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blkahn.bsky.social
Brian Kahn
@blkahn.bsky.social
9.8K followers 540 following 230 posts
Your friendly local Bloomberg climate tech editor
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blkahn.bsky.social
Anyways here's what's actually happening with Arctic sea ice per last year's Arctic Report Card
Sea ice extent, defined as the total area covered by ice of at least 15% concentration, is one of the most commonly used indicators of long-term Arctic sea ice conditions. The primary source of extent observations is the 46-year record (starting in 1979) derived from satellite-borne passive microwave sensors. This satellite record tracks long-term trends, variability, and seasonal changes from the annual extent maximum in late February or March to the annual extent minimum in September. In recent years, minimum extents are ~50% of the values in the 1980s.
September 19, 2025 at 5:07 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
Once again tapping the sign www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
Screenshot of text: These and dozens of other actions taken since Jan. 20 paint a clear picture: The Trump administration is going to war with established climate science. Mass firings, regulatory rollbacks, program closures, and funding cuts across agencies have compromised the nation’s ability to gather and assess data on climate change, reducing the amount of high-quality information that policymakers and business leaders can use to guide their decisions, potentially for years to come.
September 12, 2025 at 9:35 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
This has to be the understatement of the year
A screenshot of text that reads: It is unusual for federal border agents to make arrests during the fighting of an active fire, especially in a remote area.
August 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
Is Smoking Truly Bad for You? We Break Down the Debate
A screenshot of a WEJ headline: Is CO2 Truly a Pollutant? We Break Down the Debate The Trump administration moves to change EPA rules, asserting that carbon dioxide isn't a threat to public health
August 18, 2025 at 5:35 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
just checking in on what the Energy Department is up to on twitter...
A tweet from the Energy Department showing a piece of coal and the text "she is the moment." There's a sparkle effect on the coal
August 1, 2025 at 6:04 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
Ran the economics chapter summary through ChatGPT to assess it's accuracy. The model was not impressed
Text from ChatGPT assessing the accuracy of the new DOE report's chapter summary on climate change's impact on the US economy. It reads: 📌 Overall Judgment This chapter summary does not accurately reflect the best available climate economics science. It: Relies on outdated interpretations of early IAMs while ignoring modern empirical advances. Downplays strong evidence of climate damages to economic growth, especially in vulnerable countries. Misrepresents the function and credibility of SCC estimates, which are used by governments and endorsed by major institutions. Fails to acknowledge new consensus insights from IPCC AR6 and NCA5 on economic inequality, sectoral damages, and risk amplification. ✅ Accurate Alternatives Would Acknowledge: Climate change is already affecting economic growth in multiple regions. Future damages grow nonlinearly with warming and will be most severe for poor and low-latitude countries. Mitigation delivers net long-term economic benefits. The SCC is an indispensable, though uncertain, policy tool—improved through ensemble modeling, probabilistic frameworks, and transparent assumptions.
July 30, 2025 at 12:00 AM
blkahn.bsky.social
And then there's the classic CO2 is good for plants. The report notes that certain crops die at levels below 140 ppm...despite nobody is advocating we get CO2 down to those levels?
Text from the Energy Department report that reads: Elevated concentrations of CO2 directly enhance plant growth, globally contributing to “greening” the planet and increasing agricultural productivity [Section 2.1, Chapter 9]. They also make the oceans less alkaline (lower the pH). That is possibly detrimental to coral reefs, although the recent rebound of the Great Barrier Reef suggests otherwise [Section 2.2].
July 29, 2025 at 9:27 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
Then there's the claim while heavy precipitation has increased, it's all natural. That's the opposite of what the National Climate Assessment found
Text from a DOE report that reads: In summary, some U.S. regions show short-duration increases in extreme precipitation events, consistent with natural variability. But analysis of long term, nationwide historical records that considers the autocorrelation properties of precipitation data does not support the claim that extreme short-duration rainfall events are becoming more frequent or intense. Text from the most recent National Climate Assessment that reads: The Frequency and Severity of Heavy Precipitation Increases with the Global Warming Level Extreme precipitation–producing weather systems ranging from tropical cyclones to atmospheric rivers are very likely to produce heavier precipitation at higher global warming levels. Recent increases in the frequency, severity, and amount of extreme precipitation are expected to continue across the US even if global warming is limited to Paris Agreement targets A showing how extreme precipitation has changed in the US over the period of 1958-2021 from the most recent National Climate Assessment
July 29, 2025 at 9:25 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
The report says it relies on literature published since 2020 "as much as possible" yet opens its attribution chapter citing two old IPCC. It takes 13 pages to get to the most recent IPCC and it omits the sentence in bold from that report www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/w...
A screenshot from a DOE report showing two definitions of climate attribution science from old IPCC reports Text from the most recent IPCC that reads: It is an established fact that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions have led to an increased frequency and/or intensity of some weather and climate extremes since pre-industrial time, in particular for temperature extremes. Evidence of observed changes in extremes and their attribution to human influence (including greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions and land-use changes) has strengthened since AR5, in particular for extreme precipitation, droughts, tropical cyclones and compound extremes (including dry/hot events and fire weather). Some recent hot extreme events would have been extremely unlikely to occur without human influence on the climate system.
July 29, 2025 at 9:22 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
The executive summary highlights how sunspots may have had a material impact on the climate in the late 20th century. Let's check on how accurate that is in this story from [checks notes] 10 years ago www.bloomberg.com/graphics/201...
A screenshot from a new DOE report that reads: Attribution of climate change or extreme weather events to human CO2 emissions is challenged by natural climate variability, data limitations, and inherent model deficiencies [Chapter 8]. Moreover, solar activity's contribution to the late 20th century warming might be underestimated [Section 8.3.1]. A chart showing the global average temperature from 1880-2005 and the influence of the sun (it's minimal)
July 29, 2025 at 9:15 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
There's also no way philanthropy will be able to step in to fill all the gaps (and there are signs some funders may not even want to due to the chilling effect of Trump's attacks on universities, law firms and other sectors)
Screenshot of text that reads: The MacArthur Foundation announced in March that it plans to increase its giving over the next two years in response to Trump’s attempts to cut budgets, going from 5% of its endowment to 6%. However, the extra cash will be spread across multiple focus areas, says Deborah Philbrick, a senior program officer within climate solutions at the MacArthur Foundation. “It’s not the role of philanthropy to backfill for the government in all cases. It’s a balancing act,” Philbrick says. Some organizations she oversees are reporting funding gaps in the millions, she added. The Kresge Foundation, which provides about $20 million in grants to environmental organizations a year, says it is simplifying its processes to help nonprofits spend “time and energy where it is needed most,” according to a letter President and CEO Rip Rapson sent out to more than 900 grantees on June 3. Kresge anticipates spending more this year to help grantees survive the federal funding pullback, says Rapson, noting nonprofits don’t have the cash reserves needed to get through a year or 18 months. “There’s no way that philanthropy over the next two or three or four years can fill in where the federal government has pulled back,” he says. “A foundation like Kresge is a mid-sized foundation, and yet we could deplete our annual grantmaking easily with just a handful of grants to people who are in vulnerable positions.”
July 28, 2025 at 5:34 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
A quote from a story: “In a place like Gaza where there is such an intense humanitarian crisis, people wonder whether it’s right to talk about the environment, but it’s a false dichotomy,” Weir, from the Conflict and Environment Observatory, said. “It’s really clear that so much environmental damage has been caused that it is undermining the basic life support systems that people rely on — whether it’s clean air, water for drinking or land for agriculture.”
July 24, 2025 at 6:32 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
How to spread a conspiracy:
1. Twitter users including HustleBitch (...), Wall Street Apes (......) Beef Initiative (.........) etc. post about cloud seeding that happened a few days prior
2. Tweets rise to top of search since they're verified
3. Mike Flynn chimes in just asking questions

...
A screenshot of a conspiracy tweet from user HustleBitch that reads: HOLY SH*T! TEXAS CLOUD SEEDING CEO FUNDED BY PETER THIEL, CONNECTED TO PALANTIR Meet AUGUSTUS DORICKO, a 25-YEAR-OLD TECH BRO and THIEL FELLOW, who founded the weather modification startup RAINMAKER. According to publicly available info, Doricko’s company was reportedly cloud seeding over parts of Texas just 2 DAYS before historic flooding hit those same regions. He received $100,000 through Peter Thiel’s Fellowship, the same Thiel who co-founded PALANTIR, the surveillance and defense tech giant tracking everything from troop movements to civilian behavior. Let that sink in. Why is a Palantir-connected billionaire funding private weather experiments in Texas? Why is a 25-year-old with no public oversight allowed to modify the sky? They called it “stewarding the natural world.” Texas got biblical flooding instead. This isn’t a theory. It’s documented, privately funded, and totally unregulated. No vote. No consent. No accountability. Just Thiel money, weather manipulation, and a flooded state left asking questions. Sources: celiafarber.substack, Thiel Fellowship, Scientific American Screenshot of a debunked conspiracy tweet from user Wall Street Apes that reads: WOAH 🚨 What amazing ‘coincidences’ - The Kerrville City Council just approved a $175 million dollar power plant project RIGHT WHERE THE FLOODING IS HAPPENING in Texas - Texas Cloud Seeding Weather Modification Programs ARE IN THE SAME AREA - The flooding was so bad, The Guadalupe River that flooded during the storm “rose 42 feet in just 1-3 hours, unimaginable water flow,” this is very indicative of cloud seeing disasters “Wouldn't it be crazy if the map of rain enhancement projects in Texas seems pretty heavy loaded on the area which had flooding?” …. It was and he provides the maps to prove it I mean what are the odds???? Land Grab A conspiracy tweet by user Beef Initiative that reads: 🚨BREAKING: Federal agencies paid a private cloud seeding company to spray Texas skies—just 2 days before deadly floods killed 60+. No public comment. No oversight. No accountability. Call it weather modification. Call it a conspiracy. But it’s happening. A quote tweet from General Mike Flynn that reads: "I'd love to see the response." The quoted tweet contains a NOAA document about weather modification undertaken by Rainmaker, a startup that does cloud seeding.
July 7, 2025 at 10:33 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
A very normal way to describe the world’s largest economy www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Screenshot of text that reads: "It is all about the economy right now, but no one has any insight as to what will or could happen," said Brad Conger, chief investment officer at Hirtle Callaghan. "There is a big fear of making any big moves, just a sense that in a dark room with a lot of sharp glass on the floor, the best thing to do is stand still and hope the lights come back on."
April 22, 2025 at 9:25 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
In case you were wondering how much the US solar installer industry relies on Southeast Asia...
A pie chart showing share of US imports of solar products in 2024 by country. It shows 29.8% came from Vietnam, 22.9% came from Thailand, 17.6% came from Malaysia, and 7.2% came from Cambodia. Just 22.5% of panels were imported from other parts of the world.
April 22, 2025 at 2:59 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
Lotta things to unpack but the idea that Greenland, a place with some of the harshest conditions on the planet covered in rapidly melting ice and with a population of 56,000 people, is an ideal to build high-speed rail and launch rockets is truly the poster child for Silicon Valley ideas
Screenshot of text that reads: The vision for Greenland, one of the people said, could include a hub for artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, space launches, micro nuclear reactors and high-speed rail.
April 16, 2025 at 7:19 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
"In my case, I would like to take a nice shower to take care of my beautiful hair" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
April 9, 2025 at 10:25 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
You know who manufactures the vast majority of the world's LFP batteries? China, which is set to have 125% tariffs. It's also by far the biggest source of batteries the US imports
A bar chart showing the share of battery imports to the US by country. China is far and away the biggest source of batteries, with $14 billion imports last year. The totals for the other countries: Japan: $2 billion South Korea: $1 billion Hungary: $891 million Canada: $654 million Poland: $505 million Malaysia: $303 million Germany: $255 million Vietnam: $254 million Taiwan: $231 million
April 9, 2025 at 5:53 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
same energy
April 8, 2025 at 5:30 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
This graph and this quote are from the same story about nearly $8 billion in clean manufacturing projects being canceled www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
A graph showing quarterly clean manufacturing projects canceled in billions of dollars. The amounts in 2023 and 2024 are all well below $2 billion while Q1 2025 is $7.7 billion Screenshot of text that reads: Taylor Rogers, the White House assistant press secretary, said in an email that the administration’s approach would benefit Americans. “The President’s brilliant economic agenda is an all-encompassing plan to revive our economy by unleashing American energy, implementing tariffs to level the playing field, and bringing billions of dollars in historic investments to America’s manufacturing sector,” Rogers said.
April 4, 2025 at 8:02 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
today in subject lines that should've stayed in drafts
Screenshot of a subject line that says "Vanguard is monitoring the unfolding trade situation"
April 3, 2025 at 7:24 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
new 401K hack just dropped
A screenshot of a tweet from user @d_boeckner that reads: To everyone who's freaking out about the economy right now: you still don't get it. you can use multiple slurp juices on a single ape. So if you have 1 astro ape and 3 slurp juices you can create 3 new apes
April 3, 2025 at 5:45 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
Restoration Hardware was doing an earnings call when the tariffs hit and I have never related harder to a CEO www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
A screenshot of text from a Bloomberg article that reads: He was trying to persuade investors that the retailer — which operates the Restoration Hardware chain — was “well-positioned,” when he looked at the company’s share price. “I guess the stock went down based on some of the numbers we reported and then it got killed because of a — oh really, oh sh-t,” Friedman blurted out.
April 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
:)
April 3, 2025 at 3:14 PM
blkahn.bsky.social
Pretty bleak assessment of what would happen if staffing cuts to the HHS energy assistance program for low income folks create issues getting funding getting out the door www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/c...
Screenshot of text from a New York Times article that reads: “When home heating is less affordable, more people die each winter,” Seema Jayachandran, an economist at Princeton and one of the authors of the study, wrote on Monday. “That’s what our analysis found for a period when LIHEAP was in place. Without LIHEAP, the effect would presumably much larger.”
April 2, 2025 at 8:05 PM