Steph Hower
stephmiesz.bsky.social
Steph Hower
@stephmiesz.bsky.social
GIS Storyteller | Esri
I write about GIS innovation and impact
Redlands, California
Reposted by Steph Hower
When a rancher bulldozed 175+ penguin nests, explorer Popi Borboroglu & National Geographic mapper Sam Guilford used satellites to help prosecutor Florencia Gómez win justice—expanding wildlife protection 8x. Tech meets tenacity. 🐧⚖️ www.esri.com/about/newsro...
Penguin Conservationists Use Maps and Satellite Images to Help Win Landmark Court Case
A groundbreaking case in Argentina used GIS to help convict a rancher of ecocide, expanding protections for penguins and other species.
www.esri.com
September 3, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
Scientists and conservationists at the Snow Leopard Trust are using GIS technology and community collaboration to map snow leopard habitats, analyze their movements, and develop sustainable conservation strategies. www.esri.com/about/newsro...
Tracking Ghosts: How Smart Maps Help Protect Solitary and Nomadic Snow Leopards
www.esri.com
April 8, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
Our latest poll finds that most of the public grossly overestimates how much the federal government spends on foreign aid.

Only about one in ten adults correctly estimate that 1% or less of the federal budget goes to foreign aid. on.kff.org/4kircaJ
March 4, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
Mapping the Nation: Guiding Good Governance is now available with stories about using the common denominator of location and GIS to understand context and drive economic, societal, and environmental improvements. The geographic approach creates good governance.
go.esri.com/mtn-2025
Mapping the Nation: Guiding Good Governance
Mapping the Nation 2025, by Esri.
go.esri.com
February 26, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
Interesting read - 'Conspiracists are about to get a dose of reality' www.thetimes.com/article/b3bb...
Conspiracists are about to get a dose of reality
Antivaxers, cranks and fantasists thrive in safe, stable societies but the days of consequence-free idiocy may be ending
www.thetimes.com
February 19, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
The Biodiversity Net Gain law in England requires developers to replace lost habitats in full and add 10 percent to improve nature post-development. GIS technology is being tapped to illustrate where natural lands are now and where they can be enhanced. www.esri.com/about/newsro...
England Prioritizes Nature in Development, with Maps Guiding Biodiversity Gains
www.esri.com
February 18, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
In honor of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, this story highlights the work of iMMAP Inc. and
@thehalotrust.bsky.social to teach women how to use GIS to gather data, create maps, and provide an operational awareness that leads to better outcomes. www.esri.com/about/newsro...
Tech Skills Open New Doors for Women in Humanitarian Aid
iMMAPP Inc. and HALO Trust lift up women, providing training and jobs that helps them feel valued and improve their lives.
www.esri.com
February 11, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
In RFK Jr.’s congressional hearing, Sen. Rand Paul delivered a speech about vaccine policies that has since gone viral among vaccine skeptics. In fact, dozens of people have sent us the speech, pointing to it as a perfect articulation of why they distrust vaccine recommendations.
ow.ly/gMcm50URQhK
Dozens of People Sent us Rand Paul’s Senate Hearing Testimony
Let's examine the evidence (or lack thereof) for his vaccine claims.
open.substack.com
February 1, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
Heroes
January 30, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
Caroline Kennedy wrote a letter that urges senators to reject her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for health secretary, calling him a “predator” who is addicted to the attention he gets from airing dangerous views on vaccinations.
Caroline Kennedy Urges Senators to Reject RFK Jr. for Health Secretary
In a harsh letter to lawmakers considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for health secretary, Ms. Kennedy called her cousin a “predator” who led other family members down the path of addiction.
www.nytimes.com
January 28, 2025 at 6:57 PM
My kids and I went whale watching on Monday. I love sharing these moments with them and have always aimed to foster a sense of connection, wonder, and respect for nature.

We saw dolphins, sea lions, and a GRAY WHALE! To say the kids were overjoyed is an understatement.

#nature #ocean #graywhales
January 24, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
You can say, “gravity isn’t real,” but if you step off the cliff, you’re still going down.

And if you convince other people it’s not real, you are responsible for what happens if they make decisions based on the information you withheld.
The White House climate page is now gone. Climate change is not. www.whitehouse.gov/climate
www.whitehouse.gov
January 21, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
Powering the world with clean energy is common sense. It will secure the future for our grandchildren. The clean energy transformation is - and remains - unstoppable www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/t...
Trump Withdraws from Paris Agreement (Again): What This Moment Means for Climate Action
Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement (again) — but here’s how the US can still fight the climate crisis.
www.globalcitizen.org
January 22, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
physics of climate impacts 101:
- Stuff gets hot (worse heatwaves)
- Hot air holds more water vapor (heavier rainfall)
- Hot air is thirstier air (higher drought risk)
- Warm water is hurricane food (stronger storms)
- Hot water expands and hot ice melts (sea level rise)
January 14, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
This 🫡
December 29, 2024 at 7:36 PM
Reposted by Steph Hower
The City of Syracuse Department of Public Works responds to winter storms with a comprehensive and transparent approach to snow removal, using real-time GIS technology to solve operational challenges and ensure efficient service delivery. www.esri.com/about/newsro...
How One of the Snowiest Cities in America Keeps Moving: Syracuse's Innovative Use of Smart Maps
Syracuse uses GIS to track the city’s snowplows, enhancing transparency and operational efficiency during winter storms.
www.esri.com
December 19, 2024 at 4:35 PM