Ryan C. Smith
@rcsmitheco.bsky.social
360 followers 810 following 680 posts
Author of, "The Real Oil Shock: How Oil Transformed Money, Debt, and Finance", host of "A History of Capitalism" podcast. Economist & historian, currently #amquerying "The Emerging Energy Revolution" on how renewables+batteries are transforming the world.
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Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
saikatforcongress.bsky.social
Meanwhile, electricity prices be like
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
Lest we forget, Marc Andreessen has gone on record that the reason tech turned on Biden was because they thought Biden wasn't being sufficiently grateful to them. These guys are deeply petty, insecure people who seem to see fascism as a chance to settle those scores.
It's the Biden Administration's Fault That Big Tech Embraced Trump, Says Marc Andreessen
This all feels like a political merry-go-round we've been on for too long, but as the post-election analyses continue to roll in, the New York Times podcast 'The Daily' is looking into why so many Sil...
sfist.com
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
What's really wild is they have their man in the Mayor's Office. I feel like a big part of this posturing is the fact that a significant chunk of San Franciscans do not like what Musk et al have done to our city & country and they want to make us love them, or else.
Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
brenttoderian.bsky.social
NEW: “Toderian says it’s easy to be distracted by futuristic innovations like electric cars, drone delivery networks & hyperloops. ‘The real solutions are a lot less sexy and a lot more common sense… Tech won’t save us if we get the fundamentals wrong.”

I was 1 of 3 urban experts asked to weigh in.
A world without traffic? Three urban experts rethink how cities move
Gridlock is costing us billions, but bold solutions like bus-only lanes, congestion charges and flexible work hours could get cities moving again
www.theglobeandmail.com
Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
transportenvironment.org
NEW: Biofuels globally emit more than the fossil fuels they replace, our latest study shows.

The first-of-a-kind study looks at global biofuels production today and the potential impacts of government biofuel targets.
🧵⤵️
Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
sammyroth.bsky.social
Big big story.

Also, it's like I wrote a few weeks ago..."energy dominance" is a giant lie. Democrats and renewable energy companies should stop pretending it's a real thing. www.latimes.com/environment/...
Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
jael.bsky.social
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
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
It is somewhat concerning how five of the Magnificent Seven are taking this kind of a beating, especially how most US GDP growth for the past two quarters has been thanks to tech spending on AI.

Watch this space.
#EconSky #AI
Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
jael.bsky.social
NextEra Energy has written me back saying they remain committed to their solar projects that used to be a part of Esmeralda 7

Calling them “early stage” and confirming they’ll need their own “comprehensive environmental analysis”

So, yeah, Esmeralda 7 is Joever
NextEra Energy Resources is one of six companies pursuing projects in Esmeralda County, Nevada. We are in the early stage of development and remain committed to pursuing our project’s comprehensive environmental analysis by working closely with the Bureau of Land Management.
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
Sounds like the vibes I got from Seville & Cordoba. There's something about being in a place where folks are playing fetch with a dog using a lime they picked off a tree in the plaza that feels so welcoming.
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
The really neat thing about the growth in renewable energy over the past year is how end-user adoption has been a key driver. The shift to renewables is inevitable in part because renewables don't have the same steep capital requirements as fossil fuels & are much easier to adopt.
#ClimateSky
Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
islandpress.bsky.social
WHAT SHOULD A CLEVER MOOSE EAT? is a delightful exploration of the North Woods and what its natural history teaches us. WHITE PINE is a journey through the natural and human history of the white pine.

This month only get both for $40 (+ free shipping!) islandpress.org/2for40
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
Imagine telling everyone you know absolutely nothing about economics like this.
#EconSky
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
ANDREESSEN: Even if AI ends up destroying all the jobs, “the result would be hyper-deflation of prices, which is the thing that people miss. .. Things that today cost a lot of money will all of a sudden be cheap or free.”

@fortune.com
fortune.com/2025/10/08/b...
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
Then that has to be part of any such calculations and discussions.

Starting with asking whether the conditions that enable bubbles are also detrimental to democracy.
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
You just KNOW this will be in a future history book.
dannykpolitics.bsky.social
WATCH: ‘Portland Frog’ pepper balled by ICE agents
Reposted by Ryan C. Smith
billmckibben.bsky.social
America is in crisis.

So it's a small relief that the rest of the world is actually getting remarkable stuff done with energy. We just passed a huge milestone globally!

Now back to work on America.
billmckibben.substack.com/p/something-...
Something extraordinary just happened
But of course there's a but. Or two.
billmckibben.substack.com
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
Especially because all that would do is allow the usual suspects to walk away from the wreckage. There's just no amount of money that's going to make this tech sustainable, if there was we'd have a glimmer of it by now.
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
That's the real kicker there. They've created a deeply unstable situation where everyone is propping everyone else up and there just *isn't* the money there to bail it all out.

I suppose the US government *could* do 2008 again but the social consequences of that are probably not good.
rcsmitheco.bsky.social
It is *very* common for bubbles to experience escalating surges as they get closer to bursting. Watch the markets for further unrealistic exuberance right up until someone runs for the door.
#EconSky #AI