Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · Aug 3

Folks often assume that sheer number of wildfires in West must be linked to intentional arson--despite abundant evidence to contrary. But this partly stems from profound underestimation re: just how easy it can be to spark a fire under right conditions... www.nytimes.com/2025...

A Fish Falls From the Sky and Sparks a Brush Fire in British Columbia

Officials say a flying osprey dropped its catch, which then struck power lines, causing sparks that ignited dry grass.

www.nytimes.com

16 68 220

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Eric Holthaus @ericholthaus.com · Jun 20

Five federal firefighters, who spoke anonymously because they are barred from speaking publicly, were asked if their agencies were ready for fire season. The answer was a resounding “no”.

“If this turns out to be a major fire year, it’s going to be a shit show.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

The US is woefully underprepared for wildfire season, say insiders: ‘The stakes are life and death’

‘Efficiency’ cuts across offices have left teams understaffed, firefighters underpaid and uninsured, and without adequate equipment

www.theguardian.com

24 260 490

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · May 30

Friday PM attempted massacre... of science.

The fight is not over. There are things to do.

Organize with @standupforscience.bsky.social

Get informed: scienceimpacts.org

Call your representative & ask: what are they doing to stop the self-destruction of American's innovation economy?

SCIMaP - Impacts of Federal Cuts to Science and Medical Research

Developed by an interdisciplinary research team, this website shows how funding cuts reduce economic activity and employment nationwide

scienceimpacts.org

69 120

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Mike Flannigan @mikeflannigan.bsky.social · May 30

Area burned over 1 million hectares in Canada and increasing. Second only to the 2023 in terms of area burned for this time of year. @ciffc.bsky.social
ciffc.ca

cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/maps/fm3?typ...

Graph showing area burned in Canada by day of the year

3 80 120

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Mar 10

Our work is far from done—science is still under attack.

We’ve got ideas, but we want to hear from you. What’s worrying you most? What should we do next? How can we grow this movement together?

Fill out this quick form to share your thoughts & stay connected: forms.gle/7EEQMZUveXN9...

How do we keep Standing Up for Science?

A heartfelt thank you for everyone that Stood Up for Science with us on March 7th—whether it be volunteering, donating, sharing, or attending in event, we're forever indebted to people like you who ca...

forms.gle

6 76 290

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · Mar 8

In the hearing this week on Fix our forests, the statement was made that 75% of those already laid off were red carded. This summer’s fire season, if it isn’t a quiet one, is going to be a reality check for these policies.

www.eenews.net/articles/for...

2 36 83

Tyler L McIntosh @tylerlmcintosh.bsky.social · Mar 8

Thank you to the hundreds of folks who showed up to STAND UP FOR SCIENCE in Denver yesterday! It was such an honor to stand alongside you.

Now get out there and keep telling the world why science matters! To you, your friends and family, neighbors, peers. Science is for—and benefits—everyone!

A crowd of science advocates holding signs

4

Tyler L McIntosh @tylerlmcintosh.bsky.social · Mar 7

Wherever you are today, join us as we STAND UP FOR SCIENCE!

For CO folks - events in Denver (1-4), as well as at noon in Boulder, Fort Collins, and Golden. Find your location info here: standupforscience2025.org/local-event-...

If you can’t make an event, don’t fret—stand up loud at noon!

A stand up for science flyer in front of the Boulder Flatirons

1 7

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Mar 6

WHERE WILL YOU BE TOMORROW?

Stand up for science flyer, happening on March 7th in DC & nationwide with more information at www.standupforscience2025.org

36 340 800

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · Mar 4

As my friend @drshepherd2013.bsky.social says, asking why we need a National Weather Service when we have apps and the Weather Channel is like asking why we need potato farmers when we can buy fries at McDonalds.

22 320 930

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · Mar 3

Scientific institutions must create--and sustain--new kinds of roles so that researchers can provide the deep public engagement necessary to respond effectively to the escalating impacts of #climate change. The status quo isn't working. nature.com/articles/d41...

Climate researchers need support to become scientist-communicators

Scientific institutions must create roles so that researchers can provide the deep public engagement necessary to respond effectively to the escalating impacts of climate change.

nature.com

9 77 300

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · Mar 2

NEW: The Minerva Research Initiative, established by the Pentagon to fund social science relevant to national security, is being gutted. Dozens of researchers studying threats from extremist groups, misinformation or climate change have received notices that their grants are being terminated.
🧪

Pentagon guts national security program that harnessed social science

Dozens of U.S. academics lose grants from Minerva program for studies related to terrorism, drug trafficking, and other threats

www.science.org

150 2.1K 3.8K

Tyler L McIntosh @tylerlmcintosh.bsky.social · Mar 2

A reminder for CO folks that these closures aren’t just statistics of things happening elsewhere:

This list includes DOI facilities in Fort Collins, Boulder, Durango, Tawaoc, Grand Junction, Littlewood, Lakewood, and Golden, which support staff and activities of NPS, USFWS, USGS, BOR, and BIA.

Evan Frost @wildwoods.bsky.social · Mar 1

Congress has just released a list of federal DOI offices to be closed under the ongoing massacre of our natural resource agencies -- it's extensive and includes many important NPS, BLM, USGS and USFWS facilities across the country. Truly horrific. democrats-naturalresources.house.gov/imo/media/do...

democrats-naturalresources.house.gov

4 7

Tyler L McIntosh @tylerlmcintosh.bsky.social · Mar 2

@aweiss.bsky.social

1

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Matt Motta @mattmotta.bsky.social · Feb 27

Demonstrating for science risks politicizing it. But, that *doesn't* mean we shouldn't do it.

A few folks have asked what our research has to say about to most effectively advocate for science, in advance of @standupforscience.bsky.social events.

Sharing some of that research below: 🧵🧬

5 22 39

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · Feb 27

I have written a short statement responding to mass firings today of #NOAA / National Weather Service (#NWS) staff (which were concentrated among recent hires as well as highly experienced staff who had recently been promoted). Please see below screenshot & below for full text.

Statement begins:
The mass firing of both new hires and recently promoted senior staff within NOAA, including mission-critical and life-saving roles at the National Weather Service (NWS), is profoundly alarming. It appears that NOAA staff fired today include meteorologists, data and computer scientists responsible for maintaining and upgrading weather predictive models, and technicians responsible for maintaining the nation’s weather instrumentation network (among many others).

Housed within NOAA, the U.S. NWS is a truly world-class meteorological predictive service, perhaps singularly so. Its cost of operation is only ~$3-4/yr per taxpayer—equivalent to a single cup of coffee—and yields a truly remarkable return on investment (at least 10 to 1, and perhaps 100 to 1, depending on methods of estimation). NOAA and the NWS collectively offer tens to hundreds of billions of dollars each year in net economic benefit through a combination of averted losses and efficiencies gained....

60 1K 2.2K

Tyler L McIntosh @tylerlmcintosh.bsky.social · Feb 27

I’ve been impressed with the approach taken by Tangle News www.readtangle.com

Tangle

Independent, non-partisan, subscriber-supported politics news.

www.readtangle.com

Tyler L McIntosh @tylerlmcintosh.bsky.social · Feb 26

@lauradee.bsky.social @katherinesiegel.bsky.social

1

Tyler L McIntosh @tylerlmcintosh.bsky.social · Feb 26

🔭🔬🧪

Colorado Front Range folks - PLEASE JOIN US as we Stand Up for Science on March 7th at the Capitol Building!

@standupforscience.bsky.social

Sarah Senese @ssenese.bsky.social · Feb 26

It’s official!

Stand Up for Science with us on the east steps of the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver, CO!
@standupforscience.bsky.social

1 4 8

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Feb 24

Important editorial: the "existential moment requiring careful and consistent action to preserve the values and ambitions of science."
"The weeks ahead may be the greatest test that the US scientific community has ever faced"
By @holdenthorp.bsky.social @science.org
www.science.org/doi/full/10....

5 120 340

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Feb 25

Another article detailing anxiety among young researchers. Future careers are at stake with the US funding cuts, and talented young researchers are already being driven to pursue opportunities abroad.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Postdocs and PhD students hit hard by Trump’s crackdown on science

As US federal grants remain frozen and budget cuts loom, anxiety and fear grip early-career researchers.

www.nature.com

1 28 76

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Sarah Senese @ssenese.bsky.social · Feb 24

🚨CO Scientists🚨

Have you or someone you know been fired from a federally funded position? If so—contact me! Looking for speakers/stories for the Stand Up for Science rally in Denver, CO.

11 7

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Karen Hao @karenhao.bsky.social · Feb 21

For decades, the US government has painstakingly kept American science #1 globally—and every facet of American life has improved because of it. The internet? Flu shot? Ozempic? All grew out of federally-funded research. Now all that's being dismantled. 1/ www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/21/1...

The foundations of America’s prosperity are being dismantled

Federal scientists warn that Americans could feel the effects of the new administration's devastating cuts for decades to come

www.technologyreview.com

79 1.5K 3K

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Jacob Soboroff @jacobsoboroff.bsky.social · Feb 18

NEW: The hiring freeze ordered last month by President Trump continues to stall onboarding of firefighters and could have deadly consequences as the national wildfire response operates at a "diminished capacity," a federal firefighting captain tells me. www.nbcnews.com/weather/wild...

Hiring freeze of firefighters could be deadly, Forest Service captain warns

Capt. Ben McLane said stalled onboarding of seasonal employees will force the system to operate at a diminished capacity as the wildfire season heats up.

www.nbcnews.com

9 180 340

Reposted by Tyler L McIntosh

Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · Feb 18

Tim of the Hotshot Wakeup is not on this website but this is worth reading in full. A letter to him from one of his reader/listeners.

thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/p/a-letter-f...

A Letter From The Inside: Unjustified Terminations.

The following is a letter sent to me by a manager in the Forest Service: 🙏

thehotshotwakeup.substack.com

1 20 46