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Joan Meiners, PhD

@joanmeiners.bsky.social
1.6K followers 636 following 402 posts

🌵 Climate reporter (The Arizona Republic | @azcentral.com) 🐝 Bee doctor (Ecology Ph.D. @UF) 🚴‍♀️ Outdoor athlete (runner, thruhiker, skier, former bike racer) 🖤 Listen. Be human. Fight bullshit. www.azcentral.com/staff/5308605002/…

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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
In print today in The Arizona Republic | @azcentral.com, my investigation on why anyone would try to drill for #oilandgas in northern Arizona — where there is no oil or gas — & what it may mean about cultural, political & physical forces reshaping our #publiclands: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
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Colorado Carol 🌻🌲🏞️ @coloradocarol.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Oh no. 😢 www.sltrib.com/news/2026/10...
sltrib.com
Ken Sleight, Utah environmentalist who inspired a main character in ‘The Monkey Wrench Gang,’ dies at 97
Ken Sleight sat on the edge of a raft with Edward Abbey, dreaming up ways to eliminate Glen Canyon Dam. He later became immortalized in Abbey's 1975 book "The Monkey Wrench Gang," serving as inspirati...
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
As far as reshaping media to ensure indep., quality journalism reaches broad audiences (often hard to do both when good reporters walk away from frustrating oversight into niche markets with fewer, less diverse readers)…that’s a puzzle many are thinking a lot about but it def involves reigning in AI
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I mean, there’s no sure thing in life. But my advice for this is the same as for most media-related things: try as much as possible to read/think/converse widely and judge each story/situation/reporter on their own merits, not by making huge generalizations. Each outlet has its own flaws & downsides
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Just wanted people to understand that a lot of journalists at these papers are actively trying to set guardrails on AI (incl. via union action) while doing careful work to give voice to victims. It doesn’t affect my work cause I don’t do these types of interviews. I just care about the big picture 🤷‍♀️
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Trying to have genuine convos on here about the right way to do journalism, set guardrails on AI, assess who deserves your trust in interviews and still effectively give voice to victims and it’s just…impossible. People shut down and attack instead of considering nuance or broader implications. 😫
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I suggest taking it out on the specific people who broke your trust w/o throwing 100s of others under the bus w/ speculation about this being a widespread practice. I think you can be mad at who did this while also recognizing that broadly undermining trust in journalism is having scary consequences
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I was responding specifically to her statement that this could be happening at all papers in this network. Suggesting people decline interviews with an entire group of journalists, many of whom are still doing careful work, does more harm by undermining those non-AI efforts to give victims a voice.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I understand your upset against a system that allowed this, I do. It makes sense. I’m saying it would be best to avoid promoting false ideas that toss the baby w the bathwater, bc it undermines the good being done by individuals fighting from within who still have readers & influence at these papers
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Def not defending what happened. Just offering a fact-check: not all journalists at this network do this. Speaking broadly, many of us work hard against these frustrating forces to do work that helps victims be heard. Directing anger at all of us for the actions of a few dims our ability to do that.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Your post advocates denying interviews w journalists across the network while admitting you don’t know if the policy affects them all. I’m reporting that it doesn’t I didn’t defend & can’t control any AI decisions. But maligning journalists broadly over a bad experience is brash & bad for democracy
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
HOW you complain about real harm can also cause different real harm. The media landscape is complicated and flawed, for sure. But there are MANY journalists out there still working hard to do the real work the right way. Putting them all on blast because you had a bad experience doesn’t help anyone.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Hey…reporter with a Gannett-owned outlet here. I’m v sorry this happened! But—just as you’re asking that your info not be taken out of context in a harmful way—I’d ask that you not speculate in ways that malign & stonewall all journalists in the network. I don’t work this way or know anyone who does
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The Economist @economist.com · 01/10/2026
“It is no coincidence that authoritarians the world over have targeted mayors,” writes the broadcaster. In a guest essay, he explains why populists run into a brick wall when they try to capture local government bit.ly/4dNIivl Illustration: Dan Williams
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Brian PJ Cronin @brianpjcronin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Maybe how AI is going to kill us all isn't by becoming conscious and launching nukes to kill all carbon based lifeforms so that the machines can rule in the ashes but just "The computer told me to start World War III so I did."
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Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
“Let’s say there’s a world or time line I exist in where A.I. has been subject to regulation. It is ethical. It has no footprint environmentally,” the novelist Jeff VanderMeer, a prominent critic of A.I., told me over the phone. “With those guardrails in place, would I read an A.I. book? All I can say is no. And the reason is, in part, because I want to read something coming from a particular mind.” Using A.I., he said, “feels like a betrayal of the whole point of why you’re a writer.”
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Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Remember less than a year ago, when Bill Gates said aggressive climate action was a waste of limited money that should be spent fighting poverty and disease instead? www.latimes.com/business/sto... 🤔
latimes.com
Gates Foundation commits $1 billion to improving global AI access
Amid calls for slowing down AI development, new funding from Bill Gates' philanthropic organization will support education, healthcare, agriculture and language gaps.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
@sejorg.bsky.social @ejtodaynews.bsky.social @azcentral.com @coveringclimatenow.org @sierraclub.org @biologicaldiversity.org @climatecentral.org @ijnr.bsky.social
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Last month, a whole slew of news outlets publ. that the cottonwoods uprooted in AZ for the border wall were “ancient”, or 200 years old. Apparently none of them fact-checked this with a scientist. I did. She said they’re at most 146, but age is not why they matter: www.azcentral.com/story/news/e...
azcentral.com
Giant border trees aren't ancient, AZ scientist says. But they still matter
Tree ring scientist Ceci Martinez says cottonwoods killed by border wall crews are at most 146 years old, not 200. They are still ecologically vital.
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Dr. Jenny Morber @jrmorber.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
YEP
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This is NOT an “Exclusive!” Honestly, @washingtonpost.com, this is really gross. AZ local 12News had this scoop last week. When you steal work like this, you undermine public comprehension of why local journalism matters…AND your own *actual* source of info about what’s going on across the country.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This is NOT an “Exclusive!” Honestly, @washingtonpost.com, this is really gross. AZ local 12News had this scoop last week. When you steal work like this, you undermine public comprehension of why local journalism matters…AND your own *actual* source of info about what’s going on across the country.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Thanks Sammy!
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Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Must-read story. @joanmeiners.bsky.social was the first reporter down into the Grand Canyon after the deadly flash flooding. Here's what she saw, and what it means in an era of climate destabilization, including the wildfire-flood connection: www.azcentral.com/story/news/a...
azcentral.com
After fatal flood, reporter hikes into a deserted Grand Canyon | Exclusive
A flash flood killed two and hurt infrastructure. The Republic's Joan Meiners hiked into the Canyon and found flooding made worse by climate change.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Appreciate it!
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Seriously, it’s a sign of the times for sure.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
@sejorg.bsky.social @ejtodaynews.bsky.social @grandcanyontrust.bsky.social @ijnr.bsky.social @coveringclimatenow.org @climate.skyfleet.blue
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Here's my spot on Phoenix's 12News explaining how multiple things can all be true, a concept that seems to be really hard for people... 1. The fire could've been mismanaged 2. The forest could've been overgrown 3. *AND* what we're seeing here is also #climatechange. www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5Ga...
youtube.com
Warming climate will fuel more flash floods
YouTube video by 12 News
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
There are some 'influencers' online saying the press is ignoring or covering up the connection between the #DragonBravo fire and the #flashflooding at the #GrandCanyon. A quick search would've shown that we have been writing about this for the past year. My story: www.azcentral.com/story/news/a...
azcentral.com
After fatal flood, reporter hikes into a deserted Grand Canyon | Exclusive
A flash flood killed two and hurt infrastructure. The Republic's Joan Meiners hiked into the Canyon and found flooding made worse by climate change.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
It has been a wild week as a #climate reporter in Arizona. On Monday, I hiked to bottom of #GrandCanyon to report on the deadly flash flood. No one else has done that. Today, my story is front page of @azcentral.com. My photos are in WaPo. And I went on 12News to explain the role of #climatechange.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Toooo good. It hurts.
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Bad Hombre Jim ☘️📎 @phxflyer.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
This is a great piece from The Arizona Republic’s @joanmeiners.bsky.social Climate change is taking a greater toll, and more lives, than we think. Check out this article from azcentral: After fatal flood, reporter hikes into a deserted Grand Canyon | Exclusive www.azcentral.com/story/news/a...
azcentral.com
After fatal flood, reporter hikes into a deserted Grand Canyon | Exclusive
A flash flood killed two and hurt infrastructure. The Republic's Joan Meiners hiked into the Canyon and found flooding made worse by climate change.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Wow, the Trump EPA is proposing a change to the definition of “discharge of a pollutant” that would exempt moving boats and ships from National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program requirements. Let the dumping begin*! *Let’s not. Please comment in the Federal Register.
eos.org
EPA Moves to Redefine “Discharge of a Pollutant” - Eos
The EPA is proposing a change to the definition of “discharge of a pollutant” that would exempt moving boats and ships from pollution regulations.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
As far as I know, I’m the only reporter to make it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon on foot since the major flash flooding damage on Aug. 29. www.instagram.com/reel/DcxDIfN...
instagram.com
azcentral on Instagram: "A severe flash flood on August 29, 2026, on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon killed two hikers and caused damage to the North Kaibab Trail and to the Phantom Ranch area at th...
74 likes, 3 comments - azcentral on September 1, 2026: "A severe flash flood on August 29, 2026, on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon killed two hikers and caused damage to the North Kaibab Trail and ...
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
I dare anyone, including AI, to send this many messages in this amount of time with no mistakes. www.azcentral.com/story/news/l... Story for @azcentral.com by @debkrol.bsky.social
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Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 28/07/2026
The whole point of living in a country and paying stupid amounts of money in taxes is being able to assume that if you can buy a thing it is relatively safe. That isn't true - especially for supplements. And we should all be angrier that it isn't.
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 24/07/2026
Renewables are now the world's largest source of electricity – and the main source of new supplies
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Brandon Bishop @brandontbishop.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
"administration hates academic science funding, full stop. They hate where that money goes, and they hate who it goes to. They want to keep all that money for themselves, to hand out to favored cronies who can help them get elected and to steer yet more money and more power back into their hands."
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Independent journalism is great but we will always need strong corporate media who have the resources to fight authoritarian governments.
nytimes.com
Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media (Gift Article)
The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
@azcentral.com @sejorg.bsky.social @ejtodaynews.bsky.social
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
As of this week, Arizona no longer has rules guiding electric energy efficiency at regulated utilities. In March, state officials (2 of 5 are up for reelection this fall) also did away with longstanding rules for renewable energy generation. Details & context here: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
azcentral.com
Arizona utility regulators gut energy efficiency standards
Since 2011, the statewide standards have saved ratepayers an estimated $1.7 billion on electricity costs, while preventing pollution and grid strain.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
On the front page of The Arizona Republic | @azcentral.com today: my story about a small town in northern Arizona near an active wildfire that just wants to celebrate #America250 by lighting shit on fire, never you mind their history of starting brush fires with fireworks..
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Bill Goodykoontz @goodyk.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Walter Cronkite - yes, that Walter Cronkite - once told me the secret to a functioning democracy. Today is the perfect day to subscribe to my newsletter and see what he said. There’s a link in the comments.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Been waiting for this
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Climate change comes for the Tour de France and no amount of hydration breaks can save it.
cyclingnews.com
'You may decide to cancel a stage' – French regions will be authorised to call off Tour de France stages if extreme heatwaves hit the race
Minister of the Interior issues message to department prefects as more high temperatures are forecast in France this July
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
@azcentral.com @sejorg.bsky.social @ejtodaynews.bsky.social
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
I spent all week covering the #PocketFire as it grew 20k acres, toward Flagstaff. Then the Mayor of nearby Williams told me: “(Flagstaff) likes to think they should be able to tell everybody to do the same thing they do. And I've let them know that's not the case." www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
azcentral.com
Williams to light July Fourth fireworks as wildfires burn nearby
The town has a history of igniting spot fires with its "famous" show. Neither neighborly fears nor the ongoing, nearby Pocket Fire have deterred them.
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Joan Meiners, PhD @joanmeiners.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
This asshat has never tried to be nonpartisan a day in his life. Taking cheap shots at old people for no reason doesn’t make you cool.
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Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
It‘s just insane to me that a sitting president has made MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS peddling fucking fairy dust with no intrinsic value beyond his stature and power AS president, and it’s not treated as the biggest corruption scandal in American history.
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Grand Canyon Trust @grandcanyontrust.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Congress needs to understand the urgency of rebuilding the north rim of Grand Canyon National Park. A closer look at the North Rim 1 year after the Dragon Bravo Fire via @brandonloomis.bsky.social @joanmeiners.bsky.social @goesbykim.bsky.social @azcentral.com www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
azcentral.com
Dragon Bravo Fire broke hearts, but Grand Canyon shows its resilience
The Dragon Bravo Fire burned across 150,000 acres and destroyed the historic lodge at the North Rim, but work to repair it started almost immediately.
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