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Moira Birss

@moira.bsky.social
14K followers 1.9K following 1.3K posts

Climate, economic justice & human rights. Deputy Director building public power @publicgrids.org. Senior Fellow studying insurance & climate @cplusc.bsky.social. Board co-Chair @lawgaction.bsky.social. Amo a 🇨🇴. Living on Ohlone land. she/ella/ela.

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Reposted by Moira Birss
Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 18h
Time for this classic again.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is very good from Beshear. How is he on other issues? Serious question, I’m trying to understand who might actually be a hood 2028 candidate.
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Dean Baker @deanbaker13.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Remember, they prosecuted Aaron Swartz and drove him to suicide for hacking one system with the goal of making academic articles freely available to the public. Sam Altman hacked 1000s of sites with the goal of being a trillionaire.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Time for another Brazilian exodus to Bluesky! Bem-vindos brasileiros e brasileiras!
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Meanwhile, Brazil just banned online betting. 
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Evan Berry @ecothought.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
77% odds of 3C warming is very not good
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This is a haunting, urgent piece. Please read it.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“The inchoate but widespread movement against data centers has created an opening to change how our grid is managed; rather than patch up the current system, state officials must insist on new, democratically accountable, institutions for the governance of the grid.”
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
“For both the young and no-longer-young, the animus for the tax war comes from the same place: A sense of economic precarity.” How about we just tax the rich!?! www.businessinsider.com/generational...
businessinsider.com
A generational tax battle has arrived. Millennials struggle to build wealth — while boomers seek tax breaks.
Property tax breaks and Social Security are fueling a generational war over how much millennials and boomers should pay — and who should get relief.
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Kate Bevan @katebevan.com · 24/09/2026
*extremely tired voice*AI agents don't "go rogue". They are not sentient; they don't have agency. They work within guardrails set by humans. If the humans are so shit at building secure sandboxes for the agents to work within, that's on the humans. Stop using this framing.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Call me crazy, but I think public service should be about service to the public…
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Septima P. Snark @drsubini.blacksky.app · 24/09/2026
Eugenics=white supremacy + ableism That may feel obvious, but we need to understand that within those who talk about better humans is someone who believes in the inherent superiority of whiteness in learning, thinking & behavior. They've now captured the government & tech to institute their beliefs
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Manuel Salgado @manuelsalgado.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It’s hard to know what dead horse I’m supposed to beat this time since there is no transparency currently on what the permitting reform deal actually is but I figure I might as well reup our NEPA Does Not Delay work because community engagement remains absolutely necessary.
storymaps.arcgis.com
NEPA Does Not Delay
Deregulation is Not the Solution for Clean Energy
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Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We can’t allow this man to get within striking distance of a viable presidential candidacy.
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Megan Wachspress @meganwachspress.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
For @lpeblog.bsky.social I wrote about why "bring your own power" is a false solution to the problem of datacenter energy demand and why municipalization (public ownership and control) of regional transmission organizations is necessary to protect ratepayers and accelerate decarbonization.
lpeproject.org
The Neoliberal Grid is in Crisis
To protect customers from rising electricity prices, public officials are urging data center developers to supply their own power. But this approach risks privatizing the power grid…
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A Seed the Vote canvasser talked to a registered R in MI this weekend who had voted for T*mp twice. At the end of the convo, the voter said he's voting for @wewill2026.bsky.social & @abdulelsayed.bsky.social because "Things need to change!" Be part of building that change: stvote.org/signup
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A Seed the Vote canvasser talked to a registered R in MI this weekend who had voted for T*mp twice. At the end of the convo, the voter said he's voting for @wewill2026.bsky.social & @abdulelsayed.bsky.social because "Things need to change!" Be part of building that change: stvote.org/signup
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Hi, insurance nerd here. You actually really want healthy people in your insurance pool. Diverse risk levels is what makes a good, strong insurance program. And pretty much everyone will need to make a claim (or many) at some point.
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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Christ, these people are monsters. Just monsters. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Important to note that this calculus is based on the behavior of investor owned utilities, which are legally allowed to add a significant profit margin to all of the spending they do on grid expansion, and the plans of which the public has little insight into or control over 
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The insurance crisis is getting worse, not better in California, despite current policies to appease insurance companies. It’s almost as if we need to rethink how the the whole disaster insurance system works… 🤔 (Spoiler: yes we do, I’ve written a ton about this.)  www.latimes.com/business/sto...
latimes.com
California's property insurance deserts are spreading to low-risk fire areas
Major carriers from large swaths of the state are now refusing to insure even low-risk properties with minimal danger of burning. The pullback poses a dilemma for homeowners already struggling with Ca...
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Whether it’s AI or forestry, letting corporations write their own rules is never good for the public interest. bsky.app/profile/mike...
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This was incredibly helpful. And unnerving (to say the least).
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Great reporting. Clearly demonstrates why we can’t keep leaving the impacts of climate changes on our homes up to the market real estate and insurance markets. We need clear zoning & land use guardrails so unwitting home buyers aren’t stuck, & the rich aren’t expecting bailouts from their gambles.
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 17/09/2026
As I warned you: the superstar media darling AI quitter is explicitly agreeing with Trump and claiming climate threats are "overplayed". Effective altruism / rationalism is a cult of broken priorities that denies the threat of fossil fuels. This is why Anthropic loves burning gas for power.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Listening to this with my insurance nerd hat on, and I gotta say: everybody living on the US west coast should consider getting flood insurance, given the El Niño-related flooding that’s likely coming. Flooding isn’t covered by standard insurance policies but most folks don’t know that!
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Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
“Federal agents were seen on video pulling one teen from the car and punching him several times in the face while he was face-down on the pavement. The person filming the scene appears to repeatedly yell at the agents that the boys are minors." www.thedailybeast.com/horrifying-v...
thedailybeast.com
Horrifying Video Shows ICE Attack Teens on Way to Enlist
The teenagers said they repeatedly told ICE agents who were attacking them that they were U.S. citizens, but were told that the agents “don’t give a damn.”
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
@seedthevote.bsky.social is sending volunteers from across the country to knock doors for many of these candidates, including Lawrence, El-Sayed, & Villegas. Come join us to help make sure they win!
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Carbon markets are a scam to let polluters off the hook and give the rich find another way to make money off boutique speculative investments while claiming to do good. And they often cause a lot of harm to the communities that proponents claim will benefit.
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Deva Woodly @devawo.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Yeah. Wrote a whole book about it. We make issues salient in discourse through consistent effort. It’s an empirical fact but folks acts like political issues& issue attitudes are sprung from a “kitchen table” cabbage patch. We should argue for what we want. Again & again. Until it’s common sense.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This is true for AI, as it is true for any industry. 
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Not only is this structure pernicious for the extreme difficulties it creates for people already struggling to make ends meet while corporations profit, it also contributes to a belief that government programs can’t be well run.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
“We can’t individualize our way out of [the climate crisis], and that’s why we need policies that…encourage us to see how we’re connected. If we’re pooling our risk, we’re also pooling our resources.”
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Andrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
“youre goddam right im for them just like im for all texans” wouldve gone hard as a rebuttal had talarico not just spent the last 3 days tripping over himself to move right on this issue congrats to the talarico team for painting yourselves into a very predictable corner
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Climate Tracker @climate.skyfleet.blue · 12/09/2026
As extreme weather worsens, Black and Hispanic homeowners are paying more for insurance #Climate
insideclimatenews.org
As extreme weather worsens, Black and Hispanic homeowners are paying more for insurance
Residents in predominantly Hispanic communities in Florida are paying on average $5,014 more annually for their policies, a new report says.
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LPE Blog @lpeblog.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
On the Dig, @astra.bsky.social interviews David Wallace-Wells, @madisoncondon.bsky.social, and @moira.bsky.social about how insurance companies profit off climate catastrophe.
thedigradio.com
Insuring Catastrophe w/ David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, Moira Birss
Featuring David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, and Moira Birss on how insurance companies profit off climate catastrophe—and, in doing so, ensure that people and the planet suffer the consequences. Gu...
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Brian Goldstone @brian-goldstone.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A Labor Day reminder: having a job is no longer enough to protect millions of Americans from homelessness. For many workers, the greatest threat isn't losing their job. It's that their job will never pay enough, never provide enough hours, never offer enough stability to keep them housed.
nytimes.com
Opinion | America Is Pushing Its Workers Into Homelessness (Gift Article)
The working homeless are casualties of our prosperity.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Advocates of a “make the market healthier” approach to the home insurance crisis point to FL’s success at reducing policies in its last-resort program. But is forcing people out and into more expensive, less robust policies a good policy outcome? (Hint: NO) www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/flor...
gulfcoastnewsnow.com
Gulf Coast residents face insurance non-renewals and rising premiums in Florida
Citizens Insurance has sent 45,000 nonrenewal letters to Gulf Coast residents, warning of higher premiums and limited insurance options.
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The Dig @thedigradio.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
New on The Dig: Insuring Catastrophe with @astra.bsky.social, @dwallacewells.bsky.social, Madison Condon, and Moira Birss Ecological instability has arrived. Storms, floods and fires have become our new normal. Insurance companies are adapting. pod.fo/e/5adbe8
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The disparaging term “white feminism” is used to describe the ethos of a very specific type of woman. Generally speaking, a “white feminist” is not just a feminist who happens to be white. Instead, a “white feminist” is a middle-class Caucasian woman who believes she’s committed to advancing women’s rights, but who rarely stops to consider how sexism affects women who aren’t exactly like her. She doesn’t think about how issues of racism and sexism can overlap and intersect, and becomes defensive and upset when asked to do so.
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Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Can there be “National Disaster Insurance for All"? Special Dig Episode on Climate & Insurance! With the brilliant @dwallacewells.bsky.social @madisoncondon.bsky.social @moira.bsky.social thedigradio.com/podcast/insu...
thedigradio.com
Insuring Catastrophe w/ David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, Moira Birss
Featuring David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, and Moira Birss on how insurance companies profit off climate catastrophe—and, in doing so, ensure that people and the planet suffer the consequences. Gu...
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Climate and Community Institute @cplusc.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Our Senior Fellow @moira.bsky.social recently appeared on @thedigradio.bsky.social to discuss how insurance companies profit off climate catastrophe. Listen to the full episode with @dwallacewells.bsky.social, @madisoncondon.bsky.social, and @astra.bsky.social: thedigradio.com/podcast/insu...
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Game Changers: Economic Policies for a Working America @gamechangerspolicy.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
@astra.bsky.social interviews Game Changers contributor @moira.bsky.social, along with @dwallacewells.bsky.social and @madisoncondon.bsky.social, about how insurance companies are profiting from climate disasters. Via @thedigradio.bsky.social: thedigradio.com/podcast/insu...
thedigradio.com
Insuring Catastrophe w/ David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, Moira Birss
Featuring David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, and Moira Birss on how insurance companies profit off climate catastrophe—and, in doing so, ensure that people and the planet suffer the consequences. Gu...
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The little Easter egg at the start of this episode is that I am now Deputy Director at @publicgrids.org, working alongside a talented team to expand public power across the country through grassroots organizing & legal & economic research. ⚡✊ (And I'll still be a @cplusc.bsky.social fellow!)
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Jordan Haedtler @jordanhaedtler.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
FAIR Plans are often characterized as “state-run” when in reality they’re run by and for the insurance industry. @moira.bsky.social and I explained how they should be reformed to respond to the pressures that fossil fuel pollution is placing on them www.governing.com/resilience/t...
governing.com
The Holes in States’ Wildfire Insurance Safety Net
State-run last-resort insurance plans push rates up for everyone, and they reduce incentives for fire-resistant homes and development. The plans can’t substitute for long-term solutions.
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Astra Taylor @astra.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Excited to share this long-brewing episode of @thedigradio.bsky.social. Got to nerd out about climate catastrophe and insurance — and the possibility of better public models — with @moira.bsky.social, @madisoncondon.bsky.social, and @dwallacewells.bsky.social thedigradio.com/podcast/insu...
thedigradio.com
Insuring Catastrophe w/ David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, Moira Birss
Featuring David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, and Moira Birss on how insurance companies profit off climate catastrophe—and, in doing so, ensure that people and the planet suffer the consequences. Gu...
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isaac @sevier.io · 31/08/2026
Oh hell yeah
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I'm sooo excited to share this new episode of @thedigradio.bsky.social, hosted by @astra.bsky.social & featuring @madisoncondon.bsky.social, @dwallacewells.bsky.social & me on climate catastrophe, insurance profiteering, & how solidarity can help keep our homes safer. thedigradio.com/podcast/insu...
thedigradio.com
Insuring Catastrophe w/ David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, Moira Birss
Featuring David Wallace-Wells, Madison Condon, and Moira Birss on how insurance companies profit off climate catastrophe—and, in doing so, ensure that people and the planet suffer the consequences. Gu...
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Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This story is a great reminder of how silly the "both sides" coverage around bike infrastructure is. On one side we have saving lives, reducing pollution, increasing mobility, and improving quality of life. On the other side we have "But my parking!" and toxic masculinity.
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Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
It was run by Jim Cash, screenwriter of Top Gun (& several other less famous movies). At some point his wife opened up a coffee shop attached to it & I was a barista there in high school. (His wife also directed our school musicals, and Jim wrote the one we did my junior year. It wasn’t that good.)
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