Alex Barron
@alexrbarron.bsky.social
Climate policy wonk. Rogue biogeochemist. Assoc. Prof. Fmr. Congressional staff (AAAS_STPF). Obama EPA & Biden OMB alum.
"In a life cycle assessment, all else equal, the CO2 emissions associated with BEVs are 30% higher than those of ICE vehicles during the first two years. However, after the second year, BEVs result in a reduction in cumulative CO2 emissions." 🔌💡
journals.plos.org/climate/arti...
journals.plos.org/climate/arti...
October 30, 2025 at 5:55 PM
"In a life cycle assessment, all else equal, the CO2 emissions associated with BEVs are 30% higher than those of ICE vehicles during the first two years. However, after the second year, BEVs result in a reduction in cumulative CO2 emissions." 🔌💡
journals.plos.org/climate/arti...
journals.plos.org/climate/arti...
I ended up with a "climate-positive stone paper" notebook but every time I use it I cringe knowing that it is somehow "Cradle to Cradle" Silver certified but says it should be "recycled as Waste to Energy" 🤯 #notwhatthatwordmeans #recycling
October 29, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I ended up with a "climate-positive stone paper" notebook but every time I use it I cringe knowing that it is somehow "Cradle to Cradle" Silver certified but says it should be "recycled as Waste to Energy" 🤯 #notwhatthatwordmeans #recycling
In the past 5 yrs, the number of carbon neutral US colleges and universities has roughly doubled. We find that offsets remain the dominant strategy for carbon neutrality of direct emissions, with offsets accounting for over 2/3 of aggregate (Scope 1) emissions reductions for carbon neutral schools.
October 29, 2025 at 3:24 PM
In the past 5 yrs, the number of carbon neutral US colleges and universities has roughly doubled. We find that offsets remain the dominant strategy for carbon neutrality of direct emissions, with offsets accounting for over 2/3 of aggregate (Scope 1) emissions reductions for carbon neutral schools.
Higher education has some work to do on climate action. We found that the median reduction in direct (Scope 1) emissions is only ~9% - with over a third of U.S. colleges and universities actually reporting Scope 1 emissions higher than in their baseline year.
scholarworks.smith.edu/env_facpubs/35
scholarworks.smith.edu/env_facpubs/35
October 28, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Higher education has some work to do on climate action. We found that the median reduction in direct (Scope 1) emissions is only ~9% - with over a third of U.S. colleges and universities actually reporting Scope 1 emissions higher than in their baseline year.
scholarworks.smith.edu/env_facpubs/35
scholarworks.smith.edu/env_facpubs/35
Based on active projects, we expect the number of US colleges and universities with a greater than 50% decarbonization of Scope 1 emissions will at least double by 2030, with several schools likely to achieve >70% reductions. 4/6
October 27, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Based on active projects, we expect the number of US colleges and universities with a greater than 50% decarbonization of Scope 1 emissions will at least double by 2030, with several schools likely to achieve >70% reductions. 4/6
Carbon neutrality doesn’t always lead to decarbonization. But who is decarbonizing? We looked at >600 US colleges and universities and found 7 that have decarbonized direct (Scope 1) emissions by at least 50% (usually with ground source heat pump networks). This is possible folks! 1/6
October 27, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Carbon neutrality doesn’t always lead to decarbonization. But who is decarbonizing? We looked at >600 US colleges and universities and found 7 that have decarbonized direct (Scope 1) emissions by at least 50% (usually with ground source heat pump networks). This is possible folks! 1/6
Massachusetts looking notably absent on this map of U.S. Green Banks
(from coalitionforgreencapital.com/about-us/our...)
(from coalitionforgreencapital.com/about-us/our...)
October 21, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Massachusetts looking notably absent on this map of U.S. Green Banks
(from coalitionforgreencapital.com/about-us/our...)
(from coalitionforgreencapital.com/about-us/our...)
I want to know what my elected officials are doing to respond to this moment. Imagine my frustration that two calls to @neal.house.gov's office haven't succeeded in getting me on his newsletter mailing list. Today someone called me to tell me that "they don't have a mailing list". His website:
October 20, 2025 at 4:30 PM
I want to know what my elected officials are doing to respond to this moment. Imagine my frustration that two calls to @neal.house.gov's office haven't succeeded in getting me on his newsletter mailing list. Today someone called me to tell me that "they don't have a mailing list". His website:
IMHO every sector should be running decarbonization academies. If you will be at AASHE next week, there will be a lot expertise on campus deep decarbonization gathered in one place for this learning lab.
October 17, 2025 at 12:27 PM
IMHO every sector should be running decarbonization academies. If you will be at AASHE next week, there will be a lot expertise on campus deep decarbonization gathered in one place for this learning lab.
Re-upping this paper by @sethwynes.bsky.social and @simondonner.bsky.social which finds a median climate vote in Canada associated w 34 tons, vs 2.4 tons for car free for a yr. Individual action charts look pretty different with collective action.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 14, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Re-upping this paper by @sethwynes.bsky.social and @simondonner.bsky.social which finds a median climate vote in Canada associated w 34 tons, vs 2.4 tons for car free for a yr. Individual action charts look pretty different with collective action.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
There are estimates in the literature, see this paper by @sethwynes.bsky.social which finds a median climate vote in Canada associated w 34 tons, vs the 2.4 tons for car free for a year.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 14, 2025 at 6:11 PM
There are estimates in the literature, see this paper by @sethwynes.bsky.social which finds a median climate vote in Canada associated w 34 tons, vs the 2.4 tons for car free for a year.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
You're working to decarbonize your campus, right? If you want a 6 month opportunity to get smart on decarbonization, the 2026 Campus Decarbonization Academy is worth checking out.
www.aashe.org/calendar/cam...
www.aashe.org/calendar/cam...
September 24, 2025 at 3:18 PM
You're working to decarbonize your campus, right? If you want a 6 month opportunity to get smart on decarbonization, the 2026 Campus Decarbonization Academy is worth checking out.
www.aashe.org/calendar/cam...
www.aashe.org/calendar/cam...
Another day, another important dataset that the current administration is suggesting they might break. In this case "an invaluable and growing body of multidisciplinary data that researchers can use to address important questions about the challenges and opportunities of aging."
September 16, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Another day, another important dataset that the current administration is suggesting they might break. In this case "an invaluable and growing body of multidisciplinary data that researchers can use to address important questions about the challenges and opportunities of aging."
It's pretty hilarious to me that, in this area of micro targeting, my Chevy dealership keeps sending me ads for oil and transmission fluid changes, despite the fact that I bought an #EV from them. 🚙
September 4, 2025 at 1:14 PM
It's pretty hilarious to me that, in this area of micro targeting, my Chevy dealership keeps sending me ads for oil and transmission fluid changes, despite the fact that I bought an #EV from them. 🚙
Second Nature recommends a ROBUST carbon price ($50-100/ton or $210-$248/ton) for good decision making. Is your institution/city/etc. planning new buildings or energy-related renovations that should use this?
July 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Second Nature recommends a ROBUST carbon price ($50-100/ton or $210-$248/ton) for good decision making. Is your institution/city/etc. planning new buildings or energy-related renovations that should use this?
Second Nature (@leadonclimate.bsky.social), the non-profit that manages higher ed. climate commitments is now recommending _as_best_practice_ the development of an internal carbon price so that climate costs/regulatory risks are automatically built into key decisions.
July 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Second Nature (@leadonclimate.bsky.social), the non-profit that manages higher ed. climate commitments is now recommending _as_best_practice_ the development of an internal carbon price so that climate costs/regulatory risks are automatically built into key decisions.
I got to visit with Gromit the Aerosol Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer, which I used for undergrad research 25 yrs ago @carleton.edu. I'm where I am today because of Fed $$ from EPA, NSF, NREL, Smithsonian. We need to make sure we don't lose a whole gen. of young scientists to R's budget cuts.
July 8, 2025 at 1:24 PM
I got to visit with Gromit the Aerosol Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer, which I used for undergrad research 25 yrs ago @carleton.edu. I'm where I am today because of Fed $$ from EPA, NSF, NREL, Smithsonian. We need to make sure we don't lose a whole gen. of young scientists to R's budget cuts.
Why yes, I did go on a tour of the ground source heat pumps at my 25th college reunion (thanks @carleton.edu !). #geothermal #geoexchange
July 8, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Why yes, I did go on a tour of the ground source heat pumps at my 25th college reunion (thanks @carleton.edu !). #geothermal #geoexchange
"No Nazis, Ice Cream Welcome" is a pretty good summer motto.
July 8, 2025 at 12:39 AM
"No Nazis, Ice Cream Welcome" is a pretty good summer motto.
A city council member and a civil servant are the right picks for the plenary at #ESA2025. Such a delight to see grad school contemporaries Councilmember Kathleen Treseder and @ecology-awesome.bsky.social on the main stage for this years @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social conf.
May 29, 2025 at 1:26 PM
A city council member and a civil servant are the right picks for the plenary at #ESA2025. Such a delight to see grad school contemporaries Councilmember Kathleen Treseder and @ecology-awesome.bsky.social on the main stage for this years @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social conf.
Any #ceramics folks know what would make a nominally "microwave safe" mug do this after a normal-length heating cycle (1:30) in the microwave?
March 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Any #ceramics folks know what would make a nominally "microwave safe" mug do this after a normal-length heating cycle (1:30) in the microwave?
3rd, they are asking schools to get serious about land-use. This was “outside” the traditional climate commitment in higher education, but some leading schools have already moved in this direction. 6/8
March 13, 2025 at 12:32 PM
3rd, they are asking schools to get serious about land-use. This was “outside” the traditional climate commitment in higher education, but some leading schools have already moved in this direction. 6/8
If your school is considering a “green upgrade” to a new building or a big retrofit, you should be asking them to include an internal carbon price to see which option that favors. 5/8
March 13, 2025 at 12:32 PM
If your school is considering a “green upgrade” to a new building or a big retrofit, you should be asking them to include an internal carbon price to see which option that favors. 5/8
2nd, Second Nature is recommending a ROBUST carbon price ($210-$248/ton) - only the University of California System and Princeton are currently using prices that high (as far as I know). 4/8
March 13, 2025 at 12:32 PM
2nd, Second Nature is recommending a ROBUST carbon price ($210-$248/ton) - only the University of California System and Princeton are currently using prices that high (as far as I know). 4/8
If schools listen to Second Nature this would be a big shift as only a handful of schools currently have internal carbon prices. doi.org/10.1525/elem... 3/8
March 13, 2025 at 12:32 PM
If schools listen to Second Nature this would be a big shift as only a handful of schools currently have internal carbon prices. doi.org/10.1525/elem... 3/8