yessenia funes
@yessfun.com
I'm a queer latina climate journalist covering environmental issues through the perspective of the oppressed. find my reporting in vox, curbed, yale climate connections, & more.
subscribe to my newsletter POSSIBILITIES
💌 hi at yessfun dot com 💌
subscribe to my newsletter POSSIBILITIES
💌 hi at yessfun dot com 💌
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Coal's Dirty Comeback
Clean air saves lives, but Donald Trump wants private industry to save dollars instead.
www.possibilities.news
this week's newsletter is all about coal's dirty return — and the human cost this will have on coal country across the US
www.possibilities.news/coal-energy-...
www.possibilities.news/coal-energy-...
my latest column for @sejorg.bsky.social is about the need for more solutions stories. always thrilled to provide my peers with guidance & support on how to cover communities
www.sej.org/publications...
www.sej.org/publications...
Solutions Stories a Compass for Readers
Get more Voices of Environmental Justice in 2026, as we increase column frequency to bimonthly. And for her first contribution of the year, writer Yessenia Funes calls on climate reporters to offer au...
www.sej.org
January 21, 2026 at 7:44 PM
my latest column for @sejorg.bsky.social is about the need for more solutions stories. always thrilled to provide my peers with guidance & support on how to cover communities
www.sej.org/publications...
www.sej.org/publications...
Reposted by yessenia funes
"I've seen ordinary people do the most heroic things"
Aware that he only had a few months left to live the great Mike Davis gave one of his final interviews to the Guardian in 202.
"You’ve been organizing for social change your whole life. How do you deal with a future that feels so bleak?" Lois Beckett asked.
"You’ve been organizing for social change your whole life. How do you deal with a future that feels so bleak?" Lois Beckett asked.
January 15, 2026 at 6:22 PM
"I've seen ordinary people do the most heroic things"
just talked to a cousin who lives in minnesota. he's undocumented. he's scared and not going to work. this isn't sustainable for folks. he's got rent to pay. he's gotta buy food. sigh. i walk around with my passport b/c i'm scared. i'm a US citizen. born here. this is a nightmare.
January 15, 2026 at 5:25 PM
just talked to a cousin who lives in minnesota. he's undocumented. he's scared and not going to work. this isn't sustainable for folks. he's got rent to pay. he's gotta buy food. sigh. i walk around with my passport b/c i'm scared. i'm a US citizen. born here. this is a nightmare.
i hear the birds chirping outside. that's my cue to take a little walkie walk
January 15, 2026 at 4:23 PM
i hear the birds chirping outside. that's my cue to take a little walkie walk
this week's newsletter is all about coal's dirty return — and the human cost this will have on coal country across the US
www.possibilities.news/coal-energy-...
www.possibilities.news/coal-energy-...
Coal's Dirty Comeback
Clean air saves lives, but Donald Trump wants private industry to save dollars instead.
www.possibilities.news
January 15, 2026 at 3:34 PM
this week's newsletter is all about coal's dirty return — and the human cost this will have on coal country across the US
www.possibilities.news/coal-energy-...
www.possibilities.news/coal-energy-...
Reposted by yessenia funes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Claudette Colvin, whose refusal to move seats on a segregated bus helped spark the civil rights movement, dies at 86.
January 13, 2026 at 9:49 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Claudette Colvin, whose refusal to move seats on a segregated bus helped spark the civil rights movement, dies at 86.
i can't stop crying man.
January 9, 2026 at 8:24 PM
i can't stop crying man.
Reposted by yessenia funes
"I'm not mad at you" as your last words on earth are really not all that far from "forgive them father for they know not what they do."
January 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
"I'm not mad at you" as your last words on earth are really not all that far from "forgive them father for they know not what they do."
2026 is starting with death, death, and more death, but I wanted to remind readers to not lose sight of the way community is rising up despite all this awfulness.
www.possibilities.news/minneapolis-...
www.possibilities.news/minneapolis-...
We All Bleed the Same
From Venezuela to Minneapolis, the U.S. federal government is killing recklessly.
www.possibilities.news
January 8, 2026 at 3:48 PM
2026 is starting with death, death, and more death, but I wanted to remind readers to not lose sight of the way community is rising up despite all this awfulness.
www.possibilities.news/minneapolis-...
www.possibilities.news/minneapolis-...
Reposted by yessenia funes
~news~: this week I started at The Guardian US @us.theguardian.com as Movement Building reporter, continuing my coverage of protest, repression and resistance against war, LGBTQ rights, policing, labor, and more under Trump.
organizers, advocates—send me your stories! I’m on Signal lex.mcmenamin.68
organizers, advocates—send me your stories! I’m on Signal lex.mcmenamin.68
January 7, 2026 at 2:07 PM
~news~: this week I started at The Guardian US @us.theguardian.com as Movement Building reporter, continuing my coverage of protest, repression and resistance against war, LGBTQ rights, policing, labor, and more under Trump.
organizers, advocates—send me your stories! I’m on Signal lex.mcmenamin.68
organizers, advocates—send me your stories! I’m on Signal lex.mcmenamin.68
I was OFFLINE for the past two weeks. like sooooo offline. it was wonderful! however, I missed sharing my newsletter. for the last edition of 2025, I wrote about all the books I read & the sentences I loved enough to write down.
read, share, and subscribe <3
www.possibilities.news/2025-in-book...
read, share, and subscribe <3
www.possibilities.news/2025-in-book...
My 2025 in Books & Sentences
What better way to welcome the new year than with some recommended reads?
www.possibilities.news
January 5, 2026 at 6:26 PM
I was OFFLINE for the past two weeks. like sooooo offline. it was wonderful! however, I missed sharing my newsletter. for the last edition of 2025, I wrote about all the books I read & the sentences I loved enough to write down.
read, share, and subscribe <3
www.possibilities.news/2025-in-book...
read, share, and subscribe <3
www.possibilities.news/2025-in-book...
these types of policies and price changes make it cheaper to drive my car and pay for parking than take the train locally. I wish transit were free or at least way cheaper
gothamist.com/news/nyc-sub...
gothamist.com/news/nyc-sub...
NYC subway, bus fare will jump up to $3 on Sunday
For years, the MTA has found creative ways to hike prices for commuters without bumping the cost of a single ride to an even $3.
gothamist.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:35 PM
these types of policies and price changes make it cheaper to drive my car and pay for parking than take the train locally. I wish transit were free or at least way cheaper
gothamist.com/news/nyc-sub...
gothamist.com/news/nyc-sub...
are you a journalist hoping to find new tools and understanding for how to cope with the emotions and weight of this work? rebecca weston of @climatepsychol.bsky.social and I will be hosting a workshop at @newmarkjplus.bsky.social in january.
sign up!
www.journalism.cuny.edu/future-stude...
sign up!
www.journalism.cuny.edu/future-stude...
www.journalism.cuny.edu
December 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
are you a journalist hoping to find new tools and understanding for how to cope with the emotions and weight of this work? rebecca weston of @climatepsychol.bsky.social and I will be hosting a workshop at @newmarkjplus.bsky.social in january.
sign up!
www.journalism.cuny.edu/future-stude...
sign up!
www.journalism.cuny.edu/future-stude...
oh! and my annual climate justice wins list is out ✨
don't let the darkness take over, friends! there's good stuff happening!
www.possibilities.news/2025-climate...
don't let the darkness take over, friends! there's good stuff happening!
www.possibilities.news/2025-climate...
2025's Climate Justice Wins
Yes, even the year of hell had its victories.
www.possibilities.news
December 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
oh! and my annual climate justice wins list is out ✨
don't let the darkness take over, friends! there's good stuff happening!
www.possibilities.news/2025-climate...
don't let the darkness take over, friends! there's good stuff happening!
www.possibilities.news/2025-climate...
the industry needs to confront the mental health challenges journalists face — esp. for journalists on the climate beat. I was invited to write a prediction for @niemanlab.org's annual list.
I wrote about my vital work with @climatepsychol.bsky.social
www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/emot...
I wrote about my vital work with @climatepsychol.bsky.social
www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/emot...
Emotions become the industry’s superpower
"We can no longer pretend journalists don't have feelings. We can't hide behind the curtain of 'objectivity.'"
www.niemanlab.org
December 18, 2025 at 8:15 PM
the industry needs to confront the mental health challenges journalists face — esp. for journalists on the climate beat. I was invited to write a prediction for @niemanlab.org's annual list.
I wrote about my vital work with @climatepsychol.bsky.social
www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/emot...
I wrote about my vital work with @climatepsychol.bsky.social
www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/emot...
really appreciated writing about this and the important work we're building at the CARES Media Initiative.
@yessfun.com: “We can no longer pretend journalists don’t have feelings. We can’t hide behind the curtain of ‘objectivity.'”
www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/emot...
www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/emot...
December 17, 2025 at 9:07 PM
really appreciated writing about this and the important work we're building at the CARES Media Initiative.
I read a lot of news for my job, but a handful of stories really stuck with me from 2025. here are the ones that made my list this year. :)
www.possibilities.news/favorite-cli...
www.possibilities.news/favorite-cli...
My Favorite Climate Stories of 2025
My job involves reading lots of great journalism, but these 11 stories stuck with me.
www.possibilities.news
December 11, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I read a lot of news for my job, but a handful of stories really stuck with me from 2025. here are the ones that made my list this year. :)
www.possibilities.news/favorite-cli...
www.possibilities.news/favorite-cli...
Reposted by yessenia funes
Oh that little stat? Yeah that's the free newsletter I edit six days a week, which hey you should subscribe
November 24, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Oh that little stat? Yeah that's the free newsletter I edit six days a week, which hey you should subscribe
every year, I compile the climate and environmental justice wins of that year. what victories did we manage in 2025 despite all the awful shit? i'd love to hear from my community. i'll be featuring the list in my newsletter next week xx
here's last year's: www.possibilities.news/climate-just...
here's last year's: www.possibilities.news/climate-just...
All We Do Is Win, Win, Win
OK, maybe that's not always true — but let's take some time to celebrate the wins, yeah?
www.possibilities.news
December 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
every year, I compile the climate and environmental justice wins of that year. what victories did we manage in 2025 despite all the awful shit? i'd love to hear from my community. i'll be featuring the list in my newsletter next week xx
here's last year's: www.possibilities.news/climate-just...
here's last year's: www.possibilities.news/climate-just...
if you're not a subscriber to my newsletter, there's no better time. annual subs are only $35 for the year until 2026.
I write about climate justice w/ heart & soul, focused on the frontlines always. some posts are ruminative; others are reported. subscribe!
www.possibilities.news/holiday-sale
I write about climate justice w/ heart & soul, focused on the frontlines always. some posts are ruminative; others are reported. subscribe!
www.possibilities.news/holiday-sale
Possibilities
✦ By Yessenia Funes ✦ Where the climate crisis meets community lie endless possibilities
www.possibilities.news
December 8, 2025 at 3:35 PM
if you're not a subscriber to my newsletter, there's no better time. annual subs are only $35 for the year until 2026.
I write about climate justice w/ heart & soul, focused on the frontlines always. some posts are ruminative; others are reported. subscribe!
www.possibilities.news/holiday-sale
I write about climate justice w/ heart & soul, focused on the frontlines always. some posts are ruminative; others are reported. subscribe!
www.possibilities.news/holiday-sale
Reposted by yessenia funes
Beautiful weekend read by @yessfun.com @atmosmag.bsky.social featuring my #PaRx origin story, perspectives on nature and health from colleagues and collaborators Rita White, Dr. Robert Zarr and Dr. Qing Li, and a nod to PaRx's groundbreaking collaboration with @vanartgallery.bsky.social.
The New Rx: What if Your Doctor Prescribed You Time Outside? | Atmos
Increasingly, doctors are prescribing time in the natural world as a treatment that can help patients with a wide range of diagnoses.
atmos.earth
December 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Beautiful weekend read by @yessfun.com @atmosmag.bsky.social featuring my #PaRx origin story, perspectives on nature and health from colleagues and collaborators Rita White, Dr. Robert Zarr and Dr. Qing Li, and a nod to PaRx's groundbreaking collaboration with @vanartgallery.bsky.social.
new newsletter alert — on the ways refugees are already facing repeated displacement due to climate change
www.possibilities.news/cop30-refuge...
www.possibilities.news/cop30-refuge...
Where Do Refugees Go?
Climate change is making refugee camps more vulnerable. COP30 isn't doing enough to protect them.
www.possibilities.news
December 4, 2025 at 3:22 PM
new newsletter alert — on the ways refugees are already facing repeated displacement due to climate change
www.possibilities.news/cop30-refuge...
www.possibilities.news/cop30-refuge...
got an important COP30 story out for @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social about climate migrants and the advocates keeping them front and center at these international negotiations
yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/12/mill...
yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/12/mill...
Millions have fled weather disasters, but they had few champions at COP30 » Yale Climate Connections
Advocates are working to ensure that world leaders don’t ignore people displaced by climate change.
yaleclimateconnections.org
December 3, 2025 at 6:06 PM
got an important COP30 story out for @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social about climate migrants and the advocates keeping them front and center at these international negotiations
yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/12/mill...
yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/12/mill...