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Akshat Rathi

@akshatrathi.bsky.social
31.4K followers 435 following 2.7K posts

- Senior climate reporter, Bloomberg News - Newsletter bit.ly/bbg-zero - Podcast bloomberg.com/zero-podcast - Book akshatrathi.com/book - akshat.rathi@pm.me

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Reposted by Akshat Rathi
Justin Mikulka @justinmikulka.bsky.social · 14h
"A billion dollars’-worth of solar farms will provide roughly 10 times as much electricity over their lifetimes as the same amount of money spent on liquefied natural gas." Great piece from @davidfickling.bsky.social on how OPEC bankrolls fossil fuel dependence. Good for OPEC. Everyone else?
bloomberg.com
Fossil Fuels Are Winning the Battle for Easy Money
With Brent crude above $100 a barrel for most of the past month and diesel prices more than twice as high, you might imagine that the world’s poorest fossil fuel importers would be hitting crisis cond...
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James Temple @jtemple.bsky.social · 16/10/2026
Hey Claude: What would be the most convoluted, overengineered and expensive way of addressing solar intermittency issues?
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 23h
Solar has a lower barrier to deploy, because panels are cheaper and smaller. It can work both on rooftops and grid scale. Wind power can only work effectively on grid scale, which means "adding right away" means countries with solar booms should start planning to add utility scale wind if possible.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
High fossil fuel prices mean higher revenues for battery operators. Now finally the word windfall feels more appropriate... www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Europe’s $40 Billion Battery Bet Set for Big Winter Payout
Europe’s battery operators are set for one of their most lucrative winters yet as short-term power-price swings approach levels last seen during the 2022 energy crisis.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
You can make a similar argument about AI safety.
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Kate Marvel @drkatemarvel.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
The only way to prevent geoengineering turning into a giant shitshow is to have a robust and credible planetary governance structure, but if we had one of those we would have already stopped climate change
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 15/10/2026
REMINDER: If govt cuts heat-pump grants, the UK will have to import a lot more gas In 2023, Energy UK said that'd cost an extra £3bn over 2026-2030, but gas prices today are roughly ~2x what they were at the time of the analysis…
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Any country with a solar boom (which is a LOT of countries right now) ought to consider adding wind to the mix right away. India is a good case study. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Suzlon Sees India’s Annual Wind Deployment Doubling by 2030
India’s annual wind power installations are set to more than double by 2030 as the country steps up efforts to meet climate targets and secure round-the-clock electricity supplies, according to a top ...
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
"The Iran war has so far added more than €100 billion ($111 billion) to Europe’s fossil fuel import bill, while leaving the region’s gas storages at record low levels before the winter heating season." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Europe’s Leaders Have Few Tools to Ease War-Driven Energy Shock
European Union leaders are searching for ways to ease soaring energy prices, but President Donald Trump’s war against Iran has left them with few affordable options.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Tit for that. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
China Removes Western Wind Power Equipment to Boost Security
Chinese wind power companies are replacing European components with domestic equipment for reasons including security and control, according to a major European think tank.
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Amanda Kolson Hurley @amandakhurley.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
The overhaul of a crumbling highway through the Amazon is likely to increase deforestation along the route. And if Flávio Bolsonaro becomes Brazil's president, there will be more BR-319s. Dispatch from Fabiano Maisonnave (gift link): www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
550-Mile Amazon Highway Shows Climate Stakes of Brazil’s Election
The route will help connect isolated parts of the country but risks the destruction of carbon-rich rainforest.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
The rich buy survival. The poor die. Right? Oh wait, even the rich cannot get it because they just ran out. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Singapore Haze Drives Air Purifiers, Face Masks to Sell Out
The thick haze blanketing Singapore as wildfires rage in neighboring Indonesia is driving a surge in demand for air purifiers and face masks.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
"Areas of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex were moved into the highest drought category" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Severe Drought Hits Parts of England for First Time Since 1995
A severe drought has been declared for parts of England for the first time since 1995, pushing the government to step up emergency planning as reservoir levels sink far below seasonal norms.
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Justin Mikulka @justinmikulka.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Happening fast. Most of the data centers haven't been built yet. Ooops!!
graph showing the rapid decline in bonds for US data centers.
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Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
So China has leverage over the EU’s prime leverage, ASML?
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
The energy transition is now a developing country story. This is the EV slice.
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 14/10/2026
NEW: Another demand downgrade in the latest IEA oil market report Previously, IEA said a rebound in 2027 would outweigh the Homuz-related drop in 2026 Now, it sees oil failing to make up lost ground next year – demand will remain below 2025 levels
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The Final Report @firehorse249791.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
14.10.2026 'Severe haze blankets Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, as smoke from ongoing forest and land fires chokes the city. Air quality reached a hazardous US AQI of 466, according to data reported by Katadata citing IQAir.' WeatherMonitors [x] #ElNiño #FossilFuels #Asia
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
As many matics there must be
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Rishika Pardikar @rishpardikar.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
At COP30, there was a push for a "fossil fuel roadmap" to enable a transition. The flood in Nepal is also set to add momentum to calls for mitigation & loss & damage finance. But the #COP31 presidencies neither list fossil fuels as a priority agenda nor loss & damage www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/ene...
thehindu.com
COP31 hosts Australia and Türkiye face the fossil-fuel question
There is likely to be pressure on the COP31 presidencies to include fossil fuel language as part of the agenda. The catastrophic floods in Nepal on August 26 and the damage they wrought are also set t...
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Jenny Splitter @jennysplitter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Bagels and cultivated lox at NYC climate week. Ingredients beyond the salmon cells here: www.wildtypefoods.com/faqs/why-are...
cultivated salmon at Madre Brava’s breakfast of tomorrow event at NYC climate week. cultivated salmon at Madre Brava’s breakfast of tomorrow event at NYC climate week.
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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 25/09/2026
I have blamed The agents That hacked Your website And which You probably Reasonably thought I controlled Forgive me I am rich And unaccustomed To taking responsibility
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Kristin Louise Raught Photography 🌀 @kristinlraught.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Last night’s Harvest Moon over Seattle. The clouds made it feel even more dramatic as it rose above the Space Needle and the Cascades. Also called the Corn Moon, this is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox.
Orange Harvest Moon behind wispy clouds above Seattle’s Space Needle and skyline, with the Cascade Mountains in the background.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Australian right trying to mimic Trump in gutting fuel-efficiency standards, when oil is above $100 a barrel. 😅
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Even extremely land-constrained Japan has found ways to keep deploying solar. Bye bye, golfers. Fun fact: in the US, as of 2025, golf courses occupy twice as much land as solar farms.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Japan imports 99.9% of its oil. It has already cut oil consumption in half from its peak. It knows what it must do to go further: move from hybrids to pure electric. 🎁🔗 www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A government that spends big must also earn big. With the property sector taxes dwindling, China is now going after the country's rising number of wealthy people. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
China’s Tax Grab Squeezes Rich Elite Harder Than Ever
Hefty bills, vague calculations and squads targeting individual billionaires are rattling the country’s wealthy.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
"Chinese automakers made up nearly 12% of total new-car sales in Europe in August. Demand for battery and hybrid cars jumped 27% in August." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This just keeps getting bigger.
bbc.co.uk
OpenAI bots meddled with US government agencies, including SEC and Census
OpenAI said its bots accessed public data from a range of institutions during test exercises.
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Gernot Wagner @gwagner.com · 25/09/2026
"Ethics of science cannot be separated from who funds it" Goes for AI, goes for climate, of course, too. Spot on @financialtimes.com letter:
FT letter: "Ethics of science cannot be separated from who funds it"
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Science Magazine @science.org · 25/09/2026
A devastating and mysterious algal bloom that hit the coast of South Australia last year, killing more than 600 different kinds of marine life, inflicted such severe damage that a famed population of the giant Australian cuttlefish might not recover. Learn more: scim.ag/4rrVhbz
One of nature’s greatest marine wonders may be about to vanish
An algal bloom has almost wiped out a unique population of giant cuttlefish—and their stunning mating swarms
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Where is the hat man?
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John Hanger @jrfhanger.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Good morning with good news: Full-electric vehicles were 51% of Uruguay's auto sales in August, with EV sales up 171%, compared to August 2025! Plug-in hybrids were 5% of sales, so EVs were 56% of auto sales. EVs surged from 5% to 50% in just 2.5 years! cleantechnica.com/2026/09/24/u... #energysky
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Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 24/09/2026
This week on Bloomberg's Zero podcast, author Arthur Downing discusses what history has to teach us about the electricity system.
bloom.bg
How to Build an Electrostate
How to make electricity cheap is a question that’s bedeviling policy makers around the world, particularly in the US and Europe. Some countries, however, have figured it out, including Iceland, Norway and China. So how do we get to that point? And what is the role of government versus the role of technology?
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Lauri Myllyvirta @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The solar panels, electric vehicles, EV batteries and wind turbines exported by China in 2025 will avoid annual emissions equal to those of the UK and Portugal combined, according to my new estimates. Avoided emissions increased 30% compared with 2024 exports.
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Gabe Wasylko @gabewasylko.com · 24/09/2026
Today’s Lake Erie Sunrise in Cleveland, Ohio
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Carbon Brief @carbonbrief.org · 24/09/2026
NEW – Analysis: EVs are now nine times cheaper than petrol or diesel to drive in the UK ✍️ Written by @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org 📊 Data analysis by Ho Woo Nam Read here: buff.ly/VpxOLE5
EVs are now up to nine times cheaper per mile than diesel cars. Pence per mile. A chart shows diesel highest at around 21p, petrol at 20p, EV at price cap at 7p, and EV off peak lowest at under 2.5p. Source: Carbon Brief analysis, DESNZ, Ofgem, Zapmap. - (alt text generated by Google Gemini)
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Tim Jesper Suhrhoff @climatejesper.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
For a century, we’ve essentially been running an Enhanced Weathering field trial. In our Nature paper out yesterday, we show that agricultural liming in the Mississippi River Basin acted as a net CO₂ sink—while offering a rare century-scale analogue for EW. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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David Fickling @davidfickling.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
EV charging in China was 17.2 TWh in August, up 51.2% year-on-year. That's equivalent to ~1.3 million barrels of oil a day, in a global oil market that shifts about 100m bpd. Just the change from last year cuts global oil demand by 0.5m bpd. english.cec.org.cn#/newsdetails...
english.cec.org.cn
cec
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Robbie Andrew @robbieandrew.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Solar panels are making it to Luke Skywalker's home planet...
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Uh, what?! www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
Backlash as Indian oil heir made professor of sustainability by Newcastle University
Role for Anant Ambani, son of India’s richest person, who also runs a controversial mega-zoo, met with incredulity
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Here is the full study: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Do some languages sound more beautiful than others? | PNAS
Italian is sexy, German is rough—but how about Páez or Tamil? Are there universal phonesthetic judgments based purely on the sound of a language, o...
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
A 2023 study found Hindi to be the second "most pleasant" language. www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Americans can't buy Chinese cars. They are showing up on some American streets nonetheless. www.wsj.com/business/aut...
wsj.com
The U.S. Wants to Ban China’s High-Tech Cars, but They’re Already Here in El Paso
Mexican dealers are selling cutting-edge Chinese cars that U.S. consumers can’t buy. Americans are warming to the idea of them.
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Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
FT: "“I had thought that it was perhaps only towards 2030 that China would get up close to 40 per cent,” said Eskelund. “That of course also means that the imbalances are growing very, very considerably.”" www.ft.com/content/51c4...
ft.com
China’s share of global container exports soars to 40%
Rapid rise underscores economy’s reliance on trade and threat to trading partners, EU chamber says
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Huge #ElNiño projected to cause 450,000 heat deaths in next six months - New report predicts a heavy toll from Nigeria to the US – and comes on top of existing impacts of the #climatecrisis Story by me www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Huge El Niño projected to cause 450,000 deaths in next six months
New report predicts a heavy toll from Nigeria to the US – and comes on top of existing impacts of the climate crisis
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Rachel Holliday Smith @rachelholliday.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
chat is this good www.axios.com/newsletters/...

1 big thing: Ø Link economy breaks
Total U.S. web traffic for top news sites
Visits to approximately 100 top sites;

Traffic to news sites is plummeting in the
U.S. as tech giants steer people away from search and toward AI.
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Sarah Andersen @sarahseeandersen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The image is of a four panel comic.
In the first panel we see Sarah, the protagonist, next to a stick figure labeled “AI”. The stick figure says, “my outputs look just like yours now.”
The second panel zooms in on Sarah’s face. Above her we see text reading “I think”.
The third panel zooms in closer on Sarah’s face. Text above her reads “you missed”.
The fourth panel shows Sarah drawing happily in a sunlit room. The text above her reads “the point”.
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Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Around the world in 80 charges is a great slogan.
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Jenny Chase @solarchase.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Balcony solar installations that make you go "hmm", an occasional series.
A cropped photo of some south-facing solar panels mounted on a balcony, which would be in full sunlight if the awning of the balcony was not hanging right over nearly all of them. Taken close to midday near the poster's home in Switzerland.
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