Science 🧪 Journalism Reporter / Editor / Producer / Podcaster / Videographer / Manager. Teach journalism+podcasting online for Harvard. Nieman Fellow & AAAS Mass Media Fellow. https://sustainlab.substack.com/https://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mkln4hdji22n"The world is [not] simply a battlefield for partisan ideas" as state propagandists would like us to believe. But those who deploy the bandwagon effect purposefully—leading people to extremes of cynicism or warrantless trust—can threaten us all. So how to move forward sustainably? https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/in-trust-we-trust28 Apr 2026 22:29 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkln4hdji22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mjl4qjmtd227The business of environmental reporting is often incompatible with environmental stories about “structural” or “slow violence” of long-term pollution, climate change, etc. Should we work to change that? If so, how? Discussion I hope to have at this year’s @sejorg.bsky.social meeting, #SEJ2026. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/sustainable-dissent16 Apr 2026 00:11 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjl4qjmtd227https://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mj3nqsld6c2q“Uh oh.” As a journalist, I never want to see my picture on the front page of any newspaper But that’s what greeted me when I got my weekly Jamestown News today. So please allow me -- this first #LocalNewsDay -- to tell you the story behind the headline. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HSwCfWcfZ/09 Apr 2026 20:33 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj3nqsld6c2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mhvhtvb7tk2oIt's CERAWeek, the annual energy conference, and it seems -- at least here in the U.S. -- the fossil fuel industry is focused on making short-term profits due to higher oil prices & using its financial power + political influence to ensure the industry’s own “sustainability” for decades to come. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/amplifying-one-kind-of-sustainability25 Mar 2026 16:06 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhvhtvb7tk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mgspn3q67k22Tomorrow we find out about billion-dollar company D.R. Horton’s “Development in the Dark” in Jamestown, NC. I don’t like reporting by (unpaid) Letter to the Editor, but in a time with increasing threats of lawsuits, local reporting still needs to be done. https://www.yesweekly.com/news/jamestown_news/letters-to-the-editor-march-11-2026/article_eca52c1c-f99f-47eb-9191-045dcfe717bd.html11 Mar 2026 20:22 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgspn3q67k22https://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mgnrpn3yo22kIt is "paltering" to discount the need to address climate change by saying "fossil fuels are important for economic growth and development." But there’s no denying the truth of that statement itself for as long as the U.S. lacks the political will to transition away from fossil fuels. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/reframing-sustainability09 Mar 2026 21:16 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgnrpn3yo22khttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mglekouro22s“A growing number of recruitment drives are vying to entice disgruntled or displaced researchers to Canada, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and other countries.” [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Mar 2026 22:15 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mglekouro22shttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mg7gri3gdk26Never let anyone tell you your individual vote couldn’t change an election outcome. 2 votes separate Sheriff Sam Page from NC Senate leader Phil Berger, who gerrymandered for and was endorsed by Trump. All precincts have reported. Certification will take weeks with a mandatory recount. Wow.04 Mar 2026 04:23 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg7gri3gdk26https://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mg64vhp2pk26It’s primary election day here in North Carolina and Republicans where I live are choosing either * a sheriff with $39,000 in his campaign account, or * the incumbent State Senator with $2.4 million and the full weight of a political machine. Why it’s a real race: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CFCriX7QX/ [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Mar 2026 15:54 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg64vhp2pk26https://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mfwhh2pev22r“A war is a time when we will be told not to ask questions. But a war is actually when questions must be asked. And they must be asked in light of what we already know.” — from the author of “On Tyranny,” among others [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Feb 2026 14:41 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfwhh2pev22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mfsbqwqkf22aEarlier this week, my “Covering Sustainability” course at Ansbach University formally came to a close. Upon reflection, I'm feeling hopeful. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/covering-sustainability-redux26 Feb 2026 22:49 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfsbqwqkf22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3meyn2av2rk2eWas A.I. used to make up the justification for repealing the EPA's own 2009 Endangerment Finding? I grok that it at least played a role... and have inquired of the EPA to find out more. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/reckless-endangerment16 Feb 2026 18:02 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3meyn2av2rk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mduyb7hvmk2x“He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.” — The Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776 On #Sustainable #Infrastructure -- three types: https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/sustainable-infrastructure02 Feb 2026 13:46 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mduyb7hvmk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mdjfvlxxgs2pI just called my U.S. House/Senate reps again. As always, it meant leaving voicemails. Does anyone answer the phone anymore? But I believe calls to reps are better than responding to reps' social media posts. If you're a U.S. citizen, please consider making calls. This website makes it easy. https://5calls.org28 Jan 2026 23:19 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdjfvlxxgs2phttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3md4g664soc23The White House is altering images now. Tell everyone to diversify news sources. Noem’s original: https://x.com/KristiNoem/status/2014358158588723399 White House’s manipulated: https://x.com/whitehouse/status/2014365986388951194 [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Jan 2026 19:19 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3md4g664soc23https://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mcyb6zuapk2hTo respond to a bully, sometimes a bully’s own language is appropriate… even in formal situations. But, in a different venue, I did also appreciate the recent thoughtful speech by Mark Carney, PM of Canada, at the World Economic Forum annual meeting. youtu.be/flsgJe8mN-A (starts at 2:40) [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Jan 2026 03:39 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcyb6zuapk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mcv2vuur5224"Unlimited arbitrariness and violence unchecked by any legal guarantees"? The U.S. President's power — becoming ever more centralized — is also becoming more unsustainable. One year in, the time to act is now, while we still can. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/sustainable-power20 Jan 2026 21:09 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcv2vuur5224https://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mcksnrufuc2lMost times the President uses or threatens to use tariffs, he’s saying there’s an emergency. The Supreme Court is deliberating the legality of these emergency tariffs. IMHO, reminding the public of that should be part of every journalism story. On tariff powers: https://taxfoundation.org/blog/presidential-authority-congress-tariffs/16 Jan 2026 19:14 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcksnrufuc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mbwxnl3okc2tThe highest hotel tax rate in the U.S. is in a special district in Omaha, Nebraska, at 20.5%. Hawaii just raised its hotel tax rate 0.75%, making it's tax rate nearly 19%. So why is Hawaii's new rate being challenged in court? The additional 0.75% also applies to cruise ships. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/making-luxuries-more-expensive08 Jan 2026 21:50 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbwxnl3okc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mbsk3hykn22wThis was way back on November 2, 2025. Where will it end? What is the “Index of American Democracy” now, @nytimes.com Editorial Board?07 Jan 2026 03:37 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbsk3hykn22whttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mbjxzy7fsc2y“What did the oil companies know, and when?” [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Jan 2026 17:53 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbjxzy7fsc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mbfftv5gwk2yThis year, @science.org broke with tradition to highlight a non-scientific achievement as its 2025 "Breakthrough of the Year." It's an achievement that, as News Editor Tim Appenzeller put it, is "going to have a lot of consequences for society as a whole." Our reliance on fossil fuels won’t last. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/delivering-information-for-the-price01 Jan 2026 22:17 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbfftv5gwk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mbc37j3t322a“Imagine a lifetime of CO2-induced #headaches, not only for yourself but for your children and grandchildren, too. Would such a future humanity even want to #procreate?” It’s possible if we burn all our planet’s #FossilFuels. Once CO2 is added to the atmosphere it stays for hundreds of years. [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Dec 2025 14:28 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbc37j3t322ahttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3mayr6aanjs2c"Given that we must get off fossil fuels anyway and that virtually all scientists agree that dramatically increasing atmospheric and oceanic carbon levels is insane, the faster we achieve sustainability, the better." -- Elon Musk, 2016 There are so many good arguments for #sustainability. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/sustainable-abundance27 Dec 2025 21:35 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mayr6aanjs2chttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3macjqsdms22uYesterday, the latest survey results collectively titled “Climate Change in the American Mind” showed the disconnect between how Americans—depending on political party—view climate change’s importance. It’s a reminder of how direct-to-consumer information-sharing has splintered journalism. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/manufacturing-consent-without-journalism19 Dec 2025 01:23 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3macjqsdms22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3m7nosltr6c2uWhether you live in a megacity, a rural village, or anywhere in between, you can contribute meaningfully to more sustainable development. The United Nations is calling for more volunteers. Is there a way to make volunteerism itself more sustainable? To encourage more of us to be/become helpers? https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/becoming-one-of-the-helpers10 Dec 2025 18:28 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7nosltr6c2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3m74hqjppdc2dAs the news today includes reports about rolling back U.S. federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules, or "CAFE standards," a reminder that the justification for the policy change appears to have been "made up" by A.I.. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/policy-informed-by-ai-making-stuff03 Dec 2025 22:06 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3m74hqjppdc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/sustainlab.bsky.social/post/3m6vld3bbes2uThree years ago, on 30 November 2022, America’s largest homebuilder, D.R. Horton, made a request of the small town of Jamestown, North Carolina. What unfolded in the weeks to follow revealed not only a lack of transparency, but deception and disregard for good governance. Read more in SustainLab. https://sustainlab.substack.com/p/under-pressure-from-a-billion-dollar01 Dec 2025 04:22 +0000at://did:plc:f5qglnimickwgyb7c2ui2fbx/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6vld3bbes2u