Nostr notes by David Roberts

The US periodically murders, without trial, people in boats that ...

2026-10-28T18:20:59Z

The US periodically murders, without trial, people in boats that it has deemed to be involved in drug smuggling.

Again: this is murder, plain and simple. There is no law, national or international, that can even pretend to justify it. The US has simply claimed the right to murder whoever it wants.

[U.S. military says 5 were kill...](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-military-says-5-were-killed-by-a-strike-on-an-alleged-drug-smuggling-boat-in-the-eastern-pacific )

Guys, Florida found a way to deal with the risks of climate ...

2026-10-28T03:18:22Z

Guys, Florida found a way to deal with the risks of climate change.

[Florida Sues Climate Modeler F...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-27/florida-sues-climate-modeler-first-street-over-home-risk-scores?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=6ae0ae7527f3420001c8c584&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky )

"In a series of interviews with Democratic staff on the House ...

2026-10-26T18:03:14Z

"In a series of interviews with Democratic staff on the House Judiciary Committee, Beatrice Keul said Trump raped her that year in 'brutal' fashion in a hotel room at Trump’s Plaza Hotel in Atlantic City after the pair spent time with Jeffrey Epstein ..."

[Woman Describes ‘Brutal’ Rape ...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beatrice-keul-donald-trump-rape-allegation_n_6adb428ce4b04787f03a7bdc?origin=home-latest-news-unit )

This has been the fundamental mechanism through which political ...

2026-10-20T19:46:16Z

This has been the fundamental mechanism through which political media operates my entire life. The right makes a bunch of noise about a fake scandal, the mainstream media "covers the controversy," & normie voters get the vague impression that Dems are constantly involved in scandal.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2amnkge5a6hplfwyesmxqkfl/post/3myda3fmoss2v

Governing via ballot initiative, where any motivated billionaire ...

2026-10-19T20:32:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…27f7
_________________________

Governing via ballot initiative, where any motivated billionaire can buy enough signatures to get something on the ballot that reverses democratically passed legislation ... is not great.

And the one on "biological males" in sports makes no ...

2026-10-19T20:04:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…h5s3
_________________________

And the one on "biological males" in sports makes no mention of the fact that all girls will face genital evaluation if they want to play sports in school at all.

Basically, if I hadn't closely read a helpful voter guide, I -- an engaged, literate voter! -- would be utterly at sea on these.

First you have to vote no on a measure that would repeal an ...

2026-10-19T20:03:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…ner2
_________________________

First you have to vote no on a measure that would repeal an income tax on the wealthy -- a double negative.

The one on "parental rights" is completely impenetrable. I just voted "no" because the progs all told me to. I still couldn't tell you exactly what it means.

I voted last night: sat at my dinner table, read several voter ...

2026-10-19T20:01:36Z

I voted last night: sat at my dinner table, read several voter guides, discussed the choices with my family, filled out my ballot, put it in an envelope, dropped it in a ballot box. Civilized, safe, reliable system.

I'll say though: the wording on the ballot initiatives is *opaque* this year.

Which of these is not like the others? ...

2026-10-16T17:50:52Z

Which of these is not like the others?
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreidaxkq2wwbbk7loja3wcurusufes7qa4tdxqbvbw6rrihanipoqay

Just wild that this is the explicit message. ...

2026-10-14T00:20:28Z

Just wild that this is the explicit message.
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreigw3xfzv2meh4sws3qfmira3drojdpdp52pnvmmc2h4rfsmnhfiea

The more combative Dems get, the more of this they will run into. ...

2026-10-11T22:29:57Z

The more combative Dems get, the more of this they will run into. It will be a coordinated wave of elite opinion, scolding them, tamping them down. The fight strategy *only* works if they are willing to bull their way through it, blow it off, mock it. (Their history does not raise one's hopes.)

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:xdtqbgxxdtslrdu7f5pfvuyy/post/3mxilyirgrs2i

As always with Rs, the sense is not so much that they deny the ...

2026-10-07T17:36:15Z

As always with Rs, the sense is not so much that they deny the physical phenomenon of climate change as the presence or absence of the phenomenon simply never enters their thinking. They interact with it *purely* as a partisan matter, something libs care about. No awareness of a world beyond.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mxbx5poiy42i

Today on Volts: On Sep. 14, at Seattle's Town Hall, I spoke ...

2026-10-07T16:40:23Z

Today on Volts: On Sep. 14, at Seattle's Town Hall, I spoke with policy wonk Leah Stokes (npub1fnn…z8ja) about her new book The Carbon Wave, which weaves together the story of the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act with her personal story of a risky pregnancy. It's a page-turner! We had a blast.

[The grueling fight to pass the...](https://www.volts.wtf/p/the-grueling-fight-to-pass-the-inflation )

Holy shit. ...

2026-10-05T20:07:08Z

Holy shit.
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreidcex5xwpsaaaagxsw3muxg6u2cfatklgnz2bccznmmgz7yitdjye

Great commentary in Nature Energy: "Smart energy must address ...

2026-09-28T20:02:50Z

Great commentary in Nature Energy: "Smart energy must address enshittification risks."

I really don't think people are taking these risks seriously enough.

[Smart energy must address ensh...](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-026-02138-y )

It's so funny that Mamdani is doing exactly what the ...

2026-09-18T17:38:23Z

It's so funny that Mamdani is doing *exactly* what the abundance types are calling for -- competent government in service of constituents' quality of life -- but they can't embrace him because their billionaire donors hate Muslims.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fji27tmf5mynmv3wipvwfdfv/post/3mvsizv2dws2w

Tomorrow, I'm interviewing ...

2026-09-17T17:08:15Z

Tomorrow, I'm interviewing [@kingsmillbond.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy](https://bsky.brid.gy/ap/did:plc:mdz5yniaq4t43ijk7t5x63pd ) of Ember (npub1ynn…wrhg) about this report, which argues that the energy revolution & the information revolution are converging & mutually supporting, with enormous economic & geopolitical implications.

What should I ask him?

[The Age of Power | Ember](https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-age-of-power/ )

As I said the first time Trump proposed tariffs: this is ...

2026-09-16T15:50:50Z

As I said the first time Trump proposed tariffs: this is precisely why he likes them! It makes everyone come to him on bended knee, begging for exemptions. It makes economic survival dependent on his whim. That, not any economic theory, is the whole attraction. Mafia boss thinking.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:d7dtfwn6zyv3kzxegggvubue/post/3mvnglw6esk2p

Comforting. [The Census Bureau Is Overrun ...

2026-09-16T01:05:32Z

Comforting.

[The Census Bureau Is Overrun W...](https://www.wired.com/story/a-trump-aligned-think-tank-focused-on-voting-rights-has-taken-over-the-census-bureau/?cndid=62658284 )

It's telling that nobody involved is even pretending to ...

2026-09-14T19:59:29Z

It's telling that nobody involved is even pretending to defend this on policy grounds. There's not even a facade, a patina, of policy rationale. Just brute power politics.

[EPA Poised to Repeal Carbon St...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-13/trump-epa-to-rescind-carbon-standards-for-coal-gas-power-plants )

Kinda wild that Trump dismisses his long history of close ties ...

2026-09-14T18:30:34Z

Kinda wild that Trump dismisses his long history of close ties with Putin's regime as a "Russia hoax" and just ... gets away with it.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mvipsoqxk22x

"when I listen to Democratic voters, they’re not asking for ...

2026-09-14T01:15:56Z

"when I listen to Democratic voters, they’re not asking for ideological recalibration or even policy specifics. ... Instead, the Democratic voters I’m listening to are almost universally asking a different question: Why aren’t you fighting harder?"

[Voters Have a Message for Demo...](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/09/democrats-voters-focus-groups/688519/?utm_campaign=atlantic-daily-newsletter&utm_content=20260913&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&lctg=6050e33a1fc16d137f856b2f&utm_term=The%20Atlantic%20Daily )

If the strait of hormuz is closed, at least we have a backup ...

2026-09-13T00:27:12Z

If the strait of hormuz is closed, at least we have a backup pipeline to keep prices ... [finger to ear] ... I'm being told we're fucked ...

[Saudi Shuts Oil Pipeline That ...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-11/saudi-oil-pipeline-that-bypasses-hormuz-shut-after-attacks )

"We're tired of being called racist for being super ...

2026-09-11T18:41:15Z

"We're tired of being called racist for being super fucking racist" is, in fact, an accurate representation of conservative thinking. They want all their ugly instincts & prejudices but they don't want any social disapprobation for them.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mv7g7gpthv23

Interesting: Massachusetts has ordered all new data centers above ...

2026-09-09T19:44:22Z

Interesting: Massachusetts has ordered all new data centers above 25MW to procure clean power.

[mass.gov/executive-orde...](https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-658-establishing-requirements-for-responsible-data-center-development-and-operations-in-massachusetts-to-protect-and-support-ratepayers-communities-and-the-environment )

Today on Volts: a company called ...

2026-09-09T15:42:37Z

Today on Volts: a company called [@zanskargeothermal.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy](https://bsky.brid.gy/ap/did:plc:oueg32lep4ql6ynmpninybnv ) believes that conventional geothermal resources (hot, porous rock underground) are *much* more abundant than existing estimates have it, and that machine learning can help them find it efficiently. The implications are enormous.

[Is there way more conventional...](https://www.volts.wtf/p/is-there-way-more-conventional-geothermal )

For a certain kind of white man, there is no fear more primal ...

2026-09-08T18:37:33Z

For a certain kind of white man, there is no fear more primal than the fear that the people they have abused will gain power and treat them the same way.
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreigqtkttobef4txikgmijajyvs4ryjilacb74yyttubrz552r5fljq

Always a good time to remind ourselves that the US Confederacy ...

2026-09-08T00:12:16Z

Always a good time to remind ourselves that the US Confederacy was, even judged in historical context, evil -- a pathetic, morally repellant movement led by some the smarmiest narcissists ever known. It had no redeeming features & should forever be regarded with disgust & contempt.

[Trump officials strip military...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/07/trump-officials-remove-sign-arlington-cemetery-that-criticized-confederate-statue/ )

UK solar booming. [Analysis: UK solar power hits ...

2026-09-07T17:55:06Z

UK solar booming.

[Analysis: UK solar power hits ...](https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-solar-power-hits-record-high-over-summer-2026 )

I have a pod coming out in a couple of weeks with a company that ...

2026-09-04T22:13:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…0l23
_________________________

I have a pod coming out in a couple of weeks with a company that builds data centers that are quieter than libraries, use 99% less water than conventional DCs, & are specifically designed to be useful to grid managers to bring down power prices... & it has reduced public opposition approximately 0%.

Trump continues to disperse disaster recovery funds based on how ...

2026-09-04T20:17:02Z

Trump continues to disperse disaster recovery funds based on how states vote, which for any other president or public official, in any other time, in any other country, in any other context would be a morally horrific scandal that would dominate headlines for months.

[POLITICO Pro: Trump rejects di...](https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/09/trump-rejects-disaster-appeals-by-four-democratic-01063569 )

I know we're all supposed to be herding onto the anti-data ...

2026-09-04T20:08:27Z

I know we're all supposed to be herding onto the anti-data center bandwagon, but man, I worry a *lot* that it's going to overspill its borders & become a more generalized anti-wind & solar, anti-battery, anti-grid-infrastructure, anti-transmission, anti-anything mega-glonzo that leaves us worse off.

Numerous Republican candidates and elected officials have ...

2026-08-30T20:24:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…xecr
_________________________

Numerous Republican candidates and elected officials have *themselves* said worse things than the worst thing Piker has ever said. They do it regularly. The president among them.

Why does no one care?

Elon Musk, the top Republican donor, who appeared on stage ...

2026-08-30T20:20:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…xrd6
_________________________

Elon Musk, the top Republican donor, who appeared on stage regularly supporting Republicans, says worse things than the worst thing Piker has ever said *every day* on the website he bought.

Why doe no one care?

I think I can say categorically: there is not a single prominent ...

2026-08-30T20:19:53Z

I think I can say categorically: there is not a single prominent right-wing media figure, including many that regularly campaign with & for Republican candidates, who has not said worse things than the worst thing Hasan Piker has ever said on at least a weekly basis.

Why does no one care?

Professional chefs are increasingly realizing that induction ...

2026-08-30T20:08:37Z

Professional chefs are increasingly realizing that induction cooktops are superior to gas ranges, for a million reasons, but that won't stop people from herding into the comments with all the old "but mah wok!" and "but mah char!" shibboleths.

[The chefs turning down the hea...](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/28/the-chefs-turning-down-the-heat-by-switching-from-gas-to-electric )

My work-from-home life, summarized in one image. ...

2026-08-27T23:52:26Z

My work-from-home life, summarized in one image.
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreigpqlsio5vduk6poerxpw7ntqyf6fkwmhnekpby4bcb3ah5rtpzsa

Did you catch that the Trumpies want to permanently end appliance ...

2026-08-23T19:52:23Z

Did you catch that the Trumpies want to permanently end appliance efficiency standards? They have saved US consumers billions of dollars over the years, but they are a mild inconvenience to the makers of less efficient appliances, so.

[DOE wants to ‘permanently end’...](https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-proposes-rule-permanently-end-appliance-mandates/824334/ )

"Here’s the basic problem: AI has arrived in American life ...

2026-08-21T18:23:18Z

"Here’s the basic problem: AI has arrived in American life and communities across the country as a giant turd mountain. No one wants it; it makes everything worse when it arrives; and it’s been pushed and backed and cheerled by the absolute worst people in modern American life."

[AI is making everything worse](https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/ai-is-making-everything-worse )

You don't like our imperial attitude & polluting power ...

2026-08-19T17:11:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…rzjv
_________________________

You don't like our imperial attitude & polluting power plants, but ... have you met our charm?

[Tech Deploys Charm Offensive t...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-19/tech-tries-charm-offensive-to-save-trillion-dollar-ai-buildout )

Hey, what if we raised power sector greenhouse gas emissions by ...

2026-08-19T17:09:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…xf9q
_________________________

Hey, what if we raised power sector greenhouse gas emissions by 20% during a time of global heat waves?

[Data Center Gas Plants to Boos...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-18/data-center-gas-plants-to-boost-us-power-emissions-by-20 )

Tech guys: why do they hate us & our data centers so much? ...

2026-08-19T17:03:28Z

Tech guys: why do they hate us & our data centers so much?

Also tech guys: hey, what if we built the biggest fossil fuel power plant ever?!

[Nvidia Backs OpenAI’s Plan to ...](https://heatmap.news/am/nvidia-openai-gas )

I know you're not allowed to say this during the current ...

2026-08-15T19:46:57Z

I know you're not allowed to say this during the current debate, but the reason the left dominates academics, art, comedy, and music is that the right has stupid, discredited ideas, they're not funny, and dull resentment does not make for good art. No grand conspiracy required.

Don't look now, but the world has now installed 3TW of solar. ...

2026-08-04T18:54:43Z

Don't look now, but the world has now installed 3TW of solar.

Took 10 years to get from 100GW to 1TW. Less than 3 years to get to 2TW. Less than 2 years to get to 3TW.

Analysts expect *9TW* by 2036.

[The World Crossed a Major Sola...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-03/the-world-crossed-a-major-solar-milestone-no-one-noticed )

Today on Volts: in lithium-ion batteries, the cathode has been ...

2026-07-31T16:06:39Z

Today on Volts: in lithium-ion batteries, the cathode has been evolving for 30 years, but the anode has remained stubbornly graphite. Now silicon anodes, which promise 5X the energy density & charging speeds, are finally reaching commercial viability. I talk with a silicon-anode pioneer.

[Silicon anodes for batteries u...](https://www.volts.wtf/p/silicon-anodes-for-batteries-unlock )

I genuinely don't know what to do about this. In our diseased ...

2026-07-30T18:02:22Z

I genuinely don't know what to do about this. In our diseased information environment, one MAGA-adjacent "influencer" can do more to shape public opinion than mountains of studies or facts.

Where are the pro-clean-energy influencers to counter this shit?

[The influencer teaching millio...](https://heated.world/p/the-influencer-teaching-millions?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=1ltkll&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email )

Europe is jamming the accelerator on electrification. [Nine times ...

2026-07-28T19:55:50Z

Europe is jamming the accelerator on electrification.

[Nine times faster: the EU want...](https://janrosenow.substack.com/p/nine-times-faster-the-eu-wants-to )

Israel is giving Trump's former campaign manager millions of ...

2026-07-28T19:15:21Z

Israel is giving Trump's former campaign manager millions of dollars to fill the internet with pro-Israel articles written by AI, not so that anyone will actually read them, but so that *LLMs will train on them* & regurgitate their perspective.

This is the future of the information environment.

[Israel Is Paying Millions to T...](https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-brad-parscale-ai-chatbots-gaza?publication_id=2510348&post_id=208838504&isFreemail=true&r=deoq&triedRedirect=true )

One of the most interesting dynamics going on in energy world: as ...

2026-07-27T18:47:01Z

One of the most interesting dynamics going on in energy world: as the need for storage duration creeps up, are li-ion (and na-ion) batteries going to keep up or will some threshold be crossed where either long-duration storage or clean-firm becomes more economical?

[Sweet spot for battery storage...](https://reneweconomy.com.au/sweet-spot-for-battery-storage-now-7-hours-growing-to-8-5-hours-as-coal-exit-looms/ )

As energy bills rise, the US DOE deletes money-saving energy ...

2026-07-22T19:58:19Z

As energy bills rise, the US DOE deletes money-saving energy efficiency tips from its website.

You think it can't be this stupid, but it is: the libs like using energy efficiently, so to own the libs, we must waste energy, at any cost.

[Why did energy-saving tips dis...](https://grist.org/politics/energy-department-saving-disappear-website/ )

Virtually every country in the world except for the US is ...

2026-07-18T17:45:01Z

Virtually every country in the world *except* for the US is responding to the Iran War in a rational way -- ie, trying to reduce their reliance in imported fossil fuels.

[How the Iran War Is Driving De...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-17/how-the-iran-war-is-driving-demand-for-clean-energy?srnd=phx-industries-energy )

Read/listen all about how a "land value tax" can ...

2026-07-12T19:48:48Z

Read/listen all about how a "land value tax" can discourage land speculation & encourage dense building on the highest value land, ie, land near urban cores.
[www.volts.wtf/p/want-less-...](https://www.volts.wtf/p/want-less-sprawl-and-more-urban-infill )

[Want less sprawl and more urba...](https://www.volts.wtf/p/want-less-sprawl-and-more-urban-infill )

Fuck, man, when I was in college I could write a 10 page paper on ...

2026-07-10T22:32:09Z

Fuck, man, when I was in college I could write a 10 page paper on *anything*! I didn't even need the CliffNotes! Just gimme, like, a one-paragraph description of the subject.

Is the fine art of bullshitting dying alongside literacy?

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ydyvphmnk7uamu34wxfrfsme/post/3mqckeo64bk2i

I inadvertently crossed over into the "Discover" feed and ...

2026-07-10T16:54:50Z

I inadvertently crossed over into the "Discover" feed and now my life is hell.

Adding: as far as I can tell, the Bluesky "mute thread" feature just flat-out doesn't work.

Today on Volts: Property taxes combine a tax on land value with a ...

2026-07-10T16:39:47Z

Today on Volts: Property taxes combine a tax on land value with a tax on the value of the buildings on the land. The latter discourages building and encourages land speculation. Shifting the tax to the former -- a "land value tax" -- produces better land use. They're pushing for it in Spokane, WA!

[Want less sprawl and more urba...](https://www.volts.wtf/p/want-less-sprawl-and-more-urban-infill )

The thing is, doing sports like Norway (focused on fun, ...

2026-07-09T23:05:06Z

The thing is, doing sports like Norway (focused on fun, companionship, team spirit) rather than the US (focused on intensity, suffering, competition, which individual is "best") isn't just healthier & more pro-social, it produces *better athletes*.

[A Recent Supreme Court Opinion...](https://slate.com/culture/2026/07/norway-soccer-erling-haaland-united-states-world-cup.html?tpcc=newsletter-email-Culture-traffic )

The NYT sees its mission as lecturing Democrats -- their ...

2026-07-09T18:24:51Z

The NYT sees its mission as lecturing Democrats -- their publisher & editors have said as much -- and they're by-god going to keep doing even as fascists dismantle US democracy all around them.

[Opinion | The Democrats Can’t ...](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/opinion/graham-platner-suspends-campaign-democrats-lessons.html )

Take all your "cover parking lots with solar panels" ...

2026-07-04T19:10:19Z

Take all your "cover parking lots with solar panels" energy and channel it to this instead:

[Stop incentivizing surface par...](https://progressandpoverty.substack.com/p/stop-incentivizing-surface-parking )

This is a great example of what's called "pluralistic ...

2026-06-29T17:04:52Z

This is a great example of what's called "pluralistic ignorance" -- the phenomenon whereby most people share a particular view, but they *don't think other people share it*. In this case: most people are concerned about climate change but think others aren't.

[Over 50% of Americans say clim...](https://sherwood.news/world/over-50-of-americans-say-climate-change-is-a-serious-threat-only-10-think-their-compatriots-feel-the-same/?_bhlid=77b8963294461e823c1196029d6c9b9520b0c5b5 )

Huh. [MAGA Curious CBS Boss Hit by ...

2026-06-24T18:14:59Z

Huh.

[MAGA Curious CBS Boss Hit by S...](https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-curious-cbs-boss-bari-weiss-hit-by-stunning-ratings-collapse/ )

Today on Volts: Hot enough for you? Global demand for cooling is ...

2026-06-24T16:09:58Z

Today on Volts: Hot enough for you? Global demand for cooling is expected to triple by 2050, potentially doubling its ~7% of global carbon emissions. How can we keep people cool in a warming world without accelerating that warming? I talk with an expert about doing air conditioning right.

[How to keep people cool withou...](https://www.volts.wtf/p/how-to-keep-people-cool-without-making )

My favorite picture from the Missoula, MT, pride parade. ...

2026-06-22T20:31:32Z

My favorite picture from the Missoula, MT, pride parade. (Courtesy of Mrs. Volts)
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreiant62e2kc4qp5asvfwnyavp5zndjwxsd5wjhyhubxoo5jaftquim

Always a Tesla. RE: ...

2026-06-20T19:26:07Z

Always a Tesla.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:nvb7bhbjmwoh4duxhmyuwzdl/post/3moqeah2xs423

"Something remarkable happened in April. For the first time ...

2026-06-08T16:19:25Z

"Something remarkable happened in April. For the first time in history, wind and solar generated more electricity than gas across the entire planet. Not in a country. Not in a region. Globally."

Tons of great news here from Danny Kennedy (via [@billmckibben.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy](https://bsky.brid.gy/ap/did:plc:t6ylzujdaa3f6mlpxn6gjqf5 )'s newsletter, which rules).

[Elite Cognitive Dissonance and...](https://proelectrica.substack.com/p/elite-cognitive-dissonance-and-the )

"AI has Amazoned hiring. It has scrubbed the uniqueness out ...

2026-06-07T18:25:50Z

"AI has Amazoned hiring. It has scrubbed the uniqueness out of applications, flooded the market with same-same-seeming offerings, increased the number of frauds, and replaced personal discretion with brute algorithmic assessment."

My poor 22yo is about to graduate into this. 😞

[AI Has Ruined the Job Market](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/06/ai-job-market-hiring/687403/?lctg=6050e33a1fc16d137f856b2f )

"A new peer-reviewed analysis, which tested 197 homes across ...

2026-06-03T00:13:32Z

"A new peer-reviewed analysis, which tested 197 homes across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, found that 93% of homes served by gas had consistently elevated indoor methane levels compared to all-electric homes."

Quit poisoning your family: go electric!

[Indoor methane consistently ab...](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0348496 )

The idea that only nuclear or gas can provide "firm ...

2026-06-02T16:53:33Z

The idea that only nuclear or gas can provide "firm power" -- the last line of defense against the relentless advance of clean energy -- is going the way of the dodo.

There are no arguments left. The only reason to fight progress now is corruption & raw political power.

[24/7 renewables could happen s...](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/24-7-renewables-could-happen-soon )

Congrats everyone: thanks to the AI boom, the US is now investing ...

2026-06-01T19:03:01Z

Congrats everyone: thanks to the AI boom, the US is now investing more in fossil fuel power than China, a country with four times the population.

[AI boom means US is now ‘inves...](https://www.carbonbrief.org/ai-boom-means-us-is-now-investing-more-in-fossil-fuel-power-than-china/ )

God, reading about UK politics is depressing. There is a massive, ...

2026-06-01T05:03:39Z

God, reading about UK politics is depressing. There is a massive, coordinated media attack on Net Zero, led by the RW press (& accelerated by Musk's X). It is *wildly* out of sync with public opinion, but it is slowly working, convincing even labour MPs that the public is more right than it is.

[What’s happened to the UK’s cl...](https://strongmessagehere.substack.com/p/whats-happened-to-the-uks-climate )

Even the clean energy grants & loans that the Trumpies have ...

2026-05-25T16:45:46Z

Even the clean energy grants & loans that the Trumpies have not illegally cancelled or blocked are not getting out the door at DOE, for the simple fact that there's no one there to manage them.

[The Department of Energy Is Sp...](https://heatmap.news/energy/doe-spending-2025 )

Grid-scale batteries are going in an absolutely wild pace. Every ...

2026-05-15T17:16:27Z

Grid-scale batteries are going in an absolutely wild pace.

Every whingey objection to renewables you've ever heard is basically solved by batteries. This is happening whether any of the hopeless dipshits running the US want it or not.

[The world is installing grid b...](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/world-installing-grid-batteries )

If Dems are looking for good ideas to bring down electricity ...

2026-05-12T16:55:34Z

If Dems are looking for good ideas to bring down electricity bills, I recommend that they ditch the slopulism and look to this excellent analysis from [@rewiringamerica.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy](https://bsky.brid.gy/ap/did:plc:mi3xtl3fguopsmcfukfpp52m ) for ideas:

[Rewiring America releases “Hom...](https://www.rewiringamerica.org/newsroom/press-releases/rewiring-america-releases-homegrown-energy-blueprint-to-lower-costs-for-96-percent-of-eligible-us-households )

At this point, solving climate change is cheaper than not solving ...

2026-05-10T00:50:11Z

At this point, solving climate change is cheaper than not solving it -- not only on some grand 50 year time horizon, but tomorrow, today, immediately. Soving climate change *is* affordability. Maybe Dems should tell voters about that.

Meanwhile the California grid now boasts the equivalent of 12 ...

2026-05-06T06:13:24Z

Meanwhile the California grid now boasts the equivalent of 12 nuclear power plants worth of batteries -- the total cost of which was, I suspect, less than a single nuclear plant.

[California’s Battery Array Is ...](https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05052026/california-battery-power/ )

You know how people are always saying we should put solar panels ...

2026-04-30T20:05:30Z

You know how people are always saying we should put solar panels over canals? The land is already used & it would help prevent evaporation.

Well, they finally did one!

[Project Nexus - TID Water & Po...](https://www.tid.org/current-projects/project-nexus/ )

There's just really no way to exaggerate how dumb & ...

2026-04-29T20:44:23Z

There's just really no way to exaggerate how dumb & pathetic & offputting I find everything about this.
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreifc5gqbor7elcf66ukmckg67ngz3gg4eemzggwusbk5on76nu5s74

In Florida, Gov. Desantis signs a bill that would prohibit ...

2026-04-27T19:47:33Z

In Florida, Gov. Desantis signs a bill that would prohibit Florida cities from tracking their greenhouse gas emissions.

Yes, you heard that right. Never mind doing anything about them: they're not allowed to *track them*.

[DeSantis signs bill on Earth D...](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/climate-change/article315511327.html )

Biden's EPA was going to eventually require gas plants to use ...

2026-04-27T19:41:53Z

Biden's EPA was going to eventually require gas plants to use carbon capture & sequestration.

No more. They can pollute freely forever, says EPA.

[Power plant repeal: Coming soo...](https://www.eenews.net/articles/power-plant-repeal-coming-soon-in-two-parts/ )

Still feel like "Musk and his crew of incels destroyed a ...

2026-04-23T17:31:14Z

Still feel like "Musk and his crew of incels destroyed a bunch of stuff they didn't understand and thereby hastened the deaths of millions of children" did not get the public attention it warranted.

[USAID Whistleblower Says It Wa...](https://www.wired.com/story/usaid-whistleblower-says-it-was-even-worse-than-people-knew/ )

Today, instead of marinating in bad vibes online, Mrs. Volts ...

2026-04-17T22:23:11Z

Today, instead of marinating in bad vibes online, Mrs. Volts & I took the bus downtown, had breakfast & coffee at a cool little pop-up Ethiopian place, strolled the waterfront, visited the aquarium, got a slice at DiLaurenti's, got some fresh little donuts from the fresh little donut place...
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreifrh6jyyxjgyv4g4p6f6b76dlzdswhgehxjfrjnsvhuzegevgeuam

A modest tax on second homes is the scariest thing this rich lady ...

2026-04-16T20:29:52Z

A modest tax on second homes is the scariest thing this rich lady has ever seen.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6arqeda2f5piwu7zien3b2hq/post/3mjmlngaac22y
nostr:note1xjws5vksq5c37vr9xgecdvl4rwmxxnzxgw6fdnw7qj5cazzhn4hs306jde

A milestone in March: for the first time ever, renewables ...

2026-04-11T17:05:46Z

A milestone in March: for the first time ever, renewables provided more power on the US grid than natural gas.

[In a first, renewables beat na...](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/renewables-beat-natural-gas-us-grid-march-2026 )

Rooftop solar has come out of nowhere and is now 20% of Puerto ...

2026-04-02T20:18:10Z

Rooftop solar has come out of nowhere and is now 20% of Puerto Rico's energy generation mix -- more than natural gas.

[Rooftop solar reaches 20% of P...](https://www.utilitydive.com/news/rooftop-solar-puerto-rico-generation-mix-eia/816499/ )

jesus christ [BREAKING: Trump ...

2026-04-01T23:42:53Z

jesus christ

[BREAKING: Trump Administration...](https://morethanjustparks.substack.com/p/breaking-trump-administration-orders )

I know I've said this a trillion times but I have to say it ...

2026-03-18T19:57:31Z

I know I've said this a trillion times but I have to say it periodically to keep from going insane:

The right ran a huge, well-funded, & ultimately successful campaign to completely take over political media & the infosphere more generally. This is by far the most important political development...

Had a lovely coffee and chat with Bend mayor ...

2026-03-02T19:31:05Z

Had a lovely coffee and chat with Bend mayor [@melaniekebler.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy](https://bsky.brid.gy/ap/did:plc:ecubdajsr622tm2fkcvxbodw ) this morning. The city is growing like crazy but also rapidly densifying, adding bike lanes, reforming zoning, pushing back on new gas, etc. Fascinating case study & just a wonderful place.
https://shiitake.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:twjze4qqf6fgxz33ct52wlnl&cid=bafkreiashnx7wskhhbp2xf6yjxnryms54rccdi3j4wddgsytlcsghhue7a

So, so instructive to compare media response to Afghanistan ...

2026-03-01T22:46:02Z

So, so instructive to compare media response to Afghanistan withdrawal -- months of hysterical garment-rending & catastrophizing, relentless criticism of the admin -- with the response to an unprovoked, unmotivated, illegal war of aggression, ie, "some critics say maybe Trump should have reasons."

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:swgxwbir4rrimj57pf75jckf/post/3mfzqwvxbbk2k

It has occurred to me that the optimal level of marketing for my ...

2026-02-23T20:40:11Z

It has occurred to me that the optimal level of marketing for my podcast Volts, upon which my family's entire income depends, might be higher than its current level of zero.

[Subscribe to Volts](https://www.volts.wtf/subscribe )

This. It would be really, really great if Democrats would start ...

2026-02-13T21:53:33Z

This. It would be really, really great if Democrats would start *consistently* calling out the way that the media is led around like f'ing children by the right-wing hate machine.

Don't just accept the frame. Call out the frame. Force viewers to confront the frame. It's so f'ing basic.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:vfr7coufv4dn52ds6seily2m/post/3mepigr725o22

"Republicans were ready. Democrats weren't." is an ...

2026-02-13T20:26:02Z

"Republicans were ready. Democrats weren't." is an apt description of most of the major social & political developments of my lifetime.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:bpna2qi2e44fafbhhtqjak3x/post/3merbwpage22f

One more quick thread, and then I'm getting out of here to ...

2026-02-12T20:57:19Z

One more quick thread, and then I'm getting out of here to walk my dog in the sun.

I think a lot about the authoritarian personality. I won't start going on about that because this thread would last forever, but I just want to say one thing about it.

I really hate this fucking guy. [The Real Reason Jeff Bezos ...

2026-02-08T20:34:20Z

I really hate this fucking guy.

[The Real Reason Jeff Bezos Kil...](https://slate.com/business/2026/02/jeff-bezos-washington-post-layoffs.html )

Kinda funny that Trump thinks "asylum" means other ...

2026-01-19T21:03:57Z

Kinda funny that Trump thinks "asylum" means other countries send people from insane asylums, and a) this is real life, not a ham-handed Idiocracy-type satire, b) he has surely been corrected several times but is incapable of updating his priors, & c) most media politely agree not to mention it.

They developed the "high school girl's sports" angle ...

2025-12-17T18:47:29Z

They developed the "high school girl's sports" angle as a wedge issue, to lever their way up to full society-wide discrimination. What's endlessly stunning to me is how many purported liberals a) helped them when it started & b) are still helping them even after the larger purpose has become clear!

More than 600 Americans faced professional consequences for ...

2025-12-16T20:47:20Z

More than 600 Americans faced professional consequences for saying things deemed insufficiently reverential after the death of Charlie Kirk. And then there was Rob Reiner.

Read Parker Molloy (npub1hln…0lua)'s infuriating forensic analysis:

[The Rules of Grief](https://www.readtpa.com/p/the-rules-of-grief?publication_id=2282&post_id=181719855&isFreemail=false&r=bzxnl&triedRedirect=true )

A new report on civic freedoms concludes that "the US is no ...

2025-12-10T17:40:54Z

A new report on civic freedoms concludes that "the US is no longer a functional democracy."

Congrats everyone. And a *special* congrats to the Harpers letter signatories, free-speech warriors, and "anti-woke" crusaders. You saved us from woke! Great work.

[🇺🇸 America Just Got Downgraded...](https://deanblundell.substack.com/p/america-just-got-downgraded-the-united )

Some simple moral clarity. Our country is run, and our public ...

2025-12-06T19:28:17Z

Some simple moral clarity. Our country is run, and our public life is dominated by, wicked people.

I wish there were a party -- or christ, just a substantial faction of Americans -- who stood up for love, compassion, & decency with the same vigor these fucking ghouls celebrate murder.

[Opinion | What Trump Is Really...](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/opinion/trump-boat-strikes.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share )

This piece from @npub1pg6…0gsj is about the only sensible thing ...

2025-12-03T18:57:58Z

This piece from Tyler Norris (npub1pg6…0gsj) is about the only sensible thing NYT has published on the subject of electricity prices.

[Opinion | A Simple Fix to Amer...](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/opinion/electricity-power-bills-ai-data-centers.html )

Today on Volts: while some blue states hedge on their green ...

2025-12-03T17:28:22Z

Today on Volts: while some blue states hedge on their green commitments, Illinois is doubling down, passing its third major energy bill in a decade. Among other things, this one empowers the state's utility regulator to directly procure clean energy. I get into it w/ two of its architects.

[How Illinois passed its third ...](https://www.volts.wtf/p/how-illinois-passed-its-third-big )

Lol, Zillow tried to rate the climate risks facing individual ...

2025-11-30T20:04:06Z

Lol, Zillow tried to rate the climate risks facing individual properties. The real estate industry *hated* it, precisely because it worked -- it made selling risky properties more difficult. So they rebelled & Zillow caved.

Don't look up!

[Zillow Removes Climate Risk Sc...](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/climate/zillow-climate-risk-scores-homes.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5E8.pnKU.tdqxwARPeVCp&smid=bs-share )