thrived in it—trees flexed, leaves feathered."
Reposted by Rob
Brand new electric Chevy Bolt for $29K with 262 mile range. Factor in close to zero costs for maintenance, and big savings on fuel, and this is a good option. Second-hand prices of electric cars are going to plummet for the shorter range Nissan Leafs
www.thedrive.com/news/the-202...
www.thedrive.com/news/the-202...
The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt Edges Out Nissan Leaf To Become Least Expensive EV in US
Team Chevy found a few more miles of range, somehow, to compete with Team Nissan.
www.thedrive.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Brand new electric Chevy Bolt for $29K with 262 mile range. Factor in close to zero costs for maintenance, and big savings on fuel, and this is a good option. Second-hand prices of electric cars are going to plummet for the shorter range Nissan Leafs
www.thedrive.com/news/the-202...
www.thedrive.com/news/the-202...
With more than 6 trillion kg of plastic waste in the environment that never ever degrades, where do we think the stuff is going to go? If we packed it all together it would nearly equal the volume of all the freshwater lakes in the world. Of course it’s in our bodies.
January 14, 2026 at 4:29 AM
With more than 6 trillion kg of plastic waste in the environment that never ever degrades, where do we think the stuff is going to go? If we packed it all together it would nearly equal the volume of all the freshwater lakes in the world. Of course it’s in our bodies.
This is good news, except there are a lot of things we have said this same thing about. USAID for example. If the Department of State fails to participate in UNFCCC cooperation what is the functional difference?
January 13, 2026 at 10:46 PM
This is good news, except there are a lot of things we have said this same thing about. USAID for example. If the Department of State fails to participate in UNFCCC cooperation what is the functional difference?
Reposted by Rob
In a country that really needs new power generation to come on line, Trump’s policies are the exact opposite of what the federal government should be doing. A little bit of context: oilprice.com/Latest-Energ...
Federal Judge Clears Orsted to Resume Work on Revolution Wind | OilPrice.com
A federal judge in Washington has ruled that Ørsted may resume construction on its nearly completed Revolution Wind offshore project, dealing a blow to the U.S. administration’s national-security-base...
oilprice.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:59 PM
In a country that really needs new power generation to come on line, Trump’s policies are the exact opposite of what the federal government should be doing. A little bit of context: oilprice.com/Latest-Energ...
Reposted by Rob
Coal generation falls in both China and India in 2025!
Coal down 3% in India.
Coal down 1.6% in China.
"The simultaneous fall in coal-powered electricity in the world’s biggest coal-consuming countries had not happened since 1973."
Wonderful!
www.theguardian.com/business/202... #energysky
Coal down 3% in India.
Coal down 1.6% in China.
"The simultaneous fall in coal-powered electricity in the world’s biggest coal-consuming countries had not happened since 1973."
Wonderful!
www.theguardian.com/business/202... #energysky
Coal power generation falls in China and India for first time since 1970s
‘Historic’ moment in biggest coal-consuming countries could bring decline in global emissions, analysis says
www.theguardian.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Coal generation falls in both China and India in 2025!
Coal down 3% in India.
Coal down 1.6% in China.
"The simultaneous fall in coal-powered electricity in the world’s biggest coal-consuming countries had not happened since 1973."
Wonderful!
www.theguardian.com/business/202... #energysky
Coal down 3% in India.
Coal down 1.6% in China.
"The simultaneous fall in coal-powered electricity in the world’s biggest coal-consuming countries had not happened since 1973."
Wonderful!
www.theguardian.com/business/202... #energysky
Last year’s ICJ climate ruling and its implications on U.S. foreign policy…
“The law is no less the law because certain powerful actors flout it, and the more the US continues to do so, the deeper the hole they dig in terms of their own legal responsibility and…obligations to provide reparations.”
“The law is no less the law because certain powerful actors flout it, and the more the US continues to do so, the deeper the hole they dig in terms of their own legal responsibility and…obligations to provide reparations.”
The U.S. takeover of Venezuela's oil industry violates various aspects of international law, including those related to climate change, leaving the U.S. government open to litigation for environmental harms, @ninalakhani.bsky.social writes @drilledmedia.bsky.social drilled.media/news/Venezue...
U.S. Invasion of Venezuela Violates International Climate Law Too
The Trump administration’s oil grab and plans to expand Venezuelan production flouts last year’s landmark climate ruling from the International Court of Justice.
drilled.media
January 13, 2026 at 3:49 AM
Last year’s ICJ climate ruling and its implications on U.S. foreign policy…
“The law is no less the law because certain powerful actors flout it, and the more the US continues to do so, the deeper the hole they dig in terms of their own legal responsibility and…obligations to provide reparations.”
“The law is no less the law because certain powerful actors flout it, and the more the US continues to do so, the deeper the hole they dig in terms of their own legal responsibility and…obligations to provide reparations.”
Oh Canada! What a mess!
Wow, has this post ever triggered some people. Below I will post some corrections and clarifications about the Brookfield-Twitter purchase.
It's long and boring, but there is a point, which is that our PM seems to be invested (in a blind trust) in Brookfield, which seems to be invested in X. 1/33
It's long and boring, but there is a point, which is that our PM seems to be invested (in a blind trust) in Brookfield, which seems to be invested in X. 1/33
For some reason Brookfield Asset Management always gets left out of this - they gave $250 million USD to the purchase of X/Twitter.
It was run by Mark Carney at the time, who is now Canada's Prime Minister.
It was run by Mark Carney at the time, who is now Canada's Prime Minister.
January 13, 2026 at 3:27 AM
Oh Canada! What a mess!
Good use of an old mine: Pumped hydro energy storage.
Marmora Pumped Storage Project - Lombardi Canada
The Marmora Pumped Storage Project is an innovative 400 MW energy facility set on abandoned mining land. Using a closed-loop system, it transforms a water-filled pit into a Lower Reservoir and reshape...
lombardi.group
January 12, 2026 at 11:29 PM
Good use of an old mine: Pumped hydro energy storage.
They better get these turbines installed quick before the next executive order drops.
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Latest Effort to Stop Offshore Wind
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:22 PM
They better get these turbines installed quick before the next executive order drops.
I'm glad data center demand is saving Ivanpah. It would be a real shame (and entirely unsustainable) to scrap it well before the end of its useful life.
“It doesn’t operate at the optimum performance that was originally modeled, but it still generates electricity for 120,000 homes in California.”
“It doesn’t operate at the optimum performance that was originally modeled, but it still generates electricity for 120,000 homes in California.”
Why California is keeping this unusual solar plant running when both Trump and Biden wanted it closed
The electricity it makes is expensive, its technology has been superseded, and it's incinerating thousands of birds mid-flight each year.
www.latimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:23 PM
I'm glad data center demand is saving Ivanpah. It would be a real shame (and entirely unsustainable) to scrap it well before the end of its useful life.
“It doesn’t operate at the optimum performance that was originally modeled, but it still generates electricity for 120,000 homes in California.”
“It doesn’t operate at the optimum performance that was originally modeled, but it still generates electricity for 120,000 homes in California.”
Putting solar panels on land used for biofuels would produce enough electricity for all the world's cars + trucks to go electric.
"If we put PV panels on that land, we could produce 23x more than the energy currently produced in the form of all liquid biofuels."
ourworldindata.org/biofuel-land...
"If we put PV panels on that land, we could produce 23x more than the energy currently produced in the form of all liquid biofuels."
ourworldindata.org/biofuel-land...
January 12, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Putting solar panels on land used for biofuels would produce enough electricity for all the world's cars + trucks to go electric.
"If we put PV panels on that land, we could produce 23x more than the energy currently produced in the form of all liquid biofuels."
ourworldindata.org/biofuel-land...
"If we put PV panels on that land, we could produce 23x more than the energy currently produced in the form of all liquid biofuels."
ourworldindata.org/biofuel-land...
Reposted by Rob
"Wall Street’s biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year..."
How many people know this?
The economics are on the side of clean energy.
The petrofascists know. Can they stop it?
How many people know this?
The economics are on the side of clean energy.
The petrofascists know. Can they stop it?
Banks Notch Higher Fees From Green Bonds Than Fossil Fuel Debt
Wall Street’s biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year, even as they faced ongoing pressure to pull back ...
www.bloomberg.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:39 PM
"Wall Street’s biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year..."
How many people know this?
The economics are on the side of clean energy.
The petrofascists know. Can they stop it?
How many people know this?
The economics are on the side of clean energy.
The petrofascists know. Can they stop it?
Reposted by Rob
The world is noticing that Venezuelan oil fields have high methane emissions. They do. So does the US but the world seems to ignore that.
The US oil and gas industry releases the most methane of any country. Far more than Venezuela.
Satellite images show the same problems in the US.
The US oil and gas industry releases the most methane of any country. Far more than Venezuela.
Satellite images show the same problems in the US.
Satellite Images Reveal Venezuela’s Massive Methane Problem
Data shows millions of tons of methane spewing from the nation’s decaying energy infrastructure, underscoring how much work is required to revive production.
www.bloomberg.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:27 PM
The world is noticing that Venezuelan oil fields have high methane emissions. They do. So does the US but the world seems to ignore that.
The US oil and gas industry releases the most methane of any country. Far more than Venezuela.
Satellite images show the same problems in the US.
The US oil and gas industry releases the most methane of any country. Far more than Venezuela.
Satellite images show the same problems in the US.
This was almost certain to be the outcome but the damage is done. The nonprofits who were relying on this funding are in almost all cases not big enough to carry their staff and overhead without project income for more than a couple months.
JUST IN: Judge Mehta rules that Trump/Russ Vought's termination of environmental grants during the shutdown — targeted solely at states that voted for Kamala Harris — violated the 5th Amendment's Equal Protection clause and orders them restored.
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
January 12, 2026 at 6:28 PM
This was almost certain to be the outcome but the damage is done. The nonprofits who were relying on this funding are in almost all cases not big enough to carry their staff and overhead without project income for more than a couple months.
Fascinating use of aluminum as a fuel or even as a battery.
It is possible to “recharge the aluminum hydroxide that comes out of the reactor by using clean electricity to convert it back into aluminum metal and react it again.”
It is possible to “recharge the aluminum hydroxide that comes out of the reactor by using clean electricity to convert it back into aluminum metal and react it again.”
This startup is about to conduct the biggest real-world test of aluminum as a zero-carbon fuel
We got a sneak peek inside Found Energy’s lab, just as it gears up to supply heat and hydrogen to its first customer.
www.technologyreview.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Fascinating use of aluminum as a fuel or even as a battery.
It is possible to “recharge the aluminum hydroxide that comes out of the reactor by using clean electricity to convert it back into aluminum metal and react it again.”
It is possible to “recharge the aluminum hydroxide that comes out of the reactor by using clean electricity to convert it back into aluminum metal and react it again.”
Reposted by Rob
ICYMI: an international team has developed a new framework for understanding sustainable development. Instead of separating nature, society and economy, David Obura and co. propose a model that positions nature as the foundation.
Scientists call for 'systems reset' to redefine sustainable development
A new international study calls for a fundamental reset in how humanity understands and pursues sustainable development. The article is published in the journal Communications Sustainability.
phys.org
January 12, 2026 at 10:53 AM
ICYMI: an international team has developed a new framework for understanding sustainable development. Instead of separating nature, society and economy, David Obura and co. propose a model that positions nature as the foundation.
“America’s carbon dioxide emissions …had been declining steadily since 2007. But last year, after Mr. Trump returned to the White House, emissions rose 1.9 percent, according to the federal government.”
Under Trump, U.S. Adds Fuel to a Heating Planet
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 11:25 AM
“America’s carbon dioxide emissions …had been declining steadily since 2007. But last year, after Mr. Trump returned to the White House, emissions rose 1.9 percent, according to the federal government.”
In Q4 of 2024 the wealth owned by the top 1% went up by more than the entire U.S. deficit that year ($2 trillion). None of that increase was taxed because it is not considered income.
This is a great conversation about our broken tax system.
This is a great conversation about our broken tax system.
Capitalisn't
Government Podcast · Updated Weekly · Is capitalism the engine of destruction or the engine of prosperity? On this podcast we talk about the ways capitalism is—or more often isn’t—working in our world...
podcasts.apple.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:51 AM
In Q4 of 2024 the wealth owned by the top 1% went up by more than the entire U.S. deficit that year ($2 trillion). None of that increase was taxed because it is not considered income.
This is a great conversation about our broken tax system.
This is a great conversation about our broken tax system.