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Timmons Roberts

@timmonsroberts.bsky.social
6.1K followers 1.4K following 1K posts

Climate change social scientist. Collaborator, determined dreamer, dad. Director, @ClimateSSN.bsky.social And @climatedevlab.bsky.social www.climatedevlab.brown.edu CSSN.org personal account; reskeets NE endorsement

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Reposted by Timmons Roberts
Jeff Spencer @revjss.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Apparently there are song birds who are fans of solar power. Scientists left microphones running at 12 midwestern solar farms and heard twice as many grassland birds as in the adjoining corn and soybean fields. www.ecoportal.net/en/grassland...
ecoportal.net
Microphones left running at 12 ecovoltaic solar farms in the Midwest heard nearly twice as many grassland bird species as the corn and soybean fields beside them, and more than 230 nests sat on the ra...
Researchers planted acoustic recorders at 13 Midwestern solar farms and found nearly double the grassland bird species compared to nearby corn fields, plu
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Go! "The coalition includes the states of New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin."
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"Trump administration is [directing] more than $175m of the state department’s flagship human rights fund to.. advancing white Afrikaner rights in South Africa, a campaign against Brazil’s supreme court..Europe [groups] who protect “western civilizational norms” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump administration diverts human rights funds to push far-right agenda abroad
Support such as for white Afrikaners and anti-communism reveals how US is redefining what qualifies as human rights
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“This isn’t going to make us back down. Maybe it’s a little intimidating in certain ways, but we’re not giving up..I think it’s just a matter of time before the fossil fuel industry is held accountable.” Cites @brown-ibes.bsky.social @climatedevlab.bsky.social www.motherjones.com/environment/...
motherjones.com
Judges keep striking down climate laws. Some states are fighting back.
Inside the high-stakes legal battle over climate superfund legislation.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
So important. Good reporting “..on the major business of the energy transition—the GOP is siding with their oil and gas patrons. Changing that reality will require a much bigger investment in electoral politics than the clean energy industry has committed” washingtonmonthly.com/2026/09/28/w...
washingtonmonthly.com
Why Won’t the Clean Energy Industry Play Dirty?
After Republican attacks, why does the industry still spend so little on elections?
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Wow great important reporting. “They’re just trying to see who they can ensnare in this, even if their connections are incredibly tangential.”
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Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
All those "emergency" orders from the Trump administration ordering power companies to keep running coal plants otherwise slated to shut down? Turns out federal officials got the idea from a coal lobbyist: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/c...
nytimes.com
The Coal Industry Asked for a Rescue. Trump Obliged.
In a previously unreported letter, a top lobbyist floated the idea of using emergency powers to keep aging coal plants open.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
grist.org/accountabili...
grist.org
How elite universities got tangled up in politics and petroleum
Half a century of corporate influence set the stage for Trump's attacks on higher education, a new study argues.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Was proud to be part of the team that put this scorcher out. Have a look if you want a diagnosis of why universities were so vulnerable to Trump's attacks. grist.org/accountabili...
grist.org
How elite universities got tangled up in politics and petroleum
Half a century of corporate influence set the stage for Trump's attacks on higher education, a new study argues.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Huge news
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Noel Healy @drnoelhealy.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Guardian covered our paper: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Decades of fossil fuel influence paved way for Trump’s assault on university research, study says
Fossil fuel firms have spent years trying to regulate climate research by donating to US universities, study authors argue
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Noel Healy @drnoelhealy.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The assault on US universities didn't start in 2025. Our new paper traces the decades of corporate capture that made it possible, and why climate research is a primary target. Open access: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
"There is no crisis of trust. There is a crisis of truth. Higher education is thriving. The Common App reported in March that applications were up 5 percent compared to the year before, with “a whopping 2.1 million increase from just four years ago.” www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
insidehighered.com
Trust Isn’t the Issue (opinion)
What we actually have is a crisis of truth.
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Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Elite universities mea culpas about the “loss of trust” in higher education so often fail to consider the force of the longterm propagandistic attack on universities, given extensive play in conservative media, that long preceded Trump, but which he has massively accelerated.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This totally makes sense to me. "25.4% of four-year music students were chronically absent, compared with 37.3% of students without four consecutive years of music." Sustained engagement matters "it’s the thing that draws them in and gives them a reason,” rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/09/28/r...
rhodeislandcurrent.com
Rhode Island study links sustained arts education — especially music — to lower chronic absenteeism • Rhode Island Current
A new study commissioned by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts found students who took four years of music classes had lower chronic absenteeism rates than peers who did not. The findings are ...
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Did the Forestry Industry Just Get to Write Its Own Emissions Rules? newrepublic.com/article/2157... via @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com
Did the Forestry Industry Just Get to Write Its Own Emissions Rules?
Accusations of industry capture, allegedly secret working groups, and the resignations of two researchers—a scandal is rocking the world of carbon emissions accounting.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This new paper is hot hot hot.
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Mila Atmos @milaatmos.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
@amywestervelt.bsky.social joined me on @futurehindsight.com to talk about how the information ecosystem is so polluted that it’s actually limiting our First Amendment rights! Tune in!!
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
"Mr. Trump claimed on social media that loosening the mileage standards would lower the price of new cars by thousands of dollars. But Congress already eliminated fines for automakers that don’t meet the standards, rendering the rollback on Monday largely symbolic." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/c...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Plans to Gut Clean Car Rules (Gift Article)
New fuel-economy standards, which President Trump said he finalized Saturday, would kill a federal effort to speed the transition to electric vehicles.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"More than 30 local wind farm opponents, all selected by Droz, came to Washington at his invitation...A number said they had come to DC for strategy tips and PR advice." That was 14 years ago. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Conservative thinktanks step up attacks against Obama's clean energy strategy
Confidential memo seen by Guardian calls for climate sceptics to turn American public against solar and wind power
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Just pitiful it's come to this. insideclimatenews.org/news/2509202...
insideclimatenews.org
Why Germany Is Building an Ark for U.S. Climate Data - Inside Climate News
As researchers around the world begin work on the next U.N. climate assessment, fears are growing that the Trump administration could meddle with critical U.S. climate data.
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Climate Social Science Network @cssn.org · 24/09/2026
UN General Assembly dialogue featuring @aronczyk.bsky.social, and attended by Director @timmonsroberts.bsky.social. Remarkable work moving information integrity into the mainstream.
Melissa Aronczyk speaks to the UNGA.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Because youtube.com/watch?v=VsoN...
youtube.com
Please Don’t Watch This Senate Hearing
YouTube video by Climate Town
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
“we need courage to make that connection to people and join the dots” Please.
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 22/09/2026
This is going to be a thread of AI greenwashing getting pumped out at New York Climate Week Here's one from today: Siemens, raking in MOUNTAINS of $$ from selling gas turbines to data centres (not mentioned) says: “we are racing to mitigate this as fast as possible" apnews.com/article/clim...
On the other hand, Eva Riesenhuber, the head of sustainability at the German automation company Siemens, and Evelyn Wang, vice president for energy and climate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said AI is too important to humanity and will help tackle climate change.

Data centers adding to climate and water problems “is not forever,” according to Wang, who told The Associated Press that data centers are five years away from being water neutral and about a decade away from no longer adding to planet-warming emissions.

Acknowledging these concerns, Riesenhuber said “we are racing to mitigate this as fast as possible because we are hooked on the intelligence, and we do need the intelligence to design the future that this planet needs.”a chart showing siemens gas turbine sales will add emissions the equivalent to pakistan
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The election is what, six weeks away? We could be hearing much more about corruption, climate, home insurance crises, and court reform. insideclimatenews.org/news/2009202...
insideclimatenews.org
Whitehouse: Call Out the Corruption Propelling the US Climate Retreat - Inside Climate News
The Rhode Island senator, who could lead the Judiciary Committee if Democrats win in November, urges stronger messaging and a focus on Supreme Court reform.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
This is big news, but still unclear rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/09/21/r...
rhodeislandcurrent.com
RI judge reverses Trump administration’s cancellation of $7B solar grant program • Rhode Island Current
Rhode Island District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy ruled federal administrators broke the law when they canceled a $7 billion solar energy grant program after awards had already been given to recipient...
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Holy crap, have a look at this powerpoint by the leader of a "natural" gas lobby group, on flipping Northeast USA governors, to get more gas infrastructure. This is highly sophisticated, full-court press against the renewables transition that we need now. s3.documentcloud.org/documents/28...
s3.documentcloud.org
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
How Saudi oil scientists ended up working on the world’s most important climate reports - Guardian investigation reveals fossil fuel links of IPCC authors, with experts declaring the body’s conflict of interest policy ‘not fit for purpose’ #climatecrisis www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
How Saudi oil scientists ended up working on the world’s most important climate reports
Guardian investigation reveals fossil fuel links of IPCC authors, with experts declaring the body’s conflict of interest policy ‘not fit for purpose’
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Worth another look, and updating please! www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1...
npr.org
An activist group is spreading misinformation to stop solar projects in rural America
An NPR/Floodlight investigation found that a longtime Republican insider is stoking solar opposition by spreading bad information about health and environmental risks. Her influence is growing.
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Joshua Basseches @joshuabasseches.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
In the current system, in which monopoly investor-owned utilities hold deep structural power over public policymaking, any governor can only afford to push them so far (and it's typically not very far): commonwealthbeacon.org/energy/for-h...
commonwealthbeacon.org
For Healey, a delicate dance with the utilities emerges during election season
Healey can cast the utility companies as a critical partner when it’s advantageous for her to do so — or turn them into a political punching bag and convenient foil when it benefits her.
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Oliver Milman @olliemilman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
While erasing any limit to planet-heating pollution from power plants, Donald Trump's EPA made two bold claims - that this will lower Americans' energy bills and the pollution doesn't even matter anyway. The EPA's own documents tell a very different story www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Trump EPA’s arguments for letting power plants spew unlimited pollution ‘dead wrong’
Claims that dismantling pollution rules will lower energy bills and have little climate impact are far from convincing
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Brad Johnson @climatebrad.hillheat.com · 16/09/2026
Tune in: Briefing today at 1 pm on the fraud of "clean" natural gas, with @rebleber.bsky.social, @rebeccajohn.bsky.social, and @juliakane.bsky.social @fieldnotes.co & @climateintegrity.org & @pointsourcenews.org
hillheat.com
Inside the Oil & Gas Industry's Campaign Against Methane Regulations
Oil and gas industry watchdog groups Fieldnotes and the Center for Climate Integrity will hold a virtual reporter briefing where experts will shed light on oil ...
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"The E.P.A. minimized the impact of greenhouse gases from American power plants, saying they “have no material impact on global climate change. In fact, if all carbon dioxides were eliminated tomorrow, there would be no meaningful climate impact.” B.S. Gift article. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/c...
nytimes.com
E.P.A. Erases Limits on Climate Pollution From Power Plants (Gift Article)
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The finance sector has gotten a free pass on responsibility for climate change. That is ending... www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
World’s top 20 private equity firms produce more greenhouse gases a year than most countries, report finds
Firms manage $7.3tn in assets and could afford to transition away from fossil fuels yet invest in natural gas and coal-fired plants to power datacenters
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Useful. Thanks Sabin Center. scholarship.law.columbia.edu/sabin_climat...
scholarship.law.columbia.edu
Rebutting 38 False Claims About Solar, Wind, Electric Vehicles, and Battery Storage
Achieving the United States’ ambitious emissions reduction goals depends in large part on the rapid adoption of wind and solar energy and the electrification of consumer vehicles. However, misinformat...
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Joshua Basseches @joshuabasseches.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
If environmental groups wield an “outsized influence ... over the federal government, law and natural resources policy," as Chairman Westerman claims, you certainly wouldn't know it by looking at congressional policy outputs ... subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...
subscriber.politicopro.com
POLITICO Pro: House committee launches investigation into 19 climate groups
Republican lawmakers are accusing the groups of acting as “taxpayer-funded law firms.”
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Patrick De Haan @gasbuddyguy.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
ominous: Americans have collectively spent >$100 billion more on gasoline and diesel since March 1 compared to the same period a year ago. $109.2 billion through the end of today thus far, and currently adding ~$730 million more each day.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
"So why don’t the western allies and Nato intervene to stop it? The principal reason is chronic US ambivalence and unreliability..Joe Biden tossed lifebelts to the Ukrainians in 2022, then left them to sink or swim. Trump has since tried to drown them" Act now www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Putin would rather keep killing than admit he’s lost. As a winter of misery looms in Ukraine, Nato must step in | Simon Tisdall
The Russian leader is ploughing on with his forever war – and each day is a crime against humanity. Western democracies cannot simply sit on their hands, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simo...
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
looking forward to reading...I think launches are coming at Climate Week NYC www.thenation.com/article/envi...
thenation.com
Big Oil’s Origin Story
Amy Westervelt’s new book, Brought to You By, exposes the deep history of today’s “information pollution.”
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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 13/09/2026
This will be bad for: - the students - the research progress - the universities - the towns the universities are in - the companies hiring students - the states the universities are in - the national economy - national security - the country - the world
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
open.substack.com/pub/heated/p...
open.substack.com
AI’s climate problem is worse than we thought
A new study reveals that AI’s climate impact extends far beyond its massive data center footprint.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“The Brown study actually was fairly accurate about writing down all the people involved. … I was probably the common denominator for those groups,” Stevenson told me. ecori.org/the-man-behi...
ecori.org
The Man Behind the Fall of Offshore Wind - ecoRI News
David Stevenson has dedicated the better part of a decade to obstructing a source of renewable energy that can help replace the fossil fuels that are baking the planet.
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
We’re the mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix. The heat crisis has us all facing the same question | Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego
Our three cities are learning from each other about how to protect residents. These climate policies are also public health measures
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Great reporting, @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social Perfect summary: "Across states, public support for climate Superfund bills has been no match for the behind the scenes lobbying of the fossil fuels industry, according to a recent report from Brown University’s Climate and Development Lab."
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...
canarymedia.com
As Ohio grapples with fake comments on clean energy, some want…
Apparently fake public input has promoted fossil fuels and attacked clean energy in Ohio and beyond. Here’s what officials could do to try to stymie the…
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
This was the plan in 2012. If there is anyone with inside information on how this actually went down since then, please DM me. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Conservative thinktanks step up attacks against Obama's clean energy strategy
Confidential memo seen by Guardian calls for climate sceptics to turn American public against solar and wind power
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the Juice Media @thejuicemedia.com · 03/09/2026
The Australien Government made an ad about carbon offsets and koalas, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative 🌏🌳🐨 💛 produced by our Patrons 🙏 support us on Patreon: patreon.com/thejuicemedia ☕ buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/thejuicemedia
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Christian Roselund @roselund.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
As for @meghankallman.bsky.social, she has been an absolute policy rock star in many areas & climate policy is one of them. There are advantages to having very smart people in your state government! One of the things we are grateful to her for is sponsoring building decarbonization legislation. /4
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
New York’s effort to get the big oil companies to help pay for all the damages from climate change got a setback from a district judge Monday. This petition pushes back make-polluters-pay.solidarity.tech/tax-big-oil-...
make-polluters-pay.solidarity.tech
Tax Big Oil Billionaires
This year, President Donald Trump said that ExxonMobil and Chevron made “too much money” on rising crude oil prices due to the Iran war. For once, we agree with him.
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