David Roberts
Seattleite transplanted from Tennessee; now blogging for Vox.com about energy politics. Climate hawk, deficit dove. Not a doctor.
Last synced from Twitter 13m ago
Trump Eases Pollution Controls on Streams and Wetlands
The Trump administration has finished a new rule that roles back environmental controls on many wetlands and intermittent streams, delivering a win to rural landowners.
David Roberts
Heartland populism means letting big companies pollute streams more.
3h
Washington to Consider Re-legalizing Duplexes and Rowhouses Statewide
Allowing modest choices in detached house neighborhoods would help more families find affordable homes and cut climate pollution.
David Roberts
There's a bill before the WA legislature that would re-legalize "middle housing" -- duplexes & triplexes on almost any lot & up to 6-plexes in some areas -- across the state. A fantastic idea that faces an uphill battle, at least this session.
3h
Trump Dismisses Troops’ Possible Brain Injuries as ‘Headaches’
The deputy commander of the American-led operation in Iraq said the Pentagon was putting service members through medical examinations to see if they had traumatic brain injuries.
David Roberts
What a terrible human being. nytimes.com/2020/01/22/wor… pic.twitter.com/SejnoJxJ1I
4h
Reince Priebus: "Presidents don't get impeached because they acted inappropriately"
President Trump's first chief of staff spoke to "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell and chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett on Day 1 of the public impeachment hearings
Cruise says new self-driving van will save passengers $5,000 a year
It's the transportation system you'd build if you could start from scratch, Cruise says.
David Roberts
This story on a six-passenger driverless van reminds me of a hot take I have on autonomous vehicles, namely: before the AV thing really gets going, we should ban individually owned AVs and dictate, by law, that all AVs must be shared shuttles & buses.
11h
Australians warned of possible deadly spider "bonanza"
Experts say weather conditions in bushfire-battered eastern Australia could bring "super dangerous" funnel-webs out in droves.
Bloomberg - Are you a robot?
David Roberts
The oft-suggested solution of burying power lines to prevent fires would cost PG&E ... $240 billion.
12h
2020 U.S. Transportation Climate Impact Index
StreetLight ranks the country’s 100 largest metro areas on carbon-related transportation factors, including VMT, bicycle and pedestrian commutes, and circuity.
David Roberts
Transportation data! 100 metro areas ranked by "VMT, bike commuting, pedestrian commuting, transit ridership, population density, and circuity." Top overall score: New York-Newark-Jersey City. Rock bottom: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
13h
Trump downplays US troop injuries from Iran’s attack, calling them "not very serious"
Trump’s remarks struck many as callous. But he may have had a reason for making them.
Chief Justice John Roberts called for decorum as impeachment devolved into fight over who lies more
Roberts rebuked impeachment managers and White House counsel for name-calling, but stayed silent about the Trump team’s lies.
David Roberts
Overseeing the impeachment trial, Chief Justice John Roberts signals that it's ok to tell a whole bunch of lies as long as everyone remains civil & decorous.
13h
Yes, the UK media’s coverage of Meghan Markle really is racist
The UK press’s continued denial of racism just shows how entrenched these attitudes are.
David Roberts
I haven't paid much attention to this stuff but I'll just say that if I were Harry & Meghan, I would get the F out of the royal family -- and that whole toxic, racist, classist subculture -- as fast as humanly possible.
13h
Chris Hughes wants another chance
The multimillionaire Facebook co-founder is the latest moneyed titan to turn philanthropist, and has even called for Facebook’s dismantling. Can he really make a difference?
David Roberts
This is a great profile of Chris Hughes, the multi-millionaire Facebook-cofounder famous (at least in online circles) for buying & f'ing up the New Republic. @dylanmatt has convinced me that he is at least learning & trying to do better.
13h
World’s consumption of materials hits record 100bn tonnes a year
Unsustainable use of resources is wrecking the planet but recycling is falling, report finds
David Roberts
Great graphic with this otherwise depressing Guardian story. theguardian.com/environment/20… pic.twitter.com/z4yYZSuBf7
14h
The Impact: Green New Germany on Apple Podcasts
Show The Impact, Ep Green New Germany - Jan 22, 2020
Trump's defense looks shaky on first day of impeachment trial
Analysis: Using the president's convoluted logic with none of his outsized passion, his defense team wasn't very persuasive.
3
David Roberts
It's painful to read all these stories that act as though the *content* of this trial matters, or the competence & skill of those involved, or precedent, or truth.
The GOP has the power to let Trump off. So they will. That's all that matters.
29h
I was tortured for days thanks to Bruce Jessen and James Mitchell. A "sorry" would be nice | Opinion
I am a nobody: a taxi driver from Karachi held without charges in Guantanamo Bay, tortured, forever separated from my son. But I hope the two psychologists responsible for what was inflicted on me will stop by my cell. I'll be waiting.
David Roberts
Read this article by a taxi driver from Karachi who the US kidnapped (based on mistaken identity), took to Guantanamo, tortured, and held without trial. He is still there, 17 years later. If anyone had a moral defense of this, I'm all ears.
29h
White supremacist group wanted Richmond rally to start a civil war, prosecutors say
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — A hidden camera captured members of a white supremacist group expressing hope that violence at Monday’s gun-rights rally in Richmond could start a civil war, federal
Vella Lovell To Co-Star In NBC’s L.A. Mayor Comedy Series From Tina Fey & Robert Carlock
EXCLUSIVE: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Vella Lovell has been cast as a series regular opposite Ted Danson, Holly Hunter and Bobby Moynihan in NBC’s untitled L.A. Mayor comedy series, from Tina Fey, R…
David Roberts
This show, which sounds good, got me thinking about Ted Danson. The dude has been working steadily in TV since *1975* -- scarcely a year since then without a credit. And he's remained almost universally popular. Can any living actor match that record?
34h
Job creation during the global energy transition towards 100% renewable power system by 2050
Aside from reducing the energy sector's negative impacts on the environment, renewable power generation technologies are creating new wealth and becom…
1
David Roberts
New research: transitioning the world to 100% renewable energy by 2050 would create about 14 million new jobs in the power sector.
35h
Off-Grid Microgrids by Humless Will Serve 600 Homes in Rural Oregon
Working with Humless, an Oregon community chose off-grid microgrids instead of paying the utility $7 million to run utility lines to the neighborhood.
David Roberts
Interesting: an "eco-friendly ranch and luxury resort" in deep rural Oregon has decided it's cheaper to stay off the grid, powering itself with freestanding microgrids, than to pay the utility to string power out to it.
35h