Steve Heaton
@steveheaton.bsky.social
Energy scientist. Founder and R&D Generalist. Raconteur. Only my opinions. DOB: 321ppm CO₂ (http://CO2.earth). Living on Darkinjung land. He/Him.
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Wrote about the teen social media ban, specifically Reddit www.theguardian.com/media/commen...
From AusLegal to AmItheAsshole: why I’m downvoting the social media ban on Reddit | Deirdre Fidge
We know young people are dancing on Tik Tok, and doing whatever the hell is happening on Kick, but my sympathies are with those about to be booted off Reddit
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Wrote about the teen social media ban, specifically Reddit www.theguardian.com/media/commen...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
I'm preparing slides for a talk I'll be giving at Stanford this Thursday. Here is a draft slide.
events.stanford.edu/event/earth-...
events.stanford.edu/event/earth-...
November 10, 2025 at 9:26 PM
I'm preparing slides for a talk I'll be giving at Stanford this Thursday. Here is a draft slide.
events.stanford.edu/event/earth-...
events.stanford.edu/event/earth-...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Electricians Prepare for Bumper 2026 As ‘3 Hours of Free Power’ Policy To Inevitably Lead to Australians Running Every Single Appliance at Once
Electricians Prepare for Bumper 2026 As ‘3 Hours of Free Power’ Policy To Inevitably Lead to Australians Running Every Single Appliance at Once — The Shovel
“I’ve already doubled my hourly rate and booked in my European holiday for next year"
theshovel.com.au
November 4, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Electricians Prepare for Bumper 2026 As ‘3 Hours of Free Power’ Policy To Inevitably Lead to Australians Running Every Single Appliance at Once
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Comet Lemmon Beyond Lomnický Peak
Credit: Robert Barsa www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/a...
#APOD 🧪🔭
Comet Lemmon Beyond Lomnický Peak
Credit: Robert Barsa www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/a...
#APOD 🧪🔭
November 4, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Comet Lemmon Beyond Lomnický Peak
Credit: Robert Barsa www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/a...
#APOD 🧪🔭
Comet Lemmon Beyond Lomnický Peak
Credit: Robert Barsa www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/a...
#APOD 🧪🔭
Reposted by Steve Heaton
"The NOAA aircraft left the storm early after
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."
These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."
These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa
October 27, 2025 at 3:49 PM
"The NOAA aircraft left the storm early after
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."
These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."
These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa
Reposted by Steve Heaton
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
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The official home of the Python Programming Language
www.python.org
October 27, 2025 at 2:47 PM
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Thread: Each week I run a simulation of Australia’s main electricity grid using rescaled generation data to show that it can get very close to 100% renewable electricity with 24GW/120GWh of storage (5 hrs at av demand)
Results:
Last week: 100% RE
Last 216 weeks: 98.5% RE (1/5)
Results:
Last week: 100% RE
Last 216 weeks: 98.5% RE (1/5)
October 15, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Thread: Each week I run a simulation of Australia’s main electricity grid using rescaled generation data to show that it can get very close to 100% renewable electricity with 24GW/120GWh of storage (5 hrs at av demand)
Results:
Last week: 100% RE
Last 216 weeks: 98.5% RE (1/5)
Results:
Last week: 100% RE
Last 216 weeks: 98.5% RE (1/5)
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Thrilled to see our work in the NYT on heat pumps in cold climates.
Key facts:
- <0°C, heat pumps remain far more efficient than fossil/resistive heat.
- In most of Europe (rarely < −10°C), COPs stay strong.
- Even near −30°C, up to 2× resistive (less data).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Key facts:
- <0°C, heat pumps remain far more efficient than fossil/resistive heat.
- In most of Europe (rarely < −10°C), COPs stay strong.
- Even near −30°C, up to 2× resistive (less data).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 15, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Thrilled to see our work in the NYT on heat pumps in cold climates.
Key facts:
- <0°C, heat pumps remain far more efficient than fossil/resistive heat.
- In most of Europe (rarely < −10°C), COPs stay strong.
- Even near −30°C, up to 2× resistive (less data).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Key facts:
- <0°C, heat pumps remain far more efficient than fossil/resistive heat.
- In most of Europe (rarely < −10°C), COPs stay strong.
- Even near −30°C, up to 2× resistive (less data).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
you fucked around and now the Episcopalians are doing memes. are you happy now. are you
October 15, 2025 at 4:10 PM
you fucked around and now the Episcopalians are doing memes. are you happy now. are you
Reposted by Steve Heaton
If it wasn’t clear, this is all in the context of another 10% layoff at NASA JPL happening tomorrow.
Part of the cuts stem from JPL’s failure to put together a feasible mars sample return mission, but also a huge driver is NASA capitulating in advance to the presidents budget request.
Part of the cuts stem from JPL’s failure to put together a feasible mars sample return mission, but also a huge driver is NASA capitulating in advance to the presidents budget request.
Tomorrow about a third of Perseverance rover staff will be laid off, despite the mission being the penultimate step in a decades long effort to bring samples back from mars.
Reckless, needless budget cuts intended to hinder the pursuit of knowledge.
Reckless, needless budget cuts intended to hinder the pursuit of knowledge.
October 13, 2025 at 7:43 PM
If it wasn’t clear, this is all in the context of another 10% layoff at NASA JPL happening tomorrow.
Part of the cuts stem from JPL’s failure to put together a feasible mars sample return mission, but also a huge driver is NASA capitulating in advance to the presidents budget request.
Part of the cuts stem from JPL’s failure to put together a feasible mars sample return mission, but also a huge driver is NASA capitulating in advance to the presidents budget request.
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Better to farm solar for energy
than to farm crops to use for biofuels
Far better
1 hectare annual yield:
2t soy bean
➡️ 800 litres biodiesel ➡️ 8.29 MWh
70t sugar cane
➡️ 7000 litres ethanol ➡️ 57.5 MWh
600 kW solar
➡️ ➡️ 900 MWh (low estimate)
than to farm crops to use for biofuels
Far better
1 hectare annual yield:
2t soy bean
➡️ 800 litres biodiesel ➡️ 8.29 MWh
70t sugar cane
➡️ 7000 litres ethanol ➡️ 57.5 MWh
600 kW solar
➡️ ➡️ 900 MWh (low estimate)
November 27, 2024 at 3:20 AM
Better to farm solar for energy
than to farm crops to use for biofuels
Far better
1 hectare annual yield:
2t soy bean
➡️ 800 litres biodiesel ➡️ 8.29 MWh
70t sugar cane
➡️ 7000 litres ethanol ➡️ 57.5 MWh
600 kW solar
➡️ ➡️ 900 MWh (low estimate)
than to farm crops to use for biofuels
Far better
1 hectare annual yield:
2t soy bean
➡️ 800 litres biodiesel ➡️ 8.29 MWh
70t sugar cane
➡️ 7000 litres ethanol ➡️ 57.5 MWh
600 kW solar
➡️ ➡️ 900 MWh (low estimate)
Reposted by Steve Heaton
AI chatbots and LLMs are very expensive to run and they make almost no money.
Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?
What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?
We need proper safeguards asap
Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?
What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?
We need proper safeguards asap
October 1, 2025 at 11:27 PM
AI chatbots and LLMs are very expensive to run and they make almost no money.
Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?
What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?
We need proper safeguards asap
Monetisation might start with selling ads...but where does it stop?
What's stopping powerful interests from paying AI companies to feed you lies about political parties during elections?
We need proper safeguards asap
Reposted by Steve Heaton
A bus of Bronx middle schoolers pulled up to the Capitol this morning for a long-planned field trip just a few hours after the government shut down.
All Capitol tours were cancelled as the guides can’t work in shutdown.
So I escorted them in myself and gave them a personal tour. They were great!
All Capitol tours were cancelled as the guides can’t work in shutdown.
So I escorted them in myself and gave them a personal tour. They were great!
October 1, 2025 at 5:15 PM
A bus of Bronx middle schoolers pulled up to the Capitol this morning for a long-planned field trip just a few hours after the government shut down.
All Capitol tours were cancelled as the guides can’t work in shutdown.
So I escorted them in myself and gave them a personal tour. They were great!
All Capitol tours were cancelled as the guides can’t work in shutdown.
So I escorted them in myself and gave them a personal tour. They were great!
Reposted by Steve Heaton
“We've reached this weird point where simultaneously anything can be generated, but no one believes anything anymore,” EFF’s @ktrendacosta.bsky.social told @TIME.com. We blame tech, but we fail to teach media literacy like analytical skills or how to evaluate sources. time.com/7321911/byt...
ByteDance’s AI Videos Are Scary Realistic. That’s a Problem for Truth Online.
ByteDance’s new AI visual models rival those from OpenAI and Google. But their spread raises concerns over deepfakes and copyright.
time.com
October 1, 2025 at 9:01 PM
“We've reached this weird point where simultaneously anything can be generated, but no one believes anything anymore,” EFF’s @ktrendacosta.bsky.social told @TIME.com. We blame tech, but we fail to teach media literacy like analytical skills or how to evaluate sources. time.com/7321911/byt...
Vale Jane Goodall. A fave quote of her's: "We have the choice to use the gift of our life to make the world a better place- or not to bother."
October 1, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Vale Jane Goodall. A fave quote of her's: "We have the choice to use the gift of our life to make the world a better place- or not to bother."
Reposted by Steve Heaton
Please - stop doing the screenshot no link thing on Bluesky. This platform does not punish you for posting a URL. You picked up the habit from Meta apps? Stop doing Mark Z's bidding. Link ESPECIALLY to authors, reporters, bloggers, etc. where you quote the work.
September 30, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Please - stop doing the screenshot no link thing on Bluesky. This platform does not punish you for posting a URL. You picked up the habit from Meta apps? Stop doing Mark Z's bidding. Link ESPECIALLY to authors, reporters, bloggers, etc. where you quote the work.
Reposted by Steve Heaton
I may have found my defining quote.
Pair this with my pinned post and you will see what I mean!
Pair this with my pinned post and you will see what I mean!
September 29, 2025 at 12:22 PM
I may have found my defining quote.
Pair this with my pinned post and you will see what I mean!
Pair this with my pinned post and you will see what I mean!
Reposted by Steve Heaton
The climate and financial risks of underreported methane from Australian coal mines extend well beyond Australia’s borders 💨
Scope 3 emissions of global steelmakers would be 6-15% higher if coal mine methane was included in their reports.
https://loom.ly/dohGn7U
Scope 3 emissions of global steelmakers would be 6-15% higher if coal mine methane was included in their reports.
https://loom.ly/dohGn7U
October 1, 2025 at 2:00 AM
The climate and financial risks of underreported methane from Australian coal mines extend well beyond Australia’s borders 💨
Scope 3 emissions of global steelmakers would be 6-15% higher if coal mine methane was included in their reports.
https://loom.ly/dohGn7U
Scope 3 emissions of global steelmakers would be 6-15% higher if coal mine methane was included in their reports.
https://loom.ly/dohGn7U
Reposted by Steve Heaton
It's important to call this stuff out.
September 30, 2025 at 6:15 AM
It's important to call this stuff out.
Interesting piece from E9. Worth a read on US grid, wildfire impacts on insurrance, utilities (and their customers) and climate impacts generally. skozel.substack.com/p/why9-its-g...
Why9? It's getting hot out here
With wildfire risk ever-present, utilities and regulators are making plans that are more sophisticated, and more expensive.
skozel.substack.com
September 30, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Interesting piece from E9. Worth a read on US grid, wildfire impacts on insurrance, utilities (and their customers) and climate impacts generally. skozel.substack.com/p/why9-its-g...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
A very interesting, informative, sobering (bordering on scary) piece from Kate and Tim. Well worth a read.
We finally FINALLY finished the big insurance piece. There's a LOT that is not in there. But I think we've got a few of the important bits.
TL;DR insurance is extremely interesting, but it's neither the climate problem nor the solution.
www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
TL;DR insurance is extremely interesting, but it's neither the climate problem nor the solution.
www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
Insurance in the Polycrisis | Kate Mackenzie & Tim Sahay
The future is triage on an uninsurable earth.
www.phenomenalworld.org
September 11, 2025 at 3:13 AM
A very interesting, informative, sobering (bordering on scary) piece from Kate and Tim. Well worth a read.
Reposted by Steve Heaton
“ … it’s not entirely clear that it will ever play out as a system-wide financial catastrophe—more likely is that we see more of the same, with intensifying and unevenly distributed social consequences.” Great overview from @katemac.bsky.social and Tim Sahay www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
Insurance in the Polycrisis | Kate Mackenzie & Tim Sahay
The future is triage on an uninsurable earth.
www.phenomenalworld.org
September 11, 2025 at 12:15 AM
“ … it’s not entirely clear that it will ever play out as a system-wide financial catastrophe—more likely is that we see more of the same, with intensifying and unevenly distributed social consequences.” Great overview from @katemac.bsky.social and Tim Sahay www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ins...
Reposted by Steve Heaton
"The cost of property insurance in the US rose to an all time-high in the first half of the year, as homeowners faced sharp price increases in states recently affected by climate-related disasters."
US Property Insurance Costs Hit New High as Disasters Worsen
The cost of property insurance in the US rose to an all time-high in the first half of the year, as homeowners faced sharp price increases in states
www.insurancejournal.com
September 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM
"The cost of property insurance in the US rose to an all time-high in the first half of the year, as homeowners faced sharp price increases in states recently affected by climate-related disasters."
Reposted by Steve Heaton
A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy showing a judge beating an unarmed protester with a gavel will be removed from a wall outside one of London’s most iconic courts /AP
September 9, 2025 at 3:00 AM
A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy showing a judge beating an unarmed protester with a gavel will be removed from a wall outside one of London’s most iconic courts /AP