Plastic Inc. is an Amazon UK Kindle monthly deal! If you're in the UK, you can grab the e-book for just 99p any time in August. www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Inc-...

With temperatures climbing again in Europe, reposting this piece I wrote in the last heatwave (just a few weeks ago) about the continent's cooling challenges www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...

Europe’s Come-to-AC Moment

The heat is changing the continent’s interest in cooling technologies of all kinds.

theatlantic.com

20,000 people killed by heat in Europe in less than a week. That's the finding by @ccallahan45.bsky.social, a first-rate scientist who has co-authored several important climate attribution studies. Near real-time analysis like this is so important -- it makes the invisible visible.

This is a great time to read The Heat Will Kill You First by @jeffgoodell.bsky.social . Heat sneaks up on people in unexpected ways, and we don't take it seriously enough. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hea...

The Heat Will Kill You First - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Why are Europe’s heat waves still so deadly, 20+ years after we supposedly learned our lesson in 2003? An ageing population and overheating buildings are all part of the problem. But the pace of warming in Europe is also fast outstripping our paltry preparation efforts. bsky.app/profile/ziaw...

Zia Weise@ziaweise.bsky.social · last mo.

Once the heat dissipates, Europe will start counting its dead. Story: www.politico.eu/article/why-...

Much of Europe wasn’t built for air-conditioning, or for coping with hot weather at all—but Europeans urgently need a way to cool down, Beth Gardiner reports from London:

Europe’s Come-to-AC Moment

The heat is changing the continent’s interest in cooling technologies of all kinds.

bit.ly

We regret that our event on Extreme Heat: Improving governance and strengthening action around the world has been cancelled due to the red extreme heat warning issued by the UK Met Office. Our apologies to everyone who was planning to attend the event.

"Beth Gardiner drops some extraordinary truth bombs in Plastic Inc." Thank you @ianfraser.bsky.social for this thoughtful and nuanced review.

Ian Fraser@ianfraser.bsky.social · 2mo ago

You begin to hate the plastics industry the further you get into Plastic Inc. @bethgardiner.bsky.social charts the industry’s use of disinformation, lobbying, legal sabre-rattling and lawsuits to emasculate or eliminate legal and regulatory constraints. My Plastic Inc review @litreview.bsky.social

You begin to hate the plastics industry the further you get into Plastic Inc. @bethgardiner.bsky.social charts the industry’s use of disinformation, lobbying, legal sabre-rattling and lawsuits to emasculate or eliminate legal and regulatory constraints. My Plastic Inc review @litreview.bsky.social

Ian Fraser - Bottling It

Ian Fraser: Bottling It - Plastic Inc.: Big Oil, Big Money and the Plan to Trash our Future by Beth Gardiner

literaryreview.co.uk

We’re excited to support @bethgardiner.bsky.social's “Plastic Inc," a new book about Big Oil flooding our world with plastic. Despite evidence that microplastics harm public health, the industry is on track to triple production in the next 40 years. Take action now: https://on.nrdc.org/3PgFu0X

I always listen to @kqedforum.bsky.social when I'm in the Bay Area, and it was so much fun to be on the show today, for a great conversation about PLASTIC INC. with @alexis-madrigal.bsky.social! www.kqed.org/forum/201010...

How Plastic Took Over the World – And How Big Oil is Betting on It | KQED

We talk about why the world is drowning in plastic and how we might reverse the trend.

kqed.org

Join @bethgardiner.bsky.social and Queens environmental leader Susan Latham at Hunters Point Library on Thursday, May 7 at 6PM for their discussion about Gardiner's new book, "Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil's Biggest Bet." queenslibrary.org/calendar/tal...

If you're in the UK, Plastic Inc is a Kindle Daily Deal today, available till midnight for just 99p! www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Inc-...

Plastic Inc: Big Oil, Big Money and The Plan To Trash Our Future

Plastic Inc: Big Oil, Big Money and The Plan To Trash Our Future eBook : Gardiner, Beth: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

amazon.co.uk

What a thrill to be published in the @theatlantic.com! Took a look at the Iran war's disruption of plastic supply chains -- yet another way the fossil fuel economy makes us vulnerable to geopolitical shocks www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...

Brace for the Plastic Price Hikes

The war in Iran could raise the consumer costs of car parts, toys, clothing, and more.

theatlantic.com

Important story from @lizagross.bsky.social

Liza Gross@lizagross.bsky.social · 4mo ago

My latest: Trump’s EPA is working to roll back Biden-era rules to protect workers, first responders and communities from chemical explosions and other accidental releases—just as climate change is making them more likely. insideclimatenews.org/news/1404202...

Good morning for once to some good news: gonna have so much solar powered energy this summer they will be literally giving it away www.thetimes.com/business/ene...

Do your laundry at weekends to get free electricity, Britons told

The National Energy System Operator has launched a scheme to reward homes and businesses that use more power when there is an oversupply of energy

thetimes.com

“In her investigation of the scope and impact of plastics, Gardiner doesn’t hold back. Plastic Inc is an angry book: timely, well researched and full of facts that make you furious.” Rosie Boycott reviews Plastic Inc: Big Oil, Big Money and the Plan to Trash Our Future by @bethgardiner.bsky.social

Plastic Inc — how the defining material of the modern age ended up trashing the planet

Beth Gardiner’s angry, well-researched book investigates a profit-driven industry and the environmental debts it imposes on generations

ft.com

It is hard to capture what a sweeping strategic defeat the war in Iran has been for the United States. I’m going to thread here some of the posts today that try to capture those effects. Here’s the first:

Carl Quintanilla@carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 4mo ago

$2 million per ship — to cross a Strait that was free six weeks ago. @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/w...

Utterly reprehensible. What an indelibly shameful moment this is for America.

Judd Legum@juddlegum.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Whatever happens, this is a deeply shameful episode in American history that will leave a permanent stain on the country. Repeatedly vowing to commit war crimes against millions of innocent civilians is beyond the pale.

Morally, legally, economically the war on Iran is disastrous and the disaster goes on for years no matter what happens now. But what cannot be overstated is that in pure national security terms it is also an unmitigated catastrophe.

As a writer, nothing is more gratifying than discussing your book with someone who's read it deeply and thoughtfully–especially when that person is the great @tonyamosley.bsky.social, of Fresh Air. It was an absolute pleasure and honor to talk to her about Plastic Inc. www.npr.org/2026/04/01/n...

The oil industry is betting big on plastics. Here's what that means for the future

Journalist Beth Gardiner says the fossil fuel industry is increasingly reliant upon plastic products. Her book is Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil's Biggest Bet.

npr.org

“Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic and made way for parks, people-streets and bike-lanes.” Better for the climate, better for health, better for livability and quality of life. Common sense. Such a no-brainer, it’s remarkable that more cities HAVEN’T done the same.

Paris said au revoir to cars. Air pollution maps reveal a dramatic change.

Air pollution fell substantially as the city restricted car traffic and made way for parks and bike lanes.

washingtonpost.com

Fossil fuel crises before the 2020s left consumers with three options: 1. Switch fuel if possible 2. Pay more if you can find fuel 3. Cut fuel use Fossil fuel crises after the 2020s give new affordable options: 4. Install cheap solar panels and batteries 5. Buy electricity-consuming devices

One of the chief virtues of the book is that it’s nearly the only remaining form of media that isn’t constantly being interrupted by ads. Between the covers is the last place on earth where no one is trying to sell you shit, a place where you can still be a human being rather than a mark.

Spain's renewables build-out has structurally decoupled its electricity prices from gas markets. Gas now sets the price in only 15% of hours, compared to 90% in Italy. Countries that invested early in clean power are far less exposed to fossil fuel price shocks. Those that didn't now pay the price.

"Britannica’s lawsuit said that OpenAI unlawfully copied nearly 100,000 of its articles... The complaint said that ChatGPT produces “near-verbatim” copies of Britannica’s encyclopedia entries, dictionary definitions and other content, diverting users who would otherwise visit its websites."

Encyclopedia Britannica sues OpenAI over alleged AI training

Case is one of many high-stakes lawsuits filed by copyright owners against tech giants

theglobeandmail.com

Your tax dollars at work: the Trump Administration wants to pay Total $1 billion NOT to build wind farms.

Trump Officials Weigh New $1 Billion Deal to Stop Offshore Wind Farms

nytimes.com

25% of the world's liquified natural gas/LNG is offline. But Pakistan is in a better position - because of the explosive growth of solar and batteries. Pakistan DECREASED LNG imports last year in part because of ☀️+🔋 Here's why renewables - and EVs -are an energy security solution 🎧📻📖 on @npr.org

Oil and gas prices are soaring. Some countries are ready with solar panels and EVs

As an energy crisis grows, some countries are more prepared because of renewable energy and electric vehicles. Pakistan reduced its reliance on imported natural gas because of the growth of solar.

npr.org

Plus, as @climatepower.bsky.social told me, it's becoming clearer that home solar, as well as EVs, are the way for Americans to get off the "merry-go-round" of fossil fuel price spikes—since this certainly won't be the last geopolitical event to affect them www.fastcompany.com/91508367/sol...

More homeowners are considering solar power during the Iran oil crisis

EnergySage, an online marketplace, has seen a surge in people requesting quotes for solar installations since the conflict in the Middle East began.

fastcompany.com