Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 15h

Many are having fun/not fun talking about the AI Bubble. I get it. But, the real, horrific, market bubble to focus on is the one in climate denialism and cognitive dissonance.

The risk potential of a climate ‘Minsky Moment’ should be front of mind.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...

Episode 3: The Minsky Moment

Podcast Episode · Overshoot: Navigating a world beyond 1.5°C · 10/12/2025 · 32m

podcasts.apple.com

1 2

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 20h

If this is you as a ceo, you don’t deserve your job.

“Why Most CEOs Are Wrong About The Climate Readiness Gap: ‘readiness mirage’ — where companies believe they’ve built climate resilience when in reality they’ve only built strategy decks”

www.forbes.com/sites/felici...

1 2

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 20h

Polluters pay. Markets function best when costs and profits are allocated at the individual firm level. Socializing losses to privatize gains isn’t capitalism. It’s not anything other than violently destructive of society, no matter what it’s called.

thehill.com/opinion/ener...

thehill.com

2

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 20h

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”~Albert Einstein

“Microbes That Could Cool the Planet: researchers need to better understand these microbes, which have been on this planet for billions of years but remain enigmatic”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/c...

The Very Hungry Microbes That Could, Just Maybe, Cool the Planet

www.nytimes.com

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 20h

When will the simple investment math on climate change drive all of our actions?

“Investing in resilience and anticipatory support before climate shocks hit can be up to five times more cost-effective than traditional post-disaster aid”

www.independent.co.uk/climate-chan...

Waiting until disaster strikes hurting aid as early action ‘5 times more effective’

Under the current system, governments and donors respond after disasters occur, through humanitarian relief or emergency social protection payments. But researchers say these measures are inefficient ...

www.independent.co.uk

1 1

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 1d

As climate challenges worsen, solutions (including long overlooked ones), get better.

“[Liquid air has been] overlooked for 50 years…to compete with grid-scale lithium batteries and hydro to store clean power, and reduce the need [for] fossil fuels”

www.bbc.com/future/artic...

The liquid air alternative to fossil fuels

An overlooked technology for nearly 50 years, the first liquid air battery facility is finally set to power up in 2026.

www.bbc.com

1 2

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 1d

No one cares. Until they do.

“Measuring risk in the AI financing boom: growing reliance on debt, particularly from lower-quality issuers…leaves banks and the highly leveraged non-bank[s] exposed…Incestuous bilateral funding deals amplify the risk…”

www.ft.com/content/50f6...

Measuring risk in the AI financing boom

A shift towards debt raises the potential fallout from the data centre spending spree

www.ft.com

2

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 1d

Among the amazing things, good and bad, about OpenAI, this must be the main bad amazing thing: its ownership structure is utterly chaotic, and has been from the beginning. I know we are in an era where nothing matters, but, … still.

www.ft.com/content/61ab...

Who owns OpenAI? Blockbuster deals complicate investor payouts

Microsoft, OpenAI’s staff and non-profit arm are due close to 90% of start-up. But Nvidia deal will dilute shareholders

www.ft.com

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 2d

"I think happiness is a trailing indicator of impact, and I think truly sustained happiness comes from impact." Daniel Ek

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 2d

As climate challenges worsen, solutions get better.

Deploy, deploy, deploy.

Then, deploy more.

“How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution”

ig.ft.com/mega-batteries

How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution

Vast battery units are shoring up grids and extending the use of clean power

ig.ft.com

2

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 3d

It’s been really inspiring for me to have joined the faculty at Parsons/TheNewSchool to focus on impact and teach Business Models and Entrepreneurial Strategy. I love learning from, and with, all of these great students.

1

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 3d

Inspiration can be hard to come by these days. I’m grateful for the inspiration I was able to experience at a fireside chat I was invited to give last week as a Senior Fellow @nyusps.bsky.social Center for Global Affairs. They put me to work on some great topics.

2

Reposted by Rob Majteles

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 3d

No institutional design can overcome a lawbreaking president, a Congress defending lawbreaking and forfeiting its own power, a Supreme Court that pretends legal text doesn’t count to facilitate lawbreaking, and a citizenry that votes for all that.
Need at least one that wants rule of law. Maybe two.

110 1.1K 3.7K

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 3d

Trade speed to power in exchange for turning hyperscaler data centers into grid assets vs grid liabilities, while also continuing to diminish the role of utilities in the energy system? What’s not to love?

rmi.org/how-power-co...

How “Power Couples” Can Help the United States Win the Global AI Race - RMI

Building data centers alongside wind, solar, and batteries can fast-track electricity needed for AI — without forcing families and businesses to foot the bill.

rmi.org

1

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 3d

“China is using [cleantech] in a very, very geopolitically savvy way, taking advantage of America’s stupidity and regression back into a petrostate. China just wins. America has abrogated the playing field.”

www.ft.com/content/013e...

1

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 4d

“‘Social macro’: a new frontier for climate risk…include[s] the well-recognised effects on employment, inflation and household wealth, as well as the often-undervalued consequences for migration, conflict and overall social stability”

greencentralbanking.com/2025/10/09/s...

‘Social macro’: a new frontier for climate risk

Addressing climate social risks is key for climate policy and financial risk management, write analysts Alexander Weston and Judith Tyson.

greencentralbanking.com

1

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 4d

Pay for climate risk damage or invest in mitigating it. It’s not really a hard decision to make. We will see more of this: “Japan’s top insurer bets on engineering acquisition to mitigate climate risk”

www.ft.com/content/e2f9...

Japan’s top insurer bets on engineering acquisition to mitigate climate risk

Tokio Marine’s purchase of design consultancy part of push to rein in clients’ costs as weather patterns change

www.ft.com

2

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 4d

Brian and Charles is a wildly underappreciated film. It also conveys how we have more to fear from each other than from AI.

“robot comedy is bromance of the year: happiness, loneliness and silliness come together in this startling emotional adventure”

www.theguardian.com/film/2022/ju...

Brian and Charles review – robot comedy is bromance of the year

David Earl and Chris Hayward’s story of an inventor’s relationship with his creation blends Caractacus Potts with Victor Frankenstein to heartwarming effect

www.theguardian.com

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 4d

Q: are you serving the planet or are you making money?

A: yes

Every other answer is wrong.

“survey of over 1,300 CEOs globally reveals a pragmatic recognition that environmental and social factors are inextricably linked to financial performance”

www.esgtoday.com/guest-post-g...

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 5d

F*cking right

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 5d

‘Rob, the impact guy’

I few times in the past few weeks, I’ve been introduced by others as ‘Rob, the impact guy’. My entire career can strike many as … eclectic … and, on more than one occasion, has been difficult for even me to explain.

So, ‘Rob, the impact guy’ it is 😉

1

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 6d

Impact weight all risk analysis. Act on that analysis. Or, get crushed by everything you are ignoring.

“The insurance crisis in the U.S. is the canary in the coal mine, and the canary is dead”

e360.yale.edu/features/cli...

How Climate Risks Are Putting Home Insurance Out of Reach

After years underestimating the risks posed by climate-fueled disasters, the U.S. home insurance industry is in turmoil. In vulnerable areas, rising insurance costs are upending housing markets and co...

e360.yale.edu

1

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 6d

As climate challenges worsen, solutions get better. Deploy, deploy, deploy.

“World nearing 'crucial turning point' as clean energy outpaces power demand: Global renewable energy deployment keeps exceeding our expectations”

www.newsweek.com/world-nearin...

World nearing 'crucial turning point' as clean energy outpaces power demand

Energy research group Ember said the global surge in clean energy more than met demand for electricity and led to the first fall in fossil fuel use this year.

www.newsweek.com

3

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 6d

“If new compute investments aren’t getting us closer to AGI, then what’s the point?…while researchers are increasingly uncertain about how compute translates into capability improvements, Wall Street hasn’t fully woken up to this”

dcahn.substack.com/p/ai-capex-n...

AI CapEx Now Hinges on Deus ex machina

We are making great strides on AI adoption, but new investment is largely AGI focused. This is surprising, since luminaries have been walking back their timelines. And future science may be at risk.

dcahn.substack.com

1 1

Rob Majteles @robmajteles.bsky.social · 6d

Turn hyperscaler data centers into grid assets, in exchange for speed to power, we all win. Turn them into grid liabilities, raising rates with no value in return, we all lose.

“Distributed energy resources can accelerate data center interconnection”

www.utilitydive.com/news/distrib...

Distributed energy resources can accelerate data center interconnection

Solutions that help local utilities find or create spare grid capacity by harnessing distributed energy resources could help bring more AI compute capacity online faster.

www.utilitydive.com

2