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jpcollins.me
James P. Collins
@jpcollins.me
1.4K followers 900 following 110 posts

UNC Planning PhD candidate studying geographies of climate risk and (im)mobility — jpcollins.me

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jpcollins.me
James P. Collins @jpcollins.me · Nov 16
hi new folks!

I’m a PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill planning studying climate adaptation, (non)migration, and well-being. ⚠️🧪🏡

My current project describes built and behavioral adaptations in rural communities facing chronic coastal flooding. sunny-day-flooding-project.github.io/carteret-flo...
Chronic coastal flooding tolerance in rural North Carolina
We asked rural communities how they are dealing with chronic flooding from changes in tides, wind, and rainfall.
sunny-day-flooding-project.github.io

jpcollins.me
James P. Collins @jpcollins.me · 10d
"The study’s findings are also in line with previous research: A 2021 study suggested that PM2.5 from wildfires is up to 10 times more harmful than PM2.5 from other sources, such as ambient pollution."
emfurd.bsky.social Emily Gardner @emfurd.bsky.social · 13d
Stroke risk doesn't seem to change much whether people are exposed to 1, 2 or 3 years of non-smoke PM2.5 pollution.

“But for smoke, this picture is very different,” said Yang Liu. "The longer you’re exposed to smoke, the greater your stroke risk.”

New from me in @eos.org.
eos.org/articles/wil...
Wildfire Smoke Linked to 17,000 Strokes Annually in the United States - Eos
A study of 25 million Medicare participants adds to a body of evidence suggesting that prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke is more harmful to human health than other forms of air pollution.
eos.org

Reposted by James P. Collins

emfurd.bsky.social
Emily Gardner @emfurd.bsky.social · 13d
Stroke risk doesn't seem to change much whether people are exposed to 1, 2 or 3 years of non-smoke PM2.5 pollution.

“But for smoke, this picture is very different,” said Yang Liu. "The longer you’re exposed to smoke, the greater your stroke risk.”

New from me in @eos.org.
eos.org/articles/wil...
Wildfire Smoke Linked to 17,000 Strokes Annually in the United States - Eos
A study of 25 million Medicare participants adds to a body of evidence suggesting that prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke is more harmful to human health than other forms of air pollution.
eos.org

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, James P. Collins

nber.org
NBER @nber.org · 15d
New data show that business concentration has increased persistently in many countries over the past century by sales, net income, and capital, but not by employment, from Yueran Ma, Mengdi Zhang, and Kaspar Zimmermann www.nber.org/papers/w34711

Reposted by Valerie M. Delmotte, Scott C. Doney, James P. Collins , and 3 more

djgagnedos.bsky.social
David John Gagne II @djgagnedos.bsky.social · 17d
NSF just posted their Dear Colleague Letter regarding the restructuring of NCAR. www.nsf.gov/funding/info...
NSF Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Infrastructure
www.nsf.gov

Reposted by Clark Gray

jpcollins.me
James P. Collins @jpcollins.me · 17d
@nws.noaa.gov's experimental probabilistic precip forecast shows the chance of snow, ice, and total accumulations through Monday
NWS Probabilistic Precipitation Portal
www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov

jpcollins.me
James P. Collins @jpcollins.me · 22d
any primers on this in utilities you can recommend?

Reposted by James P. Collins

reedh2o.bsky.social
Reed Maxwell @reedh2o.bsky.social · 24d
New work from our team: we mapped water table depth at 30-meter resolution across the entire continental US.
That's ~8 billion grid cells, trained on over 1 million well observations. Highest-resolution estimate to date.
Map of water table depth across the continental United States at 30-meter resolution, with inset panels showing detail at 100km, 10km, and 1km scales in both eastern and western US locations. Color scale shows depth from shallow (blue) to deep (yellow) on a log scale.

jpcollins.me
James P. Collins @jpcollins.me · 25d
rabbit hole OTD "I consider the role of animals in gentrification processes ... how the materialities of horse bodies are embodied in specific landscape changes: qualities of pasture, styles of fencing and stables ... and lead to the territorialisation and contestation of broader rural landscapes."
Horsification: Embodied gentrification in rural landscapes
In this paper, I consider the role of animals in gentrification processes, developing a conceptualisation of ‘horsification’: the proliferation of hor…
www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by James P. Collins

stevekoller.bsky.social
Steve Koller @stevekoller.bsky.social · 25d
Neptune Flood (subsidiary of NYSE:NP) is actively working to privatize the NFIP. Company leadership has communicated their work and this goal, in line with Project 2025, to the White House.

Privatization would have big implications for flood-prone communities.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/c...
How One Company Is Pushing a Private Takeover of Flood Insurance
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by James P. Collins

essl-ecss.bsky.social
European Severe Storms Laboratory @essl-ecss.bsky.social · 28d
Is damaging hail getting worse? An ESSL-led study published in Nature Geoscience finds that very large hail is modelled to occur most frequently in South America, the United States, and South Africa, but Europe shows the strongest increase in very large hail frequency. doi.org/10.1038/s415...
A map of the world showing the modeled trend of large hail between 1950 and 2023.

Reposted by James P. Collins

johnholbein1.bsky.social
John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · 29d
Have you ever heard of the black-white mortality crossover?

Before about 82, black men have higher age-specific probabilities of dying than white men.

Between roughly 82–86, the gap closes.

After 86, the pattern actually reverses: white men become more likely to die at each age than black men.

Reposted by Stefan Rahmstorf, Timon McPhearson, James P. Collins , and 8 more

katharinehayhoe.com
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · Jan 8
After the US admin cancelled the $B Climate + Weather Disaster dataset, @climatecentral.org hired the scientists who ran it and set it back up.

Now the 2025 numbers are in: it's 3rd highest year on record and highest year w/o land-falling hurricanes.

More: www.climatecentral.org/climate-serv...
A map of the US with each 2025 billion-plus dollar weather and climate disaster geo-located on it. Source: Climate Central

Reposted by James P. Collins

npr.org
NPR @npr.org · Jan 6
County officials told KQED on Monday the exact damage estimates aren’t yet known, but that hundreds of structures were impacted by the flooding brought on by stronger-than-expected rainfall and king tides, the highest tides of the year. (via @kqednews.kqed.org)
Marin County Looked Like ‘a Lagoon’ After King Tides, Heavy Rain | KQED
Flooding in Marin County this weekend foreshadows a far wetter future due to human-caused climate change.
n.pr

Reposted by Clark Gray

jpcollins.me
James P. Collins @jpcollins.me · Jan 5
"Nutrition is a central determinant of human health, yet the direct impacts of climate on dietary intake remain poorly understood ... [we] show that both extreme heat and cold trigger a shift toward energy-dense diets, adding a previously overlooked behavioral channel to the climate–health nexus."
Extreme Temperatures Promote High-Fat Diets
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org

Reposted by Reece Jones, Elizabeth Saunders, James P. Collins , and 21 more

Reposted by James P. Collins, Sebastián Roché, Jens Rydgren

johnholbein1.bsky.social
John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · Dec 25
Researchers recently asked Americans what income level other people need in order to live a good life.

A whopping 86% of Americans reported income levels well below what others say they themselves need.

Fascinating!

Reposted by James P. Collins, Peter Gratton

johnholbein1.bsky.social
John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · Dec 22
What would it cost to end extreme poverty?

"We estimate that reducing the poverty rate to 1% ... would cost $170B nominal per year."

"The results correspond to a cost of (approximately) ending extreme poverty of roughly 0.3% of global GDP."

Reposted by James P. Collins

profjohndrury.bsky.social
John Drury @profjohndrury.bsky.social · Dec 21
'respondents with multiple flood experience are more likely to perceive social norms supporting individual protective behavior, ascribe more responsibility to public authorities and less to their community'

nhess.copernicus.org/articles/25/...
Polarization in Flood Risk Management? Sensitivity of Norm Perception and Responsibility Attribution to Frequent Flood Experience
Abstract. In this study, we examine the relationship between frequent flood experience (FFE), norm perception, and responsibility attribution. Given that floods are assumed to occur more often in the ...
nhess.copernicus.org

Reposted by James P. Collins

jjrennie.bsky.social
Jared Rennie @jjrennie.bsky.social · Dec 18
Where rivers have flooded in 2025, using data from USGS and @nws.noaa.gov

#StateOfFlood

Reposted by James P. Collins, Philip N. Cohen, Juan Cole , and 5 more

karenguzzo.bsky.social
Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · Dec 18
America First, at America’s first public university.
UNC cuts all six area studies research centers, effective 2026
As part of the University's plan to make $70 million in budget cuts across the institution, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations Nate Knuffman projected that cutting 14 centers and institutes in...
www.dailytarheel.com

Reposted by James P. Collins, Diane E. Pataki

carlonimbus.bsky.social
Carlos Martinez, PhD @carlonimbus.bsky.social · Dec 17
@ucs.org has released a letter you can write to your Congressperson to save @ncar-ucar.bsky.social

Share your voice on the significant value of this bedrock climate and weather insitution. Your story matters!

secure.ucs.org/a/2025-prote...
Protect the National Center for Atmospheric Research
Write today and urge your members of Congress to oppose the Trump administration's plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR.) Your message to Congress will help protect NC...
secure.ucs.org

jpcollins.me
James P. Collins @jpcollins.me · Dec 17
"under-the-radar trends showcased how countries with aging populations and shrinking birthrates are seeking to fill labor market and skills gaps"
migrationpolicy.bsky.social Migration Policy Institute @migrationpolicy.bsky.social · Dec 17
The annual list of the Top 10 Migration Issues of the year is out now!

From shrinking aid budgets to AI-driven enforcement, these are the global trends that we think are reshaping movement

https://bit.ly/Top10Migration2025

Reposted by James P. Collins

migrationpolicy.bsky.social
Migration Policy Institute @migrationpolicy.bsky.social · Dec 17
The annual list of the Top 10 Migration Issues of the year is out now!

From shrinking aid budgets to AI-driven enforcement, these are the global trends that we think are reshaping movement

https://bit.ly/Top10Migration2025

Reposted by James P. Collins

coweatherman.bsky.social
Chris Vagasky @coweatherman.bsky.social · Dec 17
You know those dropsondes that get dropped into hurricanes and improve the forecasts by up to 20%?

Those are developed by NCAR and manufactured in Colorado by Vaisala.

Without NCAR developing the dropsonde, the algorithms, and software that operate it, hurricane forecasting takes a huge step back.
A brown and white tube connected to a green parachute. This is a dropsonde.

Reposted by James P. Collins, Beth Tellman

bobkopp.net
Bob Kopp @bobkopp.net · Dec 17
Time to repurpose #AGU25 as a mass mobilization in support of NCAR, NSF, NOAA, NASA, USGS, DOE BER, and the Congressional power of the purse.

Reposted by James P. Collins, Janet Murray, Julia Lynch , and 3 more

sonjadrimmer.bsky.social
Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · Dec 16
"We envision a resistance that is...a repudiation of the efficiencies that automated algorithmic education falsely promises: a resistance comprising the collective force of small acts of friction."

"How to Resist AI in Education" by me & @cnygren.bsky.social
www.publicbooks.org/four-frictio...
Four Frictions: or, How to Resist AI in Education - Public Books
We are calling for resistance to the AI industry’s ongoing capture of higher education.
www.publicbooks.org

Reposted by James P. Collins

drjeffmasters.bsky.social
Dr. Jeff Masters @drjeffmasters.bsky.social · Dec 16
It’s been observed that tropical cyclones have been migrating poleward in recent years, and climate change was suspected as a cause. But this study found SST patterns caused it, “and that future changes may differ markedly from the recent multi-decadal trends.”

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Poleward migration of tropical cyclones over 1980–2024 is dominated by Pacific variability - Nature Geoscience
A tripolar pattern of Pacific sea surface temperature variability strongly modulates tropical cyclone latitudes and largely determined their poleward migration during the period 1980–2024, according t...
www.nature.com

jpcollins.me
James P. Collins @jpcollins.me · Dec 16
“...destruction rates were linked to a shift in exposure from interface WUI to low-density wildlands ... Lower-density areas may face greater destruction likelihood as a result of lower suppression efforts, as they may have limited accessibility for firefighters or may be a lower priority...”
sophielgilbert.bsky.social Sophie Gilbert @sophielgilbert.bsky.social · Dec 15
Wildfires are getting more destructive in the US, especially in conifer forests of the Northwest...10% of exposed buildings were destroyed in 2002–2012, but this percentage more than tripled, to 32% in 2013–2022. Nice work @amandacarlson.bsky.social and co-authors! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Rising rates of wildfire building destruction in the conterminous United States | PNAS
Many regions of the world have seen an increase in highly destructive wildfires, driven by well-documented increases in burned area and growth of h...
www.pnas.org

Reposted by James P. Collins

sophielgilbert.bsky.social
Sophie Gilbert @sophielgilbert.bsky.social · Dec 15
Wildfires are getting more destructive in the US, especially in conifer forests of the Northwest...10% of exposed buildings were destroyed in 2002–2012, but this percentage more than tripled, to 32% in 2013–2022. Nice work @amandacarlson.bsky.social and co-authors! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Rising rates of wildfire building destruction in the conterminous United States | PNAS
Many regions of the world have seen an increase in highly destructive wildfires, driven by well-documented increases in burned area and growth of h...
www.pnas.org

Reposted by James P. Collins

nber.org
NBER @nber.org · Dec 15
Nursing home effort fluctuates with the inspection cycle, affecting patient survival. Unpredictable inspection schedules may boost effort and save lives, from Ashvin Gandhi, Andrew Olenski, and Maggie Shi www.nber.org/papers/w34491