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jamesbelcher.bsky.social
James Belcher
@jamesbelcher.bsky.social
2.9K followers 4.7K following 5.4K posts
Energy, democracy, and energy democracy.

Portland, Oregon
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jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Just opened in Portland: The Northwest Museum of the Comic Arts

nwmoca.org
Shannon Wheeler's TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN wearing a NW MOCA outfit.
November 13, 2025 at 4:37 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Their battle cry: "Give me convenience or give me death!"
Dead Kennedys cassette cover: Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
November 6, 2025 at 12:18 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
The NYT, misunderstanding the power balance.
Opinion The Editorial Board How Mayor Mamdani Can Write New York’s Next Chapter
November 5, 2025 at 3:54 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Read: climatejusticealliance.org/over-140-org...
Over 140 Environmental Organizations Demand EPA Withdraw of Rollback of Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Nov 4, 2025 | Press Release
November 5, 2025 at 3:05 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
"We’ve worked with energy analysts to put together this data center background brief to share what we’ve learned with you."

Nice work by Columbia Riverkeeper (Hood River, Oregon).

www.columbiariverkeeper.org/2025/stop-da...
Data Center Proliferation Threatens Pacific Northwest Clean Energy Goals p. 5 of the brief. https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/FINAL-DATA-CENTER-2025.09.22-Data-Center-background-brief-1.pdf Graph showing historic and projected energy use. Meeting clean energy goals (ditch fossil fuels & switch to renewables) was already going to be a challenge before data center proliferation, which will "dramatically increase electricity consumption, straining our infrastructure and running counter to clean energy goals."
November 5, 2025 at 2:55 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
November 3, 2025 at 7:48 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Stop Deregulatory Permitting Efforts – Protect Our Communities and Bedrock Environmental Laws
"Climate Justice Alliance Advocacy Days" Picture of advocates in front of the Capitol building.
October 31, 2025 at 9:59 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Have you heard about the upcoming student loan “default cliff?” If you’re wondering who’s responsible for millions of Americans facing ruined credit, wage garnishment, and tax refund offsets, it’s neither Biden nor Trump — it’s both of them. The COVID-19 payment pause proved that the government doesn’t actually need anyone to pay back their student loans, and all of those loans could have been cancelled. Instead, Biden chose to restart payments in 2023. Rather than providing debt relief to borrowers struggling to pay back their loans during a cost-of-living crisis, Trump’s recently-passed budget bill has only increased payments and limited repayment options for student debtors. Millions of people simply cannot afford their monthly payment and haven’t paid for months. After 270 days of non-payment, these accounts officially go into default. Many people are hitting that 270 day mark now for the first time since the COVID-19 payment pause ended. It’s time to organize, strategize and fight back. If you have student debt, are currently or have ever been in default, or will go into default in the near future, join us next Thursday, Nov 6th at 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT for our monthly Higher Ed call. We’ll be joined by Julia Barnard, an expert formerly with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to discuss student debt updates and steps that borrowers can take to navigate the default cliff. We’ll also hold space to share our debt stories and talk about collective ways to fight back in this moment.
October 31, 2025 at 6:07 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Energy demand forecast for the Pacific Northwest through 2035.
PNUCC 2025 Northwest Regional Forecast Historical and projected energy demand in the Pacific Northwest—tracked separately for annual, summer, and winter peaks—all shown trending up. p. 7 of the report
October 31, 2025 at 12:56 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Read: www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
“'Maybe he didn’t know it when he got it, but he got it years ago and he should have had it covered up because he knows damn well what it means,' Platner’s former political director, Genevieve McDonald, wrote on Facebook. "McDonald, a former Democratic state lawmaker, resigned from the campaign last week after revelations about Platner’s numerous controversial posts on Reddit. "Jewish Insider also reported on Tuesday that an acquaintance of Platner recalled him referring to the tattoo as “my Totenkopf,” though POLITICO has not independently verified the reporting. “'Totenkopf' is a German word typically referring to an image of a skull and crossbones. During the Nazi era, one form of the image was adopted by the Nazi police, leading to a lasting association with Nazism and continued use by white supremacists, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Platner’s campaign did not specifically answer whether he had ever used that term."
October 22, 2025 at 4:39 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Big donors have backed both major parties for so long that ditching them seems impossible. It's not. It just takes the same political will needed to push other popular policies.

Money-in-Politics Timeline: www.opensecrets.org/resources/le...
Political campaign buttons, from "Enter Soft Money" / the Money-in-Politics Timeline on Open Secrets
October 20, 2025 at 6:35 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Black Agenda Report (@blackagendareport.bsky.social) publishes more than a dozen hard-hitting posts every week. If you oppose fascism, follow them.
Israel’s Perpetual War Machine Demonstrates that Environmental Warfare is a Tool, Not a Consequence of Genocide and Settler Colonialism Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright 15 Oct 2025 Data Centers, A.I., and State Repression Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley U.S. Palestinian Community Network on the Gaza Peace Agreement Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley 17 Oct 2025 Nobel War Prize Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
October 17, 2025 at 4:52 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Today's duck count: 7

www.portlandpf.org/tanner-sprin...
Ducks swimming at Tanner Springs Park. Portland, Oregon
October 16, 2025 at 11:07 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Across topics, Technology Review is all about the announcement—investor clickbait—not the proof or impacts.

The screenshot below is from 2023. Reducing resource *demand* systemically and by the I-can-afford-it crowd matters more than anything listed, but it didn't even make the cut.
"What matters in climate change right now?" Battery technology Carbon sequestration Clean energy Electric cars Geoengineering
October 15, 2025 at 3:59 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Many who laughed at this sentence when it was published are now more aligned with marketers than revolutionaries.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy describes the Marketing Department of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation as: "A bunch of mindless jerks who'll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes."
October 12, 2025 at 5:47 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
This critically important essay by Les Leopold of The Labor Institute is on Substack, which some people refuse to read. So I'm posting it in its entirety here as a 🧵. 1/
Why Not Take Over the Hollowed-Out Democratic Party? Les Leopold Oct 10, 2025
October 12, 2025 at 4:55 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
PORTLAND, OR: Please read and share. You can also sign up now to provide testimony supporting it next Wednesday the 15th.

Immense thanks to @counciloravalos.bsky.social, @councilorepg.bsky.social, and @councilorclark.bsky.social for their work on this.

READ: www.portland.gov/council/docu...

#pdx
"Denounce any attempts to deploy the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard, or militarized Federal Immigration Enforcement in Portland and establish the Protect Portland Initiative"
October 10, 2025 at 9:17 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
"Unfortunately for everyone—but especially Portland in this politically dangerous time where misinformation is being used against us—the New York Times published yet another bullshit article written by a know-nothing San Francisco journalist who parachuted in to crap on the Democratic Socialists on city council, while also platforming the know-nothing opinions of the city's rich people. And... you know what? This is too busy of a week to say much more about it, other than read this terrific thread from our own Taylor Griggs for more info, and to check out her infinitely better, and much more informed and nuanced story on the same topic."
October 6, 2025 at 6:26 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
There's a word for Democrats who agree with Trump's plan to forcibly commit homeless people.
Dictionary definition of crypto-fascist: One who has secret fascist sympathies but is not an avowed fascist.
October 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
aje.io/53m8zq?updat...
"Israel strikes Gaza despite Trump order that bombing stop ‘immediately’"
October 4, 2025 at 12:35 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Yup.
"'Civility' can pit you against an opponent who will happily fight dirty while insisting that you abide by Queensberry Rules." — ZZ Packer
October 3, 2025 at 2:40 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Today's Duck Count: 5

I saw 8 not too long ago, which is the most I've ever seen.

www.portlandpf.org/tanner-sprin...

#pdx
Three ducks on a raised walkway, and two in the water.
September 29, 2025 at 5:44 PM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Local sources of Portland, Oregon news that I trust:

Oregon Public Broadcasting opb.org @opb.org
Portland Mercury portlandmercury.com @portlandmercury.com

[end of list]
Portland, Oregon city seal
September 28, 2025 at 12:32 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Whoop-dee-frickin'-do.
Electric Vehicle Mode | Li/Rider Capacity | Li/Battery Hummer 4.8 kg 24 kg EV 1.6 kg 8 kg Bus .52 kg 44 kg eBike .02 kg .02 kg Source: https://climateandcommunity.org/research/more-mobility-less-mining/
September 19, 2025 at 2:56 AM
jamesbelcher.bsky.social
Watch: www.democracynow.org/2017/8/14/co...

[2017]
CORNEL WEST: The anti-fascists, and then, crucial, the anarchists, because they saved our lives, actually. We would have been completely crushed, and I’ll never forget that. Meaning what? Meaning that you had the police holding back, on the one hand, so we couldn’t even get arrested. We were there to get arrested. We couldn’t get arrested, because the police had pulled back, and just allowing fellow citizens to go at each other, you see, and with all of the consequences that would follow therefrom.
September 18, 2025 at 3:40 PM