Cameron Roberts
@bikeademic.bsky.social
Sustainability transitions researcher.
Pinned
Well, thanks to a kind colleague I seem to have a tiny little platform on here.
If I could use it to send just one message, it would be this:
100 of companies are NOT responsible for 71% of emissions. This is a myth. Unfortunately, it has also become something of a meme. A fairly destructive one.
If I could use it to send just one message, it would be this:
100 of companies are NOT responsible for 71% of emissions. This is a myth. Unfortunately, it has also become something of a meme. A fairly destructive one.
I've had a few arguments with other sustainable transportation people about free transit. All of them have been intelligent, knowledgeable, and well-meaning.
But it's frustrating that people can't get behind a policy that played a big role in an historic election victory in New York.
But it's frustrating that people can't get behind a policy that played a big role in an historic election victory in New York.
January 30, 2026 at 9:53 PM
I've had a few arguments with other sustainable transportation people about free transit. All of them have been intelligent, knowledgeable, and well-meaning.
But it's frustrating that people can't get behind a policy that played a big role in an historic election victory in New York.
But it's frustrating that people can't get behind a policy that played a big role in an historic election victory in New York.
-9C is just a degree or two on the warm side of a perfect winter day.
Canadians you are not prepared for the temperature he tells you he is experiencing here.
January 22, 2026 at 4:21 PM
-9C is just a degree or two on the warm side of a perfect winter day.
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
Whoever said the other day that Ontario Man is the Florida Man equivalent about cars was spot on (sorry I can't remember who).
Evidence:
Evidence:
Don't you hate it when people clear the road for you to drive?
We've hit peak car culture.
www.blogto.com/city/2026/01...
We've hit peak car culture.
www.blogto.com/city/2026/01...
Ontario man called 9-1-1 because snow plows were driving too slow
If this isn't a lost scene from Fargo, then I don't know what is.
An angry driver on Highway 404 called emergency services to complain about slow-mo…
www.blogto.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:19 PM
Whoever said the other day that Ontario Man is the Florida Man equivalent about cars was spot on (sorry I can't remember who).
Evidence:
Evidence:
Obviously the idea that degrowthers want to promote alternative "medicine" is nonsense. Ideological boogeyman stuff.
But I wonder whether alternative "medicine" contributes more to GDP per patient "treated" than real medicine. It's often very expensive. Should growthers support crystal healing?
But I wonder whether alternative "medicine" contributes more to GDP per patient "treated" than real medicine. It's often very expensive. Should growthers support crystal healing?
“Degrowthers want less GDP, but also want more healthcare spending, which is incredibly resource intensive, pick a lane!”
Yeah no I don’t find it a huge leap that they want more like, “holistic lifestyle intervention” nonsense instead of MRI machines and pharmaceuticals
Yeah no I don’t find it a huge leap that they want more like, “holistic lifestyle intervention” nonsense instead of MRI machines and pharmaceuticals
December 24, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Obviously the idea that degrowthers want to promote alternative "medicine" is nonsense. Ideological boogeyman stuff.
But I wonder whether alternative "medicine" contributes more to GDP per patient "treated" than real medicine. It's often very expensive. Should growthers support crystal healing?
But I wonder whether alternative "medicine" contributes more to GDP per patient "treated" than real medicine. It's often very expensive. Should growthers support crystal healing?
This makes no intuitive sense. There is no obvious reason why constant growth in fast fashion, SUVs, etc. is necessary so that we can have MRIs and chemo drugs.
Of course counterintuitive things can be true. But then Levitz would have to make an actual argument for why these things are connected.
Of course counterintuitive things can be true. But then Levitz would have to make an actual argument for why these things are connected.
Degrowth proponents often suggest that America can slash its resource use by over 50% -- while still expanding the *good* sectors, such as healthcare.
I think this betrays a naivety about how resource-intensive modern medicine is www.vox.com/politics/472...
I think this betrays a naivety about how resource-intensive modern medicine is www.vox.com/politics/472...
December 19, 2025 at 4:54 PM
This makes no intuitive sense. There is no obvious reason why constant growth in fast fashion, SUVs, etc. is necessary so that we can have MRIs and chemo drugs.
Of course counterintuitive things can be true. But then Levitz would have to make an actual argument for why these things are connected.
Of course counterintuitive things can be true. But then Levitz would have to make an actual argument for why these things are connected.
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
slowly replacing all mass produced things in my house with handmade things and it rules
December 14, 2025 at 7:49 PM
slowly replacing all mass produced things in my house with handmade things and it rules
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
With Alto high speed rail, it will be faster to get from Ottawa to Montreal than it is to get to the Ottawa airport from Centretown.
Alto YOW-YUL: 0:58min
LRT Byward-YOW airport:1:02min
Alto YOW-YUL: 0:58min
LRT Byward-YOW airport:1:02min
December 14, 2025 at 5:12 PM
With Alto high speed rail, it will be faster to get from Ottawa to Montreal than it is to get to the Ottawa airport from Centretown.
Alto YOW-YUL: 0:58min
LRT Byward-YOW airport:1:02min
Alto YOW-YUL: 0:58min
LRT Byward-YOW airport:1:02min
I just watched a close family member die of cancer. MAID wasn't the right choice for them. So I saw what the last days of cancer really look like, even with the absolute best end of life care.
It's grotesque for the state to force people to undergo that.
It's grotesque for the state to force people to undergo that.
The right to die is one of those things that I have done a complete about face on. For years, I thought it was important for people to have the option to die with dignity, but in real world examples, whenever it's been implemented, ghoulish bean counters use it to save a few bucks.
Noticing that Democrats are passing “right to die” laws before passing “right to housing” or “right to healthcare” laws www.nprillinois.org/government-p...
December 14, 2025 at 5:32 PM
I just watched a close family member die of cancer. MAID wasn't the right choice for them. So I saw what the last days of cancer really look like, even with the absolute best end of life care.
It's grotesque for the state to force people to undergo that.
It's grotesque for the state to force people to undergo that.
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
His name is Ahmad Al-Ahmad and we can all choose to highlight him instead of the murderers who committed a massacre
bsky.app/profile/impl...
bsky.app/profile/impl...
7News Australia reports that the hero who jumped and disarmed one of the terrorist shooters
His name is Ahmed el-Ahmed
A 43 year old married father of two
He owns a fruit shop in Sutherland
No experience with guns
He was walking past
He has two bullets in his arm
His name is Ahmed el-Ahmed
A 43 year old married father of two
He owns a fruit shop in Sutherland
No experience with guns
He was walking past
He has two bullets in his arm
December 14, 2025 at 2:41 PM
His name is Ahmad Al-Ahmad and we can all choose to highlight him instead of the murderers who committed a massacre
bsky.app/profile/impl...
bsky.app/profile/impl...
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
On the 10th Anniversary of the Paris Agreement, you’re going to hear a lot about the progress we’ve made — people saying we “are” heading to 2.5 degrees heating instead of four.
I deeply regret to tell you that this is complacent misinformation.
🧵
I deeply regret to tell you that this is complacent misinformation.
🧵
December 12, 2025 at 12:50 PM
On the 10th Anniversary of the Paris Agreement, you’re going to hear a lot about the progress we’ve made — people saying we “are” heading to 2.5 degrees heating instead of four.
I deeply regret to tell you that this is complacent misinformation.
🧵
I deeply regret to tell you that this is complacent misinformation.
🧵
Lmao, Hamilton is absolutely not a reasonable travel distance.
Hi @shawnmenard.bsky.social
Wasn't the phasing of the project done to avoid closing the field during construction?
I know you didn't support the project, but if we were gonna close the field for construction anyways we could have put the arena under the field!
hope we still have some teams left...
Wasn't the phasing of the project done to avoid closing the field during construction?
I know you didn't support the project, but if we were gonna close the field for construction anyways we could have put the arena under the field!
hope we still have some teams left...
December 12, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Lmao, Hamilton is absolutely not a reasonable travel distance.
In this case the staff are being failed by the company in exactly the same way the passengers are, and being put in the same dangerous situation. With the added bonus of having to try to manage the emergency, deal with angry passengers, etc. What a nightmare.
Lots of blame going around with this incident.
My perspective is from my family being stuck on the @viarailcanada.bsky.social train in 2024:
1) VIA RAIL staff are amazing
2) VIA RAIL is dealing with a terribly underfunded passenger rail system in Canada.
Our federal government needs to step up.
My perspective is from my family being stuck on the @viarailcanada.bsky.social train in 2024:
1) VIA RAIL staff are amazing
2) VIA RAIL is dealing with a terribly underfunded passenger rail system in Canada.
Our federal government needs to step up.
Via Rail passengers make it to Ottawa after being stranded overnight in Brockville, Ont. | CBC News
Via Rail passengers travelling from Toronto to Ottawa were stranded for 12 hours overnight after an earlier train broke down near Brockville, Ont.
www.cbc.ca
December 12, 2025 at 12:48 AM
In this case the staff are being failed by the company in exactly the same way the passengers are, and being put in the same dangerous situation. With the added bonus of having to try to manage the emergency, deal with angry passengers, etc. What a nightmare.
Spare a thought for Canadian fossil fuel lobbyists, who have just lost their most annoying talking point.
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-rec...
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-rec...
Analysis: Record solar growth keeps China’s CO2 falling in first half of 2025 - Carbon Brief
Clean-energy growth helped China’s CO2 emissions fall by 1% in first half of 2025, extending a declining trend that started in March 2024.
www.carbonbrief.org
December 12, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Spare a thought for Canadian fossil fuel lobbyists, who have just lost their most annoying talking point.
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-rec...
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-rec...
I don't get this attitude. The extra few pixels in an em-dash versus an en-dash don't make your writing good. Just use en-dashes. It's literally the same.
The clankers have stolen em-dashes from us but it's not that much of a loss.
The clankers have stolen em-dashes from us but it's not that much of a loss.
are we still on about em dashes and ai. imo human writers should just use the em dashes even harder. we should be out here pummeling out those em dashes like we're emily dickinson
December 10, 2025 at 2:22 PM
I don't get this attitude. The extra few pixels in an em-dash versus an en-dash don't make your writing good. Just use en-dashes. It's literally the same.
The clankers have stolen em-dashes from us but it's not that much of a loss.
The clankers have stolen em-dashes from us but it's not that much of a loss.
Oh hey, that's me. Love my @lightphone.bsky.social.
I don't think "screen discipline" is really much of a thing for anyone. Big tech has hacked our brains too much for that. But to the extent it exists at all, mine is particularly bad.
Dumbphones and dumb-ish phones are underrated!
I don't think "screen discipline" is really much of a thing for anyone. Big tech has hacked our brains too much for that. But to the extent it exists at all, mine is particularly bad.
Dumbphones and dumb-ish phones are underrated!
every year there's at least one "best device i used this year" retrospective that boils down to someone saying they bought a piece of junk that can't do more than one thing at a time and that means it's good because they have the attention span and screen discipline of a 14 year old
December 9, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Oh hey, that's me. Love my @lightphone.bsky.social.
I don't think "screen discipline" is really much of a thing for anyone. Big tech has hacked our brains too much for that. But to the extent it exists at all, mine is particularly bad.
Dumbphones and dumb-ish phones are underrated!
I don't think "screen discipline" is really much of a thing for anyone. Big tech has hacked our brains too much for that. But to the extent it exists at all, mine is particularly bad.
Dumbphones and dumb-ish phones are underrated!
Movie you've watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (war or trek) LOTR or Marvel.
December 8, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Movie you've watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (war or trek) LOTR or Marvel.
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
The external costs of motor vehicles that are not paid by users (including subsidized parking, but also roads, collision risk, and pollution) make up 32% of the costs of driving. 😱
From @toddlitman.bsky.social
From @toddlitman.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The external costs of motor vehicles that are not paid by users (including subsidized parking, but also roads, collision risk, and pollution) make up 32% of the costs of driving. 😱
From @toddlitman.bsky.social
From @toddlitman.bsky.social
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
Our infrastructure isn’t ready for what’s coming.
The Bay took over the highway during this morning's #KingTides in Marin.
December 5, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Our infrastructure isn’t ready for what’s coming.
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
"Gramma’s life reminds us that the creatures we nearly lost can become the center of our efforts to make amends."
Important thoughts on #biodiversity
open.substack.com/pub/rhettaye...
Important thoughts on #biodiversity
open.substack.com/pub/rhettaye...
Gramma, a giant who transcended eras, has died, aged about 141
She moved slowly, as if time were something best savored.
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 12:58 PM
"Gramma’s life reminds us that the creatures we nearly lost can become the center of our efforts to make amends."
Important thoughts on #biodiversity
open.substack.com/pub/rhettaye...
Important thoughts on #biodiversity
open.substack.com/pub/rhettaye...
We need to start building a list of universities that do this stuff, so that academics know not to publish with them and prospective students know not to apply there.
OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:
November 30, 2025 at 9:08 PM
We need to start building a list of universities that do this stuff, so that academics know not to publish with them and prospective students know not to apply there.
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
Trains really are the highpoint of human development. There is no more elegant, relaxing way to cross large distances than in a train. The ability to look out the big windows, read a book, have meal or a drink, walk around and converse with fellow passengers is something magical.
A book and a train is a hell of a combination.
*bonus points for the snowy landscape.
*bonus points for the snowy landscape.
November 29, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Trains really are the highpoint of human development. There is no more elegant, relaxing way to cross large distances than in a train. The ability to look out the big windows, read a book, have meal or a drink, walk around and converse with fellow passengers is something magical.
It occurs to me that the AI industry may have ruined an entire subgenre of sci-fi. AI stories (Ex Machina, Chappie, almost everything by Asimov, etc) are a staple of the genre. But how would you write a new one today? People would just say (wrongly) "we already have that".
November 30, 2025 at 2:05 PM
It occurs to me that the AI industry may have ruined an entire subgenre of sci-fi. AI stories (Ex Machina, Chappie, almost everything by Asimov, etc) are a staple of the genre. But how would you write a new one today? People would just say (wrongly) "we already have that".
The old story about Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was a good metaphor for our own technological hubris. Turns out it's not true.
Seems we moderns really are unique in our short-sightedness, destructiveness, and greed.
Seems we moderns really are unique in our short-sightedness, destructiveness, and greed.
Yes, Jared Diamond was wrong.
Rapa Nui's people did not suffer ecological and social collapse. They adapted to changed circumstances and thrived.
And they were nothing like "primitive"
phys.org/news/2025-11...
Rapa Nui's people did not suffer ecological and social collapse. They adapted to changed circumstances and thrived.
And they were nothing like "primitive"
phys.org/news/2025-11...
Studies show how the giant statues on Rapa Nui were made and moved—and what caused the island's deforestation
Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is often portrayed in popular culture as an enigma. The rationale is clear: The tiny, remote island in the Pacific features nearly 1,000 enormous statues—the moa...
phys.org
November 30, 2025 at 11:20 AM
The old story about Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was a good metaphor for our own technological hubris. Turns out it's not true.
Seems we moderns really are unique in our short-sightedness, destructiveness, and greed.
Seems we moderns really are unique in our short-sightedness, destructiveness, and greed.
It's over. It's done. Brits: Join the Green Party. @zackpolanski.bsky.social is running laps around these chunderheads.
November 29, 2025 at 3:36 PM
It's over. It's done. Brits: Join the Green Party. @zackpolanski.bsky.social is running laps around these chunderheads.
Reposted by Cameron Roberts
It would have made a really good original series Star Trek episode.
TOS Season 4 Episode 6: Genius Loci
The Enterprise stumbles upon a planet where all decisions are made through conversation with what is called a Genius Computer. Every government office and home is centered around one.
[1/5]
TOS Season 4 Episode 6: Genius Loci
The Enterprise stumbles upon a planet where all decisions are made through conversation with what is called a Genius Computer. Every government office and home is centered around one.
[1/5]
Of all the sci fi stories about artificial intelligence I can't think of a single one that proposed an actually very stupid computer flattering and sycophanting human users into completely losing their sense of reality.
The AI apocalypse, in fiction, involves AIs that are actually intelligent.
The AI apocalypse, in fiction, involves AIs that are actually intelligent.
November 28, 2025 at 3:08 PM
It would have made a really good original series Star Trek episode.
TOS Season 4 Episode 6: Genius Loci
The Enterprise stumbles upon a planet where all decisions are made through conversation with what is called a Genius Computer. Every government office and home is centered around one.
[1/5]
TOS Season 4 Episode 6: Genius Loci
The Enterprise stumbles upon a planet where all decisions are made through conversation with what is called a Genius Computer. Every government office and home is centered around one.
[1/5]