Jim Whittington🔥
@jimwhittington.bsky.social
Retired BLM/NPS/USFS - Courtesy faculty with Oregon State's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. Interested in wildland fire, incident management, climate change, history, public health, & crisis comms. Texas expat. Birthday: 318.51
It's not Valentine's Day without Barry. I hope you all have a good one.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUaU...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUaU...
Barry White -You Are My First My Last My Everything. ( 1974 )
YouTube video by thevideojukebox2
www.youtube.com
February 15, 2026 at 12:03 AM
It's not Valentine's Day without Barry. I hope you all have a good one.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUaU...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUaU...
I admit, I've thought about this too much today. It shows, I think, a massive contempt for accomplished people that seems all too common in this administration. You can fake it enough to become a Cabinet secretary, but you can't fake a pilot's license, much less being a Coast Guard pilot. 1/
“…in one incident, Lewandowski fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after Noem's blanket was left behind on a plane, according to people familiar with the incident.”
February 14, 2026 at 3:22 AM
I admit, I've thought about this too much today. It shows, I think, a massive contempt for accomplished people that seems all too common in this administration. You can fake it enough to become a Cabinet secretary, but you can't fake a pilot's license, much less being a Coast Guard pilot. 1/
This kind of article is becoming way too commonplace.
“It Feels Impossible to Stay”: The U.S. Needs Wildland Firefighters More than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them
www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adve...
www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adve...
America Needs Wildland Firefighters More than Ever, but Attrition Is at Record Levels
Highly skilled firefighters are the last line of defense against wildfires, but that line is fraying because the government decided long ago that they’re not worth very much
www.outsideonline.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:16 PM
This kind of article is becoming way too commonplace.
Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥
I'm giving the video essay thing a try. youtu.be/9WBzn2mtbBk?...
Stop Calling Them "Natural" Disasters
YouTube video by the disaster gal
youtu.be
February 13, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I'm giving the video essay thing a try. youtu.be/9WBzn2mtbBk?...
Proud Dad brag incoming.
Here's my daughter talking about how disasters are not natural. (She is way smarter than her parents.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WBz...
Here's my daughter talking about how disasters are not natural. (She is way smarter than her parents.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WBz...
Stop Calling Them "Natural" Disasters
YouTube video by the disaster gal
www.youtube.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Proud Dad brag incoming.
Here's my daughter talking about how disasters are not natural. (She is way smarter than her parents.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WBz...
Here's my daughter talking about how disasters are not natural. (She is way smarter than her parents.)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WBz...
I just found out tonight that there is a romance sub-genre about wildland firefighters. I confess, I'm a bit taken aback by it all. The guys on the covers look nothing like any wildland firefighter I ever met, though perhaps I was distracted by other things, like, you know, the fire.
February 13, 2026 at 5:23 AM
I just found out tonight that there is a romance sub-genre about wildland firefighters. I confess, I'm a bit taken aback by it all. The guys on the covers look nothing like any wildland firefighter I ever met, though perhaps I was distracted by other things, like, you know, the fire.
Famous: Richard Linklater.
Infamous: Charles Harrelson (Woody's father).
In the middle: Rex Tillerson.
Infamous: Charles Harrelson (Woody's father).
In the middle: Rex Tillerson.
Who's the most famous alum of your high school?
I'll go first: David Draiman of Disturbed
I'll go first: David Draiman of Disturbed
guys i just found out i went to the same high school as howard lutnick. please respect my privacy at this time.
February 12, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Famous: Richard Linklater.
Infamous: Charles Harrelson (Woody's father).
In the middle: Rex Tillerson.
Infamous: Charles Harrelson (Woody's father).
In the middle: Rex Tillerson.
Tough article that is already getting a lot of commentary from the wildland fire community. This is looking like a pattern from agency leadership--they downplayed smoke exposure over the years and now we find out the same thing happened with PFAS in PPE clothing.
www.propublica.org/article/fore...
www.propublica.org/article/fore...
Firefighters Wore Gear Containing “Forever Chemicals.” The Forest Service Knew and Stayed Silent for Years.
As early as 2021, government officials were alerted to the presence of potentially dangerous chemicals known as PFAS in pants used by wildland firefighters, according to emails obtained by ProPublica.
www.propublica.org
February 12, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Tough article that is already getting a lot of commentary from the wildland fire community. This is looking like a pattern from agency leadership--they downplayed smoke exposure over the years and now we find out the same thing happened with PFAS in PPE clothing.
www.propublica.org/article/fore...
www.propublica.org/article/fore...
I hate it when an update goes through. So much AI and Cloud crap. There should be a law that you have to opt in instead of going through a bunch of steps to opt out. One more affront and, sigh, I guess I'll spend some time learning Linux or something.
February 11, 2026 at 2:40 PM
I hate it when an update goes through. So much AI and Cloud crap. There should be a law that you have to opt in instead of going through a bunch of steps to opt out. One more affront and, sigh, I guess I'll spend some time learning Linux or something.
It's 7:30 AM here on the West Coast and I just woke up. Has the Super Bowl pre-game show started yet?
February 8, 2026 at 3:36 PM
It's 7:30 AM here on the West Coast and I just woke up. Has the Super Bowl pre-game show started yet?
Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥
My colleagues Calvin Farris (NPS) and Ellis Margolis (USGS) led a landmark study in paleofire reconstruction. In addition to showing that fire management can restore past fire regimes, the demonstrated methods are a first in dendrochronology. 1/6 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
February 5, 2026 at 9:17 PM
My colleagues Calvin Farris (NPS) and Ellis Margolis (USGS) led a landmark study in paleofire reconstruction. In addition to showing that fire management can restore past fire regimes, the demonstrated methods are a first in dendrochronology. 1/6 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥
We all have an "antilibrary." You know, the stack of yet-unread books we might never read. Here is Umberto Eco's wonderful and counterintuitive take on why that unread stack might be as essential for our inner lives as the read www.themarginalian.org/2015/03/24/u...
Umberto Eco’s Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones
How to become an “antischolar” in a culture that treats knowledge as “an ornament that allows us to rise in the pecking order.”
www.themarginalian.org
February 4, 2026 at 1:03 PM
We all have an "antilibrary." You know, the stack of yet-unread books we might never read. Here is Umberto Eco's wonderful and counterintuitive take on why that unread stack might be as essential for our inner lives as the read www.themarginalian.org/2015/03/24/u...
Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥
The western U.S. faces its lowest snowpack on record despite average or above-average rainfall. Warmer temperatures mean more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, and will worsen droughts in areas like the Pacific Northwest and the Colorado River Basin.
science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-...
science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-...
February 3, 2026 at 6:27 AM
The western U.S. faces its lowest snowpack on record despite average or above-average rainfall. Warmer temperatures mean more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, and will worsen droughts in areas like the Pacific Northwest and the Colorado River Basin.
science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-...
science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-...
It's the first work day of the month, so we get the latest Wildland Fire Potential Outlook from NIFC. Here's February and March. Looks rough for the South, Texas, and the Southern Great Plains.
February 2, 2026 at 11:10 PM
It's the first work day of the month, so we get the latest Wildland Fire Potential Outlook from NIFC. Here's February and March. Looks rough for the South, Texas, and the Southern Great Plains.
Back in the mid-80s, I was a grunt in a Congressional office for a bit, spending a lot of my time answering constituent mail and trying to help people with their problems. Usually, it was easy to get info from agencies. All you had to do was say you were calling on behalf of a congressman. 1/
February 2, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Back in the mid-80s, I was a grunt in a Congressional office for a bit, spending a lot of my time answering constituent mail and trying to help people with their problems. Usually, it was easy to get info from agencies. All you had to do was say you were calling on behalf of a congressman. 1/
So much cold and snow talk in my feed. Meanwhile, here in SW Oregon, we hit 58 yesterday and will be in the mid-60s next week. Last I checked, next week is February. Oh, and no precip for at least nine more days.
January 31, 2026 at 2:13 PM
So much cold and snow talk in my feed. Meanwhile, here in SW Oregon, we hit 58 yesterday and will be in the mid-60s next week. Last I checked, next week is February. Oh, and no precip for at least nine more days.
Nevermind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college:
Classical Mythologies
Diplomatic History of the US to 1900
The Age of FDR
Philosophy in Literature
Intellectual and Cultural History of Modern Europe
Classical Mythologies
Diplomatic History of the US to 1900
The Age of FDR
Philosophy in Literature
Intellectual and Cultural History of Modern Europe
January 31, 2026 at 4:26 AM
Nevermind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college:
Classical Mythologies
Diplomatic History of the US to 1900
The Age of FDR
Philosophy in Literature
Intellectual and Cultural History of Modern Europe
Classical Mythologies
Diplomatic History of the US to 1900
The Age of FDR
Philosophy in Literature
Intellectual and Cultural History of Modern Europe
OK, as we go into February, I'm officially worried about our snowpack numbers across the Western US. Less snow means dryer soils and fuels heading into the summer and I don't like fire years where the high country comes online early.
January 30, 2026 at 3:32 PM
OK, as we go into February, I'm officially worried about our snowpack numbers across the Western US. Less snow means dryer soils and fuels heading into the summer and I don't like fire years where the high country comes online early.
The creation of DHS was a kneejerk reaction in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, pushed through without significant planning or an attempt to think through consequences. If we get to the point where a re-do is possible, it must be deliberate with both a concern for the current & an eye to the future.
January 28, 2026 at 9:29 PM
The creation of DHS was a kneejerk reaction in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, pushed through without significant planning or an attempt to think through consequences. If we get to the point where a re-do is possible, it must be deliberate with both a concern for the current & an eye to the future.
Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥
My documentary for CBC's Atlantic Voice. As climate change intensifies, a growing burden is falling on volunteer first responders. The group of Nova Scotian firefighters I spoke to are reckoning with how to protect their community - but it's taking a heavy personal toll www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
These N.S. volunteer firefighters have found themselves on the frontlines of climate change | CBC News
A new episode of Atlantic Voice details how one Nova Scotia fire department is dealing with floods, fires and the mental toll it all takes on its small group of volunteers.
www.cbc.ca
January 26, 2026 at 3:43 PM
My documentary for CBC's Atlantic Voice. As climate change intensifies, a growing burden is falling on volunteer first responders. The group of Nova Scotian firefighters I spoke to are reckoning with how to protect their community - but it's taking a heavy personal toll www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Updated NWCG position qualification chart:
www.nwcg.gov/publications...
www.nwcg.gov/publications...
January 24, 2026 at 5:29 AM
Updated NWCG position qualification chart:
www.nwcg.gov/publications...
www.nwcg.gov/publications...
Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥
Attention folks in the weather, climate, disaster, wildfire, and Earth science communities: NSF has just published a new "Dear Colleague" letter inviting feedback (by Mar 13) on the proposal to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). www.nsf.gov/funding/...
January 23, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Attention folks in the weather, climate, disaster, wildfire, and Earth science communities: NSF has just published a new "Dear Colleague" letter inviting feedback (by Mar 13) on the proposal to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). www.nsf.gov/funding/...
"They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream."
--MLK, Jr. 1/3
--MLK, Jr. 1/3
January 19, 2026 at 4:07 PM
"They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream."
--MLK, Jr. 1/3
--MLK, Jr. 1/3
Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥
“Gianforte painted the decision as a win for farmers and ranchers, though some ranchers have expressed that billionaire ranch owners are a bigger problem than any issues they might have at American Prairie.”
Secretary of The Interior Doug Burgum has cancelled the grazing permits of a large nonprofit bison operation in Montana because it doesn't serve a commercial purpose. By @jordyhansen.bsky.social: dailymontanan.com/2026/01/16/b... #mtnews #mtpol #montana
Burgum yanks American Prairie bison grazing leases
American Prairie permits to graze bison on federal land has been revoked, according to a new decision from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
dailymontanan.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:06 PM
“Gianforte painted the decision as a win for farmers and ranchers, though some ranchers have expressed that billionaire ranch owners are a bigger problem than any issues they might have at American Prairie.”
Reposted by Jim Whittington🔥
The U.S. Forest Service Is Starving to Death in Real Time
open.substack.com/pub/morethan...
open.substack.com/pub/morethan...
The U.S. Forest Service Is Starving to Death in Real Time
America is running 193 million acres on a starvation budget, and the consequences are already here
open.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:44 PM
The U.S. Forest Service Is Starving to Death in Real Time
open.substack.com/pub/morethan...
open.substack.com/pub/morethan...