Roger Bales

Very sobering message. If only there could be action in the public interest by Congress

Public and Planet to 'Pay the Price' as Trump Props Up Coal With $625 Million Bailout | Common Dreams Trump's Department of Energy announced it is investing $625 million in the coal industry, sparking backlash from climate advocates.

Public and Planet to 'Pay the Price' as Trump Props Up Coal With $625 Million Bailout? Subsidy for an industry winding down because of both high cost & pollution. This handout is not in the public interest. www.commondreams.org/news/trump-n...

Banning reality is not really possible ...

Commentary: Trump's campaign against wind and solar is exposing his 'energy dominance' lies Solar and wind companies need to start punching back.

Thanks to @sammyroth.bsky.social for this review of the current situation & wakeup call re the need for truthful messaging around the energy transition. Or better yet, engaging messaging like Vattenfall 's hilarious Samuel L. Jackson video. www.latimes.com/environment/...

Thanks to @ianjames.bsky.social for reporting this reminder that decisions & agreements are urgent. More water is allocated than actually exists.

solar over canal reduces evaporation, aquatic weed & algal growth, land conversion for solar; provides distributed solar for tie-in to local distribution lines or behind-meter use.

Thanks to all colleagues who are standing for science, pushing back on targeted cuts to research.

It's good to see more attribution studies that make the link to emissions.

California dam removal plan blasted by Trump administration U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suggested that the Trump administration may try to halt PG&E’s plans to remove two dams on a Northern California river, due to water supply concerns.

The reality is that California & the U.S. must address aging dams. There are cost-effective alternatives. www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...

Trump Is Dismantling Climate Science at a Dangerous Pace The White House has blocked efforts to measure, respond to and fight global warming. That puts all Americans at risk.

Setting aside the science & deleting data do not make the reality of how our fossil-fueled economy is causing severe climate disruption go away. For a prosperous, equitable, sustainable future we simply must bring science back into decision making. This is urgent.
www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

UC system says Trump's budget cuts could 'devastate' scientific research The UC system launched a campaign pushing back on Congress' proposed budget.

Deep cuts to federal agencies that fund science at colleges & universities proposed for coming year's budget bill. Can Congress develop more support for higher education & research, resist deep cuts? www.sfgate.com/bayarea/arti...

Something deep in the Pacific is reshaping California’s weather. It may not stop anytime soon A record-low Pacific cycle could lock in coastal fog, delaying California’s rainy season and setting the stage for volatile weather ahead.

Something deep in the Pacific is reshaping California’s weather. It may not stop anytime soon #cawater www.sfchronicle.com/weather/arti...

People are having fewer babies: Is it really the end of the world? Steep population declines in most countries are expected to have negative impacts over the next several generations, but adaptation is possible.

Interesting point at the end: "... a smaller population should bring benefits: a society that has fewer people can lessen pressure on the environment and allow for greater investment in each individual. But a stable economy is key ..." www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Like the photos by @myungchun.bsky.social

The federal govt's $1B demand of UCLA harms every American, not just UC & Calif. We all benefit from
UCLA's vital work saving lives, improving national security, helping feed the world, increasing educational opportunity & driving innovation. I'm speaking as a proud UC alum & retired UC prof.

This is bad news for all Americans, making a demand aimed at devastating the UC system & stemming the contributions UC makes toward a prosperous, sustainable & equitable future for our nation.

Start with solar on already disturbed land, build strategies to maximize distributed solar, while still developing grid-scale renewables.

Commentary: California needs a little less farmland, a lot more solar power It's an easy climate solution. But really, there's no such thing.

Thanks to @sammyroth.bsky.social for a good analysis on on manageable tradeoffs. The urgency is clear & well known. We "... need to get real about the enormous amounts of renewable energy we still need to build to replace deadly, destructive fossil fuels ..." www.latimes.com/environment/...

Yes, this is unfathomable. The current political pressure to score points by attacking universities seems to be broad & deep. Could regaining or gaining broader public support, better socializing the many valuable outcomes of our research, education & public service help? It can't hurt.

Stanford cuts $140 million, warns of layoffs as research funding dries up, endowment tax looms Like other universities, Stanford has been hit by the Trump administration’s cutting of federal research funding.

The actions that brought these unprecedented cuts seem incomprehensible. We didn't see it coming. We built the 21st century academic research enterprise to meet demand for new knowledge. Now is the time to better socialize our products & broaden public support. www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...

Through both words & actions the administration is setting aside the sort of independent, science that has informed policy & investments for decades. Thanks for a thoughtful piece & a call to further action!

Why Did DOE Axe $3.7 Billion in Clean Energy Projects Days After a Global Climate Alert? | Common Dreams This is not simply a policy mistake. It’s a calculated abdication of leadership for a fleeting political win.

This DoE action does not appear to be in the public interest. The transition to clean energy is foundational to a sustainable future for society as we know it. www.commondreams.org/opinion/trum...

This is one of the companies California is suing for climate damages, companies accused of a continuing “decades-long campaign of deception” to hide the truth about the climate crisis. If only they could go beyond advertising & be part of the climate solution.

Commentary: What do the Dodgers and Giants have in common? An iconic ad — for Big Oil 76 gasoline is now advertising at Oracle Park. Is it an epic betrayal or a climate fail?

What do the Dodgers, Giants and also the cheating Houston Astros have in common?

As of this month, they're all sponsored by the oil giant that owns 76 gasoline.

My column on the power of advertising, and Big Oil's sneaky strategy for making you love them: www.latimes.com/environment/...

This New Yorker cover aptly reports the administration's foreign policy.

US Senate blocks California’s electric car mandate in historic vote Today’s decision could upend California’s phaseout of gas-powered cars and diesel trucks, and its battle against air pollution. California plans to sue, saying it's an unlawful act.

The switch from gasoline to electric vehicles remains urgent & although the individual & societal benefits are huge, the transition requires our collective action through government policy & support. calmatters.org/environment/...

Is a photo subversive? NSF staff overcome obstacles to 75th anniversary portrait Management tried to quash outpouring of support for beleaguered agency

The U.S. National Science Foundation develops the knowledge for a productive, sustainable, safe future for all Americans & should not be reduced by the Administration & Congress to serve a narrow set of goals advocated by a single political view. www.science.org/content/arti...

Frontiers | Overcoming barriers and uncertainties to investing in forested watershed restoration in California IntroductionLarge-scale investments in restoring California’s forested watersheds are imperative for conserving biodiversity, enhancing water quality, and mi...

Survey highlights: 1-Barriers: financial & workforce; uncertainties: climate, outcome, operations. 2-Environmental & economic benefits are key. 3-Lowering wildfire risk is primary, plus water & environmental co-benefits. 4-Collaboration can lower barriers.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/for...

The hidden ways Trump, DOGE are shutting down parts of the U.S. government Limits on spending have incapacitated parts of agencies as varied as the National Park Service and the Pentagon.

This attack on the government functions we depend on is not in the public interest. The projected savings will not offset the tax breaks they are planning for high wage earners? wapo.st/4mbFDy0

Reading the news these days makes one wish for a normal environment that rejects quid pro quo & other forms of corruption, and focuses on measures that are in the public interest.