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...

A Fish Falls From the Sky and Sparks a Brush Fire in British Columbia

Officials say a flying osprey dropped its catch, which then struck power lines, causing sparks that ignited dry grass.

nytimes.com

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...

The US is woefully underprepared for wildfire season, say insiders: ‘The stakes are life and death’

‘Efficiency’ cuts across offices have left teams understaffed, firefighters underpaid and uninsured, and without adequate equipment

theguardian.com

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?

SCIMaP - Impacts of Federal Cuts to Science and Medical Research

Developed by an interdisciplinary research team, this website shows how funding cuts reduce economic activity and employment nationwide

scienceimpacts.org

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...

How do we keep Standing Up for Science?

A heartfelt thank you for everyone that Stood Up for Science with us on March 7th—whether it be volunteering, donating, sharing, or attending in event, we're forever indebted to people like you who ca...

forms.gle

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...

Forest Service braces for up to 7,000 layoffs

“We are sheep headed to slaughter,” one employee said as the Trump administration eyes further staff reductions.

eenews.net

Michael Wara@michaelwara.bsky.social · 2y ago

Listen to Riva Duncan of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters - a 30y veteran of the wildland fire service - on the fire impacts of the non-fire layoffs in the federal land management agency. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

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!@standupforscience.net · 2y ago

TODAY IS THE DAY! 🧪☀️⬇️ Join us at the Lincoln Memorial or your local site to Stand Up for Science!

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...

Climate researchers need support to become scientist-communicators

Scientific institutions must create roles so that researchers can provide the deep public engagement necessary to respond effectively to the escalating impacts of climate change.

nature.com

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. 🧪

Pentagon guts national security program that harnessed social science

Dozens of U.S. academics lose grants from Minerva program for studies related to terrorism, drug trafficking, and other threats

science.org

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.

Evan Frost@wildwoods.bsky.social · 2y ago

Congress has just released a list of federal DOI offices to be closed under the ongoing massacre of our natural resource agencies -- it's extensive and includes many important NPS, BLM, USGS and USFWS facilities across the country. Truly horrific. democrats-naturalresources.house.gov/imo/media/do...

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: 🧵🧬

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.

🔭🔬🧪 Colorado Front Range folks - PLEASE JOIN US as we Stand Up for Science on March 7th at the Capitol Building! @standupforscience.bsky.social

Sarah Senese@ssenese.bsky.social · 2y ago

It’s official! Stand Up for Science with us on the east steps of the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver, CO! @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...

Postdocs and PhD students hit hard by Trump’s crackdown on science

As US federal grants remain frozen and budget cuts loom, anxiety and fear grip early-career researchers.

nature.com

🚨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...

The foundations of America’s prosperity are being dismantled

Federal scientists warn that Americans could feel the effects of the new administration's devastating cuts for decades to come

technologyreview.com

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...

Hiring freeze of firefighters could be deadly, Forest Service captain warns

Capt. Ben McLane said stalled onboarding of seasonal employees will force the system to operate at a diminished capacity as the wildfire season heats up.

nbcnews.com

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...

A Letter From The Inside: Unjustified Terminations.

The following is a letter sent to me by a manager in the Forest Service: 🙏

thehotshotwakeup.substack.com

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...

How the Loss of Federal Workers Will Have A Massive Impact on Fire Operations This Fire Season, With Riva Duncan

Podcast Episode · Life with Fire · 02/16/2025 · 18m

podcasts.apple.com

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...

Leaked emails show the nation’s leading wildlife agency has halted critical funding for conservation

Exclusive: The US Fish and Wildlife Service has frozen millions of dollars, imperiling animals abroad.

vox.com

Ouch.

It's hard to believe the Keeling Curve has been taken down. Even with what we expect, it's shocking

David Ho@davidho.bsky.social · 2y ago

The most iconic figure in the environmental sciences is the Keeling Curve, the CO₂ record from Mauna Loa, Hawaii. @noaa.gov had a wonderful site where you could visualize and download these data, and now it's just gone. These data belong to us and we should not let this happen!

Wildlife contributes to human well-being and values in visible and invisible ways that are under-recognized or dominated by conflict narratives. We review these critical contributions and what research and policy is needed to protect them: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

CIRES Fellow Jennifer Balch, @cu-esiil.bsky.social & @earthlabcu.bsky.social , spoke with @apnews.com and Scientific American about the LA Fires. Read what she had to say: apnews.com/article/fire... and www.scientificamerican.com/article/pali...

It's not really the typical time for nasty California fires. What changed that?

Here's what experts say is turning Southern California's speedy wildfires into a deadly urban conflagration that is defying the calendar.

apnews.com