Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social
Journalist at @insideclimatenews.org covering climate change, the environment, public health, and politics.
Recent work:
https://insideclimatenews.org/profile/kiley-bense/
Recent work:
https://insideclimatenews.org/profile/kiley-bense/
Pinned
Kiley Bense
@kiley.bsky.social
· Nov 13
Kiley Bense - Inside Climate News
Kiley Bense covers climate change and the environment with a focus on Pennsylvania, politics, energy, and public health. She has reported on the effects of the fracking boom in Pennsylvania, the expan...
insideclimatenews.org
Hello! I’m the Pennsylvania reporter at Inside Climate News, covering climate, the environment, energy, and politics. That includes everything from fracking and steelmaking to elections, wildlife, activism, and public policy.
You can read my recent work here: insideclimatenews.org/profile/kile...
You can read my recent work here: insideclimatenews.org/profile/kile...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
Texas has no regulations to protect workers from the state’s blistering heat and overturned city ordinances that required rest breaks. What does that mean for workers in one of the hottest parts of the country? @keertigopal.bsky.social and I spent months investigating for @insideclimatenews.org (1)
November 25, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Texas has no regulations to protect workers from the state’s blistering heat and overturned city ordinances that required rest breaks. What does that mean for workers in one of the hottest parts of the country? @keertigopal.bsky.social and I spent months investigating for @insideclimatenews.org (1)
Reposted by Kiley Bense
NEW from me w/ Aidan Hughes @kiley.bsky.social for @insideclimatenews.org:
The Trump Administration Is Cutting Billions in Clean Energy Investments—But the Savings Are Overstated
insideclimatenews.org/news/1010202...
The Trump Administration Is Cutting Billions in Clean Energy Investments—But the Savings Are Overstated
insideclimatenews.org/news/1010202...
The Trump Administration Is Cutting Billions in Clean Energy Investments—But the Savings Are Overstated - Inside Climate News
Just days after announcing sweeping cuts to clean energy programs across the country, the Trump administration appears to be upping the ante—potentially clawing back billions more in federal funding. ...
insideclimatenews.org
October 10, 2025 at 9:41 PM
NEW from me w/ Aidan Hughes @kiley.bsky.social for @insideclimatenews.org:
The Trump Administration Is Cutting Billions in Clean Energy Investments—But the Savings Are Overstated
insideclimatenews.org/news/1010202...
The Trump Administration Is Cutting Billions in Clean Energy Investments—But the Savings Are Overstated
insideclimatenews.org/news/1010202...
Yesterday I appeared on NPR’s Here & Now to talk about why electricity prices keep going up in Pennsylvania (and in the rest of the country). www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...
Fracking companies promised low utility bills to Pennsylvanians, but they're higher than ever
The picture in Pennsylvania may be a preview of what’s coming to the rest of the country.
www.wbur.org
October 8, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Yesterday I appeared on NPR’s Here & Now to talk about why electricity prices keep going up in Pennsylvania (and in the rest of the country). www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...
The results of a new study on how fracking can contaminate drinking water found that 71 percent of tested wells contained methane. Two registered “explosive levels of methane.” insideclimatenews.org/news/0710202...
Scientists Find Evidence that a Pennsylvania Town’s Water Was Contaminated by Fracking - Inside Climate News
Three years after noticing discoloration and odors in their wells, residents in New Freeport are still fighting for clean water.
insideclimatenews.org
October 7, 2025 at 7:21 PM
The results of a new study on how fracking can contaminate drinking water found that 71 percent of tested wells contained methane. Two registered “explosive levels of methane.” insideclimatenews.org/news/0710202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
Fracking’s Broken Promise to Pennsylvania.
#Fracking was supposed to lower Pennsylvanians’ electric bills. Instead, they’re higher than ever—and they’re about to get worse.
@kiley.bsky.social
@dangearino.bsky.social
insideclimatenews.org/news/2109202...
#Fracking was supposed to lower Pennsylvanians’ electric bills. Instead, they’re higher than ever—and they’re about to get worse.
@kiley.bsky.social
@dangearino.bsky.social
insideclimatenews.org/news/2109202...
Fracking’s Broken Promise to Pennsylvania - Inside Climate News
Fracking was supposed to lower Pennsylvanians’ electric bills. Instead, they’re higher than ever—and they’re about to get worse.
insideclimatenews.org
September 28, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Fracking’s Broken Promise to Pennsylvania.
#Fracking was supposed to lower Pennsylvanians’ electric bills. Instead, they’re higher than ever—and they’re about to get worse.
@kiley.bsky.social
@dangearino.bsky.social
insideclimatenews.org/news/2109202...
#Fracking was supposed to lower Pennsylvanians’ electric bills. Instead, they’re higher than ever—and they’re about to get worse.
@kiley.bsky.social
@dangearino.bsky.social
insideclimatenews.org/news/2109202...
Twenty years ago, Pennsylvania was a renewable energy leader. Now it lags far behind its peers.
This is how we got here: insideclimatenews.org/news/2209202...
This is how we got here: insideclimatenews.org/news/2209202...
Pennsylvania Was Once a National Leader in Renewable Energy. What Happened? - Inside Climate News
Natural gas was pitched as a stopgap between fossil fuels and renewables. Instead, it has derailed Pennsylvania’s energy transition.
insideclimatenews.org
September 23, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Twenty years ago, Pennsylvania was a renewable energy leader. Now it lags far behind its peers.
This is how we got here: insideclimatenews.org/news/2209202...
This is how we got here: insideclimatenews.org/news/2209202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
EPA is using an unusual loophole to delay iron and steel industry safeguards. “It’s a fake emergency. It’s just an excuse to push back the deadlines because industry doesn’t want to comply," said Jim Pew, an attorney at @earthjustice.org.
by @kiley.bsky.social via @insideclimatenews.org
by @kiley.bsky.social via @insideclimatenews.org
Residents Living in the Shadow of the Steel Industry Ask the EPA to Reconsider Delay of Hazardous Air Pollution Rule - Inside Climate News
In July the agency delayed the implementation of stronger emissions standards and fenceline monitoring at steel and iron facilities for two more years.
insideclimatenews.org
September 4, 2025 at 4:47 PM
EPA is using an unusual loophole to delay iron and steel industry safeguards. “It’s a fake emergency. It’s just an excuse to push back the deadlines because industry doesn’t want to comply," said Jim Pew, an attorney at @earthjustice.org.
by @kiley.bsky.social via @insideclimatenews.org
by @kiley.bsky.social via @insideclimatenews.org
SEPTA’s cuts will lead to more greenhouse gas emissions. But they also threaten the Philadelphia region’s ability to meet its long-term climate goals. insideclimatenews.org/news/0309202...
Without Well-Funded Public Transit, Philadelphia’s Climate Future Looks Bleak - Inside Climate News
SEPTA riders aren’t the only ones hurt by service cuts, which could jeopardize the region’s long-term ability to meet climate goals.
insideclimatenews.org
September 4, 2025 at 1:32 PM
SEPTA’s cuts will lead to more greenhouse gas emissions. But they also threaten the Philadelphia region’s ability to meet its long-term climate goals. insideclimatenews.org/news/0309202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
20 years ago, when I was just 11 years old, my family hunkered down for Hurricane Katrina in a trailer in south Mobile County, just a few miles from the Gulf. Read my latest, a #HurricaneKatrina remembrance, in @insideclimatenews.org. insideclimatenews.org/news/2808202...
August 29, 2025 at 12:43 PM
20 years ago, when I was just 11 years old, my family hunkered down for Hurricane Katrina in a trailer in south Mobile County, just a few miles from the Gulf. Read my latest, a #HurricaneKatrina remembrance, in @insideclimatenews.org. insideclimatenews.org/news/2808202...
Thirteen years after Pennsylvania gifted Shell a record-breaking tax break, the company wants to sell its Monaca plant. insideclimatenews.org/news/2208202...
Pennsylvania Lured Shell to the State With a $1.65 Billion Tax Break. Now the Company Wants to Sell Its Plant - Inside Climate News
Looking back, “this was a terrible investment of taxpayer money,” one analyst said.
insideclimatenews.org
August 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Thirteen years after Pennsylvania gifted Shell a record-breaking tax break, the company wants to sell its Monaca plant. insideclimatenews.org/news/2208202...
After years of environmental and safety problems at Clairton Coke Works, residents who live nearby feel like they’re living in a “sacrifice zone.” insideclimatenews.org/news/1508202...
‘It Didn’t Have to Be This Way’: After Another Explosion at Clairton Coke Works, Advocates Call for Accountability - Inside Climate News
The deadly blast at the U.S. Steel facility outside Pittsburgh was just the latest in a series of recent workplace accidents.
insideclimatenews.org
August 18, 2025 at 2:05 PM
After years of environmental and safety problems at Clairton Coke Works, residents who live nearby feel like they’re living in a “sacrifice zone.” insideclimatenews.org/news/1508202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
The loss of the Heartbreak Hotel in Plainfield is an example of how Vermont river towns are finding themselves at the forefront of the climate crisis, as new weather patterns make homes unlivable.
Moving on From the Heartbreak Hotel - Inside Climate News
A year after a devastating flood, a small town in Vermont is working to rebuild.
insideclimatenews.org
August 11, 2025 at 8:44 PM
The loss of the Heartbreak Hotel in Plainfield is an example of how Vermont river towns are finding themselves at the forefront of the climate crisis, as new weather patterns make homes unlivable.
Reposted by Kiley Bense
URGENT from @alleghenycounty.bsky.social:
Out of an abundance of caution, residents within 1 mile of the plant are advised to remain indoors, close windows/doors, set HVAC systems to recirculate & avoid activities that draw in outside air, like using exhaust fans."
www.gasp-pgh.org/explosion-at...
Out of an abundance of caution, residents within 1 mile of the plant are advised to remain indoors, close windows/doors, set HVAC systems to recirculate & avoid activities that draw in outside air, like using exhaust fans."
www.gasp-pgh.org/explosion-at...
www.gasp-pgh.org
August 11, 2025 at 5:16 PM
URGENT from @alleghenycounty.bsky.social:
Out of an abundance of caution, residents within 1 mile of the plant are advised to remain indoors, close windows/doors, set HVAC systems to recirculate & avoid activities that draw in outside air, like using exhaust fans."
www.gasp-pgh.org/explosion-at...
Out of an abundance of caution, residents within 1 mile of the plant are advised to remain indoors, close windows/doors, set HVAC systems to recirculate & avoid activities that draw in outside air, like using exhaust fans."
www.gasp-pgh.org/explosion-at...
Last year, I wrote about the history of Clairton and its Coke Works, which first opened in 1901.
Read more here: insideclimatenews.org/news/2801202...
Read more here: insideclimatenews.org/news/2801202...
August 11, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Last year, I wrote about the history of Clairton and its Coke Works, which first opened in 1901.
Read more here: insideclimatenews.org/news/2801202...
Read more here: insideclimatenews.org/news/2801202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
From @kiley.bsky.social at @insideclimatenews.org: "We’re all exposed to [fossil fuel pollution] every single day. We’re bathed in it." insideclimatenews.org/news/0508202...
Kids in Pennsylvania Are Breathing (Much) Easier After a Coal Plant Shuttered - Inside Climate News
Pediatric asthma ER visits dropped 40 percent after a coal processing plant near Pittsburgh closed down, researchers found.
insideclimatenews.org
August 11, 2025 at 1:59 PM
From @kiley.bsky.social at @insideclimatenews.org: "We’re all exposed to [fossil fuel pollution] every single day. We’re bathed in it." insideclimatenews.org/news/0508202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
Thrilled to see @insideclimatenews.org reporting on the findings of the new Argonne survey of local and state emergency management capacity. This is a great summary.
insideclimatenews.org/news/2807202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/2807202...
As Trump Shrinks FEMA, State and Local Emergency Managers Say They’re Barely Getting By - Inside Climate News
In a government survey, state and local officials said they were overworked, underpaid and underappreciated.
insideclimatenews.org
July 29, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Thrilled to see @insideclimatenews.org reporting on the findings of the new Argonne survey of local and state emergency management capacity. This is a great summary.
insideclimatenews.org/news/2807202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/2807202...
The Trump administration wants state and local emergency managers to do a lot more. But a new government study shows they’re struggling to meet current needs.
insideclimatenews.org/news/2807202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/2807202...
As Trump Shrinks FEMA, State and Local Emergency Managers Say They’re Barely Getting By - Inside Climate News
In a government survey, state and local officials said they were overworked, underpaid and underappreciated.
insideclimatenews.org
July 29, 2025 at 12:42 AM
The Trump administration wants state and local emergency managers to do a lot more. But a new government study shows they’re struggling to meet current needs.
insideclimatenews.org/news/2807202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/2807202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
In a new government survey of more than 1,600 state and local emergency managers, employees reported being overworked, underpaid, underappreciated and understaffed.
As Trump Shrinks FEMA, State and Local Emergency Managers Say They’re Barely Getting By - Inside Climate News
In a government survey, state and local officials said they were overworked, underpaid and underappreciated.
insideclimatenews.org
July 29, 2025 at 12:33 AM
In a new government survey of more than 1,600 state and local emergency managers, employees reported being overworked, underpaid, underappreciated and understaffed.
Yesterday, I reported on the protest happening down the street from Sen. McCormick’s PA energy & innovation summit. Read more about the summit and protest here: insideclimatenews.org/news/1507202...
July 16, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Yesterday, I reported on the protest happening down the street from Sen. McCormick’s PA energy & innovation summit. Read more about the summit and protest here: insideclimatenews.org/news/1507202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
Why Calling the Texas Flooding ‘An Act of God’ Is a Dangerous Form of Political Denial insideclimatenews.org/news/1107202...
Why Calling the Texas Flooding ‘An Act of God’ Is a Dangerous Form of Political Denial - Inside Climate News
In the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding in Texas last week, government officials from President Donald Trump to the governor of Texas to county representatives have sought to deflect blame and s...
insideclimatenews.org
July 14, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Why Calling the Texas Flooding ‘An Act of God’ Is a Dangerous Form of Political Denial insideclimatenews.org/news/1107202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
Scoop: Two days after floods hit Texas, FEMA did not answer nearly two-thirds of calls to its disaster assistance line, according to documents reviewed by @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/c...
FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show
www.nytimes.com
July 12, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Scoop: Two days after floods hit Texas, FEMA did not answer nearly two-thirds of calls to its disaster assistance line, according to documents reviewed by @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/c...
I spoke to @ericklinenberg.bsky.social about the rhetoric politicians are deploying to avoid accountability in the aftermath of the flooding in Texas. insideclimatenews.org/news/1107202...
Why Calling the Texas Flooding ‘An Act of God’ Is a Dangerous Form of Political Denial - Inside Climate News
In the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding in Texas last week, government officials from President Donald Trump to the governor of Texas to county representatives have sought to deflect blame and s...
insideclimatenews.org
July 11, 2025 at 10:43 PM
I spoke to @ericklinenberg.bsky.social about the rhetoric politicians are deploying to avoid accountability in the aftermath of the flooding in Texas. insideclimatenews.org/news/1107202...
Reposted by Kiley Bense
“I don’t know how long it took—ten seconds, maybe fifteen—for the house to come apart."
During the early-morning hours of July 4, the Guadalupe River pulled senior editor Aaron Parsley and six members of his family into its waters. Read his firsthand account:
During the early-morning hours of July 4, the Guadalupe River pulled senior editor Aaron Parsley and six members of his family into its waters. Read his firsthand account:
“The River House Broke. We Rushed in the River.”
The July 4 Texas flooding ripped our Kerr County home from its pillars, pulling us into the water and into the night. Then morning came.
www.texasmonthly.com
July 10, 2025 at 11:01 PM
“I don’t know how long it took—ten seconds, maybe fifteen—for the house to come apart."
During the early-morning hours of July 4, the Guadalupe River pulled senior editor Aaron Parsley and six members of his family into its waters. Read his firsthand account:
During the early-morning hours of July 4, the Guadalupe River pulled senior editor Aaron Parsley and six members of his family into its waters. Read his firsthand account:
Reposted by Kiley Bense
July 4th, 2024 article by @kiley.bsky.social (Photo from Pennsylvania Firefly Festival.)
Manage your property in ways that benefit fireflies, by leaving leaf litter on lawns over the winter, for example.
kentuckylantern.com/2024/07/04/w...
Manage your property in ways that benefit fireflies, by leaving leaf litter on lawns over the winter, for example.
kentuckylantern.com/2024/07/04/w...
Will the lightning bug show go on? • Kentucky Lantern
Climate change poses a more serious threat to firefly populations than previously thought, researchers have found.
kentuckylantern.com
July 5, 2025 at 2:57 PM
July 4th, 2024 article by @kiley.bsky.social (Photo from Pennsylvania Firefly Festival.)
Manage your property in ways that benefit fireflies, by leaving leaf litter on lawns over the winter, for example.
kentuckylantern.com/2024/07/04/w...
Manage your property in ways that benefit fireflies, by leaving leaf litter on lawns over the winter, for example.
kentuckylantern.com/2024/07/04/w...