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Ross Macfarlane

@rossmacfarlane.bsky.social

7.8K followers 1.9K following 1.8K posts

Advocate for climate action, clean energy & democracy. Likes to play outside. Director with Sierra Club Foundation and Clean Energy Transition Institute and recently Director and Vice President with Sierra Club.

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · Apr 25

I wrote a piece for Earth Week about the need to keep bringing focus to the need for climate action at this time we are all being overloaded with issues that are appropriately demanding our attention. Appreciate any thoughts and sharing with anyone you think might be interested.

Don’t Look Away: The Climate Crisis Demands Our Attention

We live in a time of crisis overload. President Trump and his team are following his advisor Steve Bannon’s strategy to “flood the zone…

medium.com

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Reposted by Ross Macfarlane

Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 1h

I can’t believe I have to say this, but historically, masked men who kidnap families in the middle of the night are usually not the good guys.

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 39m

Again, not only more corruption but a disaster for the environment, wildlife, and native communities. @sierraclub.org
www.sierraclub.org/press-releas...

Sierra Club Statement on Trump’s Advancement of Controversial Ambler Road

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Donald Trump signed an executive order to advance a controversial proposal backed by mining companies to construct a road across more than 200 miles of Alaska wilderness.

www.sierraclub.org

Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 39m

Trump's decision to approve the Ambler mining road cutting across Alaska wilderness and critical habitat is not only an environmental disaster, it created a $70 million windfall for one of his biggest donors. @juddlegum.bsky.social @popular.info 1/

Trump approves mining road, delivers $70 million windfall to MAGA billionaire

On April 6, 2024, a procession of Range Rovers, Aston Martins, and Bentleys rolled up to the Palm Beach mansion of billionaire John Paulson. The occasion was a glitzy fundraiser for Donald Trump’s pre...

popular.info

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 52m

Proud to serve on the Board of the Sierra Club Foundation. Here's our annual report for last year for anyone who's interested.

static.sierraclub.org/foundation/a...

Sierra Club Foundation Annual Report

static.sierraclub.org

Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1h

Good piece from @billmckibben.bsky.social (as always) celebrating this milestone and focusing on why we need to keep pushing harder. billmckibben.substack.com/p/something-...

Something extraordinary just happened

But of course there's a but. Or two.

billmckibben.substack.com

Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1h

You hate to see it. Republicans in disarray over Government shutdown. @politico.com

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Trump's off-script comments cause shutdown headaches for GOP

President Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are straining to project a united front against Democrats.

www.politico.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1h

"We need coal-fired power generation because wind and solar are unreliable" .... oh, wait!
@ieefa-northamerica.bsky.social
ieefa.org/resources/ne...

Newest big U.S. coal-plant offline until 2027

The newest major coal-fired power plant in the U.S. is expected to be offline until March 2027 after a major failure in April.

ieefa.org

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Reposted by Ross Macfarlane

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 19h

CNN: “An older couple making $85K/year will see their yearly insurance premiums jump from $7K to $25,000 — 30% of their income.” 😳#TrumpShutdown #TrumpHealthCareTax

This is what Dems are drawing attention to and want fixed. Now, not later.

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1h

Ain't science cool? -- Nobel Prize in chemistry goes to 3 scientists who have developed unique molecular structures they liken to "Hermione's Handbag" that may be useful in capturing CO2, PFAs, water or other molecules. www.npr.org/2025/10/08/g...

Research on metal-organic frameworks gets the chemistry Nobel Prize

From capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or sucking water out of dry desert air, the trio's new form of molecular architecture can absorb and contain gases inside metal organic frameworks.

www.npr.org

Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 18h

Important analysis from @politico.com fact-checking the false claims that renewable energy is responsible for higher energy bills. Bottom line: "States that embrace renewable energy are far more likely to save money for electricity consumers than those relying on fossil fuels or nuclear power."

The government’s own data rebuts Trump’s claims about wind and solar prices

The Trump administration has targeted renewable energy for driving up electricity prices, but POLITICO’s analysis shows states that are growing their wind and solar power typically have lower power co...

www.politico.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 23h

This analysis is consistent with a recent study from @theicct.org which found that CO2 reductions alone won't solve aviation's climate problems and that contrail avoidance can be done quickly and cheaply. 2/
theicct.org/pr-greenhous...

Greenhouse gas controls alone won’t align aviation with the Paris Agreement - International Council on Clean Transportation

New ICCT study finds that short-lived climate pollutant controls could enable climate-neutral growth in aviation.

theicct.org

Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 23h

Intriguing piece on cost-effective solutions for Aviation's contrail problem. Critical to cut CO2 emissions from flying, but contrails are also an important driver of global warming, with easier near-term fixes.1/ @hannahritchie.bsky.social www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/eliminatin...

Eliminating contrails from flying could be incredibly cheap

Could we halve aviation's climate impact at a fraction of the cost of sustainable aviation fuels?

www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1d

Major milestone: global energy production from renewables surpasses coal for the first time. @ember-energy.org @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Global renewable energy generation surpasses coal for first time

Record solar expansion and steady wind growth driving world’s shift away from fossil fuels in 2025, report finds

www.theguardian.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1d

All the kings horses and all the kings men .... Last coal plant in New England shuts down years ahead of scheduled retirement despite Trump Admin efforts to prop up coal. @canarymedia.com @sierraclub.org
www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos...

New England’s final coal plant shuts down years ahead of schedule

Poor economics drove the aging New Hampshire plant offline three years early, even as the Trump administration pushes to revitalize coal.

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Ross Macfarlane

Gov. Bob Ferguson @governorferguson.bsky.social · 1d

Voters upheld the Climate Commitment Act by a landslide last year.

Today, the Supreme Court shot down a legal challenge.

As the federal government is abandoning critical climate protections, Washington's leadership is needed now more than ever. This is an important win.

Supreme Court shoots down challenge to WA carbon market

A natural gas power plant in Grays Harbor County had sued over the state's keystone climate policy.

www.seattletimes.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1d

What's Trump's plan behind the military occupation of blue cities? @rbreich.bsky.social robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-plan

Trump's Plan

To invoke the Insurrection Act

robertreich.substack.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1d

More takeaways from this event on @waytowinus.bsky.social's Charting the Way Forward podcast. @torygavito.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgW3...

Persuasion 2025 Wrap - Charting the Way Forward Ep 41

YouTube video by Way to Win Action Fund

www.youtube.com

Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 1d

Progressives need to walk and chew gum -- both attract voters who sat out 2024 after supporting Biden in 2020, and use persuasion to bring swing voters over. @huffpost.com article on @waytowinus.bsky.social's recent "Persuasion 2025" event in DC. 1/
www.huffpost.com/entry/how-pr...

How Progressives Learned To Love Persuasion

For the left, motivating disaffected voters is out and targeting swing voters is in.

www.huffpost.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 2d

Congratulations to Dolores Huerte, Mary Ann Ruiz, Eric Schaeffer, Shannon Wheeler, and all the other winners of @sierraclub.org's 2025 National Awards. Inspirational leadership.
www.sierraclub.org/press-releas...

Sierra Club Announces 2025 National Award Winners

Oakland, CA – Twenty-six environmental leaders from across the country are receiving national awards from the Sierra Club this year.

www.sierraclub.org

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 2d

"We didn’t expect America to become a country where masked secret policemen smash down your door in the middle of the night and take you away. Yet that’s where we are." @pkrugman.bsky.social
paulkrugman.substack.com/p/state-terr...

State Terror, American Style

Forget about “soft autocracy”

paulkrugman.substack.com

Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 2d

Federal agents are routinely detaining and assaulting US citizens, illustrating the absurdity of Justice Kavanaugh's bland assurances that “If the officers learn that the individual they stopped is a U. S. citizen ... they promptly let the individual go,”
@juddlegum.bsky.social

How federal agents are terrorizing American citizens

Last week, hundreds of heavily armed federal agents descended on an apartment complex in Chicago, arriving in Black Hawk helicopters and moving trucks.

popular.info

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 2d

China's exports of clean-tech significantly exceed what the US earns from shipping fossil fuels overseas. So much for Trump's claims of "energy dominance"

Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 2d

More from @bloomberg.com on Chinese dominance in energy exports. origin.www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

China Is Beating the US in the Battle for Energy Export Dominance

China’s exports of clean energy technology hit a record in August, with $20 billion shipped globally.

origin.www.bloomberg.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 2d

Surging Chinese exports of EVs, batteries, solar panels, and other clean tech products highlights growing divide between "electro-states" and "petro-states" (no extra credit for guessing where US falls). @axios.com

Axios Future of Energy

www.axios.com

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 2d

No money to keep federal employees working or fund basic services, but the Trump Admin pledges $625 million in subsidies and other goodies to prop up the dying coal industry. @canarymedia.com
www.canarymedia.com/articles/fos...

Trump’s sweeping plan to prop up coal

Coal’s health and climate impacts get no mention in the administration’s latest attempt to breathe life back into the industry.

www.canarymedia.com

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