Erik Nordman
@eriknordman.bsky.social
Director, Institute of Public Utilities @ Michigan State University & Associate Professor of Agricultural, Food, & Resource Economics • Author: The Uncommon Knowledge of Elinor Ostrom • Fulbrighter (Kenya) • Views my own
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Erik Nordman
@eriknordman.bsky.social
· Oct 18
I wrote an accessible introduction to the life and work of the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics - Elinor Ostrom. She showed that are not doomed to fall into the "tragedy of the commons." Collaborative governance is possible.
islandpress.org/books/uncomm...
islandpress.org/books/uncomm...
🌳🌲The biggest trees in America are hailed as national champions. Michigan has 7
www.mlive.com/life/2025/11...
www.mlive.com/life/2025/11...
The biggest trees in America are hailed as national champions. Michigan has 7
One stands beside a curb in Allegan County. Another towers over a home in Berrien County. Some are in the middle of forests.
www.mlive.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:27 PM
🌳🌲The biggest trees in America are hailed as national champions. Michigan has 7
www.mlive.com/life/2025/11...
www.mlive.com/life/2025/11...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
November 11, 2025 at 1:50 AM
In the century leading up to 1975, nearly 6000 freighters went down in the Great Lakes.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the last.
The last. In 50 years, not a single commercial freighter has been lost in the Great Lakes.
Why?
It's NOAA. Of course it's NOAA.
Reposted by Erik Nordman
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
When the skies of November turn gloomy
🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
November 10, 2025 at 12:24 PM
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
When the skies of November turn gloomy
🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
Reposted by Erik Nordman
We got Trump 2.0 because voters didnt know how bad Trump is bad at governing because Dems intervened to help during Covid and Trump got credit.
Stop helping him.
Stop helping him.
"More than enough" Senate Democratic Caucus members to pass shutdown deal led by Shaheen, King and Hassan, source familiar with deal says
- CR through Jan. 30
- ACA bill vote on bill of Dems' choosing in December
- Minibus has RIF reversals and "protections" against them in future
- CR through Jan. 30
- ACA bill vote on bill of Dems' choosing in December
- Minibus has RIF reversals and "protections" against them in future
November 10, 2025 at 12:20 AM
We got Trump 2.0 because voters didnt know how bad Trump is bad at governing because Dems intervened to help during Covid and Trump got credit.
Stop helping him.
Stop helping him.
Reposted by Erik Nordman
"Give up the ACA subs or we'll keep starving children" seems like a pretty unpopular policy choice. But also, "okay, deal" seems like a pretty weak response.
I wish we had more information.
I wish we had more information.
November 9, 2025 at 11:18 PM
"Give up the ACA subs or we'll keep starving children" seems like a pretty unpopular policy choice. But also, "okay, deal" seems like a pretty weak response.
I wish we had more information.
I wish we had more information.
Reposted by Erik Nordman
Tomorrow (Monday, Nov 10) the tables are turned: I’m the guest on the Greenhouse #envhum book talk to discuss Ghosts Behind Glass with @finnarne.me & guest host @medievalpenguin.bsky.social
Join us online for the discussion! 4pm CET/3pm GMT/10am EST
newnatures.org/greenhouse/e...
Join us online for the discussion! 4pm CET/3pm GMT/10am EST
newnatures.org/greenhouse/e...
November 9, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Tomorrow (Monday, Nov 10) the tables are turned: I’m the guest on the Greenhouse #envhum book talk to discuss Ghosts Behind Glass with @finnarne.me & guest host @medievalpenguin.bsky.social
Join us online for the discussion! 4pm CET/3pm GMT/10am EST
newnatures.org/greenhouse/e...
Join us online for the discussion! 4pm CET/3pm GMT/10am EST
newnatures.org/greenhouse/e...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
"...solar power is also seen as a way for Jamaica and other nations in one of the world’s most hurricane-prone regions to become more resilient to ever-intensifying storms."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/c...
Jamaicans Have Been Turning to Solar Power. It Paid Off After the Storm.
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:36 PM
"...solar power is also seen as a way for Jamaica and other nations in one of the world’s most hurricane-prone regions to become more resilient to ever-intensifying storms."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/c...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
What an amazing essay from the former chair of Africana Studies at Bowdoin. I'll share a few sections in the reply but seriously, read the whole thing. It's all insightful and beautifully written.
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:11 PM
What an amazing essay from the former chair of Africana Studies at Bowdoin. I'll share a few sections in the reply but seriously, read the whole thing. It's all insightful and beautifully written.
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
This is why this is a problem for democracy. See my full piece on this here www.artnews.com/art-in-ameri...
November 8, 2025 at 7:01 PM
This is why this is a problem for democracy. See my full piece on this here www.artnews.com/art-in-ameri...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
A good summary of why Cornell's capitulation to authoritarian extortion is an affront to democracy and academic freedom. aaup-cornell.org/2025/11/07/s...
November 8, 2025 at 2:33 PM
A good summary of why Cornell's capitulation to authoritarian extortion is an affront to democracy and academic freedom. aaup-cornell.org/2025/11/07/s...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
Cornell, like other capitulators, shamefully justifies this by saying it preserves *our* independence. Even if that were true, it is pure moral cowardice to take the every-institution-for-itself approach when extortionist is rampaging through our academic community.
November 7, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Cornell, like other capitulators, shamefully justifies this by saying it preserves *our* independence. Even if that were true, it is pure moral cowardice to take the every-institution-for-itself approach when extortionist is rampaging through our academic community.
Reposted by Erik Nordman
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
A jury will decide whether a Toshiba subsidiary owes Michigan's two largest utilities, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, hundreds of millions related to a pricey overhaul of the Ludington Pumped Storag...
www.mlive.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
The claim that “emissions have come down” in this @nytimes.com @sominisengupta.bsky.social article on where we are ten years post-Paris is FALSE.
Global emissions were at an all-time high in 2024.
As it stands this claim is misinformation. They need to issue a correction!
Global emissions were at an all-time high in 2024.
As it stands this claim is misinformation. They need to issue a correction!
November 7, 2025 at 11:17 AM
The claim that “emissions have come down” in this @nytimes.com @sominisengupta.bsky.social article on where we are ten years post-Paris is FALSE.
Global emissions were at an all-time high in 2024.
As it stands this claim is misinformation. They need to issue a correction!
Global emissions were at an all-time high in 2024.
As it stands this claim is misinformation. They need to issue a correction!
Reposted by Erik Nordman
"The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy" www.npr.org/2025/11/06/n...
When the skies of November turn gloomy" www.npr.org/2025/11/06/n...
50 years ago, the Edmund Fitzgerald, a 'rock star' ship, sank in Lake Superior
Twenty-nine sailors drowned when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in the Great Lakes' icy waters on Nov. 10, 1975. The ship was immortalized in a surprise hit 1976 folk ballad by Gordon Lightfoot.
www.npr.org
November 7, 2025 at 10:08 PM
"The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy" www.npr.org/2025/11/06/n...
When the skies of November turn gloomy" www.npr.org/2025/11/06/n...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
A friend and I talk a lot about how the beauty of money (small m) is that it allows you to buy your way out of problems. Car broke down? You can afford to fix it.
But it seems with very rich people, the inability for money to "fix" a situation - like mortality - to their liking is THE problem.
But it seems with very rich people, the inability for money to "fix" a situation - like mortality - to their liking is THE problem.
November 7, 2025 at 10:18 PM
A friend and I talk a lot about how the beauty of money (small m) is that it allows you to buy your way out of problems. Car broke down? You can afford to fix it.
But it seems with very rich people, the inability for money to "fix" a situation - like mortality - to their liking is THE problem.
But it seems with very rich people, the inability for money to "fix" a situation - like mortality - to their liking is THE problem.
Reposted by Erik Nordman
🚨Three Chinese astronauts couldn’t return to Earth after space junk hit their spacecraft. Scientists warn this could be just the first of more accidents caused by orbital debris.
The situation is concerning. “There are a lot of people up there,” one source told me.
My story @sciam.bsky.social 🧪
The situation is concerning. “There are a lot of people up there,” one source told me.
My story @sciam.bsky.social 🧪
A Piece of Space Junk Hit Their Ride Home. What Does This Mean for Space Exploration?
Three Chinese astronauts will likely return safely to Earth after a reported space-junk strike. But the incident highlights the growing risk of orbital debris
www.scientificamerican.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:46 PM
🚨Three Chinese astronauts couldn’t return to Earth after space junk hit their spacecraft. Scientists warn this could be just the first of more accidents caused by orbital debris.
The situation is concerning. “There are a lot of people up there,” one source told me.
My story @sciam.bsky.social 🧪
The situation is concerning. “There are a lot of people up there,” one source told me.
My story @sciam.bsky.social 🧪
Reposted by Erik Nordman
Why can't people dive to see the Edmund Fitzgerald? A preservation expert explains | WCMU Public Radio 🦑🧪🌎
Why can't people dive to see the Edmund Fitzgerald? A preservation expert explains
Ron Bloomfield of Central Michigan University and member of Michigan's Underwater Salvage and Preserve Committee discusses why the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains unexplored since the early…
radio.wcmu.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Why can't people dive to see the Edmund Fitzgerald? A preservation expert explains | WCMU Public Radio 🦑🧪🌎
Reposted by Erik Nordman
@dlbessette.bsky.social a Michigan State U prof gives his view on the sustainability claims here www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/prop...
November 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
@dlbessette.bsky.social a Michigan State U prof gives his view on the sustainability claims here www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/prop...
This puts the movie "Lamb" in a whole new light.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_(2...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_(2...
November 6, 2025 at 3:58 PM
This puts the movie "Lamb" in a whole new light.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_(2...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_(2...
Reposted by Erik Nordman
So the US is having:
• 1m people laid off in October;
• Signs of a housing collapse;
• AI companies already asking for bailouts as the gigabubble hits a wall.
Are we ready:
• For the market impact?
• For Trump lashing out abroad to distract?
• To use the moment to wipe out tech dependencies?
• 1m people laid off in October;
• Signs of a housing collapse;
• AI companies already asking for bailouts as the gigabubble hits a wall.
Are we ready:
• For the market impact?
• For Trump lashing out abroad to distract?
• To use the moment to wipe out tech dependencies?
U.S. HOUSING MARKET RECORD IMBALANCE — HOME SELLERS NOW OUTNUMBER BUYERS BY OVER 500,000, THE LARGEST GAP EVER RECORDED.
November 6, 2025 at 1:47 PM
So the US is having:
• 1m people laid off in October;
• Signs of a housing collapse;
• AI companies already asking for bailouts as the gigabubble hits a wall.
Are we ready:
• For the market impact?
• For Trump lashing out abroad to distract?
• To use the moment to wipe out tech dependencies?
• 1m people laid off in October;
• Signs of a housing collapse;
• AI companies already asking for bailouts as the gigabubble hits a wall.
Are we ready:
• For the market impact?
• For Trump lashing out abroad to distract?
• To use the moment to wipe out tech dependencies?
Reposted by Erik Nordman
Flying Squirrel Loves It Every Time
November 5, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Flying Squirrel Loves It Every Time
Reposted by Erik Nordman
*checks price data*
Wholesale turkey 🦃 prices 40%🔺y/y
Retail beef roast 🥩 prices 18%🔺
Wholesale turkey 🦃 prices 40%🔺y/y
Retail beef roast 🥩 prices 18%🔺
November 6, 2025 at 11:13 AM
*checks price data*
Wholesale turkey 🦃 prices 40%🔺y/y
Retail beef roast 🥩 prices 18%🔺
Wholesale turkey 🦃 prices 40%🔺y/y
Retail beef roast 🥩 prices 18%🔺
Reposted by Erik Nordman
"Once these platforms are in place on CUNY campuses, they can license them at cost to SUNY, to NYC Public Schools, potentially to any educational institution who chooses them over the always overpriced, often enshittified, ever-extractive for-profit EdTech platforms."
Mamdani Win Could Be The First Step Towards Seizing The Means of Knowledge Production (Let CUNY Socialize EdTech for All of Us)
by Matt Seybold This essay originally appeared on Matt Seybold’s The American Vandal Substack. We are grateful for his generous permission to republish it here. An understandable response to …
moneyontheleft.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:41 AM
"Once these platforms are in place on CUNY campuses, they can license them at cost to SUNY, to NYC Public Schools, potentially to any educational institution who chooses them over the always overpriced, often enshittified, ever-extractive for-profit EdTech platforms."
Reposted by Erik Nordman
Not sure how this got past the administration's communication controls, but EIA had a nice piece last Friday on the increasing role of solar/wind/batteries in Texas.
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
🔌💡
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
🔌💡
ERCOT increasingly meets rising demand with solar, wind, and batteries - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
www.eia.gov
October 30, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Not sure how this got past the administration's communication controls, but EIA had a nice piece last Friday on the increasing role of solar/wind/batteries in Texas.
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
🔌💡
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
🔌💡
Reposted by Erik Nordman
My article on another young New York Mayor is up! www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
Meet the grandson of an Irish nationalist who became mayor of NY
Zohran Mamdani will be New York's youngest mayor in more than a century - the youngest before him was the grandson of an Irish nationalist and largely forgotten
www.rte.ie
November 5, 2025 at 3:57 PM
My article on another young New York Mayor is up! www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...