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sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster
@sheilarose.bsky.social
24K followers 4.9K following 600 posts

Detroit/Miami girl turned New Yorker. Prof, Columbia U. Climate, Law, Environmental and Climate Justice, The City as a Commons, Co-Cities sheilarfoster.com

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Sheila Rose Foster is a legal scholar, and an author. She is a tenured Professor of Climate at the Columbia Climate School.

Source: Wikipedia
Law 33%
Political science 29%
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sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · Apr 14
Thank you for this wonderful video lifting up the work I do with so many wonderful colleagues and collaborators.
climate.columbia.edu Columbia Climate School @climate.columbia.edu · Apr 14
In our new Science for the Planet video, @columbiaclimate.bsky.social professor of climate @sheilarose.bsky.social shares how she works with frontline communities on effective, equitable climate adaptation strategies. Via State of the Planet: news.climate.columbia.edu/2025/04/11/s...
Professor Sheila Foster stands on a balcony overlooking an urban street scene.

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

profmikeburger.bsky.social
Michael Burger @profmikeburger.bsky.social · 5d
"What gives you hope?" is a tough prompt in these times, but one that's always worth reflecting on and sharing. Here are some thoughts from me and my colleagues around the Columbia Climate School (@climate.columbia.edu @sheilarose.bsky.social and more)
Columbia Climate School Experts on What Gives Them Hope in 2026
Eight experts from the Climate School offer words of encouragement for the new year.
news.climate.columbia.edu

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

michaelgerrard.bsky.social
Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 5d
Trump pulled US out of Paris Climate Agreement in 2017 & again (after Biden rejoined) in 2025. Now he withdraws US from UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as Project 2025 wanted. In 1992 the Senate unanimously ratified & President GHW Bush signed it. Re-ratifying requires a 2/3 Senate vote.
theguardian.com The Guardian @theguardian.com · 5d
Trump pulls US out of 66 international bodies, including key UN climate treaty
Trump pulls US out of 66 international bodies, including key UN climate treaty
President’s order suspends support for UNFCCC climate framework, UN population agency and other entities The Trump administration will withdraw from dozens of international organizations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations, as the US further retreats from global cooperation. Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order suspending US support for 66 organizations, agencies and commissions following his instructions for his administration to review participation in and funding for all international organizations, including those affiliated with the UN, according to a White House statement on social media. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by James Goodwin

sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · 6d
Proud to announce that my article "Racialized Landscapes and Climate Adaptation Economies" is now out in the Journal of Law and Political Economy's symposium on Racial Capitalism, Climate Change, and Law.

Article can be accessed here:
escholarship.org/uc/item/1f56...

Reposted by Steve Peers, James Goodwin, Ann Bartow , and 5 more

phillewis.bsky.social
Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 6d
After a white county in South Carolina rejected a data center, developers have sets their sights on a Black community for a proposed data center complex the size of 1,200 football fields
After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area
Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.
capitalbnews.org

sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · 8d
Thank you, Julian!!

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

julianagyeman.bsky.social
Julian Agyeman @julianagyeman.bsky.social · 9d
Great article by @sheilarose.bsky.social calling for “just adaptation economies” that embed antidisplacement measures in resilience investments, support community ownership/stewardship of land and prioritize policies to counteract persistent social/spatial inequities escholarship.org/uc/item/1f56...
Racialized Landscapes and Climate Adaptation Economies
Author(s): Foster, Sheila R. | Abstract: This article examines how the enduring legacies of racial capitalism and discriminatory land policies shape climate vulnerability and adaptation in US cit...
escholarship.org

Reposted by Paul Glasziou, Gavin L. Foster, David N. Thomas , and 6 more

peterheadcbe.bsky.social
Peter Head @peterheadcbe.bsky.social · 10d
The rate of global mean sea level rise has increased from ~2.1 mm/year in 1993 to ~4.5 mm/year in 2023. www.nature.com/articles/s43...
The rate of global sea level rise doubled during the past three decades - Communications Earth & Environment
Global mean sea level rise amounted to 4.5 mm per year as a result of warming oceans and melting land ice, more than twice the rate of 2.1 mm/year observed at the start of satellite data in 1993, base...
www.nature.com

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Katharine Hayhoe, Valerie M. Delmotte , and 22 more

science.org
Science Magazine @science.org · 26d
Science has named the seemingly unstoppable growth of renewable energy worldwide as the 2025 Breakthrough of the Year.

Learn more about this year's #BOTY and other big advances in science: https://scim.ag/493Tpgx
Qianjiadong Reservoir in southern Hunan, China, produces a double harvest: solar energy and yellow carp. The solar farm produces up to 80 megawatts of power while the fish forage beneath the panels. With a massive scale-up of solar and wind at home and cheap exports of the technology, China is driving a worldwide surge of renewable energy—Science’s 2025 Breakthrough of the Year.

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

ai6yr.m.ai6yr.org.ap.brid.gy
AI6YR Ben @ai6yr.m.ai6yr.org.ap.brid.gy · Dec 2
HeatMap: Climate Change Is Already Costing U.S. Households Up to $900 Per Year

A new working paper from a trio of eminent economists tallies the effects of warming — particularly extreme weather — on Americans’ budgets.
(December 01, 2025 )

https://heatmap.news/economy/climate-costs-insurance […]
Original post on ai6yr.org
m.ai6yr.org

Reposted by Michael E. Mann

sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · Nov 24
Recently back from #COP30. This is spot on- "if it wasn’t clear already, fundamental changes must now be made in the UNFCCC rules. A small number of rogue nations cannot be allowed to block progress for the rest of the world."

Reposted by Claudia Kemfert, Nancy B. Grimm, Jussi T. Eronen , and 3 more

michaelemann.bsky.social
Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · Nov 22
"Bad COP" | My new commentary on #COP30:
michaelmann.net/bad-cop/
Bad COP | Michael E. Mann
The COP30 global climate summit in Brazil may have been the last opportunity for the nations of the world to reach an agreement that limits planetary […]
michaelmann.net

Reposted by Marina Jirotka, Jussi T. Eronen, Els Torreele , and 2 more

sabrinafernandes.com
Sabrina Fernandes @sabrinafernandes.com · Nov 22
COP30 overpromised, underdelivered, empowered distractions, backtracked on issues and once again gave big oil and big ag a free pass.

Unfortunately, the suspicions of climate scientists (here in Brazil and abroad) were confirmed again.

Reposted by Joe R. Feagin, Melissa Johnson, Sheila R. Foster

marcelias.bsky.social
Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · Nov 19
In a remarkable and deeply unconventional dissent, U.S. Circuit Judge Jerry E. Smith unleashed a blistering and bizarre attack on his fellow judges after a federal court struck down Texas’ unconstitutional racial gerrymander. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
In Unhinged Dissent, Texas Judge Attacks Colleagues — and George Soros
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

heatwavekgns.bsky.social
Richard Heatwave Berler @heatwavekgns.bsky.social · Nov 19
Wednesday 3:21 pm: A 252 mph wind measured by a dropsonde (weather instrument dropped from Hurricane Reconnaissance flight to observe wind/temperature/dewpoint as it descends to the surface) in Hurricane Melissa is the strongest wind on record measured in a hurricane: news.ucar.edu/133047/recor...
Record-breaking winds confirmed for Hurricane Melissa | NCAR & UCAR News
news.ucar.edu

Reposted by Gavin L. Foster, Sheila R. Foster

ianhall.bsky.social
Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · Nov 19
If a 2003-style heatwave hit Europe today, at ~1.5°C warming, it could cause ~18k deaths in a week, rising to ~32k at 3°C.

Even with current adaptation, extreme-heat mass-mortality events remain plausible.

Every 0.1°C of warming matters....

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Increasing risk of mass human heat mortality if historical weather patterns recur - Nature Climate Change
The authors couple calculations of historical heatwave intensity at present and future global temperatures with exposure–response functions to quantify mortality from extreme heat events in Europe. Th...
www.nature.com

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

ox.ac.uk
University of Oxford @ox.ac.uk · Nov 7
NEW: As world leaders meet at #COP30, Oxford research reveals which countries are turning climate promises into action and which aren’t. 🌍

The Climate Policy Monitor gives the clearest picture yet of how national laws stack up against global climate goals.

🧵 [1/10]
Aerial view of dense green forest partially affected by deforestation. The image is used to illustrate a news article about global climate policy, with a headline stating "Climate policy strengthens globally, despite unprecedented contestation in the US and Europe". The source of the article is University of Oxford, as indicated in the footer.

sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · Nov 3
Zohran Mamdani would not be the first Dem socialist Mayor of NYC. Other Mayors, like LaGuardia and Dinkins, governed like socialists and/or embraced socialism. Though "City Hall has never had a leader with ties quite that close to democratic socialism," as Mamdani.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/n...
Has Gracie Mansion Ever Had a Democratic Socialist?
www.nytimes.com

sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · Nov 2
Hoping for more candidates like this. We need to reclaim Christianity and the moral/ethical high ground from those who have used it as a weapon against the most powerless and marginalized populations in our society.

substack.com/@luciaromano...
Lucia Romano, MBA (@luciaromanomba)
This speech gives chills! And hope. 💙
substack.com

sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · Nov 2
12 Benchmarks of our slide to autocracy. We are not there yet, but we will be if we are complacent. I found this a useful read from the NY Times editorial board.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | Are We Losing Our Democracy? (Gift Article)
Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Peter Thorne, Dominique Berteaux, Suzanne de Cheveigné , and 1 more

wxnb.bsky.social
Nahel Belgherze @wxnb.bsky.social · Nov 1
NOAA aerial imagery is coming in. Hurricane Melissa literally turned western Jamaica from green to brown. Vegetation damage is immense — recovery will take years.

Reposted by Tim Stephens, Sheila R. Foster

meidastouch.com
MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · Oct 18
“To watch a glacier collapse is to feel the full weight of climate change.”

Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s new piece for Meidas+ is a breathtaking, and heartbreaking, firsthand look at Alaska’s vanishing world.
North to Alaska: America’s Climate Warning
Guest article by Jay Inslee, former governor of Washington State
www.meidasplus.com

sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · Oct 18
It's smart politics and ultimately more responsive to everyday voters' concerns to push for policies to achieve"energy affordability," understanding that addressing climate change (mitigation) is embedded in the DNA of those policies.

www.politico.com/news/magazin...
What Trump’s Victory Taught Democrats About Climate Change
Climate change is out. Energy affordability is in.
www.politico.com

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

carlquintanilla.bsky.social
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · Oct 16
“.. Penn has rejected the White House’s proposed preferential funding compact, according to a Thursday email to the University community.”

www.thedp.com/article/2025...

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Elizabeth Saunders, Nancy Kanwisher , and 12 more

jacobtlevy.bsky.social
Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · Oct 15
Brown rejected the compact!

www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...
www.brown.edu

Reposted by Mark Lubell

sheilarose.bsky.social
Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · Oct 13
Worth a read. Why you should blame the current administration when your energy bills go up.

"You do not have to care about climate change to believe that clean energy is an important and strategic resource."

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/o...
Opinion | This Is Why Your Energy Bills Are Going Up
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

joshuabasseches.bsky.social
Joshua Basseches @joshuabasseches.bsky.social · Oct 12
As the current national administration seeks to prop up coal -- a highly polluting and uneconomic technology of the past -- the global economy and investors are sending a very different signal about where the future of energy is headed:
www.eenews.net/articles/ren...
Renewables overtake coal as global electricity leader
It's the first time sources like wind and solar generated more power than coal over a six-month period.
www.eenews.net

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

awkword.bsky.social
awkword @awkword.bsky.social · Oct 10
NEW STUDY

Since I was born, 500 Black neighborhoods have vanished

And 500,000 Black people have been lost

All due to urban revitalization projects

Like the one for LA’s new coliseum — for the Clippers and ‘26 Olympics — that’s destroying Inglewood

@adamlmahoney.bsky.social @capitalb.bsky.social
From Watts to D.C.: How 500 Black Neighborhoods Vanished in 45 Years
America’s gentrified neighborhoods have lost 500,000 Black people, while gaining residents of every other race, a study finds.
capitalbnews.org

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Matthew P. McAllister, Sheila R. Foster , and 1 more

npr.org
NPR @npr.org · Oct 9
For the first time on record, renewable energy generated more electricity for the planet than coal, a new report says. n.pr/47hcegr
Renewable energy outpaces coal for electricity generation in historic first, report says
For the first time on record, renewable energy generated more electricity for the planet than coal, a new report says.
n.pr

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

joshuabasseches.bsky.social
Joshua Basseches @joshuabasseches.bsky.social · Oct 9
U.S. climate and energy federalism at work!
www.eenews.net/articles/col...
Colorado bolsters EV rebates after federal pullback
Electric vehicles are key to Colorado’s climate targets. Gov. Jared Polis (D) told potential EV buyers: "Get out there right now."
www.eenews.net

Reposted by Sheila R. Foster

janegoodallcan.bsky.social
Jane Goodall Institute of Canada @janegoodallcan.bsky.social · Oct 8
"You're here for a reason. Find the reason and do your bit."

Dr. Jane knew what her reason was. And she did her part. Do you know your reason? Are you doing your part?

You can help move forward the work that Dr. Jane started: JaneGoodall.ca/RememberingJane.