Lindsey Botts
@lkbotts.bsky.social
Conservation enthusiast. Nature lover. digital editor at @Sierra_Magazine. Formal environmental reporter @azcentral. he/him/his - www.lindseybotts.com
Not even wildlife refuges are safe under this Congress. In its first year, this administration and Congress have proven to be one of the most anti-public land cohort of leaders in recent history. 🌎
wessiler.substack.com/p/theyre-com...
wessiler.substack.com/p/theyre-com...
They’re Coming For Your Wildlife Refuges
The Fish and Wildlife Service’s over-holiday review, and what it means for 850 million acres of public land and water
wessiler.substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 11:14 PM
Not even wildlife refuges are safe under this Congress. In its first year, this administration and Congress have proven to be one of the most anti-public land cohort of leaders in recent history. 🌎
wessiler.substack.com/p/theyre-com...
wessiler.substack.com/p/theyre-com...
Despite the update, this is a clear sign that republicans are trying, once again, to set the stage for a public lands sell off...
Republicans Move To Sell Off 'Federal Properties'
The Republican Study Committee says the policy proposal doesn’t target federal public land, but rather “underutilized” federal buildings.
www.publicdomain.media
January 17, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Despite the update, this is a clear sign that republicans are trying, once again, to set the stage for a public lands sell off...
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
The biggest US solar-storage project yet takes shape in California.
Westlands Water District approved 21 gigawatts of solar and batteries on water-parched fields in the Central Valley, giving farmers a way to profit from fallow land.
bit.ly/4qOdtuz
#California #Solar #Batteries
Westlands Water District approved 21 gigawatts of solar and batteries on water-parched fields in the Central Valley, giving farmers a way to profit from fallow land.
bit.ly/4qOdtuz
#California #Solar #Batteries
The biggest US solar-storage project yet takes shape in California
Westlands Water District approved 21 gigawatts of solar and batteries on water-parched fields in the Central Valley, giving farmers a way to profit from…
www.canarymedia.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:01 PM
The biggest US solar-storage project yet takes shape in California.
Westlands Water District approved 21 gigawatts of solar and batteries on water-parched fields in the Central Valley, giving farmers a way to profit from fallow land.
bit.ly/4qOdtuz
#California #Solar #Batteries
Westlands Water District approved 21 gigawatts of solar and batteries on water-parched fields in the Central Valley, giving farmers a way to profit from fallow land.
bit.ly/4qOdtuz
#California #Solar #Batteries
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
A federal court once again overturns the Trump admin's stop work order on Revolution Wind
Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the Dept of Interior's suspension order was 'arbitrary & capricious' in violation of federal law
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the Dept of Interior's suspension order was 'arbitrary & capricious' in violation of federal law
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Latest Effort to Stop Offshore Wind
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:07 PM
A federal court once again overturns the Trump admin's stop work order on Revolution Wind
Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the Dept of Interior's suspension order was 'arbitrary & capricious' in violation of federal law
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the Dept of Interior's suspension order was 'arbitrary & capricious' in violation of federal law
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
NEW: A federal judge today struck down a stop work order Trump issued before Christmas on a big New England offshore wind project under construction
It’s a huge ruling and suggests other stop work orders against offshore wind farms in progress may very soon fail too
It’s a huge ruling and suggests other stop work orders against offshore wind farms in progress may very soon fail too
How Trump’s Case Against Revolution Wind Fell Apart (Again)
A federal court has once again allowed Orsted to resume construction on its offshore wind project.
heatmap.news
January 12, 2026 at 10:01 PM
NEW: A federal judge today struck down a stop work order Trump issued before Christmas on a big New England offshore wind project under construction
It’s a huge ruling and suggests other stop work orders against offshore wind farms in progress may very soon fail too
It’s a huge ruling and suggests other stop work orders against offshore wind farms in progress may very soon fail too
“You’re basically holding a gun to your own head, saying you’re going to be forced now to develop fossil fuels at whatever price companies want to charge you,” Wielechowski said. “It’s time for Alaska to stop giving our resources away.”
Alaska's $44 billion bet on natural gas
No-bid deals, undisclosed contracts, and millions already spent: Inside the wild story of the Alaska gas pipeline that will not die.
grist.org
January 11, 2026 at 9:46 PM
“You’re basically holding a gun to your own head, saying you’re going to be forced now to develop fossil fuels at whatever price companies want to charge you,” Wielechowski said. “It’s time for Alaska to stop giving our resources away.”
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
BREAKING: the Trump admin is green-lighting Utah's attempt to assert control over 8 million acres of public land without a vote, notice or public input.
After failing to seize public lands outright, Utah is chipping away at at public land ownership at large.
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
After failing to seize public lands outright, Utah is chipping away at at public land ownership at large.
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
January 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM
BREAKING: the Trump admin is green-lighting Utah's attempt to assert control over 8 million acres of public land without a vote, notice or public input.
After failing to seize public lands outright, Utah is chipping away at at public land ownership at large.
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
After failing to seize public lands outright, Utah is chipping away at at public land ownership at large.
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
Breaking: Trump's pick to lead the BLM is a walking conflict of interest and an anti-environment extremist who's encouraged vigilantes to seize control of federal public lands. We’re sounding the alarm to Senate leaders.
Read the letter, signed by 81 orgs:
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
Read the letter, signed by 81 orgs:
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
January 8, 2026 at 6:35 PM
Breaking: Trump's pick to lead the BLM is a walking conflict of interest and an anti-environment extremist who's encouraged vigilantes to seize control of federal public lands. We’re sounding the alarm to Senate leaders.
Read the letter, signed by 81 orgs:
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
Read the letter, signed by 81 orgs:
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press...
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
In The Long Heat, Andreas Malm and Wim Carton take aim at what they call rationalist-optimists — people who naively believe that market solutions can fix the climate crisis.
But their sweeping critique runs the risk of abandoning all hope in the future.
But their sweeping critique runs the risk of abandoning all hope in the future.
Capitalists Want You to Stop Worrying About Climate Change
In The Long Heat, Andreas Malm and Wim Carton take aim at what they call rationalist-optimists — people who naively believe that market solutions can fix the climate crisis. But their sweeping critique runs the risk of abandoning all hope in the future.
jacobin.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:00 PM
In The Long Heat, Andreas Malm and Wim Carton take aim at what they call rationalist-optimists — people who naively believe that market solutions can fix the climate crisis.
But their sweeping critique runs the risk of abandoning all hope in the future.
But their sweeping critique runs the risk of abandoning all hope in the future.
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
Something I see a lot of folks missing in discussions about what's happening Venezuela, particularly around oil, is the role U.S. oil majors' interest in Guyana—and the threat Venezuela posed to it—has in all of it. Explainer here: drilled.media/news/guyana-...
The U.S.-Venezuela-Guyana Oil Triangle
The U.S. interest in Venezuela isn’t just about the oil there, but also about the oil next door in Guyana, and the U.S. oil companies that have staked their future on it.
drilled.media
January 5, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Something I see a lot of folks missing in discussions about what's happening Venezuela, particularly around oil, is the role U.S. oil majors' interest in Guyana—and the threat Venezuela posed to it—has in all of it. Explainer here: drilled.media/news/guyana-...
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
Up to 250 days in the year Scotland’s renewables could have powered 100% of our electricity needs so TWICE the UK figure talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/01/03/u...
Up to 250 days in the year Scotland’s renewables could have powered 100% of our electricity needs so TWICE the UK figure
Image ChatGPT Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Climate yesterday: Renewables can generate significant amounts of electricity when conditions are right. On roughly a third of days in 2025, at l…
talkingupscotlandtwo.com
January 4, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Up to 250 days in the year Scotland’s renewables could have powered 100% of our electricity needs so TWICE the UK figure talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/01/03/u...
If you need a dose of optimism to close out the year, check out Sierra's latest list of book reviews. Here Comes the Sun by @billmckibben.bsky.social, which I reviewed, was such an inspiring read, I have no doubt it'll brighten even the gloomiest of spirits.
4 Must-Read Books for Winter
These stories invite us to see a world in crisis—and our role in it—differently
www.sierraclub.org
December 30, 2025 at 7:46 PM
If you need a dose of optimism to close out the year, check out Sierra's latest list of book reviews. Here Comes the Sun by @billmckibben.bsky.social, which I reviewed, was such an inspiring read, I have no doubt it'll brighten even the gloomiest of spirits.
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
Happy Endangered Species Act Day to all who celebrate. Here are some bald eagles today on the North Fork of the Nooksack River.
December 29, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Happy Endangered Species Act Day to all who celebrate. Here are some bald eagles today on the North Fork of the Nooksack River.
More proof that leaders in the US support socialism for the rich and wealth but call it a hand out when it comes to supporting literally anyone else.
The wealthy profit from public lands, and taxpayers pick up the tab - High Country News
Roughly two-thirds of grazing on Bureau of Land Management land is controlled by just 10% of permit holders.
www.hcn.org
December 28, 2025 at 7:50 PM
More proof that leaders in the US support socialism for the rich and wealth but call it a hand out when it comes to supporting literally anyone else.
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
I think there’s a deeper story here about how rural communities are experiencing the Trump tariffs this Christmas.
U.S. Forest Service data shows that the number of recreational Christmas tree permits issued across Montana’s national forests rose from 21,550 in 2016 to 28,878 in 2024, an increase of 34 percent.
More Montanans cutting Christmas trees in National Forests
Bozeman-area Custer Gallatin National Forest reports issuing the most recreational tree permits.
montanafreepress.org
December 26, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I think there’s a deeper story here about how rural communities are experiencing the Trump tariffs this Christmas.
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
turns out fossil fuel company sponsorships are actively used by fossil fuel companies to block climate action!
(this probably seems obvious to you, but there is surprisingly huge support among cultural institutions for taking fossil fuel $$$)
www.desmog.com/2025/05/20/r...
(this probably seems obvious to you, but there is surprisingly huge support among cultural institutions for taking fossil fuel $$$)
www.desmog.com/2025/05/20/r...
REVEALED: Now There’s Proof That the Fossil Fuel Industry Uses Cultural Sponsorships to Block Climate Action
BP, Chevron, Shell, and other oil majors back arts and community groups to protect their business models, subpoenaed documents show.
www.desmog.com
May 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM
turns out fossil fuel company sponsorships are actively used by fossil fuel companies to block climate action!
(this probably seems obvious to you, but there is surprisingly huge support among cultural institutions for taking fossil fuel $$$)
www.desmog.com/2025/05/20/r...
(this probably seems obvious to you, but there is surprisingly huge support among cultural institutions for taking fossil fuel $$$)
www.desmog.com/2025/05/20/r...
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
Montana is dead set on diminishing the wolf population to the point of collapse. Our legal challenge to halt the trapping and hunting season was denied, but our lawsuit to enshrine wolf protections into state law moves forward. More ➡️ https://loom.ly/cqWR16o
State judge allows 2025-2026 wolf hunting and trapping regulations to stand
Environmental groups had argued in their unsuccessful motion for a preliminary injunction that letting hunters, trappers and wildlife managers kill up to 558 wolves would do long-term harm to their viability in Montana.
montanafreepress.org
December 26, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Montana is dead set on diminishing the wolf population to the point of collapse. Our legal challenge to halt the trapping and hunting season was denied, but our lawsuit to enshrine wolf protections into state law moves forward. More ➡️ https://loom.ly/cqWR16o
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
The Positive Climate News You May Have Missed This Year by @davidfickling.bsky.social
Some Grids Have Almost Decarbonized:
"in some parts of world, decarbonizing electricity is approaching its endgame.
Roughly three-quarters of power generation in UK & Europe this year came from non-fossil sources"
Some Grids Have Almost Decarbonized:
"in some parts of world, decarbonizing electricity is approaching its endgame.
Roughly three-quarters of power generation in UK & Europe this year came from non-fossil sources"
December 24, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The Positive Climate News You May Have Missed This Year by @davidfickling.bsky.social
Some Grids Have Almost Decarbonized:
"in some parts of world, decarbonizing electricity is approaching its endgame.
Roughly three-quarters of power generation in UK & Europe this year came from non-fossil sources"
Some Grids Have Almost Decarbonized:
"in some parts of world, decarbonizing electricity is approaching its endgame.
Roughly three-quarters of power generation in UK & Europe this year came from non-fossil sources"
Love this @biographic.bsky.social feature that we were able to republish… nice work @cestmoilanglois.bsky.social
Loons are beloved across the north. Yet they’re populations are still struggling to rebound in some areas. We know what’s killing them—lead poisoning caused by sinkers left behind by fishermen. The good news is that there’s an easy fix. 🌎
Loons Losing Out
A common piece of fishing gear is threatening one of America’s most beloved bird species
www.sierraclub.org
December 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Love this @biographic.bsky.social feature that we were able to republish… nice work @cestmoilanglois.bsky.social
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
My newest opinion piece just published.
"Trump is manipulating national security to stop energy projects he doesn’t like"
thebulletin.org/2025/12/trum...
"Trump is manipulating national security to stop energy projects he doesn’t like"
thebulletin.org/2025/12/trum...
Trump is manipulating national security to stop energy projects he doesn’t like
On Monday, December 22, the Trump Administration announced it was pausing five major offshore wind energy projects, citing “national security risks.”
thebulletin.org
December 22, 2025 at 11:35 PM
My newest opinion piece just published.
"Trump is manipulating national security to stop energy projects he doesn’t like"
thebulletin.org/2025/12/trum...
"Trump is manipulating national security to stop energy projects he doesn’t like"
thebulletin.org/2025/12/trum...
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
Interesting video. A position that is right now a minority in Congress. But seems very plausible that this becomes pretty mainstream for 2026 and 2028 elections
I will be pushing for a moratorium on the construction of data centers that are powering the unregulated sprint to develop & deploy AI.
The moratorium will give democracy a chance to catch up, and ensure that the benefits of technology work for all of us, not just the 1%.
The moratorium will give democracy a chance to catch up, and ensure that the benefits of technology work for all of us, not just the 1%.
It's Time for a Moratorium on Data Centers | Sen. Bernie Sanders
YouTube video by Senator Bernie Sanders
youtu.be
December 17, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Interesting video. A position that is right now a minority in Congress. But seems very plausible that this becomes pretty mainstream for 2026 and 2028 elections
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
The biosphere is being murdered
Last pristine nature places are being obliterated
Even in pristine Arctic Refuge Trump is opening up to 82% of the 23-million-acre Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) to oil and gas leasing and development
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Last pristine nature places are being obliterated
Even in pristine Arctic Refuge Trump is opening up to 82% of the 23-million-acre Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) to oil and gas leasing and development
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Erasure of years of work’: outcry as White House moves to open Arctic reserve to oil and gas drilling
US Bureau of Land management is working to rapidly strip protections to largest tract of land in the US
www.theguardian.com
December 20, 2025 at 12:03 AM
The biosphere is being murdered
Last pristine nature places are being obliterated
Even in pristine Arctic Refuge Trump is opening up to 82% of the 23-million-acre Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) to oil and gas leasing and development
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Last pristine nature places are being obliterated
Even in pristine Arctic Refuge Trump is opening up to 82% of the 23-million-acre Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) to oil and gas leasing and development
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Cougar kitten in Michigan, a wolverine in California, and now this—a jaguar in Arizona!!! Despite all the grim news, wildlife really is finding ways to thrive. 🌎
A new jaguar spotted in Arizona points to progress in the endangered species' recovery
The spots gave it away. Just like a human fingerprint, the rosette pattern on each jaguar is unique so researchers knew they had a new animal on their hands after
www.pinalcentral.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Cougar kitten in Michigan, a wolverine in California, and now this—a jaguar in Arizona!!! Despite all the grim news, wildlife really is finding ways to thrive. 🌎
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
They depend on our weariness, our exhaustion, so that they can push things through in cowardly back door moves. But we're fueled by our love for ecosystems, places, animals, and the knowledge that future generations deserve these places too.
December 17, 2025 at 7:22 PM
They depend on our weariness, our exhaustion, so that they can push things through in cowardly back door moves. But we're fueled by our love for ecosystems, places, animals, and the knowledge that future generations deserve these places too.
Reposted by Lindsey Botts
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.