Nora Beck
@norabeck.bsky.social
Urban planner working on climate and water resource challenges in the Chicago Metro.
Reposted by Nora Beck
TUESDAY: A virtual panel about how wind and solar energy gets built (or doesn't) in Illinois. Sign up for free to get the link:
Clean Energy for our Communities
Did you know wind and solar energy projects need approval by local units of government like counties and municipalities before they can begin construction? Join Sierra Club Illinois to learn how…
act.sierraclub.org
September 22, 2025 at 11:07 PM
TUESDAY: A virtual panel about how wind and solar energy gets built (or doesn't) in Illinois. Sign up for free to get the link:
Reposted by Nora Beck
wrote on charlie kirk for the newsletter this weekend
Opinion | Charlie Kirk Didn’t Shy Away From Who He Was. We Shouldn’t Either.
www.nytimes.com
September 13, 2025 at 3:35 PM
wrote on charlie kirk for the newsletter this weekend
Reposted by Nora Beck
Guess which country is blocking an international treaty to reduce plastic pollution?
Landmark plastic talks collapse with the U.S. opposing key production limits
The multiyear attempt to curb global plastic pollution is at an impasse, with the U.S. set against the production limits that many nations see as the main solution.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 15, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Guess which country is blocking an international treaty to reduce plastic pollution?
Reposted by Nora Beck
NEW: Many of the world’s vital sources of underground fresh water took millions of years to form and could require thousands of years to refill, as water mined from them largely ends up in the rising oceans.
Researchers warn: This drying is now nearly impossible to reverse “on human timescales.”
Researchers warn: This drying is now nearly impossible to reverse “on human timescales.”
“Staggering” Water Loss Driven by Groundwater Mining Poses Global Threat
A new study finds that freshwater resources are rapidly disappearing, creating arid “mega” regions and causing sea levels to rise.
www.propublica.org
July 25, 2025 at 6:07 PM
NEW: Many of the world’s vital sources of underground fresh water took millions of years to form and could require thousands of years to refill, as water mined from them largely ends up in the rising oceans.
Researchers warn: This drying is now nearly impossible to reverse “on human timescales.”
Researchers warn: This drying is now nearly impossible to reverse “on human timescales.”
Reposted by Nora Beck
The private sector is not innately more efficient than government. Competition forces efficiency, but not every part of our society is subject to competition - and not every value is measured in $. Don't confuse support for competitive markets with grift. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
DOGE wants businesses to run government services ‘as much as possible’
Elon Musk’s effort is pushing privatization — a longtime goal for conservatives and for Silicon Valley alike — across federal agencies
www.washingtonpost.com
March 30, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The private sector is not innately more efficient than government. Competition forces efficiency, but not every part of our society is subject to competition - and not every value is measured in $. Don't confuse support for competitive markets with grift. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Nora Beck
🚨NEW: climate inaction will cost more than a third of global GDP this century, but an investment of less than 2% GDP now will reduce harms by 90% - a "massive opportunity for humanity", finds a report from Boston Consulting Group and University of Cambridge.
Climate Inaction Could Cost 1/3 Of Global GDP This Century, BCG Warns
The Big 3 consulting firm finds that most harms come from productivity losses, but also reveals how nations could avoid 90% of climate damage.
www.forbes.com
March 13, 2025 at 12:06 PM
🚨NEW: climate inaction will cost more than a third of global GDP this century, but an investment of less than 2% GDP now will reduce harms by 90% - a "massive opportunity for humanity", finds a report from Boston Consulting Group and University of Cambridge.
Reposted by Nora Beck
Reposted by Nora Beck
Big news out of the EU with the announcement of a €100 billion Clean Industrial Deal - industrial decarbonisation is advancing with or without the US.
Good policy clarity against the backdrop of Trump driven chaos in the US.
Good policy clarity against the backdrop of Trump driven chaos in the US.
A Clean Industrial Deal for competitiveness and decarbonisation in the EU
Today, the Commission presents the Clean Industrial Deal, a bold business plan to support the competitiveness and resilience of our industry. The Deal will accelerate decarbonisation, while securing t...
ec.europa.eu
March 4, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Big news out of the EU with the announcement of a €100 billion Clean Industrial Deal - industrial decarbonisation is advancing with or without the US.
Good policy clarity against the backdrop of Trump driven chaos in the US.
Good policy clarity against the backdrop of Trump driven chaos in the US.
Reposted by Nora Beck
Energy bills are crushing low-income families. Read our latest piece in collaboration with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) to learn how local and state policymakers can help. www.americancityandc...
Energy bills are crushing low-income families. Here’s how state and local policymakers can help
High prices for housing, food and other essentials are top of mind for many Americans. Energy costs, which have risen along with others in recent years, are a big part of the problem. While state and local policymakers can’t do much about the price of eggs, they can lower energy bills for their most vulnerable constituents. With a new administration that has pledged to roll back energy efficiency programs that reduce utility bills, actions taken by state and local government to address energy costs is more important than ever.
www.americancityandcounty.com
March 3, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Energy bills are crushing low-income families. Read our latest piece in collaboration with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) to learn how local and state policymakers can help. www.americancityandc...
Reposted by Nora Beck
Did you know that the United States has approximately 59.5 million acre-feet per year of urban stormwater runoff potential? This is equivalent to an annual average of more than 53 billion gallons per day.
Learn more in #UntappedWaterPotential: pacinst.org/publication/...
Learn more in #UntappedWaterPotential: pacinst.org/publication/...
Untapped Potential: An Assessment of Urban Stormwater Runoff Potential in the United States - Pacific Institute
Urban communities across the United States face a range of water challenges. These include intensifying impacts of flooding and drought, … Untapped Potential: An Assessment of Urban Stormwater Runoff ...
pacinst.org
February 20, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Did you know that the United States has approximately 59.5 million acre-feet per year of urban stormwater runoff potential? This is equivalent to an annual average of more than 53 billion gallons per day.
Learn more in #UntappedWaterPotential: pacinst.org/publication/...
Learn more in #UntappedWaterPotential: pacinst.org/publication/...
Reposted by Nora Beck
Amid everything, a new study finds that microplastics are accumulating in human brains.
“Every time we scratch the surface, it uncovers a whole host of, ‘Oh, is this worse than we thought?’” lead author Matthew Campen told me last fall.
A short thread: 1/
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
“Every time we scratch the surface, it uncovers a whole host of, ‘Oh, is this worse than we thought?’” lead author Matthew Campen told me last fall.
A short thread: 1/
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains
A new study shows that microplastics are making their way into our brains, and that their numbers are rising.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 3, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Amid everything, a new study finds that microplastics are accumulating in human brains.
“Every time we scratch the surface, it uncovers a whole host of, ‘Oh, is this worse than we thought?’” lead author Matthew Campen told me last fall.
A short thread: 1/
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
“Every time we scratch the surface, it uncovers a whole host of, ‘Oh, is this worse than we thought?’” lead author Matthew Campen told me last fall.
A short thread: 1/
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Reposted by Nora Beck
friendly reminder that the best case scenario over the coming years is that a lot of people say "I supported Trump but this isn't what I wanted at all" and when they do that it's gonna be really, really important that we say "welcome in," not "fuck you, we told you so"
February 2, 2025 at 7:16 PM
friendly reminder that the best case scenario over the coming years is that a lot of people say "I supported Trump but this isn't what I wanted at all" and when they do that it's gonna be really, really important that we say "welcome in," not "fuck you, we told you so"
Reposted by Nora Beck
Environmental leaders in Chicago and Illinois are committed to reaching city and state climate and pollution reduction goals even if federal funding for environmental initiatives is cut by using other city and state funding sources.
Chicago and Illinois Remain Committed to Achieving Climate Goals Despite Threats to Federal Funding - Inside Climate News
Environmental leaders believe grants and other sources of funding will allow them to continue cutting pollution, even if federal money isn’t available following the change in administration.
insideclimatenews.org
February 2, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Environmental leaders in Chicago and Illinois are committed to reaching city and state climate and pollution reduction goals even if federal funding for environmental initiatives is cut by using other city and state funding sources.
We recently updated the regional water demand forecast, which projecting continued declines in demand out to the year 2050. While declining water demand is a positive trend, there are still challenges. 1/
cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates...
cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates...
February 1, 2025 at 1:13 PM
We recently updated the regional water demand forecast, which projecting continued declines in demand out to the year 2050. While declining water demand is a positive trend, there are still challenges. 1/
cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates...
cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates...
Like much like the rest of the nation, Illinois' structure for groundwater governance is
inadequate for today’s challenges. We recently examined the Water Use Act of 1983 and the high capacity well review process. Read our recommendations for modernizing the system cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates...
inadequate for today’s challenges. We recently examined the Water Use Act of 1983 and the high capacity well review process. Read our recommendations for modernizing the system cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates...
Securing Illinois' groundwater future
CMAP's groundwater report examines the Illinois' 1983 Water Use Act, assesses the high-capacity well review process, and draws insights from groundwater governance practices in neighboring states.
cmap.illinois.gov
February 1, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Like much like the rest of the nation, Illinois' structure for groundwater governance is
inadequate for today’s challenges. We recently examined the Water Use Act of 1983 and the high capacity well review process. Read our recommendations for modernizing the system cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates...
inadequate for today’s challenges. We recently examined the Water Use Act of 1983 and the high capacity well review process. Read our recommendations for modernizing the system cmap.illinois.gov/news-updates...
Reposted by Nora Beck
I ran $100 billion in Infrastructure and IRA programs at EPA. We obligated over $70 billion onto signed awards and contracts to protect public health and the environment. All that funding is currently frozen. Here are the facts…
🔌💡 1/X
🔌💡 1/X
January 31, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I ran $100 billion in Infrastructure and IRA programs at EPA. We obligated over $70 billion onto signed awards and contracts to protect public health and the environment. All that funding is currently frozen. Here are the facts…
🔌💡 1/X
🔌💡 1/X
Reposted by Nora Beck
As someone who has reported on AI for 7 years and covered China tech as well, I think the biggest lesson to be drawn from DeepSeek is the huge cracks it illustrates with the current dominant paradigm of AI development. A long thread. 1/
January 27, 2025 at 2:12 PM
As someone who has reported on AI for 7 years and covered China tech as well, I think the biggest lesson to be drawn from DeepSeek is the huge cracks it illustrates with the current dominant paradigm of AI development. A long thread. 1/