Jessica McKenzie
@jessimckenzi.bsky.social
editing & reporting climate stories @thebulletin.org // outdoorsy newsletter: http://pinchofdirt.substack.com // tips: [email protected] or [email protected] or jessimckenzi.01 on signal
Pinned
A perfect firestorm: The social, political, and climate forces that keep Athens burning
Athens and its suburbs have lost 37 percent of its forests and grasslands to wildfire since 2017. What will it take to keep the city from burning?
thebulletin.org
A few assorted observations from my latest story about wildfires in Greece: thebulletin.org/2025/08/a-pe...
happy thanksgiving!
November 27, 2025 at 8:42 PM
happy thanksgiving!
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
literally hate when ppl smugly post about names or words or phrases they've muted. some of us are trying to read about those trending topics, jon!!!
November 27, 2025 at 3:37 AM
literally hate when ppl smugly post about names or words or phrases they've muted. some of us are trying to read about those trending topics, jon!!!
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Until a few weeks ago, most immigration arrests in NYC were happening at appointments in the Manhattan federal building or immigration offices. That's over: we're now in the randomly-grabbed-while-out-getting-coffee stage of lawless enforcement. From @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
Sidewalk Arrests Seize New Yorkers in ICE’s Latest Surge
Activists and legal advocates are tracking seemingly random detentions of immigrants on the streets in what they say is a campaign of ethnic profiling.
www.thecity.nyc
November 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Until a few weeks ago, most immigration arrests in NYC were happening at appointments in the Manhattan federal building or immigration offices. That's over: we're now in the randomly-grabbed-while-out-getting-coffee stage of lawless enforcement. From @gwynnefitz.bsky.social
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Last month was the hottest October on record for North America in this dataset... yet another extreme event
Data from @noaa.gov: www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/lan...
Data from @noaa.gov: www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/lan...
November 26, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Last month was the hottest October on record for North America in this dataset... yet another extreme event
Data from @noaa.gov: www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/lan...
Data from @noaa.gov: www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/lan...
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Good analysis of the geostrategic/geopolitical ramifications of the recent US-Saudi money fest. thebulletin.org/2025/11/the-...
The pomp, circumstance, benefits, and costs of the trillion-dollar US-Saudi Investment Summit
After the recent US-Saudi Investment Summit, the White House heralded $1 trillion in business deals that give the US tech sector a central role. But the deals also carry an array of potential risks, r...
thebulletin.org
November 25, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Good analysis of the geostrategic/geopolitical ramifications of the recent US-Saudi money fest. thebulletin.org/2025/11/the-...
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
🚨 JUST IN: Germany hasn't had an indigenous nuclear weapons program since 1945, and nobody in Berlin is asking for a German bomb. So why so many in the United States suggest otherwise?
Philipp Rombach (@philipprombach.bsky.social) in @thebulletin.org
#Germany #nuclearweapons #nukesky
Philipp Rombach (@philipprombach.bsky.social) in @thebulletin.org
#Germany #nuclearweapons #nukesky
No, Germany is not getting the Bomb. Why should it?
Germany hasn't had an indigenous nuclear weapons program since 1945, and nobody in Berlin is asking for a German bomb. So why so many in the United States suggest otherwise?
thebulletin.org
November 26, 2025 at 12:35 PM
🚨 JUST IN: Germany hasn't had an indigenous nuclear weapons program since 1945, and nobody in Berlin is asking for a German bomb. So why so many in the United States suggest otherwise?
Philipp Rombach (@philipprombach.bsky.social) in @thebulletin.org
#Germany #nuclearweapons #nukesky
Philipp Rombach (@philipprombach.bsky.social) in @thebulletin.org
#Germany #nuclearweapons #nukesky
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
unfortunately even though i think that it is unethical to have an entire branch of "journalism" dedicated to telling people to buy things and profiting when they do, while further entrenching/enriching the largest companies at the expense of the environment, workers, democracy...
November 25, 2025 at 9:50 PM
unfortunately even though i think that it is unethical to have an entire branch of "journalism" dedicated to telling people to buy things and profiting when they do, while further entrenching/enriching the largest companies at the expense of the environment, workers, democracy...
i'm sure i might regret saying this but i wouldn't actually be that sad if ai kills affiliate marketing "journalism" www.practicalecommerce.com/ai-shopping-...
November 25, 2025 at 9:34 PM
i'm sure i might regret saying this but i wouldn't actually be that sad if ai kills affiliate marketing "journalism" www.practicalecommerce.com/ai-shopping-...
can't believe that the "all the news that's fit to print" newspaper is recommending buying a plastic gag blanket
November 25, 2025 at 9:20 PM
can't believe that the "all the news that's fit to print" newspaper is recommending buying a plastic gag blanket
ok the hole is "climate skeptics"
first up was a crash course on christopher booker (which is how i got to this old @georgemonbiot.bsky.social post www.theguardian.com/environment/...)
but he's just a dude who got his start writing jazz reviews, and he's dead now so can't do much more harm
first up was a crash course on christopher booker (which is how i got to this old @georgemonbiot.bsky.social post www.theguardian.com/environment/...)
but he's just a dude who got his start writing jazz reviews, and he's dead now so can't do much more harm
November 25, 2025 at 7:42 PM
ok the hole is "climate skeptics"
first up was a crash course on christopher booker (which is how i got to this old @georgemonbiot.bsky.social post www.theguardian.com/environment/...)
but he's just a dude who got his start writing jazz reviews, and he's dead now so can't do much more harm
first up was a crash course on christopher booker (which is how i got to this old @georgemonbiot.bsky.social post www.theguardian.com/environment/...)
but he's just a dude who got his start writing jazz reviews, and he's dead now so can't do much more harm
you know you've fallen into a rabbit hole when...
November 25, 2025 at 7:07 PM
you know you've fallen into a rabbit hole when...
November 25, 2025 at 3:40 PM
It is rather odd to begin an article citing a recent paper by *40 scientists* that says "geoengineering was extremely unlikely to work and likely to have dangerous consequences" and then to go on to make the case that "these ideas are gaining traction" and cite the great thinkers thiel and musk
The idea that opposition to geoengineering is largely just lefty extremists and loopy right-wing chemtrail guys feels very much like part of the broader project to normalise it with the ultimate aim of ensuring it is actually deployed as a tacit replacement for mitigation
archive.ph/IYgEB
archive.ph/IYgEB
November 25, 2025 at 3:22 PM
It is rather odd to begin an article citing a recent paper by *40 scientists* that says "geoengineering was extremely unlikely to work and likely to have dangerous consequences" and then to go on to make the case that "these ideas are gaining traction" and cite the great thinkers thiel and musk
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
"After negotiators at COP30 retreated from meaningful climate action by failing to specifically mention the need to stop using fossil fuels in the final conference documents published Saturday," the disappointment inside the conference center was "pervasive," reports Bob Berwyn @bberwyn.bsky.social.
COP30 derided as 'the deadliest talk show ever'
Negotiators at COP30 retreated from meaningful climate action by failing to specifically mention the need to stop using fossil fuels in the final conference documents published Saturday.
thebulletin.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:44 PM
"After negotiators at COP30 retreated from meaningful climate action by failing to specifically mention the need to stop using fossil fuels in the final conference documents published Saturday," the disappointment inside the conference center was "pervasive," reports Bob Berwyn @bberwyn.bsky.social.
fantastic cop30 postmortem (and it really does seem more and more like a postmortem every year)
"The entire financial system, including government bonds and mortgages, is premised on the idea that tomorrow will look something like today. In a world that’s 3 degrees warmer, it assuredly will not"
@peterbrannen.bsky.social in @theatlantic.com -->>
www.theatlantic.com/science/2025...
@peterbrannen.bsky.social in @theatlantic.com -->>
www.theatlantic.com/science/2025...
November 24, 2025 at 9:53 PM
fantastic cop30 postmortem (and it really does seem more and more like a postmortem every year)
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
NASA and the European Space Agency plan to bring samples back from Mars. Could they harbor a type of life that scientists warn could trigger mass extinctions on Earth?
Read more from NASA mathematician Bill Taber. ⬇️
Read more from NASA mathematician Bill Taber. ⬇️
Black swans from the red planet—Could NASA bring back “mirror life” from Mars?
NASA and the European Space Agency plan to bring samples back from Mars. Could they harbor a type of life that scientists warn could trigger mass extinctions on Earth?
thebulletin.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:12 PM
NASA and the European Space Agency plan to bring samples back from Mars. Could they harbor a type of life that scientists warn could trigger mass extinctions on Earth?
Read more from NASA mathematician Bill Taber. ⬇️
Read more from NASA mathematician Bill Taber. ⬇️
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
"Cars are not safe for human beings. The average vehicle on the road now is about equivalent to the size and weight of a German Panzer tank during World War II." @jessimckenzi.bsky.social interviews David Obst about what he believes is the existential threat of "Big Car." @thebulletin.org
How 'Big Car' poses an existential threat to humanity
While Big Car kills many of us quickly, in deadly collisions, it is killing many more of us slowly, by polluting the environment, warming the Earth, sowing misinformation and doubt about climate scien...
thebulletin.org
November 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM
"Cars are not safe for human beings. The average vehicle on the road now is about equivalent to the size and weight of a German Panzer tank during World War II." @jessimckenzi.bsky.social interviews David Obst about what he believes is the existential threat of "Big Car." @thebulletin.org
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Holtec built an empire around mothballed nuclear power plants and incomplete nuclear initiatives. The firm's history of overpromising and under-delivery raises a question: Is this who we should trust with the future of #nuclear energy?
thebulletin.org/2025/11/how-...
thebulletin.org/2025/11/how-...
How Holtec International became an expanding (and controversial) nuclear power
The firm's history of overpromising and underdelivery raises a question: Is this who we should trust with the future of nuclear energy?
thebulletin.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Holtec built an empire around mothballed nuclear power plants and incomplete nuclear initiatives. The firm's history of overpromising and under-delivery raises a question: Is this who we should trust with the future of #nuclear energy?
thebulletin.org/2025/11/how-...
thebulletin.org/2025/11/how-...
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
Had the pleasure of interviewing David Obst—lit agent for Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein, Daniel Ellsberg & promoter of Seymour Hersh—about his new book: Saving Ourselves From Big Car
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
How 'Big Car' poses an existential threat to humanity
While Big Car kills many of us quickly, in deadly collisions, it is killing many more of us slowly, by polluting the environment, warming the Earth, sowing misinformation and doubt about climate scien...
thebulletin.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Had the pleasure of interviewing David Obst—lit agent for Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein, Daniel Ellsberg & promoter of Seymour Hersh—about his new book: Saving Ourselves From Big Car
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Even as someone steeped in anti-car discourse, I don't feel like I see many people frame it as an existential threat
Reposted by Jessica McKenzie
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
this headline strikes a nerve.
why does it make the story about our feelings about the practice instead of the slimy problems with the practice
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
why does it make the story about our feelings about the practice instead of the slimy problems with the practice
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
November 21, 2025 at 11:22 PM
this headline strikes a nerve.
why does it make the story about our feelings about the practice instead of the slimy problems with the practice
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
why does it make the story about our feelings about the practice instead of the slimy problems with the practice
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
adobe acrobat keeps forcing ai on me. i've unchecked this box multiple times and every time i relaunch the app, it's rechecked
November 21, 2025 at 5:31 PM
adobe acrobat keeps forcing ai on me. i've unchecked this box multiple times and every time i relaunch the app, it's rechecked