@tylerlmcintosh
PhD student | Geography | CU Boulder Studying social-ecological risk and resilience in the face of natural hazards (esp wildfire) in a changing world Social-ecological systems | Remote sensing | Environmental data science | Wildfire
Folks often assume that sheer number of wildfires in West must be linked to intentional arson--despite abundant evidence to contrary. But this partly stems from profound underestimation re: just how easy it can be to spark a fire under right conditions... www.nytimes.com/2025...
Five federal firefighters, who spoke anonymously because they are barred from speaking publicly, were asked if their agencies were ready for fire season. The answer was a resounding “no”.
“If this turns out to be a major fire year, it’s going to be a shit show.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Friday PM attempted massacre... of science.
The fight is not over. There are things to do.
Organize with @standupforscience.bsky.social
Get informed: scienceimpacts.org
Call your representative & ask: what are they doing to stop the self-destruction of American's innovation economy?
Graph showing area burned in Canada by day of the year
Area burned over 1 million hectares in Canada and increasing. Second only to the 2023 in terms of area burned for this time of year. @ciffc.bsky.social
ciffc.ca
cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/maps/fm3?typ...
Our work is far from done—science is still under attack.
We’ve got ideas, but we want to hear from you. What’s worrying you most? What should we do next? How can we grow this movement together?
Fill out this quick form to share your thoughts & stay connected: forms.gle/7EEQMZUveXN9...
In the hearing this week on Fix our forests, the statement was made that 75% of those already laid off were red carded. This summer’s fire season, if it isn’t a quiet one, is going to be a reality check for these policies.
www.eenews.net/articles/for...
A crowd of science advocates holding signs
Thank you to the hundreds of folks who showed up to STAND UP FOR SCIENCE in Denver yesterday! It was such an honor to stand alongside you.
Now get out there and keep telling the world why science matters! To you, your friends and family, neighbors, peers. Science is for—and benefits—everyone!
Wherever you are today, join us as we STAND UP FOR SCIENCE!
For CO folks - events in Denver (1-4), as well as at noon in Boulder, Fort Collins, and Golden. Find your location info here: standupforscience2025.org/local-event-...
If you can’t make an event, don’t fret—stand up loud at noon!
Stand up for science flyer, happening on March 7th in DC & nationwide with more information at www.standupforscience2025.org
WHERE WILL YOU BE TOMORROW?
As my friend @drshepherd2013.bsky.social says, asking why we need a National Weather Service when we have apps and the Weather Channel is like asking why we need potato farmers when we can buy fries at McDonalds.
Scientific institutions must create--and sustain--new kinds of roles so that researchers can provide the deep public engagement necessary to respond effectively to the escalating impacts of #climate change. The status quo isn't working. nature.com/articles/d41...
NEW: The Minerva Research Initiative, established by the Pentagon to fund social science relevant to national security, is being gutted. Dozens of researchers studying threats from extremist groups, misinformation or climate change have received notices that their grants are being terminated.
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A reminder for CO folks that these closures aren’t just statistics of things happening elsewhere:
This list includes DOI facilities in Fort Collins, Boulder, Durango, Tawaoc, Grand Junction, Littlewood, Lakewood, and Golden, which support staff and activities of NPS, USFWS, USGS, BOR, and BIA.
@aweiss.bsky.social
Demonstrating for science risks politicizing it. But, that *doesn't* mean we shouldn't do it.
A few folks have asked what our research has to say about to most effectively advocate for science, in advance of @standupforscience.bsky.social events.
Sharing some of that research below: 🧵🧬
Statement begins: The mass firing of both new hires and recently promoted senior staff within NOAA, including mission-critical and life-saving roles at the National Weather Service (NWS), is profoundly alarming. It appears that NOAA staff fired today include meteorologists, data and computer scientists responsible for maintaining and upgrading weather predictive models, and technicians responsible for maintaining the nation’s weather instrumentation network (among many others). Housed within NOAA, the U.S. NWS is a truly world-class meteorological predictive service, perhaps singularly so. Its cost of operation is only ~$3-4/yr per taxpayer—equivalent to a single cup of coffee—and yields a truly remarkable return on investment (at least 10 to 1, and perhaps 100 to 1, depending on methods of estimation). NOAA and the NWS collectively offer tens to hundreds of billions of dollars each year in net economic benefit through a combination of averted losses and efficiencies gained....
I have written a short statement responding to mass firings today of #NOAA / National Weather Service (#NWS) staff (which were concentrated among recent hires as well as highly experienced staff who had recently been promoted). Please see below screenshot & below for full text.
I’ve been impressed with the approach taken by Tangle News www.readtangle.com
@lauradee.bsky.social @katherinesiegel.bsky.social
🔭🔬🧪
Colorado Front Range folks - PLEASE JOIN US as we Stand Up for Science on March 7th at the Capitol Building!
@standupforscience.bsky.social
Important editorial: the "existential moment requiring careful and consistent action to preserve the values and ambitions of science."
"The weeks ahead may be the greatest test that the US scientific community has ever faced"
By @holdenthorp.bsky.social @science.org
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
Another article detailing anxiety among young researchers. Future careers are at stake with the US funding cuts, and talented young researchers are already being driven to pursue opportunities abroad.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🚨CO Scientists🚨
Have you or someone you know been fired from a federally funded position? If so—contact me! Looking for speakers/stories for the Stand Up for Science rally in Denver, CO.
For decades, the US government has painstakingly kept American science #1 globally—and every facet of American life has improved because of it. The internet? Flu shot? Ozempic? All grew out of federally-funded research. Now all that's being dismantled. 1/ www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/21/1...
NEW: The hiring freeze ordered last month by President Trump continues to stall onboarding of firefighters and could have deadly consequences as the national wildfire response operates at a "diminished capacity," a federal firefighting captain tells me. www.nbcnews.com/weather/wild...
Tim of the Hotshot Wakeup is not on this website but this is worth reading in full. A letter to him from one of his reader/listeners.
thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/p/a-letter-f...
Think the limitations to non-fire positions means these public lands firings won’t affect fire operations? Think again. Listen to/folo @amonthei.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...
NOAA is reportedly on the DOGE chopping block.
The National Weather Service, which is part of NOAA, provides life saving weather forecasting in the US.
A study found that for every $1 invested in NWS, it produces $73 in value to Americans.
Again, this isn't about efficiency.
[Update: I am slightly amending original thread for accuracy, which is important amid chaos. There are some conflicting reports, though I have personally heard from many people in roles below who were fired in the last 24 hours (and many more were told "they're on the list").]
Friday SCOOP: @vox.com has learned that USFWS has frozen its vast portfolio of international conservation grants.
This is far beyond the scope of USAID-funded work and will inevitably harm wildlife internationally and in the US.
@benjij.bsky.social has the story: www.vox.com/down-to-eart...
Ouch.