Sign in

Joe Shannon

@variablesource.bsky.social
772 followers 642 following 110 posts

Making it easier for managers to restore and enhance hydrologic function on the landscape in the face of the wildfire crisis. Otherwise nightscape photos, woodworking, biking. Located in RhodeSkyland, working on western landscapes. Banner: TheAwkwardYeti

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Meade Krosby @meadekrosby.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
The emergency response to Spokane fires has been exemplary and heroic. We also need to remember this isn’t the limit of our ability to reduce wildfire risk. After 100 years of strict fire suppression, millions of acres of WA forest need fuel reduction treatments like prescribed fire & thinning.
214138
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Though it may surprise East Coasters, the story of this winter was not record cold but record heat
scientificamerican.com
No U.S. states had a record cold winter. Nine had a record hot one
Though it may surprise East Coasters, the story of this winter was not record cold but record heat
31617258
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Anthony Edwards @edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
After a historic 5-day stretch of storms, the Tahoe basin has lost 2-3 feet of snow in the past week. Warm weather, with rain at times, melted away much of the snow. Snow depth in Tahoe City was nearly 4 feet on Feb. 20, but is just 9 inches today, Feb. 28. #CAwx
48328
Joe Shannon @variablesource.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
This looks exciting! Monitoring ecosystem change and attributing the impacts to planned (like forest management) and unplanned disturbances (like fire & drought) has become the primary focus of our team at work.
253
Reposted by Joe Shannon
JLRay @jlray.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
The latest from YouGov (n ~ 7k) gives me some methodological concerns. They allowed people to rate their pun making as "outstanding" but, statistically, most are sitting indoors at the time today.yougov.com/topics/socie...
913323
Reposted by Joe Shannon
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
The western U.S. faces its lowest snowpack on record despite average or above-average rainfall. Warmer temperatures mean more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, and will worsen droughts in areas like the Pacific Northwest and the Colorado River Basin. science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-...
Figure of Western U.S. snow cover area from 2001 to 2026 illustrates a staggering decline in current coverage compared to historical norms. While the historical data for mid-January typically clusters between 400,000 and 600,000 square miles, the line for 2026 sits in unprecedented territory at the very bottom of the graph. On January 15, 2026, the snow cover area plummeted to a record low of 142,700 square miles—less than one-third of the median and the lowest point in the entire 25-year satellite record. This visual gap emphasizes a severe "snow drought," with the 2026 data point trailing significantly behind even the previous record lows, highlighting an extreme and alarming anomaly in winter precipitation.
3292146
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 01/02/2026
“Children were in the crowd screaming.”
371827717
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Democrats @democrats.org · 25/01/2026
IMPEACH KRISTI NOEM.
63509127
Reposted by Joe Shannon
G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 24/01/2026
Reminder: All it would take to end the murder of American citizens by an untrained government goon squad is 16 Republicans in Congress voting with Dems to defund ICE (or 23 to impeach and remove Trump — 3 in House & 20 in Senate). That’s it. 23 Americans can vote for the public and end all of this.
222131175036
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Jay Willis @jaywillis.net · 24/01/2026
I have spent my entire adult life being lectured by Republican politicians and conservative legal movement types about how important it is to preserve the sacred constitutional right to self-defense of *specifically this person* and then secret police murdered him in the street
65104103361
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
STOP ASKING *THE PUBLIC* TO REMAIN CALM. You're talking to the wrong people. Demand that ICE and CBP stop murdering residents and then demand that they leave the city immediately.
6589136
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Jessica Huseman @jessicahuseman.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
From a friend in Minneapolis, just now:
7649781154
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Anthony Edwards @edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
U.S. all-time records summary, past 365 days High max: 50 High min: 135 Low max: 13 Low min: 13 Stations have at least a 30-year period of record. www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/data...
ncdc.noaa.gov
Daily Weather Records | Data Tools | Climate Data Online (CDO) | National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
Daily Weather Record tool built using climate and weather data from Climate Data Online (CDO).
062
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Cathy G. Johnson🏴 @cathygjohn.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Adding Rhode Island in for more New England states:
14236
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Remarkably, at least one observing site in every single Western U.S. state is currently reporting *record low* snowpack for this mid-winter date. In some states, esp. UT and CO, *most* sites are either record low or second lowest on record. More during Wednesday's livestream.
Map from USDA NRCS showing current snow water monitoring sites with record or near-record low values. There are numerous such locations on the map as of Jan 18, including at least one in each Western U.S. state.
24216
Reposted by Joe Shannon
IPBES @ipbes.net · 16/01/2026
New World Economic Forum Global Risks data provides a stark warning: While short-term crises dominate headlines, "Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse" jumps to the 2nd highest risk over the 10-year horizon. The long term is sooner than we think. Science-based policies via IPBES are crucial.🌍
This infographic from the World Economic Forum shows global risks ranked by severity over two time periods: 2-year (short term) and 10-year (long term). The title reads "Global risks ranked by severity" with the WEF logo in the top right corner.

The chart is divided into two columns, with risks color-coded into four categories: Environmental (green), Geopolitical (orange), Societal (red), and Technological (purple).

In the short term (2 years), the top risks are:

Geoeconomic confrontation

Misinformation and disinformation

Societal polarization

Extreme weather events

State-based armed conflict

In the long term (10 years), the ranking shows:

Extreme weather events

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse

Critical change to Earth systems

Misinformation and disinformation

Adverse outcomes of AI technologies

Both columns continue to rank risks through position 10, with environmental concerns featuring more prominently in the long-term outlook. The source is cited as "World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2025-2026."
36555
Reposted by Joe Shannon
David Morales @davidmoralespvd.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
The fight against fascism starts locally. We must never forget that ICE murdered Renee Nicole Good in broad daylight. We cannot grow numb to the terror and the violence ICE is spreading to our immigrant community. #AbolishICE
0165
Reposted by Joe Shannon
jae holzman @jael.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
the same people enacting anti-trans laws to “protect children” are forcing schools to cancel classes because they’re deploying chemical munitions and pseudo military tactics at public schools
mprnews.org
Minneapolis schools cancel classes after Border Patrol clash disrupts dismissal at Roosevelt
Minneapolis schools closed for the week citing safety concerns after an encounter involving armed Border Patrol agents near Roosevelt High School.
19133
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Anne Jefferson @annejefferson.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
New paper! Real-time flood inundation mapping (FIM) services are an incredibly valuable tool for emergency management and affected communities. But do their visualizations help users quickly and accurately interpret information to make decisions? onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Comparing Flood Inundation Map Features and Diagnosing Decision Support Design Challenges
Using visualisation typologies, we developed a diagnostic evaluation method for eight user-controlled ensemble FIM visualisations. Key design challenges include unclear messaging, non-accessible and ...
167
Joe Shannon @variablesource.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
I’m not going to make it to AGU this year. Made it to AFE in NOLA this week instead. I found this monument on the shores of the Mississippi River there.
000
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Defector @defector.com · 26/11/2025
They shot moss into space, stuck it on the outside of the International Space Station for nine months, and then brought it back down to Earth to see how it was doing. It was basically fine! defector.com/one-small-st...
defector.com
One Small Step For A Moss, One Giant Leap For Mosskind | Defector
Imagine that you are moss. (Thank you for subscribing to Defector, moss!) You are one of the most ancient types of land plants—older than flowers, older than grass, older than trees, older even than…
17515
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Chris Bataille @chrisbataille.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
I’m really surprised this isn’t bigger news. Just under 10 million people live in Tehran. Where can they go? Where else in Iran will have enough water? This will undoubtedly strain the country’s and the region’s politics, finances and governance capacity.
9174114
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Eric Holthaus @ericholthaus.com · 19/11/2025
This is what climate change looks like. What used to be snow is now rain, and when the rain falls it's heavier so more goes to runoff. The result is drier conditions, even during wet years.
04921
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Matthew Hurteau @mhurteau.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Scott Stephens and I have written an editorial on what we think is necessary to select for leadership in land management agencies so they are able to manage our public lands during rapid change. @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
0137
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
this question being led by a private firm (and potential privatization of rollout) is a worst case scenario if you ask me
2331655
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 07/09/2025
Authoritarians thrive on your silence — be loud — for America.
522328549246
Joe Shannon @variablesource.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Really proud to have been a part of this team! @sophielgilbert.bsky.social’s got a great thread of what we found when looking at how fuels treatments affect carbon storage over time. The results show that not treating forests doesn’t mean “nothing happens”. Fire & drought still impact the landscape.
151
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Zoltán Sylvester @zzsylvester.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Cool time lapse animations on the NASA Earth Observatory site of the rapidly (crazy rapidly!) shifting channels of the Yarlung Zangbo River
earthobservatory.nasa.gov
Braided River in Tibet Redraws Its Channels
Images spanning nearly four decades reveal the shapeshifting nature of the Yarlung Zangbo River as it flows across the Tibetan Plateau.
25212
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Victoria Rose Richards @aerialembroidery.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
These four aerial embroideries are now available on my site! Soft flowing oceans, rocks made of pine bark chips, and lots and lots of French knots... I can never get enough of those stitches 😊 all landscapes now up here: victoriaroserichards.co.uk/collection/a... #embroidery
An embroidery hoop depicting a sewn aerial view landscape. It shows a moorland landscape with a knotted area, flat grassland, a gentle brook and rocks made of pine bark chips.An embroidery hoop depicting a sewn aerial view landscape of moorlands.An embroidery hoop depicting a sewn aerial view landscape of blue waves around rocks, which are painted pine bark chips.An embroidery hoop depicting a sewn aerial view landscape of blue water flowing around rocks, which are painted pine bark chips.
724670
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Dr. Emily Fairfax @emilyfairfax.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
Many people want to bring back #beavers for water storage. Big ponds = big benefits for flood, drought, wildfire & more! But what drives big ponds? Is it *just* dam length? What drives dam length? Get your answers in this new paper by Luwen Wan, Kate Maher, & myself! www.nature.com/articles/s43...
nature.com
Factors influencing surface water accumulation in beaver pond complexes across the Western United States - Communications Earth & Environment
Dam length, woody vegetation height, and stream power index explain 74% of the variation in pond area, providing a foundation for beaver restoration and watershed management in the western US, accordi...
14515
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Rob @robertferry.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
Prompt: How do we solve climate change? SuperAGI: Stop burning fossil fuels and rapidly deploy renewables while electrifying everything. Then deploy CDR technology powered by the new clean grid. Prompt: But the fossil fuel lobby controls all of our governments. SuperAGI: Sorry to hear that.
195
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Just read the Brown University agreement and this really jumped out. "The University will not perform gender reassignment surgery or prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to any minor child for the purpose of aligning the child's appearance with an identity that differs from his or her sex."
34747671067
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Veena Dubal @veenadubal.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
The “deal” that Brown made with the Trump admin is much more extreme than is being reported. It includes government oversight of course evaluations and no barrier to government interference in faculty hiring. Read it for yourself here: www.brown.edu/sites/defaul...
brown.edu
11120491112
Reposted by Joe Shannon
John Fleck @jfleck.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
On the #ColoradoRiver, stuff's not going well: www.inkstain.net/2025/07/retu...
inkstain.net
Return of the Deadpool Diaries: The Colorado River news keeps getting worse
With the latest Bureau of Reclamation model runs highlighting the serious risks posed by the declining reservoir levels that Utah State’s Jack Schmidt has been warning about, there are signs …
0145
Joe Shannon @variablesource.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
Great thread!
021
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Michael de Yoanna @michaeldeyoanna.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Should we suppress wildfires ‘as swiftly as possible?’ With 2025 season well underway, scholars weigh in. From the Mountain West News Bureau's @murphywoodhouse.bsky.social w/ @boisestatepublicradio.org - www.boisestatepublicradio.org/environment/...
boisestatepublicradio.org
Should we suppress wildfires ‘as swiftly as possible?’ With 2025 season well underway, scholars weigh in
The Forest Service's new chief recently published a letter that called for wildfires to be suppressed "as swiftly as possible." That may sound prudent to many, but it raised eyebrows among some who st...
0126
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Jared Dahl Aldern @jdaldern.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
While I understand @gwandaii.bsky.social’s point that the Arctic context of wildfire’s cultural impacts is unique, there are analogues in the southern Sierra Nevada. As fire colleagues here point out, values at risk go beyond structures. Let’s also protect springs, food, and plant materials.
141
Reposted by Joe Shannon
JD Long @jdlong.cerebralmastication.com · 10/07/2025
I have been suspicious that AI helps non experts the most. What’s surprising here is that experienced devs feel faster, but are slower. That nuance in interesting.
4133
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Dr. Samantha Montano @samlmontano.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
This is among the best explainer I’ve seen so far regarding the Texas floods particularly because Alan ties together the meteorology issues and the emergency management issues.
1259125
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 03/07/2025
The people want trains. Folks should be able to take a high speed train from Binghamton to Bowling Green. From Mobile to Madison. From Pittsburgh to Portland. Don’t build detention camps. Build trains.
581692335
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Antonia Noori Farzan @antoniafarzan.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Asked and answered! www.providencejournal.com/story/news/l...
providencejournal.com
What to know about Providence's new Urban Wood Depot and how to use it.
The Wood Lot will be offering free mulch, as well as lumber and artisan crafted wood pieces at below-market rates.
262
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Sam Bell @samuelwbell.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
This was a bad vote from @magaziner.house.gov and @amo.house.gov.
171
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Every flashbang could instead be a meal for a poor kid. Every hotel room for a National Guardsman deployed to fire at our neighbors could house a homeless vet. Every "less-than-lethal" bullet pulled from a journalist's eye could be already needed healthcare for anyone else. All of this is a choice.
5704848614660
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Senator Bernie Sanders @sanders.senate.gov · 09/06/2025
Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in California is not about the protests. It is about expanding his never-ending grasp for more power. It is about moving this country toward authoritarianism. All Americans must stand together against this gross abuse of power.
1163351834
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Moira Birss @moira.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
ICE is attacking civilians in LA right now.
0106
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-s...
mcsweeneys.net
I, Saruman, Have Ended My Alliance with the Dark Lord Sauron
“Last year, two mercurial billionaires formed a partnership and vowed to drive the country in a new direction. Donald Trump had the political power...
1220219
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Kate / Katelyn Forrest @kateforrest.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
Random interesting fact with the anniversary of D Day coming up tomorrow... There is one single ship still actively being used that was at the invasion of Normandy. The USS Buncombe County LST-510 is now a ferry that goes from New London CT to Long Island. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_LST...
en.m.wikipedia.org
USS LST-510 - Wikipedia
283
Reposted by Joe Shannon
Jim Whittington🔥 @jimwhittington.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
Let's dive into this a bit. A short and very incomplete thread on US Forest Service research. 1/
8189132