Mark Basnage
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mbasnage.bsky.social
Mark Basnage
@mbasnage.bsky.social
1.4K followers 500 following 61 posts
Climate: K-12 edu, climate career pathways, leadership, program design/implimentation/evaluation. SF/LA/PHL. Opinions my own.
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Reposted by Mark Basnage
smolrobots.bsky.social
Human brains produce new ideas every second of every day. Sit down with a tiny child and ask them to explain something they're doing and you will hear half a dozen of them. Ideas are what humans *do*. The idea is by far the easiest part of any creative process.
kjcharleswriter.com KJ Charles @kjcharleswriter.com · 1d
But the point (there is a point) is, people fetishise the idea over the hard work of plotting and character development and research and internal consistency and just writing the fucker, because the Idea is the sparkly magic bit.

And this is what makes them put value in the AI prompt.
November 19, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
agu.org
The “U.S. Climate Collection” will synthesize critical elements of recent and emerging climate change knowledge to support future national & sub-national assessments of climate risks and solutions.🌎

🔗 Learn how to submit: buff.ly/NmA5iBQ

#AGUPubs #COP30 #ClimateAction #ClimateChange @ametsoc.org
Graphic with a link to the new special collection.
November 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
lutzfernandez.bsky.social
"‘In fact, what’s really surprising is that higher AI literacy brings more overconfidence...We would expect people who are AI literate to not only be a bit better at interacting with AI systems, but also at judging their performance with those systems – but this was not the case.’"
AI use makes us overestimate our cognitive performance
A study led by Aalto University reveals that when it comes to AI, specifically, LLMs, the Dunning-Kruger Effect doesn’t hold. All users show a significant inability to assess their performance a...
www.eurekalert.org
November 18, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
jerthorp.bsky.social
If you're looking for a fun gift for a bird friend or a data friend or a design friend, I just shipped out the first rolls of this wrapping paper:

www.jerthorp.me/product-page...

511 bird species with holiday-themed names, feathers colored from Wikipedia descriptions!
Of A Feather: Wrapping Paper! | jerthorp
Wrap your gifts in bird-y data-y style with this one-of-a-kind wrapping paper!This paper features 511 birds whose names contain the words winter, christmas, snowy, snow, red, or green. The colors for ...
www.jerthorp.me
November 12, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
paigeblank.bsky.social
🚨Just launched: @vox.com's most ambitious biodviersity reporting project of the year.

@benjij.bsky.social went to Madagascar to find out what it takes to save one of the world’s most unique ecosystems — and learned that the answer begins with putting people first.

www.vox.com/climate/4649...
Most animals on this island nation are found nowhere else on Earth. And now they’re vanishing.
The only way to save them is to put people first.
www.vox.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
jerthorp.bsky.social
This is a thread for excellent bird names.

Supertramp Fantail

ebird.org/species/araf...

🪶
Small bird on a branch with its tail fanned out
October 17, 2025 at 11:58 AM
mbasnage.bsky.social
Thank goodness. Not first out of the gate, but I hope they hold on to the "leges sine moribus vanae."
October 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
quilombo.bsky.social
This from @realgdt.bsky.social talking about 'Frankenstein' is so good.
October 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
katzish.bsky.social
Horrific reporting from the AP on the Myanmar families watching their kids starve to death from Trump and Musk’s aid cuts apnews.com/article/myan...
Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.
apnews.com
October 8, 2025 at 10:41 AM
mbasnage.bsky.social
This is very good:
himself.bsky.social Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · Oct 8
"It wanted to signal strength. Instead, it’s revealing its weakness. The administration’s need to break the academy is forcing it to make a desperately risky gamble." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.
www.nytimes.com
October 8, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
karlaliliana.bsky.social
Hey y'all, my company Brava is making our trainings free through the end of the year. Our sessions cover:

- Deepening alignment w/ your beliefs
- Getting good @ discerning strategic priorities and sacrifices
- Sharpening our communication around hard decisions
www.bravaleaders.com/public-sessi...
Understanding, managing, leveraging, and distributing power.
The public session workshop format provides an opportunity for us to examine skills and habits that benefit from being discussed candidly. These live sessions allow people to explore these topics outs...
www.bravaleaders.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
richraho.bsky.social
Pope Leo on 10th anniversary of Laudato Si: “There is no room for indifference or resignation. God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created…we cannot love God whom we cannot see, while despising his creatures." www.vatican.va/content/leo-...
October 1, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
mikesacks.bsky.social
This rules - @raskin.house.gov straight up called out Roberts to his face.

democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center...
Ranking Member Jamie Raskin Prepared Remarks for the Judicial Conference September 16, 2025 Thank you, Chief Justice Roberts, for the invitation. Forgive my directness here but the times are serious, as you know, our time is short. I have just five minutes and don't want to trespass on Senator Cruz's time. Sometimes these days I feel as if all the foundational principles are being trampled and lost. Often, I hear my colleagues in the House, and these are fellow Democrats, get up to protest some Executive usurpation of legislative power and they begin their lament with the plaintive cry, "We are a coequal branch of government..." And I always feel they have lost the argument right there just by repeating that fifth-grade dogma. First of all, co-equal is not even a word. It's an embarrassing redundancy like "very unique" or "irregardless. " But there's a reason all legislative power is vested in the Congress and there's a reason it's in Article I. The Founders had a revolution against monarchy and its constant assaults on liberty. In America, the Framers determined, only the representatives of the people would have power to declare wars, pass budgets, impose taxes and tariffs, and so on. Article lis pages and pages of all the powers vested in Congress. Then you get to Article Il, which is tiny. The key paragraph says a president shall be removed from office upon impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors. If we are co-equal, why do we have the power to impeach, try, convict, remove and permanently disqualify the president and he doesn't have the power to impeach, try, convict, remove and disqualify us? The core job of the president is plain: "To Take care that the laws are faithfully executed." That's it. Not abused, not thwarted, not impounded, not redirected, but faithfully executed. A lot of the cases entering the federal courts are variations on this theme. Here's the remarkable thing: Americans have brought over 300 cases in federal district courts against the Administration so far for usurping legislative powers, defying federal laws, or violating the rights of the people. This summer, researchers found that plaintiffs were winning an astonishing 77% of the cases in the district courts. Moreover, they found that President Trump was losing about equally before Republican-appointed judges (72%) and Democratic-appointed judges (80%). The numbers in the federal circuit courts of appeal are similar, with plaintiffs against the Administration winning overwhelmingly and again without a sharp partisan valence to the appeals courts' voting. A good example is the birthright citizenship case where four district court judges, two appointed by Republican presidents and two appointed by Democratic presidents, all struck down the President's purported negation of birthright citizenship. Then, on appeal, three circuit courts again all ruled against the Administration. But everything is flipped when the cases come to the Supreme Court.
September 27, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
laurahelmuth.bsky.social
This is a charming conversation with the real-life Olivia who inspired the book Olivia. slate.com/culture/2025...
Her Uncle Immortalized Her as a Pig. The Book Sold 10 Million Copies. How Does She Feel About It?
An interview with the little girl—now all grown up—who inspired Olivia.
slate.com
September 27, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
anthonymoser.com
i made a helpful reference
top right: a fractured black rectangle where one half is labeled "autism is bad" and the other side is labeled "FACT CHECK: autistic people are productive members of society". top left: WRONG -negating their frame reinforces it -starts with what it isn't instead of what it is - your argument is shaped like their argument bottom right: large image of Kirby, a pink blob inhaling and the "autism is bad" fragment, labeled THEY'RE DOING EUGENICS bottom left: RIGHT - you eat their frame -starts with what's actually happening -contains and explains what they're doing -your argument is shaped like kirby
September 24, 2025 at 3:23 PM
mbasnage.bsky.social
"Maybe that’s the thing I got most wrong about Silicon Valley. Those Davids I wrote about seemed fearless and full of verve as they challenged what was possible and rode the power of the chip and the net. I mistook this for character." www.wired.com/story/silico...
I Thought I Knew Silicon Valley. I Was Wrong
Tech got what it wanted by electing Trump. A year later, it looks more like a suicide pact.
www.wired.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:11 PM
mbasnage.bsky.social
Ultimately there is no such thing as amoral leadership. At least over the course of any season in an organization, and certainly in the course of a career, leadership has a moral valence. How could it not? Leadership is work among people. 1/n
September 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
grist.org
The words we use to talk about nature are disappearing. Here’s why that matters.

We’ll need to do more than "touch grass" to revive them.

grist.org/language/nat...

#Climate #Language #Words #Dictionary #Environment #Culture #Librarians
The words we use to talk about nature are disappearing. Here’s why that matters.
We’ll need to do more than ‘touch grass’ to revive them.
grist.org
September 16, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
jerthorp.bsky.social
The morning session for this course starts in one week.

Cultivate a mindful birding practice, learn creative coding techniques, and be part of a community that embraces art, data, and environmental care.

🐦❤️📊
jerthorp.bsky.social Jer Thorp @jerthorp.bsky.social · Aug 28
My course about birding & creative code is also secretly (shhhh) a course about critical data thinking.

Which is one of the most important skills you could possibly cultivate in this age of AI and misinformation.

Autumn cohorts start September 23rd... join me?

jerthorp.me/learning

🪶📊🎨
Why birds & data? To see the whole picture. Data is a system, not a thing. To truly understand data, you need to know how it gets made, how it is changed by the processes of computation, and how the choices we make in representing it affect the stories that can be told. Birding offers a way to get intimate with this entire system. To watch as our observations become data. To see how they are recast and reshaped by algorithms and models. To explore the many practical and poetic ways we might tell our data's story. Through birding, data is revealed not as static record, but as a living process of which we (and our feathered neighbors) are very much a part.
September 15, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
akshatrathi.bsky.social
Here are 10 provocations on climate and energy. Tell me if you agree, disagree or have a nuanced take. Drop your own provocations in reply or quote post.

Start:

1. By 2030, the use of air conditioning will lead to greater increase in electricity demand than data centers. And it's not even close!
September 10, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
jamellebouie.net
wrote about the “national conservative” vision for america
Opinion | They Don’t Want to Live in Lincoln’s America
www.nytimes.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
drdonhaas.bsky.social
Some good things are happening.

www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/new-...
New York adds climate education, financial literacy requirements for high school students
In a Q&A, New York Board of Regents member Roger Catania discusses new requirements for climate education and financial literacy.
www.adirondackexplorer.org
September 4, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
awalkerinla.bsky.social
LA28's long overdue sustainability plan will be presented at Thursday's ad hoc Olympic and Paralympic committee meeting. Resilient by Nature is a new initiative focused on post-fire nature restoration, ocean protection, and cooling solutions.

Report is up here: lacity.primegov.com/viewer/previ...
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO As we look ahead to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Iam filled with excitement and gratitude for the incredible work underway. It's inspiring to witness how much passion and dedication is fueling this endeavor, and Ican already see how the commitment of our team members and partners wil transform not only our city, but the world of sport. The planning, the vision, the people-it's all coming together, and we are moving forward with purpose. One of the core principles that will guide us through this journey is unity. More than just a global sporting event, the LA28 Games will be an opportunity to bring together communities from all walks of life. We believe in the unifying power of sport and its ability to bridge divides, foster connection and inspire collective purpose. But the LA28 Games are more than a celebration of athletic achievement —they are also a model of resilience, from athletes reaching the pinnacle of their sport to a region scarred by wildfires rising stronger to welcome the world in 2028. In honor of the resilience that drives the Games, and our community, I'm excited to announce that LA28 will launch the Resilient by Nature initiative,a program designed to invest in a more resilient Los Angeles while showcasing scalable nodels and best practices that can inspire global action. Our Impact and Sustainability Plan si a key part of making this vision a reality. Through this Plan, we will ensure that the Games leave a positive, long-term legacy for our city, our region and the world, from elevating local businesses and small businesses to expanding access to a healthy environment for those most vulnerable in our community. But we cannot do this alone. LA28 is a massive undertaking that requires collaboration at every level. It's about teaming up with partners in government, community organizations and the private sector. It's about engaging with people who call this city home, and those who wil come ot experience ti for the f… SPOTLIGHT: Resilient By Nature, Stronger through Sport In recognition of the resilience that drives the Games, LA28 will launch the Resilient by Nature initiative, a program to invest in a more resilient Los Angeles while demonstrating models and best practices that can help drive global action. Resilient by Nature will deploy a range of tools - from grantmaking to volunteerism to educational campaigns - to pursue positive impacts across focus areas tied to the land, water and sun that make the Games possible: Focus Areas: • Wildfire Resilience and Nature Restoration: Coming out of the devastating 2025 wildfires, LA28 will support projects that help build greater wildfire resilience and restore nature, such as planting fire resilient native plants or pursuing bio-remediation. Ocean Protection: With the Pacific Ocean as the iconic backdrop to sports like Sailing and Beach Volleyball, LA28 will support replicable solutions that enhance ocean health, such as beach cleanups or kelp restoration. • Cooling Solutions: In the lead-up to welcoming the world in the height of summer, LA28 will support projects that help keep Los Angeles cool, such as native tree planting or shade structures. Resilient by Nature will be anchored by the LA28 Community Resilience Fund, which will provide grants to local nonprofits to support projects across all three focus areas. The Fund will launch by early 2026 to ensure that projects begin well before the Games. LA28 will announce additional elements of the initiative in the lead up to 2028 and provide a comprehensive update in the Impact and Sustainability Pre-Games Report. Resilient by Nature will deepen collaboration between LA28, local nonprofit organizations, local government and LA28's commercial partners, leveraging the Games to increase investment in building a more resilient Los Angeles. Through these collective efforts, LA28 aims to leave behind a positive legacy that benefits Angelenos long after the Games.
August 26, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Reposted by Mark Basnage
johnholbein1.bsky.social
BREAKING: A new experiment in Philly shows cash rental assistance slashed homelessness rates by 57–67%.
August 21, 2025 at 11:35 PM