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Leah Stokes

@leahstokes.bsky.social

62K followers 1.1K following 680 posts

Professor of climate + energy policy at UCSB. Alumni of MIT, Columbia and UToronto. Hosts "A Matter of Degrees" podcast. Cuts carbon pollution! Proudly 🇨🇦 Gardener 🌱 leahstokes.com

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Leah Cardamore Stokes is a Canadian-American political scientist specializing in environmental policy. She is the Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Environmental Politics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition, Stokes is a senior policy consultant at Evergreen Action and Rewiring America. She also hosts the climate change podcast A Matter of Degrees. Her research focuses on political behavior, public opinion, and the politics of energy and environmental policy in the United States. .. more

Political science 32%

Environmental science 16%

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · Jan 15

It's official: I'm writing a book. Should be out early fall 2026. Thrilled to be working with MIT Press.

Book announcement for "The Carbon Wave."

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 14h

Good news: @gavinnewsom.bsky.social signed the bill! Congrats to @davidpomerantz.bsky.social @earthjustice.org and TURN!

Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 5d

Governor Newsom has a bill on his desk to hold utilities accountable, and get them to stop passing along their dark money campaigns to everyday Californians.

Is he going to side with utilities, or side with the public and help lower electricity rates?
energyandpolicy.org/california-l...

California passes bill curbing utilities use of ratepayer money for political spending

State lawmakers last week made California the seventh state to pass a bill limiting investor-owned utilities from using customer money to pay for political and lobbying costs.

energyandpolicy.org

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 22h

So disturbing.

Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 22h

The article was nuts and enraging.

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Reposted by Leah Stokes

ProPublica @propublica.org · 23h

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has ordered state agencies to take “any and all steps necessary” to fast-track solar and wind permits that must break ground by next year or likely miss out on a federal tax credit Congress is ending.

With @opb.org

Oregon Fast-Tracks Renewable Energy Projects as Trump Bill Ends Tax Incentives

Gov. Tina Kotek ordered the move, which follows reporting by Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica that highlighted impediments green energy advocates blame for the state’s poor ranking when it co...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Timothy Snyder, David Brady, Joshua S. Weitz , and 5 more Timothy Snyder, David Brady, Joshua S. Weitz, Steve Peers, Ben Harris‐Roxas, Brian Keegan, Leah Stokes, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 1d

The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.

The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.

We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.

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Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Anna O. Law, Joe R. Feagin , and 8 more Timothy Snyder, Anna O. Law, Joe R. Feagin, Jane E. Fountain, Thomas Crofts, Robert C. Richards, Glenn H. Shepard, Helen Jefferson Lenskyj, W Grant, Henry Jones, Leah Stokes

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 1d

George was just trying to get to work.

ICE pepper-sprayed him, dragged him from his car, locked him in a detention center, and placed him on suicide watch. He even missed his young daughter’s birthday in the process.

This man is a veteran and American citizen. Don't look away.

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 1d

"They put me on suicide watch and they put me in the cell, I'm naked, in like a hospital dress and just a concrete bed with like a mattress, like a thin mattress and, they leave the light on 24/7."

@timmiller.bsky.social talked to a veteran who ICE wrongly detained and brutalized

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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Jane E. Fountain, Robert C. Richards , and 6 more Anna O. Law, Jane E. Fountain, Robert C. Richards, Glenn H. Shepard, Michael D. McDonald, W Grant, Banu Özkazanç‐Pan, Henry Jones, Leah Stokes

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 1d

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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 2d

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.

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 2d

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

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, David M. Schultz, Mary Feeney , and 12 more Richard S.J. Tol, David M. Schultz, Mary Feeney, Rosemary A. Joyce, Dustin Mulvaney, Gernot Wagner, Silvia Secchi, Bessma Momani, Henry Farrell, James Goodwin, Dana R. Fisher, Mark Rice, Leah Stokes, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, David Darmofal

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 2d

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 2d

Thanks!!!

Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 2d

On the latest episode of A Matter of Degrees, we talk to @drkatemarvel.bsky.social about her amazing new book, "Human Nature." It's a story of climate science told through nine emotions. A beautiful read. Listen to the conversation wherever you get your podcasts!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 2d

What a time to be alive!

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 3d

Lol. So dark.

Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 3d

Blue wave coming...

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 4d

JUST IN: The Republican Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska’s second biggest city, lost re-election last night to a Democrat.

Mayor David Pruhs is a conservative who fought protections for LGBTQ+ residents; he made comments this year drew condemnation this year from Alaska Natives. He lost to Mindy O'Neall.

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 3d

Congrats Hahrie!! Thrilled for you. So well deserved.

Reposted by Archon Fung, Brendan Nyhan, Efrén O. Pérez , and 11 more Archon Fung, Brendan Nyhan, Efrén O. Pérez, Sabine Pahl, Matthew Salganik, Mirya R. Holman, Robert C. Richards, Ariadne Vromen, Andrew L. Whitehead, Henry Farrell, Leah Stokes, Raúl Pacheco-Vega, Southern Africa, David Darmofal

Hahrie Han @hahrie.bsky.social · 3d

Totally, completely flabbergasted. #MacFellow

hub.jhu.edu/2025/10/08/h...

Johns Hopkins political scientist Hahrie Han receives MacArthur genius grant

Han, who studies political organizing and collective action and who has led the university's SNF Agora Institute since 2019, among 22 individuals to receive coveted MacArthur Foundation recognition

hub.jhu.edu

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Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Rosemary A. Joyce, Mirya R. Holman , and 3 more Ben H. Ansell, Rosemary A. Joyce, Mirya R. Holman, Claire L. Adida, Leah Stokes, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 4d

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Reposted by Dani Rodrik, Marc Lynch, Ben H. Ansell , and 11 more Dani Rodrik, Marc Lynch, Ben H. Ansell, Elizabeth Saunders, Hugo Mercier, Jacob T. Levy, Bessma Momani, Samantha Brennan, Dana R. Fisher, Kate Starbird, Brian Weatherson, Leah Stokes, Aviel Roshwald, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 4d

"It wanted to signal strength. Instead, it’s revealing its weakness. The administration’s need to break the academy is forcing it to make a desperately risky gamble." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Michael D. McDonald, Leah Stokes

Aaron Fritschner @fritschner.bsky.social · 4d

“It’s true, all of it… it’s all true.”

Daily Beast: lol Republicans’ polls suck

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Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Kimberly A. Prather, Leah Stokes , and 1 more Steven Heydemann, Kimberly A. Prather, Leah Stokes, Colin Woodard

Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 4d

The scenes out of Chicago should outrage us all. These federal agents are out of control, committing senseless acts of violence & putting everyone at risk.

American citizens are being detained & brutalized.

This kind of immigration "enforcement" shouldn't be acceptable to anyone.

Immigration agents become increasingly aggressive in Chicago

Activists, residents and elected leaders say increasingly combative tactics used by federal immigration agents are sparking violence and fueling neighborhood tensions in the nation’s third-largest cit...

www.pbs.org

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 4d

Today is a great day to buy Julian NoiseCat's forthcoming book "We Survived the Night." It comes out in 1 week. Can't wait to read it!
bookshop.org/p/books/we-s...

We Survived the Night

Check out We Survived the Night - <b>A stunning narrative from one of the most powerful young writers at work today, and the director of the Oscar®-nominated documentary, <i>Sugarcane</i>, <i>We ...

bookshop.org

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Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 4d

You love to see it!

Reposted by Daniel W. Drezner, Michael D. McDonald, David Rosnick , and 4 more Daniel W. Drezner, Michael D. McDonald, David Rosnick, Ann Bartow, Leah Stokes, Nicole Guenther Discenza, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

NOTABLE -- Pam Bondi refuses to answer direct questions about if the FBI has incriminating photos of Trump with half-naked young women, but instead deflects from them by attacking Sen. Whitehouse

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Reposted by Dustin Mulvaney, Leah Stokes

Matt Vespa @missionvespa.bsky.social · 5d

Still awaiting signature - commonsense legislation supported by over 90% of CA voters that will make sure utilities don't pass the costs of their lobbying and image polishing into energy bills.

@gavinnewsom.bsky.social: let’s save people money and sign #AB1167!

earthjustice.org/experts/matt...

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Reposted by Leah Stokes

Bob Kopp @bobkopp.net · 5d

Excited to learn that we have a second great climate champion running for Congress in NJ: in addition to ecologist @meganorourke.com running to unseat Tom Kean Jr in NJ-7, former @rewiringamerica.bsky.social VP @cammiecroft.bsky.social is running to succeed @mikiesherrill.bsky.social in NJ-11.

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Reposted by Stacy D. VanDeveer

Leah Stokes @leahstokes.bsky.social · 5d

California passes bill curbing utilities use of ratepayer money for political spending

State lawmakers last week made California the seventh state to pass a bill limiting investor-owned utilities from using customer money to pay for political and lobbying costs.

energyandpolicy.org

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