Astrid Atkinson
@astridatkinson.bsky.social
Decarbonizing the grid with Camus Energy. CEO, founder, dog appreciator. Ex-Google. I know it gets dark, but there's always a light.
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
💥 I did a drawing that breaks down Transformers in AI
Spent a good amount of time on this one, breaking down concepts in a way that someone new to the subject could come away with basic high-level understanding. I hope it's useful!
Spent a good amount of time on this one, breaking down concepts in a way that someone new to the subject could come away with basic high-level understanding. I hope it's useful!
January 20, 2026 at 2:02 PM
💥 I did a drawing that breaks down Transformers in AI
Spent a good amount of time on this one, breaking down concepts in a way that someone new to the subject could come away with basic high-level understanding. I hope it's useful!
Spent a good amount of time on this one, breaking down concepts in a way that someone new to the subject could come away with basic high-level understanding. I hope it's useful!
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
NOEM IS LYING. I have seen people get taken! It was the same each time: armed men racing out of a blacked-out SUV, seizing a screaming or fleeing pedestrian, and pulling them into the car without any attempt to even learn their identity. Always a person alone on the street. Always a person of color.
January 18, 2026 at 3:26 PM
NOEM IS LYING. I have seen people get taken! It was the same each time: armed men racing out of a blacked-out SUV, seizing a screaming or fleeing pedestrian, and pulling them into the car without any attempt to even learn their identity. Always a person alone on the street. Always a person of color.
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
For @msnownews.bsky.social, I wrote an article about how ICE Watch is grounded in sociological theories of violence prevention.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
Opinion | I'm a Minneapolis sociologist who studies violence. Here's how ICE observers are helping.
Research into how violence occurs shows that disapproval from the people around you can help reduce it.
www.ms.now
January 16, 2026 at 6:55 PM
For @msnownews.bsky.social, I wrote an article about how ICE Watch is grounded in sociological theories of violence prevention.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
As a journalist, I've spent lots of time climbing around in old coal plants. They're all rotted-out, cob-webbed piles of metal, industrial haunted houses on the verge of collapse. Keeping them going is yet another sign American energy poverty and political decline.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/c...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/c...
Trump Wants to Halt Almost All Coal Plant Shutdowns. It Could Get Messy.
www.nytimes.com
January 16, 2026 at 12:06 PM
As a journalist, I've spent lots of time climbing around in old coal plants. They're all rotted-out, cob-webbed piles of metal, industrial haunted houses on the verge of collapse. Keeping them going is yet another sign American energy poverty and political decline.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/c...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/c...
This would effectively limit renewable development in the state in aggregate. So much for "level playing field".
It's a shame to see Wisconsin's attempt at commonsense policies to contain harms of unchecked data center speculative development undone by a Republican-introduced poison pill that all renewable energy used to power data centers must be built on-site...
www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat...
#energysky
www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat...
#energysky
Disputes over clean energy may doom Wisconsin data center bills
Democrats and Republicans want safeguards against rising power costs. But clashing visions for how data centers should use renewables stand in the way.
www.canarymedia.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:17 PM
This would effectively limit renewable development in the state in aggregate. So much for "level playing field".
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Sigh. Shutting down the National Center for Atmospheric Research will make the world a more dangerous place for all of us.
Colorado senators’ bid to save NCAR funding fails as U.S. Senate passes spending bills
“In the face of unrelenting political attacks from President Trump, we are standing together to protect institutions like NCAR that are vital to our state and our economy,” Sen. John Hickenlo…
www.denverpost.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:14 AM
Sigh. Shutting down the National Center for Atmospheric Research will make the world a more dangerous place for all of us.
This is an underrated component of human psychology that I see everywhere in these extraordinary times - the tendency to respond to threat by freezing and hoping the bad thing will go away. Institutions will hold, geopolitical norms will hold, the threat could not possibly come for *me*...
When I taught self defense, I would explain a common reaction many people have when they realize they're being targeted: they tend to pretend it's not happening, hoping the problem will go away on its own. There are a lot of ways to respond, but convincing yourself to ignore the threat is dangerous.
January 15, 2026 at 5:41 PM
This is an underrated component of human psychology that I see everywhere in these extraordinary times - the tendency to respond to threat by freezing and hoping the bad thing will go away. Institutions will hold, geopolitical norms will hold, the threat could not possibly come for *me*...
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Having seen several abductions up close, it is really hard to convey how much the thing they’re doing is roaming in military convoys until they see someone who is alone and isn’t white, and then jumping out in large numbers, pulling them into a van, and screeching off, all in 90 seconds or so.
"“They specifically asked me if I knew where the Hmong families lived on my street & in the neighborhood.” Lugert-Thom responded, “I don’t know anything about that” & she said they then asked, “Well, what about the Asian families?”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
A St. Paul resident says federal officers knocked on her door and asked her to identify Hmong and Asian households in her North End neighborhood last week.
January 14, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Having seen several abductions up close, it is really hard to convey how much the thing they’re doing is roaming in military convoys until they see someone who is alone and isn’t white, and then jumping out in large numbers, pulling them into a van, and screeching off, all in 90 seconds or so.
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Can flexible interconnection spare PJM customers from data center demand and rising power costs?
PJM needs flexible data centers. Here’s a blueprint.
The nation's biggest power market has to find a way to prevent data centers from driving up electricity costs. A new report has a solution.
www.canarymedia.com
January 10, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Can flexible interconnection spare PJM customers from data center demand and rising power costs?
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
PJM, the biggest U.S. power market, badly needs a way to flexibly connect data centers without driving up electricity costs. This report from Camus Energy, encoord and Princeton's ZERO Lab provides a blueprint — one backed by real-world grid data:
www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat...
#energysky
www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat...
#energysky
PJM needs flexible data centers. Here’s a blueprint.
The nation's biggest power market has to find a way to prevent data centers from driving up electricity costs. A new report has a solution.
www.canarymedia.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:11 PM
PJM, the biggest U.S. power market, badly needs a way to flexibly connect data centers without driving up electricity costs. This report from Camus Energy, encoord and Princeton's ZERO Lab provides a blueprint — one backed by real-world grid data:
www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat...
#energysky
www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat...
#energysky
We traversed dozens of airports with my son riding on his little Trunki suitcase as a toddler. I'm pretty sure that's why he can comfortably ride a horse now - he faceplanted off that thing in several countries. Unlike the assholes in the article, though, we did not encourage him to race it!
If you want to stir up curiosity — or controversy — let your children zip around an airport on a scooter or ride-on suitcase.
Kids are riding suitcases on wheels, and not everyone is amused
Ride-on luggage and scooters can help kids travel better, depending on how and where they’re used.
wapo.st
January 6, 2026 at 10:48 PM
We traversed dozens of airports with my son riding on his little Trunki suitcase as a toddler. I'm pretty sure that's why he can comfortably ride a horse now - he faceplanted off that thing in several countries. Unlike the assholes in the article, though, we did not encourage him to race it!
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
When you get the reputation of being the guy with the encouraging words on New Year's Eve, it can start to come through as a little pressure -- what if the situation on the ground is worse than usual? what if people are more scared than they usually are, and with cause? what use are good vibes then?
December 31, 2025 at 11:21 PM
When you get the reputation of being the guy with the encouraging words on New Year's Eve, it can start to come through as a little pressure -- what if the situation on the ground is worse than usual? what if people are more scared than they usually are, and with cause? what use are good vibes then?
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Head of the Revolving Door Project is baselessly accusing Jesse Jenkins of being a hyperscaler shill.
No path to decarb that is this hostile to private sector engagement. You can’t transform sectors, deploy technology, or build state capacity this way.
No path to decarb that is this hostile to private sector engagement. You can’t transform sectors, deploy technology, or build state capacity this way.
December 27, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Head of the Revolving Door Project is baselessly accusing Jesse Jenkins of being a hyperscaler shill.
No path to decarb that is this hostile to private sector engagement. You can’t transform sectors, deploy technology, or build state capacity this way.
No path to decarb that is this hostile to private sector engagement. You can’t transform sectors, deploy technology, or build state capacity this way.
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Here in Boulder, power is still out due to combination of pre-emptive shut-offs to prevent wildfire ignitions & damage from 90-100 mph wind gusts yesterday, & a similar event is inbound again Fri. I'm doing the best I can amid limited connectivity; thanks for your patience!
December 18, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Here in Boulder, power is still out due to combination of pre-emptive shut-offs to prevent wildfire ignitions & damage from 90-100 mph wind gusts yesterday, & a similar event is inbound again Fri. I'm doing the best I can amid limited connectivity; thanks for your patience!
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the world’s leading climate and weather research institutions. @hayleysmith.bsky.social @susrust.bsky.social
www.latimes.com/environment/...
www.latimes.com/environment/...
Trump administration moves to dismantle leading climate and weather research center
Experts say a closure of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., would leave millions vulnerable to worsening climate hazards.
www.latimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:50 AM
The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, one of the world’s leading climate and weather research institutions. @hayleysmith.bsky.social @susrust.bsky.social
www.latimes.com/environment/...
www.latimes.com/environment/...
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
I know many of you who follow me don't work in climate science, but this is the biggest story in climate right now. Breaking up NCAR makes us all less safe and is another act of self-harm that will take decades to recover from.
Trump administration to dismantle key climate research center
Russell Vought, who directs the White House Office of Management and Budget, announced plans to split up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, citing concerns about “clima...
wapo.st
December 17, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I know many of you who follow me don't work in climate science, but this is the biggest story in climate right now. Breaking up NCAR makes us all less safe and is another act of self-harm that will take decades to recover from.
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Oh no... Seeing the direct tweet is even more frightening. Every day is a new crisis, and the repercussions are unimaginable.
An absolute bedrock institution for understanding how the planet works, just civilization-scaled vandalism by the most incurious morons on Earth
December 17, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Oh no... Seeing the direct tweet is even more frightening. Every day is a new crisis, and the repercussions are unimaginable.
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
I've tried and failed a couple times to write a post explaining how serious this would be. NCAR is globally essential to our climate change response. This can't just be replaced. Every scientist in the world will be doing climate research with one hand tied behind their back for at least a decade
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 2:30 AM
I've tried and failed a couple times to write a post explaining how serious this would be. NCAR is globally essential to our climate change response. This can't just be replaced. Every scientist in the world will be doing climate research with one hand tied behind their back for at least a decade
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Solar is dispatchable.
"After a 40% drop in battery equipment costs in 2024, the industry is now on track for another major fall in 2025. The economics of battery storage are unrecognizable, and the industry is still adjusting to this new reality." -Kostantsa Rangelova
"After a 40% drop in battery equipment costs in 2024, the industry is now on track for another major fall in 2025. The economics of battery storage are unrecognizable, and the industry is still adjusting to this new reality." -Kostantsa Rangelova
Battery storage hits $65/MWh – a tipping point for solar
Battery storage costs have fallen to $65/MWh, making solar plus storage economically viable for reliable, dispatchable clean power.
electrek.co
December 14, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Solar is dispatchable.
"After a 40% drop in battery equipment costs in 2024, the industry is now on track for another major fall in 2025. The economics of battery storage are unrecognizable, and the industry is still adjusting to this new reality." -Kostantsa Rangelova
"After a 40% drop in battery equipment costs in 2024, the industry is now on track for another major fall in 2025. The economics of battery storage are unrecognizable, and the industry is still adjusting to this new reality." -Kostantsa Rangelova
Forget any other claims about my true non-tech calling, it's making small hats for things.
December 14, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Forget any other claims about my true non-tech calling, it's making small hats for things.
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Gift link: www.vox.com/future-perfe...
The alarming rise in antibiotic use by the meat industry
Why are we letting the meat industry ruin one of modern medicine’s greatest miracles?
www.vox.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Gift link: www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
Furthermore, even if the world were bending the curve of emissions down, the range of warming for our “current trajectory” actually includes 4C by 2100 — and it’s not like heating has been *slowing down* recently.
www.theclimatebrink.com/p/exploring-...
4/n
www.theclimatebrink.com/p/exploring-...
4/n
December 12, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Furthermore, even if the world were bending the curve of emissions down, the range of warming for our “current trajectory” actually includes 4C by 2100 — and it’s not like heating has been *slowing down* recently.
www.theclimatebrink.com/p/exploring-...
4/n
www.theclimatebrink.com/p/exploring-...
4/n
Reposted by Astrid Atkinson
