Kevin J. Kircher
@kevinjkircher.com
Engineering prof (mechanical + electrical) at a big Midwest state school. Energy, climate, buildings, power grid, control, optimization, data science. He/him. Personal account. https://kevinjkircher.com/ Email: my last name at purdue dot edu
Pinned
Kevin J. Kircher
@kevinjkircher.com
· Aug 5
Climate pals, what are your favorite examples of actions that simultaneously reduce climate pollution and help us adapt to climate changes that we can no longer avoid?
Joint Adaptation and Mitigation (JAM), if you will.
Joint Adaptation and Mitigation (JAM), if you will.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
An oil war has driven petrol and diesel prices through the roof, so ExxonMobil is doing a cutesy social media campaign to make fossil fuels seem a natural part of our day.
September 20, 2026 at 8:22 AM
An oil war has driven petrol and diesel prices through the roof, so ExxonMobil is doing a cutesy social media campaign to make fossil fuels seem a natural part of our day.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
I just pre-ordered @amywestervelt.bsky.social book - very excited to read it (via @libro.fm audio book)
If you want to pre-order (it helps a lot) you have about 1.5 days left to do it!
If you want to pre-order (it helps a lot) you have about 1.5 days left to do it!
September 20, 2026 at 12:13 PM
I just pre-ordered @amywestervelt.bsky.social book - very excited to read it (via @libro.fm audio book)
If you want to pre-order (it helps a lot) you have about 1.5 days left to do it!
If you want to pre-order (it helps a lot) you have about 1.5 days left to do it!
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
This conversation between @alleenbrown.bsky.social and Aru Shiney-Ajay on @drilledmedia.bsky.social is so damn good. Why and how the Sunrise Movement pivoted to fighting authoritarianism as a necessary step toward climate progress, including how they helped resist ICE's occupation of Minneapolis.
The Climate Movement Fights Back - Drilled
In this week's episode Alleen Brown speaks with Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of The Sunrise Movement about being infiltrated by the feds, why fighting authoritarianism is a climate fight, and m...
omny.fm
September 19, 2026 at 3:07 PM
This conversation between @alleenbrown.bsky.social and Aru Shiney-Ajay on @drilledmedia.bsky.social is so damn good. Why and how the Sunrise Movement pivoted to fighting authoritarianism as a necessary step toward climate progress, including how they helped resist ICE's occupation of Minneapolis.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
So proud to be a part of this cool project bringing independent climate reporters together!
Betting the House is a pop-up collaboration of journalists reporting on what the climate crisis means for the places we call home. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, the questions around where we live, and how it will be affected by a warming planet, become more pointed.
‘Betting the House’: A Pop-Up Collaboration — Covering Climate Now
Betting the House is a pop-up collaboration of journalists reporting on what the climate crisis means for the places we call home. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, the questi...
coveringclimatenow.org
September 19, 2026 at 4:47 PM
So proud to be a part of this cool project bringing independent climate reporters together!
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
In the progressive era, muckrakers took down various powerful entities without ever having access, it can be done! Having investigated companies that won’t talk to me I can confidently say it is very possible to report on people who don’t invite you to their press conferences. This is not to say…🧵
September 19, 2026 at 5:54 PM
In the progressive era, muckrakers took down various powerful entities without ever having access, it can be done! Having investigated companies that won’t talk to me I can confidently say it is very possible to report on people who don’t invite you to their press conferences. This is not to say…🧵
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
I've posted about how total cost of ownerships is lower for BEVs than fossil fuel cars. It's true for trucks, vans and school buses too. School districts are saving money by switching from diesel to electric school buses. Let's look at some examples... 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋 www.the74million.org/article/as-d...
As Diesel Prices Soared, Arkansas District Saved With Electric School Buses
Young: Federal funding paid for Little Rock to buy buses that cost 31 cents per mile to operate, versus 59 cents for diesel-powered vehicles.
www.the74million.org
September 19, 2026 at 6:29 PM
I've posted about how total cost of ownerships is lower for BEVs than fossil fuel cars. It's true for trucks, vans and school buses too. School districts are saving money by switching from diesel to electric school buses. Let's look at some examples... 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋 www.the74million.org/article/as-d...
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
I worked with Dr. Joe Romm in my first job, on his site Climate Progress. I thought he was fearless then, and he remained so throughout his career. His writing inspired and taught me, and many many others. Saddened by this unexpected loss. web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/news/r...
Remembering Dr. Joe Romm
It is with great sadness that the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media shares news of the passing of PCSSM Senior Research Fellow Dr. Joe Romm. Please find below an obituary prepared ...
web.sas.upenn.edu
September 19, 2026 at 1:12 PM
I worked with Dr. Joe Romm in my first job, on his site Climate Progress. I thought he was fearless then, and he remained so throughout his career. His writing inspired and taught me, and many many others. Saddened by this unexpected loss. web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/news/r...
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
The convicted felon who told you he has a healthcare plan and will give you $5000 and didn’t rape E Jean Carroll and won the 2020 election and COVID is a hoax and was at the towers on 9/11 wants you to know his son paid the emolument back. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump says son has paid back Russian for wedding party
The president defended Donald Trump Jr.’s decision to take a large gift from Umar Kremlev, saying that such presents are “common.”
www.washingtonpost.com
September 19, 2026 at 1:31 PM
The convicted felon who told you he has a healthcare plan and will give you $5000 and didn’t rape E Jean Carroll and won the 2020 election and COVID is a hoax and was at the towers on 9/11 wants you to know his son paid the emolument back. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Much of my research involves developing data-driven prediction and decision software to reduce pollution and energy bills. Most real-world successes in this field do not involve LLMs and do not require building massive new data centers or ingesting mass amounts of data without creators' consent.
The idea that "AI" generally will have a "net benefit" for climate is something we (me and some climate / digital campaign groups) have been fighting to debunk.
In all cases: it blends traditional AI with generative AI, overstating the benefits of the first and understating the impacts of the 2nd
In all cases: it blends traditional AI with generative AI, overstating the benefits of the first and understating the impacts of the 2nd
September 19, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Much of my research involves developing data-driven prediction and decision software to reduce pollution and energy bills. Most real-world successes in this field do not involve LLMs and do not require building massive new data centers or ingesting mass amounts of data without creators' consent.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Ketan is correct. Nobody should be saying AI will reduce emissions so we should go ahead and deploy it.
I agree with Al Gore on a whole lot of things but he's profoundly wrong on almost everything he says in this piece, and is adopting fossil-fuel industry style talking points that he's previously criticised
A short thread on why.............
www.ft.com/content/ba94...
A short thread on why.............
www.ft.com/content/ba94...
September 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Ketan is correct. Nobody should be saying AI will reduce emissions so we should go ahead and deploy it.
This conversation between @alleenbrown.bsky.social and Aru Shiney-Ajay on @drilledmedia.bsky.social is so damn good. Why and how the Sunrise Movement pivoted to fighting authoritarianism as a necessary step toward climate progress, including how they helped resist ICE's occupation of Minneapolis.
The Climate Movement Fights Back - Drilled
In this week's episode Alleen Brown speaks with Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of The Sunrise Movement about being infiltrated by the feds, why fighting authoritarianism is a climate fight, and m...
omny.fm
September 19, 2026 at 3:07 PM
This conversation between @alleenbrown.bsky.social and Aru Shiney-Ajay on @drilledmedia.bsky.social is so damn good. Why and how the Sunrise Movement pivoted to fighting authoritarianism as a necessary step toward climate progress, including how they helped resist ICE's occupation of Minneapolis.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
The tightrope challenge for carmakers, not just German ones, is that the market wants electric cars now. However, this does not align with the slow transition towards 2035+ that carmakers had planned, which would have involved ongoing high returns on past investments in combustion engine models.
„Negativ wirken sich den Angaben nach insbesondere »eine weitere Verschärfung des Marktumfelds, insbesondere in China, sowie eine beschleunigte Verschiebung der Nachfrage zugunsten batterieelektrischer Fahrzeuge« aus.“
Ein Prozent Umsatzrendite statt, wie bisher erwartet, vier bis fünfeinhalb Prozent: Volkswagen hat seine Gewinnprognose für das laufende Geschäftsjahr deutlich nach unten korrigiert. Die Kurse von VW und Porsche fielen daraufhin stark.
September 19, 2026 at 4:54 AM
The tightrope challenge for carmakers, not just German ones, is that the market wants electric cars now. However, this does not align with the slow transition towards 2035+ that carmakers had planned, which would have involved ongoing high returns on past investments in combustion engine models.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
AI chatbots give wrong answers to financial queries ‘most of the time’ ft.trib.al/oImlEFY
AI chatbots give wrong answers to financial queries ‘most of the time’
Report finds some chatbots ignored upcoming tax changes and hallucinated rules
ft.trib.al
September 19, 2026 at 5:07 AM
AI chatbots give wrong answers to financial queries ‘most of the time’ ft.trib.al/oImlEFY
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Looks like propane is about 50% higher than what we were paying in 2020. Good thing we installed an electric heat pump summer '23 because we only use propane for tankless water heater and backup generator now.
September 19, 2026 at 10:23 AM
Looks like propane is about 50% higher than what we were paying in 2020. Good thing we installed an electric heat pump summer '23 because we only use propane for tankless water heater and backup generator now.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
As I say in this interview, I believe the job before Transitionistas now is entirely political—not technical, not economic. Political. And it's less about persuasion than leadership. Listen in and then get mobilized!
In NN#9, we welcome Steve McBee, founder of AMPED. We discuss the political and cultural infrastructure the clean energy industry needs to build to do battle with the fossil fuel industry and win on every level—from popular opinion to federal policy. www.transitiontimes.net/nn-9-organiz...
NN#9: Organizing for Power
In NN#9, we welcome Steve McBee, founder of AMPED, “the political and cultural infrastructure the clean energy industry never built.” We discuss how the clean energy industry needs to organize to do b...
www.transitiontimes.net
September 19, 2026 at 12:02 AM
As I say in this interview, I believe the job before Transitionistas now is entirely political—not technical, not economic. Political. And it's less about persuasion than leadership. Listen in and then get mobilized!
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Reporters in climate-threatened areas everywhere should just start asking about the risk at open houses. I’d read 100 of these stories
Would love to see this done with estate agents in coastal zones in Ireland destined to erode into the sea and have devastating flooding. We should have a climate risk assessment done for houses for sale much like their energy rating. not much good if its A++ but likely to be swallowed by extremes
A few weekends ago I went to Miami and attended 9 open houses in extremely high-risk flood areas to see what agents are telling prospective buyers about them.
Here is my journey
Here is my journey
September 18, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Reporters in climate-threatened areas everywhere should just start asking about the risk at open houses. I’d read 100 of these stories
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
A few weekends ago I went to Miami and attended 9 open houses in extremely high-risk flood areas to see what agents are telling prospective buyers about them.
Here is my journey
Here is my journey
The open houses at the edge of disaster
What are buyers being told about climate risk in Miami? I posed as one to find out.
heated.world
September 17, 2026 at 6:55 PM
A few weekends ago I went to Miami and attended 9 open houses in extremely high-risk flood areas to see what agents are telling prospective buyers about them.
Here is my journey
Here is my journey
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
“At the very top of the market, climate risk could be acknowledged because the buyer presumably had enough money … Everywhere else, the risk kept getting moved just out of frame.” Great piece and I love that it nods to Sarah Miller’s banger on the same topic
A few weekends ago I went to Miami and attended 9 open houses in extremely high-risk flood areas to see what agents are telling prospective buyers about them.
Here is my journey
Here is my journey
The open houses at the edge of disaster
What are buyers being told about climate risk in Miami? I posed as one to find out.
heated.world
September 18, 2026 at 10:24 PM
“At the very top of the market, climate risk could be acknowledged because the buyer presumably had enough money … Everywhere else, the risk kept getting moved just out of frame.” Great piece and I love that it nods to Sarah Miller’s banger on the same topic
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
Thanks, @influencemap.bsky.social, for shouting out @fieldnotes.co's new methane investigation!
InfluenceMap traces corporate lobbying on climate policies around the world—including the U.S. and European Union's methane regulations.
InfluenceMap traces corporate lobbying on climate policies around the world—including the U.S. and European Union's methane regulations.
September 18, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Thanks, @influencemap.bsky.social, for shouting out @fieldnotes.co's new methane investigation!
InfluenceMap traces corporate lobbying on climate policies around the world—including the U.S. and European Union's methane regulations.
InfluenceMap traces corporate lobbying on climate policies around the world—including the U.S. and European Union's methane regulations.
Reposted by Kevin J. Kircher
If you have a furnace or boiler that burns propane, fuel oil, or kerosene, now is a great time to switch to an electric heat pump. You'll save a lot of 💰 on heating at today's fuel prices, which are up 30+% in the last month with no sign of dropping. Most heat pumps also provide air conditioning ❄️
While US natural gas prices have stayed fairly stable despite Trump's Iran war, propane and heating oil prices have risen sharply. For the 1 in 8 US households that heat with propane or oil, switching to electric heat pumps already made sense and just gets more attractive as fossil fuel prices rise.
Maine heating oil prices up to highest point in years
The head of Maine's Department of Energy Resources called the recent spike 'historic' as average costs exceed $5 per gallon.
www.pressherald.com
April 3, 2026 at 11:41 AM
If you have a furnace or boiler that burns propane, fuel oil, or kerosene, now is a great time to switch to an electric heat pump. You'll save a lot of 💰 on heating at today's fuel prices, which are up 30+% in the last month with no sign of dropping. Most heat pumps also provide air conditioning ❄️
Taps sign👇
Delivered fuels, especially heating oil, have not gotten cheaper in the last 5 months.
Delivered fuels, especially heating oil, have not gotten cheaper in the last 5 months.
If you have a furnace or boiler that burns propane, fuel oil, or kerosene, now is a great time to switch to an electric heat pump. You'll save a lot of 💰 on heating at today's fuel prices, which are up 30+% in the last month with no sign of dropping. Most heat pumps also provide air conditioning ❄️
While US natural gas prices have stayed fairly stable despite Trump's Iran war, propane and heating oil prices have risen sharply. For the 1 in 8 US households that heat with propane or oil, switching to electric heat pumps already made sense and just gets more attractive as fossil fuel prices rise.
September 18, 2026 at 8:24 PM
Taps sign👇
Delivered fuels, especially heating oil, have not gotten cheaper in the last 5 months.
Delivered fuels, especially heating oil, have not gotten cheaper in the last 5 months.
"Brent Hecht, director of applied science at Microsoft, said the development of large language models was “an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions”, perhaps the “largest theft of labour in human history” and that “almost no one intended for content they created to be used in this fashion”"
AI training ‘largest theft of labour in history’, says Microsoft memo
Science director Brent Hecht said the use of copyrighted material to develop ChatGPT was ‘astonishing’ in a document in the The New York Times’s lawsuit
www.thetimes.com
September 18, 2026 at 6:51 PM
"Brent Hecht, director of applied science at Microsoft, said the development of large language models was “an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions”, perhaps the “largest theft of labour in human history” and that “almost no one intended for content they created to be used in this fashion”"
👇 FYI, Massachusetts folks. Opportunity to contribute to important and timely reporting. Trump's Iran war has driven heating oil prices through the roof. This winter may well be brutally expensive for households that heat with oil, who tend to be in rural areas in the Northeast.
I'm hoping to speak with some Massachusetts residents who use heating oil and are worried about the cost of heating their homes this winter.
I've had a few great responses, but I'm looking for me. Please help me spread the word! Thanks wburhomeheating.paperform.co
I've had a few great responses, but I'm looking for me. Please help me spread the word! Thanks wburhomeheating.paperform.co
Are you anxious about home heating costs this winter?
Do you live in Massachusetts and heat your home with heating oil? Are you feeling anxious about prices this winter? We want to talk with you.
wburhomeheating.paperform.co
September 18, 2026 at 6:45 PM
👇 FYI, Massachusetts folks. Opportunity to contribute to important and timely reporting. Trump's Iran war has driven heating oil prices through the roof. This winter may well be brutally expensive for households that heat with oil, who tend to be in rural areas in the Northeast.