Kristen McConnell
@kristenmc.bsky.social
Climate convenor and nature super fan. Swimmer. Art and music devotee. Mama. Feminist. Austin, TX
Conservative Man Proudly Frightened Of Everything
Conservative Man Proudly Frightened Of Everything
FLOWER MOUND, TX—Condemning the “woke left” for what he called the “modern evisceration of masculinity,” local conservative man Hank Daniels confirmed Monday that he was never going to stop being prou...
theonion.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
UT Austin students are amazing.
"Two student-led organizations in Texas raised over $30,000 to help undocumented students pay for tuition and other expenses after a federal judge overturned the Texas Dream Act" thedailytexan.com/2025/10/31/t...
Texas student groups financially support undocumented students after overturning of Texas Dream Act
Editor’s note: The professor quoted in the article is speaking independently and not on behalf of the University. Two student-led organizations in Texas raised over $30,000 to help undocumented studen...
thedailytexan.com
November 3, 2025 at 10:58 PM
UT Austin students are amazing.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Central Texas:
secure.centraltexasfoodbank.org/site/Donation2
secure.centraltexasfoodbank.org/site/Donation2
October 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Central Texas:
secure.centraltexasfoodbank.org/site/Donation2
secure.centraltexasfoodbank.org/site/Donation2
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Neither Mulder nor Scully would trust/accept AI and that should be enough of a warning for all of us.
October 19, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Neither Mulder nor Scully would trust/accept AI and that should be enough of a warning for all of us.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).
The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled
The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency
@heatmap.news
The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency
@heatmap.news
Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says
It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.
heatmap.news
October 10, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).
The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.
Generations of my family (including me!) have gotten a great education at UT Austin. I’m ashamed that UT leadership is so eager to surrender UT’s academic integrity to earn a pat on the head from the thugs in DC.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
Opinion | Where Trump Is Vulnerable and How to Act on It
www.nytimes.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Generations of my family (including me!) have gotten a great education at UT Austin. I’m ashamed that UT leadership is so eager to surrender UT’s academic integrity to earn a pat on the head from the thugs in DC.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
National parks left open during a government shutdown under the last Trump administration experienced permanent damage - vandalized petroglyphs, chopped down Joshua trees - but they plan to keep them open once again.
The Trump administration plans to keep national parks largely open to the public during the expected government shutdown, according to an internal email reviewed by @nytimes.com.
Conservationists say parks should be closed to prevent irreparable damage.
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09...
Conservationists say parks should be closed to prevent irreparable damage.
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09...
Update from Maxine Joselow
www.nytimes.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:04 AM
National parks left open during a government shutdown under the last Trump administration experienced permanent damage - vandalized petroglyphs, chopped down Joshua trees - but they plan to keep them open once again.
“War is Peace” was literally a slogan of the ruling party in Orwell’s 1984. It’s also bleak as hell and patently untrue.
Hegseth: "As history teaches us, the only people who actually deserve peace and those who are willing to wage war to defend it. That's why pacifism is so naive and dangerous."
September 30, 2025 at 9:58 PM
“War is Peace” was literally a slogan of the ruling party in Orwell’s 1984. It’s also bleak as hell and patently untrue.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
This quiet shutdown of one-third of the USA's climate adaptation capacity will happen this week.
Despite broad political support, one third of the nation's Climate Adaptation Science Centers will wind down in coming days due to lack of funds.
The Northeast, South Central, and Pacific Islands will be left without actionable science on drought, floods, wildfire, sea level rise and other hazards.
The Northeast, South Central, and Pacific Islands will be left without actionable science on drought, floods, wildfire, sea level rise and other hazards.
Trump officials shut off funding for climate adaptation centers
A third of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers are expected to drastically wind down and possibly close after Sept. 30.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 28, 2025 at 6:23 PM
This quiet shutdown of one-third of the USA's climate adaptation capacity will happen this week.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
The EPA move follows news the administration wants to scrap the satellites that measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
If you can't measure it and don't know where it's coming from, it becomes very difficult to reduce or eliminate it (or hold anybody accountable for damages).
Gift link.
If you can't measure it and don't know where it's coming from, it becomes very difficult to reduce or eliminate it (or hold anybody accountable for damages).
Gift link.
September 12, 2025 at 9:02 PM
The EPA move follows news the administration wants to scrap the satellites that measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
If you can't measure it and don't know where it's coming from, it becomes very difficult to reduce or eliminate it (or hold anybody accountable for damages).
Gift link.
If you can't measure it and don't know where it's coming from, it becomes very difficult to reduce or eliminate it (or hold anybody accountable for damages).
Gift link.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Shutting down the federal government's work on financial stability risks from climate change doesn't make those risks go away. As @alexmartin196.bsky.social says, “the inconvenient truth is that climate change is wreaking havoc and throwing property insurance markets into crisis.”
Trump Administration Scraps Oversight Groups on Climate and Financial Risk
The Financial Stability Oversight Council revoked the charters of two climate-focused committees formed under the Biden administration.
www.bloomberg.com
September 12, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Shutting down the federal government's work on financial stability risks from climate change doesn't make those risks go away. As @alexmartin196.bsky.social says, “the inconvenient truth is that climate change is wreaking havoc and throwing property insurance markets into crisis.”
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
There is just no precedent in recent world history of an advanced industrialized country sabotaging its own scientific establishment, and destroying the base of scientific knowledge necessary for basic policymaking. An avowedly, actively anti-knowledge regime.
Head of NASA Sean Duffy intends to destroy a satellite that collects key data on carbon dioxide and plant health, by causing it to burn up in the atmosphere. The U.S. Dept of Agriculture and private agriculture firms use the data to forecast crop yield, drought conditions and more.
Why a NASA satellite that scientists and farmers rely on may be destroyed on purpose
The Trump administration has asked NASA staffers to draw up plans to end at least two satellite missions that measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to current and former NASA employees.
www.npr.org
August 8, 2025 at 11:24 AM
There is just no precedent in recent world history of an advanced industrialized country sabotaging its own scientific establishment, and destroying the base of scientific knowledge necessary for basic policymaking. An avowedly, actively anti-knowledge regime.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Don’t let this die. Keep elevating this.
Pete Hegseth shares a clip saying women shouldn’t have the right to vote, the 19th Amendment should be “repealed,” and women should “submit” to their husbands: “All of Christ for All of Life”
August 9, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Don’t let this die. Keep elevating this.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
"Ultimately, the choice is clear: we can either accept a future with increasingly severe and costly weather events or we can implement solutions at modest (or zero) cost. The rational decision seems obvious." -- Texas A&M climate scientist @andrewdessler.com
www.theclimatebrink.com/p/update-on-...
www.theclimatebrink.com/p/update-on-...
Update on Texas flooding
climate change almost certainly played a role
www.theclimatebrink.com
July 7, 2025 at 6:50 PM
"Ultimately, the choice is clear: we can either accept a future with increasingly severe and costly weather events or we can implement solutions at modest (or zero) cost. The rational decision seems obvious." -- Texas A&M climate scientist @andrewdessler.com
www.theclimatebrink.com/p/update-on-...
www.theclimatebrink.com/p/update-on-...
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
This is among the best explainer I’ve seen so far regarding the Texas floods particularly because Alan ties together the meteorology issues and the emergency management issues.
I have spent the last 24 hours looking at media reports and social media posts about the Texas Hill County tragedy and being appalled by the level of misinformation I am seeing. I have tried to put together an updated, more reasoned summary I hope you'll read.
open.substack.com/pub/balanced...
open.substack.com/pub/balanced...
Latest on Texas Hill Country flood tragedy
Chantal makes landfall in South Carolina
open.substack.com
July 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
This is among the best explainer I’ve seen so far regarding the Texas floods particularly because Alan ties together the meteorology issues and the emergency management issues.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Another study backs my argument last night that Cruz and Cornyn are voting to raise electricity prices for Texans with their attack on clean energy.
PRESS RELEASE: Renewables and Storage Will Save Texans $115 Billion Over the Next 15 Years - Texas Energy Buyers Alliance
Austin, Texas (February 10, 2025) — A Texas Energy Buyers Alliance (TEBA) report released today shows that if the Texas Legislature passes laws that slow or
txenergybuyers.com
June 30, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Another study backs my argument last night that Cruz and Cornyn are voting to raise electricity prices for Texans with their attack on clean energy.
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Texas . . . the Biggest Loser
"Texans likely to have a 17% increase in electric bills, over $100 billion in lost investment, and reduced grid reliability if the House bill is adopted as is by the Senate" - Texas Energy and Power Newsletter
#txlege #GOP #BigBeautifulBill #USSenate
"Texans likely to have a 17% increase in electric bills, over $100 billion in lost investment, and reduced grid reliability if the House bill is adopted as is by the Senate" - Texas Energy and Power Newsletter
#txlege #GOP #BigBeautifulBill #USSenate
Texans are projected to have higher electric bills & lose over $100 billion in investment if the US Senate passes the House bill as is. The industry will survive but we'll experience reduced grid reliability and economic slowdown, esp. over next few years.
www.douglewin.com/p/texas-the...
www.douglewin.com/p/texas-the...
Texas the Biggest Loser in US House Budget Bill: Grid Roundup #60
Texans likely to have a 17% increase in electric bills, over $100 billion in lost investment, and reduced grid reliability if the House bill is adopted as is by the Senate
www.douglewin.com
May 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Texas . . . the Biggest Loser
"Texans likely to have a 17% increase in electric bills, over $100 billion in lost investment, and reduced grid reliability if the House bill is adopted as is by the Senate" - Texas Energy and Power Newsletter
#txlege #GOP #BigBeautifulBill #USSenate
"Texans likely to have a 17% increase in electric bills, over $100 billion in lost investment, and reduced grid reliability if the House bill is adopted as is by the Senate" - Texas Energy and Power Newsletter
#txlege #GOP #BigBeautifulBill #USSenate
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
"Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope."
-Pope Francis
-Pope Francis
April 21, 2025 at 11:37 AM
"Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope."
-Pope Francis
-Pope Francis
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
"This is happening at a much faster rate than ever documented in the past… we are much more likely to underestimate the impact of those changes on human society than to overestimate them."
The article opens with this quote from me; and I mean every word of it. Read more:
The article opens with this quote from me; and I mean every word of it. Read more:
Faster than forecast impacts of heating planet wreaking havoc, with record-breaking new heat, rain and ocean temperature extremes.
thebulletin.org/premium/2025...
thebulletin.org/premium/2025...
Is scientific reticence hindering climate understanding?
The bulk of climate research has tended to underplay worst-case scenarios, preferring cautious projections and scholarly reticence. This reticence is clearly displayed in the work of the IPCC, which c...
thebulletin.org
April 21, 2025 at 1:34 PM
"This is happening at a much faster rate than ever documented in the past… we are much more likely to underestimate the impact of those changes on human society than to overestimate them."
The article opens with this quote from me; and I mean every word of it. Read more:
The article opens with this quote from me; and I mean every word of it. Read more:
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
See the full interview with John Nielsen-Gammon in the video at the top of this story.
www.kxan.com/weather/weat...
www.kxan.com/weather/weat...
Funding ‘lapse’ cuts Southern Regional Climate Center at Texas A&M
KXAN Chief Meteorologist Nick Bannin interviewed the SRCC’s director and Texas’ state climatologist John Nielson-Gammon about the cuts.
www.kxan.com
April 19, 2025 at 9:17 PM
See the full interview with John Nielsen-Gammon in the video at the top of this story.
www.kxan.com/weather/weat...
www.kxan.com/weather/weat...
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
We wanted Elon out of Austin, but not like this. -OS
February 21, 2025 at 3:56 AM
We wanted Elon out of Austin, but not like this. -OS
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Very good article! I love this quote:
"Environmental justice did not start with the federal government, nor will it end with the federal government."
19thnews.org/2025/02/envi...
"Environmental justice did not start with the federal government, nor will it end with the federal government."
19thnews.org/2025/02/envi...
The environmental justice movement isn’t going anywhere — even as it faces attacks by Trump
The 19th spoke to Jalonne White-Newsome, who headed environmental justice initiatives under Biden, about the executive orders aimed at dismantling its progress.
19thnews.org
February 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Very good article! I love this quote:
"Environmental justice did not start with the federal government, nor will it end with the federal government."
19thnews.org/2025/02/envi...
"Environmental justice did not start with the federal government, nor will it end with the federal government."
19thnews.org/2025/02/envi...
Reposted by Kristen McConnell
Mr. Rogers said "look for the helpers," but his advice was for CHILDREN.
If your ass is grown your role is to BE the helper.
I wish I could find the person who said this originally, but it's been too long.
If your ass is grown your role is to BE the helper.
I wish I could find the person who said this originally, but it's been too long.
February 12, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Mr. Rogers said "look for the helpers," but his advice was for CHILDREN.
If your ass is grown your role is to BE the helper.
I wish I could find the person who said this originally, but it's been too long.
If your ass is grown your role is to BE the helper.
I wish I could find the person who said this originally, but it's been too long.