Bob Kopp
@bobkopp.net
#Climate & sea level science + policy. Rutgers University. All views my own. www.bobkopp.net
Pinned
Bob Kopp
@bobkopp.net
· May 7
There’s so much happening right now, I thought I’d put together a running thread on the dismantling of #climate and research and knowledge infrastructure in the United States 🧵
Reminder: Chapman Conference on Updating Usable Projections of Future Sea Level, this June in Montreal
Abstracts are due *this Wednesday*, February 11!
Abstracts are due *this Wednesday*, February 11!
Join us in Montreal this June for the @agu.org Chapman Conference on Updating Usable Projections of Future Sea Level. www.agu.org/chapman-sea-...
February 9, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Reminder: Chapman Conference on Updating Usable Projections of Future Sea Level, this June in Montreal
Abstracts are due *this Wednesday*, February 11!
Abstracts are due *this Wednesday*, February 11!
If it’s a restoration rather than reconstruction that fixes the constitutional flaws that got us to this place, and I were a US ally trying to decouple, I’d keep at it.
A post-Trump restoration is still possible ft.trib.al/GX2fiqG
A post-Trump restoration is still possible
His presidency may eventually be seen as an aberration rather than a permanent shift
ft.trib.al
February 9, 2026 at 1:27 PM
If it’s a restoration rather than reconstruction that fixes the constitutional flaws that got us to this place, and I were a US ally trying to decouple, I’d keep at it.
Reposted by Bob Kopp
The problem is people — sometimes, but often not, including Nordhaus himself — confusing modeling for insights with modeling for numbers.
February 9, 2026 at 11:58 AM
The problem is people — sometimes, but often not, including Nordhaus himself — confusing modeling for insights with modeling for numbers.
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Also: any policy retrospective of the last year that doesn’t explicitly acknowledge the rapid democratic backsliding is (1) missing the largest zero-order phenomenon and (2) indirectly contributing to the creation of a dual state by promoting an illusion of normalcy around the normative state…
February 9, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Also: any policy retrospective of the last year that doesn’t explicitly acknowledge the rapid democratic backsliding is (1) missing the largest zero-order phenomenon and (2) indirectly contributing to the creation of a dual state by promoting an illusion of normalcy around the normative state…
Just reading this from @holdenthorp.bsky.social @science.org and… look, I get the value of trying to put on a happy face but your “positive headway” is science funding agencies ultimately complying with the law.
And about those international students… www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
And about those international students… www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 8, 2026 at 11:13 PM
Just reading this from @holdenthorp.bsky.social @science.org and… look, I get the value of trying to put on a happy face but your “positive headway” is science funding agencies ultimately complying with the law.
And about those international students… www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
And about those international students… www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Bob Kopp
*That's* what it looks like when US elites care about something & want to advance it. That's the benchmark.
And with that benchmark in mind, we can ask, are they -- or were they ever -- similarly committed to climate or diversity?
LOL.
And with that benchmark in mind, we can ask, are they -- or were they ever -- similarly committed to climate or diversity?
LOL.
February 7, 2026 at 8:51 PM
*That's* what it looks like when US elites care about something & want to advance it. That's the benchmark.
And with that benchmark in mind, we can ask, are they -- or were they ever -- similarly committed to climate or diversity?
LOL.
And with that benchmark in mind, we can ask, are they -- or were they ever -- similarly committed to climate or diversity?
LOL.
Reposted by Bob Kopp
The bosses are forcing their employees to use it. Politicians are competing to shovel money & infrastructure at it. The billionaires who control media are constantly lecturing & hectoring people to accept it & use it more.
They don't care it's losing money. They don't care people hate it.
They don't care it's losing money. They don't care people hate it.
February 7, 2026 at 8:49 PM
The bosses are forcing their employees to use it. Politicians are competing to shovel money & infrastructure at it. The billionaires who control media are constantly lecturing & hectoring people to accept it & use it more.
They don't care it's losing money. They don't care people hate it.
They don't care it's losing money. They don't care people hate it.
Reposted by Bob Kopp
But the other piece of evidence -- the point of this thread -- is that we now have an example of what it looks like when US political & corporate elites *really are* obsessed with and committed to something.
Namely: AI.
Namely: AI.
February 7, 2026 at 8:47 PM
But the other piece of evidence -- the point of this thread -- is that we now have an example of what it looks like when US political & corporate elites *really are* obsessed with and committed to something.
Namely: AI.
Namely: AI.
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Enough!!!!! This is absolute INSANITY. 88K satellites from this company, a MILLION from SpaceX, and it's just the start. Will someone somewhere **please** stop these mad people from destroying the night sky and filling Earth orbit with their crap?
February 8, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Enough!!!!! This is absolute INSANITY. 88K satellites from this company, a MILLION from SpaceX, and it's just the start. Will someone somewhere **please** stop these mad people from destroying the night sky and filling Earth orbit with their crap?
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Students applying for NSF funding are having their applications “returned without review” for being “ineligible,” despite their proposed research falling squarely within the application guidelines. eos.org/research-and...
Graduate Students’ NSF Fellowship Applications Are Being “Returned Without Review” - Eos
Graduate students applying for NSF funding have had their applications returned without review—even though their proposed research appears to fall squarely within the fields of study outlined in the p...
eos.org
February 6, 2026 at 8:58 PM
Students applying for NSF funding are having their applications “returned without review” for being “ineligible,” despite their proposed research falling squarely within the application guidelines. eos.org/research-and...
Reposted by Bob Kopp
I have bad news.
Science has already been labeled as left. It’s done.
This is clear if we talk to people in red areas. Or if we watch Fox.
Science has already been labeled as left. It’s done.
This is clear if we talk to people in red areas. Or if we watch Fox.
The answer IS both. The inside game AND the outside game.
It will not help science if it truly becomes labeled as partisan left. The trick is do what is possible to avoid that while also not compromising on facts and reality.
It will not help science if it truly becomes labeled as partisan left. The trick is do what is possible to avoid that while also not compromising on facts and reality.
February 8, 2026 at 2:04 PM
I have bad news.
Science has already been labeled as left. It’s done.
This is clear if we talk to people in red areas. Or if we watch Fox.
Science has already been labeled as left. It’s done.
This is clear if we talk to people in red areas. Or if we watch Fox.
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Re: Science Mag editorial celebrating mainly the inside/quiet advocacy done this year, I offer this in lighthearted response. 🧪
This is a Myanmar woman doing her usual, longstanding dance routine while black cars speed by to carry out a coup. 1/4
This is a Myanmar woman doing her usual, longstanding dance routine while black cars speed by to carry out a coup. 1/4
February 7, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Re: Science Mag editorial celebrating mainly the inside/quiet advocacy done this year, I offer this in lighthearted response. 🧪
This is a Myanmar woman doing her usual, longstanding dance routine while black cars speed by to carry out a coup. 1/4
This is a Myanmar woman doing her usual, longstanding dance routine while black cars speed by to carry out a coup. 1/4
Reposted by Bob Kopp
"A Pivotal Point for American Democracy: A Joint Statement by UUP, PSC/CUNY, Rutgers AAUP-AFT and Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union"
rutgersaaup.org/a-pivotal-po...
rutgersaaup.org/a-pivotal-po...
A Pivotal Point for American Democracy: A Joint Statement by UUP, PSC/CUNY, Rutgers AAUP-AFT and Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union - Rutgers AAUP-AFT
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — United University Professions (UUP), representing 42,000 faculty and professional staff at the State University of New York’s state-operated campuses; the Professional Staff Congre...
rutgersaaup.org
February 6, 2026 at 5:22 PM
"A Pivotal Point for American Democracy: A Joint Statement by UUP, PSC/CUNY, Rutgers AAUP-AFT and Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union"
rutgersaaup.org/a-pivotal-po...
rutgersaaup.org/a-pivotal-po...
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Remember, this administration has repeatedly found ways not to spend appropriated funds. Just appropriating funds again, w/o power-of-the-purse enforcement language, doesn't stop Russ Vought, RFK, and Jay Bhattacharya from finding ways once again not to spend them. (2/2)
February 8, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Remember, this administration has repeatedly found ways not to spend appropriated funds. Just appropriating funds again, w/o power-of-the-purse enforcement language, doesn't stop Russ Vought, RFK, and Jay Bhattacharya from finding ways once again not to spend them. (2/2)
A further update on bsky.app/profile/bobk... — it turns out if you correct the statistical errors in Michael Schellenberger’s favorite new sea level paper, it (unsurprisingly) shows clear evidence of sea level acceleration
Their refusal to share data and code notwithstanding, we roughly reproduce Voortman & de Vos.
They underpower their analysis and misread a statistical procedure.
Correcting that, we find that sea level rise DID accelerate.
essopenarchive.org/doi/full/10....
They underpower their analysis and misread a statistical procedure.
Correcting that, we find that sea level rise DID accelerate.
essopenarchive.org/doi/full/10....
A global perspective on local sea level change: A comment
We replicate Voortman and de Vos (2025). Although we unfortunately lack access to their data and code, we qualitatively reproduce their results. We argue that their null result-no significant accelera...
essopenarchive.org
February 7, 2026 at 3:24 PM
A further update on bsky.app/profile/bobk... — it turns out if you correct the statistical errors in Michael Schellenberger’s favorite new sea level paper, it (unsurprisingly) shows clear evidence of sea level acceleration
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Frightened that too many Russian high school students are secretly reading George Orwell's 1984 and getting unwanted thoughts, the Kremlin instructs that they must now be taught not to rebel against the regime like Winston Smith. www.thetimes.com/world/russia...
Don’t rebel like terrorist in Orwell’s 1984, Russian pupils told
Schoolchildren in Tomsk are being taught that Winston Smith, the hero of the dystopian novel, showed ‘destructive behaviour’
www.thetimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Frightened that too many Russian high school students are secretly reading George Orwell's 1984 and getting unwanted thoughts, the Kremlin instructs that they must now be taught not to rebel against the regime like Winston Smith. www.thetimes.com/world/russia...
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Why I’m running for Congress: www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2026...
Why I'm running for Congress
Congress today is deeply polarized, ignores the priorities of voters, and fails to check the other two branches of government. But neither party, Democrats nor Republicans, is meeting our moment of ne...
www.dailyprincetonian.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:38 AM
Why I’m running for Congress: www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2026...
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Reposted by Bob Kopp
More on NSF funding data
A deeper dive into the numbers of awards by Directorate.
1/9
A deeper dive into the numbers of awards by Directorate.
1/9
a picture of a person in the water with the words call of the deep below it
ALT: a picture of a person in the water with the words call of the deep below it
media.tenor.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:05 PM
More on NSF funding data
A deeper dive into the numbers of awards by Directorate.
1/9
A deeper dive into the numbers of awards by Directorate.
1/9
Repeal the Homeland Security Act
February 6, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Repeal the Homeland Security Act
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Late billionaire climate denial funder & oil businessman David Koch making multiple appearances in the files, lots through his apparent friendship w/ publicist Peggy Siegal, who had befriended & helped Epstein reenter society.
Epstein in 2015: "where are you? I hope David Koch got your message"
Epstein in 2015: "where are you? I hope David Koch got your message"
February 3, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Late billionaire climate denial funder & oil businessman David Koch making multiple appearances in the files, lots through his apparent friendship w/ publicist Peggy Siegal, who had befriended & helped Epstein reenter society.
Epstein in 2015: "where are you? I hope David Koch got your message"
Epstein in 2015: "where are you? I hope David Koch got your message"
February 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Bob Kopp
🚨Our new paper led by Dr. @zialyle.bsky.social looked at how climate change poses risks to US drinking water utilities & if their bonds disclose these risks to investors. Utilities serving 67 million people have high risks, but 36% of their bonds don't mention climate: www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Climate change risk index and municipal bond disclosures of United States drinking water utilities - Communications Earth & Environment
67 million customers across the US rely on drinking water utilities that face higher climate risk than accounted for, which exposes major gaps in climate adaptation and resilience planning, suggests a...
www.nature.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:06 AM
🚨Our new paper led by Dr. @zialyle.bsky.social looked at how climate change poses risks to US drinking water utilities & if their bonds disclose these risks to investors. Utilities serving 67 million people have high risks, but 36% of their bonds don't mention climate: www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Reposted by Bob Kopp
Is climate change responsible for increasingly frequent or severe cold events?
The evidence suggests it is not.
Instead, the impact of climate change is warmer winters and less severe cold events.
@hausfath.bsky.social has a great post on The Climate Brink talking about this.
The evidence suggests it is not.
Instead, the impact of climate change is warmer winters and less severe cold events.
@hausfath.bsky.social has a great post on The Climate Brink talking about this.
Fact check: Climate change is not making extreme cold more common
Sometimes it just gets cold
substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Is climate change responsible for increasingly frequent or severe cold events?
The evidence suggests it is not.
Instead, the impact of climate change is warmer winters and less severe cold events.
@hausfath.bsky.social has a great post on The Climate Brink talking about this.
The evidence suggests it is not.
Instead, the impact of climate change is warmer winters and less severe cold events.
@hausfath.bsky.social has a great post on The Climate Brink talking about this.
Reposted by Bob Kopp
This is the point I keep trying to get across in media interviews and conversations.
The science and data matter (obviously), but this is fundamentally a *people* story. These losses and lack of opportunities affect real people, real communities, and the impacts will last for decades.
The science and data matter (obviously), but this is fundamentally a *people* story. These losses and lack of opportunities affect real people, real communities, and the impacts will last for decades.
The state of the field is bad, actually.
The private sector seems to be still doing ok but the rest is hanging by a thread.
We have government shutdowns roughly every 2 months. Federal workers are treated like 3rd class citizens. NCAR as we know it may very well cease to exist.
The private sector seems to be still doing ok but the rest is hanging by a thread.
We have government shutdowns roughly every 2 months. Federal workers are treated like 3rd class citizens. NCAR as we know it may very well cease to exist.
February 2, 2026 at 10:43 PM
This is the point I keep trying to get across in media interviews and conversations.
The science and data matter (obviously), but this is fundamentally a *people* story. These losses and lack of opportunities affect real people, real communities, and the impacts will last for decades.
The science and data matter (obviously), but this is fundamentally a *people* story. These losses and lack of opportunities affect real people, real communities, and the impacts will last for decades.