Christoph Bertram

@christoph-bertram.bsky.social

960 followers 580 following 460 posts

Energy systems modeling & policy analysis - Associate Research Professor at Center for Global Sustainability, CGS @ctrglobsust.bsky.social at UMD @univofmaryland.bsky.social
German living and biking in DC, and with odd interest in basketball
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Political science 22%

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Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · Sep 24

Great to see this product of work over the last half year with many great colleagues at @ctrglobsust.bsky.social launched.

What are possible high ambition emission pathways until 2035 for major countries, and their implications in the electricity sector and for fossil fuels? Find out 👇

Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social · Sep 24

Just launched 📣
CGS's new flagship website on Country Climate Ambition offers critical insight for the Paris process through in-depth analyses and policy recommendations for major-emitting countries, as they set and seek to achieve ambitious 2035 #NDCs: www.country-ambition.cgs.umd.edu

A global map with colored dots indicating countries with analyses from a new CGS report. The text overlay reads: "Country Climate Ambition: High Ambition Pathways for National and Global Climate Goals; In the midst of the third round of the NDC cycle, the Center for Global Sustainability has launched a new flagship website on Country Climate Ambition, which provides in-depth analyses of plausible, high-ambition pathways and policy recommendations for 12 major-emitting countries towards 2035 and net-zero goals: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, and South Africa.

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 7d

Robotaxi companies are scrambling to expand in cities, but they’re ignoring rural America. They shouldn’t.

AVs could do a world of good in the countryside (and unlike in dense cities, they’d fit well into existing transport networks).

My guest essay in The Driverless Digest. 🧵

AV companies are ignoring rural America. That's a shame.

Today’s post comes from David Zipper, a Senior Fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative known for his writing on transportation policy, technology, and urban planning.

www.thedriverlessdigest.com

Reposted by Jonathan M. Gilligan, Christoph Bertram, Steven High , and 2 more Jonathan M. Gilligan, Christoph Bertram, Steven High, Michael D. McDonald, Guillaume Allègre

Dr. Damien P. Williams can't think of a fun display name right n @wolvendamien.bsky.social · 10d

Please read this extremely thoughtful & careful post on Tim Walz, Anne Frank, & the US Holocaust Memorial Museum from Martin Shuster, philosopher, Isaac Swift Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, former Holocaust Memorial Museum Fellow, & scholar of genocide, the Holocaust, & authoritarianism:

Martin Shuster
sdSreptoon1hm9t97235g2u5796glgh0435l6iaf05it1l232lc20cllf4g0 ·
So apparently on Sunday Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, said in a press conference that "we have got children hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside ... many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Somebody’s gonna write that children’s story about Minnesota.”
Then on Monday--one day before International Holocaust Remembrance Day--the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum tweeted in response that: "Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish. Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable. Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges."
As someone who spent a year at the Museum as a fellow doing research, I feel embarrassed for the institution. First, it is very clear that Walz wasn't drawing an equivalence, he was drawing an analogy. So this kind of response reminds me of the atrocious positions that the ADL has started to carve out, and why it has become mostly a sycophantic joke, now seemingly mostly geared towards currying favor with MAGA.

Not unrelatedly, I am noticing that a lot of--oftentimes even well-intentioned--people are spending time trying to delineate exactly which historical referent best captures what's going on now, as if we have to pick only one. There is the now well-circulated meme that says: no, ICE isn't the Gestapo, it's actually American--it's slave catchers. But this is a kind of odd distinction: the Nazis were themselves influenced by the Americans (if you're curious read the excellent book by James Whitman, _Hitler's American Model_). Nazis came here and studied American legal systems and statutes ... and remarkably a group of "liberal" Nazis decided that they couldn't make German laws as *extreme* as American ones (and this "liberal" group in fact won the day; German laws weren't as extreme as many of ours). Equally, Nazi jurists and theorists like Carl Schmitt were deeply influenced by American notions of manifest destiny. So the Nazi and American contexts were already fused. The idea of foreign/domestic is already quite complex in this context. (And this is before we even speak of the many actual Nazis that existed here and the many people who materially supported Hitler and the regime).
We can complicate this picture more by noting that Nazism itself, even apart from these American influences, wasn't something that sprouted up out of thin air: it, too, had a(n experimental) history. Many of its barbaric practices and aims were developed and tested on colonial and imperial victims (as I have written elsewhere: there is a direct line from Shark Island concentration camp [called frequently simply "Death Island" where the Germans committed genocide against the Herero and Nama people] to the entire Nazi camp system). Thinkers like Hannah Arendt and Aimé Césaire drew our attention to this already in the middle of the last century.

In noting this, let me be clear that this does not erase or make less relevant the centuries of European antisemitism that fed into the Nazi project. That's the whole point: these are all related phenomena. European antisemitism influenced the way in which European colonialism and imperialism operated against indigenous populations in the Americas. Strikingly, as innovations mounted in "administering" the Americas, antisemitic policies also evolved in Europe. Administrators (oppressors) would sometimes even move from one sphere to the other and back. They were all synergistic (a brilliant examination of some of this is María Elena Martínez's _Genealogical Fictions_). (And one could, btw, also tell an important story about the development of Islamophobia in this very same orbit, since policies stumbled on in the Americas came back to oppress both Jews and Muslims in Europe).
This is all to say: Walz's analogy is not at all far fetched. The history of oppression doesn't move in any kind of neat or purely linear fashion. It is oftentimes recursive, shifting, necessarily granular. Neither is it a competitive history. It is, in the words of Michael Rothberg, a *multidirectional* history. Drawing these analogies in fact *helps* us understand all the involved phenomena better.
At least this is what "Never Again" has meant and means to me: it does not mean only never again for me or other Jews. And it does not mean never again only something that looks exactly like the Nazi genocide. I think also, btw, that this is what it meant for Otto Frank, who spent time *editing* his daughter's diary so that it could be available to anyone, not only to Jews.

For ultimately the Nazi genocide--any genocide--is a highly mediated phenomenon: it consists of many diffuse events, marshals an immense amount of people and institutions, relies on sometimes conflicting or contradictory cross-sections of society, and, indeed, emerges out of a process that does not neatly, especially as its happening, have a clear beginning, middle, and end, but rather arranges for itself a kind of constellation that harnesses a range of actors, perspectives, and also histories (this is one way to understand how German colonial projects or anti-communism or ableism were no less crucial to Nazism than European antisemitism). The genocidal outcomes emerge from the structural forms society adopts. And all of this without in any way eliding the special role that Jews played in the apocalyptic Nazi worldview.

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · 14d

Indeed cool to have more countries and the interactivity, but the original with longer historic time series (more than 100 years, 1900-2023) for India, China and the US is also absolutely brilliant, and makes it even clearer how countries do not follow old trajectories
bsky.app/profile/embe...

Ember @ember-energy.org · 17d

NEW | India is forging a different #energytransition path to China 🇮🇳⚡

Where China built first on coal and gas, India is taking a shortcut — using cheap solar to meet rising demand, relying far less on fossil fuels, and electrifying transport earlier.

https://loom.ly/UFDLamw

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · 17d

Great ternary plot, great idea to put the 100% fossil on bottom!

Reposted by Christian Odendahl, Wim Thiery, Christoph Bertram , and 2 more Christian Odendahl, Wim Thiery, Christoph Bertram, Tom Griffin, Mark Rice

Ember @ember-energy.org · 17d

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · 22d

A timely (long) read, both because of the birthday last Thursday (see below), and MLK day on Monday, and because the thoughts on non-violent protest against 'legal' injustices are very much on-point also with respect to the current situation:
www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen...

Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 28d

If there's one empirical insight I'd want everyone to understand about American politics, it's this:

America's problems are solved problems. Just not here.

What would change if the US simply matched the average of 31 peer democracies? Not Denmark or Norway. Just the middle of the pack. 🧵

Screenshot of a data visualization titled “The Cost of American Exceptionalism,” subtitled “What would change if the U.S. matched the OECD average?” The page explains that each card shows how outcomes would change if the U.S. matched the average of 31 peer democracies. Below, a section labeled “Economy & Inequality” displays eight cards comparing U.S. figures to OECD averages. Highlights include: +$19K per household per year in redistributed income and +$96K in redistributed wealth if the top 1% matched OECD shares; a 71% lower CEO-to-worker pay ratio (from 354× to 101×); 50 million more workers with union coverage; 26 million more people with health insurance; $2.1 trillion saved annually in healthcare spending; $691 less per person per year in prescription drug costs; and intergenerational economic mobility being twice as high. Each card shows the U.S. value alongside the OECD average.

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · Jan 9

Please read this.

www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...

Renee Macklin Good’s wife says she nurtured kindness

On Wednesday, Renee Macklin Good was fatally shot by a federal ICE agent. Becca Good, her wife, shared the following statement with MPR News.

www.mprnews.org

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

Dana R. Fisher (aka the Apocalyptic Optimist) @fisherdanar.bsky.social · Jan 9

Peaceful protest in DC right now

Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · Jan 8

Editorial in the National Catholic Reporter: "The vice president's comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel."

Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good

After the tragic shooting of Renee Good at the hands of ICE, the Catholic vice president of the United States took to social media to justify the killing.

www.ncronline.org

Reposted by Christoph Bertram, Joseph Schafer, Sean P. Corcoran

Dr Yannick Veilleux-Lepage @yveilleuxlepage.bsky.social · Jan 8

So when authorities say “she tried to run over an officer,” that is not a neutral description. It is a claim of intent that can be used to justify lethal force after the fact.

When the state kills first and invents the threat afterward, it is not policing, it is death squad behavior. /end

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Ben Barr, Christoph Bertram , and 8 more Anne Applebaum, Ben Barr, Christoph Bertram, Daniel W. Drezner, Smith, Rex Brynen, Claudia Diehl, Michael H. Whitworth, Mark Robinson, Lisa Tompson, Jeannette Sutton

Dr Yannick Veilleux-Lepage @yveilleuxlepage.bsky.social · Jan 8

🧵In my expert opinion as a researcher of vehicle ramming attacks, what has been publicly described in the video evidence does not support the claim that Renee Nicole Good was attempting a deliberate ramming attack when she was shot in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. 1/7

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · Jan 7

Absolutely not, Arvind, good choice! But spending more on oil than in the alternative case on electricity really seems a weird choice for you. This calculator comes to break-even for BEV compact SUV in Texas after less than 5 years... And you absolutely do road trips without superchargers now...

Electric vs. Gas Car Calculator: Which Is the Better Deal?

There’s no more federal subsidy. But our calculator lets you see if an E.V. might still be cheaper in the long-run.

www.nytimes.com

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · Jan 6

Oh wow, I had no idea how big these claws are. Have seen a bald eagle in the wild before, but never paid attention to their claws. And crazy story about the fish, seems this could be an unpleasant timely parable here...

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · Jan 6

What is the eagle holding in their left claw, do you know? (Great thread!)

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

Jessica Green @greenprofgreen.bsky.social · Jan 5

I just actually read the news for the first time in a week.

Do not recommend.

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

Cool Bike Art @coolbikeart1.bsky.social · Dec 26

❤️ every moment of this story

Experience: I cycled the length of the UK on a wooden bike

With no plans, I set off from John O’Groats to travel down south to Dover. Friends and family didn’t think I’d last a mile

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · Dec 20

Days start getting longer on Monday

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · Dec 20

For everyone traveling home from #AGU25, here something fitting to listen to, the final message dovetails nicely with one of my highlight take-home messages from this year:
"If you don’t stop, they really can’t stop you."
bsky.app/profile/agu....
And if you need a perfect nerd present:

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · Dec 20

Summary of the news today

Wide, frontal view of a large, white marble modernist building under a clear blue sky. The façade is symmetrical, with a deep overhanging roof supported by tall, slender white columns evenly spaced across the front. Near the top of the wall, a horizontal row of narrow vertical slits forms a decorative grille. Centered across the façade is black lettering that reads on the bottom “THE JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS,” with part of the text on top obscured by a black rectangle, redacting Donald Trump's name that was just added to the building. The building sits above a broad, dark platform, and the foreground shows light stone walkways and rectangular planters filled with neatly trimmed shrubs. Two small human figures stand near the base of the building.

Reposted by Flavio Lehner, Jonathan M. Gilligan, Christoph Bertram

Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · Dec 20

On #AGVTV at #AGU25, Dr. Melissa Kenney and I talked about the opportunity for the entire scientific community to contribute towards climate assessment research. Submit your papers at USclimatecollection.org. youtu.be/7Kb-hfwIUxQ?...

Introducing the U.S. Climate Collection: Connecting Climate Science for a Brighter Future

YouTube video by WebsEdgeScience

youtu.be

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Dorothy Bishop, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 7 more Nandita Sharma, Dorothy Bishop, Rosemary A. Joyce, Elizabeth Stokoe, Christoph Bertram, Cameron Campbell, Henry Farrell, Brian Keegan, Peter Gratton, Michael Gentile

Tim Dickinson @timdickinson.bsky.social · Dec 19

Some of these redactions are almost like modern art

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · Dec 19

Shout-out to the bagpipes player welcoming attendees to the last day of #AGU25 in New Orleans

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · Dec 18

Definitely going to this dance today. From 8-9pm there is a beginner lesson, which is a great way to get ready for the dance if you haven't done it before. The social dance starts at 9, and will be with live music. Walkable from #AGU25 . www.maisondupuy.com/live-music/ www.maisondupuy.com/dining/

Reposted by Paul Lehmann, Christoph Bertram

Wolf-Peter Schill @wpschill.bsky.social · Dec 18

How Germany generated its electricity in 2025 🇩🇪🔌↩️

💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨
💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨
💨☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️🟠🟠
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟤🟤🟤🟤🟤🟤
🟤🟤🟤🟤🟤🟤🟤🟤🟤🌽
🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽⚫⚫⚫
⚫⚫⚫🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🇪🇺🇪🇺
🇪🇺🇪🇺💦💦💦🗑️🗑️🗑️🟢🛢️

💨 Onshore wind
☀️ Solar PV
🟠 Natural gas
🟤 Lignite
🌽 Biomass
⚫ Hard coal
🌊 Offshore wind
🇪🇺 Net imports
💦 Hydro
🗑️ Other
🟢 Bio waste
🛢️ Oil

Reposted by Garry Peterson, Christoph Bertram

Steven J. Davis @stevenjdavis.bsky.social · Dec 18

Thanks for noticing, Damian. In case useful, we also put together a research brief about the new paper here: drive.google.com/file/d/1ObuE...

Reposted by Katharine Hayhoe, Scott C. Doney, Ben Bond‐Lamberty , and 4 more Katharine Hayhoe, Scott C. Doney, Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Neil Pederson, Jennifer Pett‐Ridge, Christoph Bertram, Beth Tellman

Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · Dec 18

#AGU25 folks, there is a rapid- response town hall TODAY on the #NCAR dismantling at 1 pm, La Nouvelle Orleans ballroom C (per an AGU media advisory)

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · Dec 17

Still not sure who did this, but it’s really good advice for cities.

Chalkboard with writing saying “Quote of the day: Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a long time making it.” – Unknown.

Reposted by Christoph Bertram

Center for Global Sustainability @ctrglobsust.bsky.social · Dec 17

This week CGS researchers are at #AGU25 to share research from our modeling and Indonesia programs. Learn more about how CGS's modeling and country climate work to support climate ambition in the NDC process: country-ambition.cgs...

A woman in formal wear stands at a podium with a laptop open while speaking to a crowd. Two people sit at a table next to her while a screen projecting news headlines takes up the right side of the photograph.

A man in a blue button up shirt stands at a podium with a computer while speaking to a crowd. Three people sit at a table next to him while a projected presentation is also positioned in front of the audience to the right of the speaker.

A man stands at a podium with a laptop and speaks to the crowd. Three people sit at a table next to the podium and look at the speaker or the projected presentation to the right of the speaker.

Christoph Bertram @christoph-bertram.bsky.social · Dec 16

Nice sunrise today to #AGU25 in New Orleans.
If you want to hear about the economic impact of the rise of low cost electric vehicles, go to room 271, session GC22C from 10.30am-12 today

Sunrise in New Orleans this morning, with Mississippi in front, and Crescent City connection bridge to the right

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