Silvia Secchi | LightNews

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 3h

I can't decide which snarky gif to use to accompany this piece of news

Resignations follow no-confidence vote in Center for Intellectual Freedom

Casting a “vote of no confidence” in the Legislature’s Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa, all but two of 13 out-of-state professors invited by Gov. Kim Reynolds to serve on the...

www.thegazette.com

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5h

Dr Oz says the Trump administration will kick more than a million people off health insurance because some of them have "never filed a claim"

Bob Kopp @bobkopp.net · 8h

NEW PAPER: In a new paper, jointly published in @agu.org Earth's Future & @ametsoc.org BAMS, and co-led by Melissa Kenney, @costasamaras.com and me, 175 authors outline priorities to guide the future of scientific assessments of climate change in the United States. 🧵

Research Priorities for Robust Climate Assessments in the United States

A network of climate assessments plays a critical role in synthesizing the state of science to support evidence-based decision-making To support future U.S. and sub-national climate assessments, ...

doi.org

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 20h

Dr. Foley is absolutely correct. “Regenerative” grazing being presented as a solution is very problematic from a climate action perspective b/c it is really obstruction that promotes unjust and unsustainable practices. Wealthy people can afford to pay the “regenerative” premium, the planet cannot.

Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · 20h

Another reminder: “regenerative” grazing is *not* a real climate solution.

While it might build some soil carbon, it drives far more land use and larger herd sizes than conventional beef production, which is bad enough.

The better solution? Eat less, waste none.

drawdown.org/insights/eig...

Eight reasons regenerative grazing can’t make beef climate-friendly

An influential regenerative grazing movement continues to grow. But here's why the science doesn't back up the purported climate benefits.

drawdown.org

Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · 20h

Another reminder: “regenerative” grazing is *not* a real climate solution.

While it might build some soil carbon, it drives far more land use and larger herd sizes than conventional beef production, which is bad enough.

The better solution? Eat less, waste none.

drawdown.org/insights/eig...

Eight reasons regenerative grazing can’t make beef climate-friendly

An influential regenerative grazing movement continues to grow. But here's why the science doesn't back up the purported climate benefits.

drawdown.org

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 22h

As the parent of a student I’m pretty pissed myself.

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 22h

I would like to be able to say I am surprised that upper level administrators in higher ed are such a disappointment about AI and that they do not appreciate they are also going to be replaced by algorithms that steal people’s work. I would like to be able to say that, but I can’t.

Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 1d

The provost of Dartmouth, at which I teach, has been using AI to write both academic papers & national op-eds, according to brave reporting by @thedartmouth.bsky.social. Many students are already bitter about AI. This leaves us as faculty no ground to stand on. www.thedartmouth.com/article/2026...

Op-eds, academic articles by Provost Santiago Schnell flagged as ‘AI-written’ by ‘near-zero error’ AI detector Pangram

Schnell said he used artificial intelligence for “making writing processes more efficient,” but that AI was not a “substitute” for his own “intellectual judgment or authorship.”

www.thedartmouth.com

Katie O'Reilly @drkatfish.bsky.social · 1d

Move over, Salmon Cannon, it's Sturgeon Elevator's time to shine

www.mlive.com/environment/...

Watch lake sturgeon ride an elevator at an Upper Peninsula hydroelectric dam

A fish elevator in Michigan is helping save one of the Great Lakes’ most ancient species from extinction.

www.mlive.com

Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 1d

The provost of Dartmouth, at which I teach, has been using AI to write both academic papers & national op-eds, according to brave reporting by @thedartmouth.bsky.social. Many students are already bitter about AI. This leaves us as faculty no ground to stand on. www.thedartmouth.com/article/2026...

Op-eds, academic articles by Provost Santiago Schnell flagged as ‘AI-written’ by ‘near-zero error’ AI detector Pangram

Schnell said he used artificial intelligence for “making writing processes more efficient,” but that AI was not a “substitute” for his own “intellectual judgment or authorship.”

www.thedartmouth.com

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

My goodness I’m going to start walking with my head looking up - it’s that time of the year again!

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

Where?

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

Congratulation to @ninaelkadi.com for winning a 2026 CCNow Journalism Award for her @sentientmedia.org story on the impact of alfalfa in Arizona. "Elkadi’s narrative is “accessible, engaging, and rich in detail,” judges said, and it represents an outstanding public service." 👏

(link to the story 👇)

The 2026 Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards — Covering Climate Now

Covering Climate Now is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 CCNow Journalism Awards. Our awards program, now in its sixth year, honors excellent reporting on many critical dimensions of the clim...

coveringclimatenow.org

Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 2d

i hate it

@wileyonlinelibrary.bsky.social, please kill this

Arlyssa D. Becenti ✍️🗞️ @abecenti.bsky.social · 2d

From me: Diné NAU professor maps safe drinking water on the Navajo Nation

Diné NAU professor maps safe drinking water on the Navajo Nation

Jani Ingram set out to find water sources on the Navajo Nation that are safe to drink, and the result is an interactive map.

www.azcentral.com

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

This was literally LAST WEEK: a city council in Iowa passed an ordinance barring milkweed as a nuisance. If you want to focus on small potatoes, this makes for a better story - alas it misses the pablum feel good factor NPR is addicted to, regardless of the country’s need for real news.

Breda City Council Bans Residential Milkweed, Sets Trick-or-Treat Hours, and Updates City Policies

The Breda City Council met last night in a regularly scheduled meeting. The council approved amending the employee handbook to allow gifting sick leave, designated the front door of City Hall as the o...

www.1380kcim.com

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

I know it takes a couple of steps to go from “by far the most confined animal feeding operations in the nation” to monarchs - it’s massive amounts of land needed to grow the feed & dispose of the 💩 btw - but the hostility to public lands & restoration is right there and obvious for crying out loud.

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

This is the same flavor of playbook that the state and land grant universities use to sell their ineffective policies: just selectively talk about one side of the ledger - more money spent on conservation (not even activities performed, which may be fewer if prices have gone up), not results.

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

Only Kansas has less public land than Iowa. The current ag secretary literally worked for Monsanto. The legislature keeps trying to pass bills limiting land acquisition for restoration, we only grow two crops and raise million of pigs and laying hens in horrible confined spaces but hey, ditches!

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

NPR is just airing a story about the monarch migration that makes Iowa look good by talking about the state planting milkweed and other natives in ditches but totally omitting the broader policy context that made Iowa a sacrifice state to big ag. Cropaganda works in multiple ways.

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

current mood

Image of Moominpappa at sea in a little boat among huge waves, with a lighthouse in the background on the right and a red sun on the left.

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

Wow ticket sales must really be down

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 2d

Ed Sheeran says situation in Gaza ‘unjustifiable’ in first show since tour plunged into turmoil

The pop star has faced boycott calls after rapper Macklemore was removed from his tour after shouting ‘Free Palestine’ at a concert this month Ed Sheeran has opened a solo concert in Philadelphia with comments about Gaza, saying what’s happening is “catastrophic and unjustifiable”, in his first show since the his tour plunged into turmoil. “My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives,” Sheeran said on Saturday, adding that he wanted his music and shows to be about unity and humanity, not politics. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 2d

Ed Sheeran says situation in Gaza ‘unjustifiable’ in first show since tour plunged into turmoil

The pop star has faced boycott calls after rapper Macklemore was removed from his tour after shouting ‘Free Palestine’ at a concert this month Ed Sheeran has opened a solo concert in Philadelphia with comments about Gaza, saying what’s happening is “catastrophic and unjustifiable”, in his first show since the his tour plunged into turmoil. “My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives,” Sheeran said on Saturday, adding that he wanted his music and shows to be about unity and humanity, not politics. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

This is certainly the case in Iowa where in recent history the Democratic Party leadership has been 💩 on ethanol CO2 pipelines (one of the most bipartisanly senseless obsolete-before-the-start ideas in ag policy history), ethanol itself, and water quality.
And trans rights too alas.
🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️

Kevin @reginageorgebush.bsky.social · 2d

actual Democratic Party history tells you that you need to whap the party with a rolled-up newspaper when they start getting precious about your key issue, otherwise they will keep going in the direction you hate. this is just how the party works

Kevin @reginageorgebush.bsky.social · 2d

actual Democratic Party history tells you that you need to whap the party with a rolled-up newspaper when they start getting precious about your key issue, otherwise they will keep going in the direction you hate. this is just how the party works

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 2d

It does!
"Pecan (Carya illinoensis) can be found in bottomland woods. It is located along the Mississippi River. It can also be found along the Des Moines River in Kossuth county, possibly planted by native Americans."

Map of Iowa showing location of pecan trees along the Mississippi

https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/forestry/iowa_trees/trees/pecan.html

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