🐾 environmental journalist
🌈 editor-at-large
@atmosmag
🤎 bylines: Vox, Cosmo, Vogue, The Guardian
🔍 taking assignments for sept.
💌 hi at yessfun dot com
a reminder that i'm using this website sparingly. find me on every other social media platform — or send me an old-fashioned email.
also: follow my newsletter :)
Third Avenue Bridge Stuck 🌉
📍
#NYC
The 3rd Ave Bridge stuck is stuck in the "open" position due to overheating machinery. FDNY Marine Units are en route to assist in cooling down the machinery to expedite the closure of the Third Avenue Bridge. Avoid the area and expect traffic
wrote about Cop City on The Frontline today, reminding readers that police violence IS an environmental issue. the mainstream movement's silence is unacceptable
serious question for working journalists: how many of y'all let sources proofread and read drafts? b/c the response I get from folks when I say no really makes it seem like A LOT of y'all do this, and I'm just confused! like have the rules changed or something?
a CHILD, 14 years old, killed protecting his ancestral lands. THIS is the cost of a society that priorities the exploitation of land over the lives of people
I know everyone's got their take on the latest IPCC report. I figured I'd let my peers break down WG3 for y'all.
instead, I dove into how colonialism made it into the sixth assessment report in the first place for The Frontline.
some personal news...
I'm officially climate ~director~ for
@AtmosMag
. I'll still be publishing The Frontline & reporting & writing. I'll just continue to do plenty behind the scenes 😛
thankful everyday for
@Willwrights
for being such an amazing boss + leader!
my take on the
#IPCC
report: respect Indigenous people's rights. we need to keep more carbon stored. the more lands they can steward, the less trees (and carbon) we lose.
things aren't looking great—and that's in large part due to whom we put in charge.
ya girl is officially published in
@voguemagazine
, baby.
Kristal Hansley is taking the solar industry by storm with WeSolar. she's not your average solar company CEO.
my first-ever story for
@guardian
is up as part of its
#ClimateCrimes
series. it's about the end of the fossil fuel industry. with the
#IPCC
report out this week, this proposal feels super timely
shout out to
@pollutersout
for their work on this matter
a new show is coming to reality TV.... and it glamorizes activism as though it were a sport. meanwhile, 227 environmental and land defenders were killed last year. this is the most since Global Witness began tracking.
been actively avoiding the term "natural gas" in my writing for a while now. appreciate
@emorwee
actively calling out the change so readers know it's a conscious style decision. more outlets should do the same
I'm very critical of the Inflation Reduction Act. it's got some stuff that seriously bums me out. I'm also thrilled that the climate movement—ESPECIALLY CLIMATE JUSTICE LEADERS—got us SOMETHING.
the fact the bill has ANY EJ provisions is a testament to how far we've come.
i will never not be annoyed by climate activists that target food. yes, meat and dairy are bad for the planet. is the answer to cut it out entirely? no! what about culture? if we want COPs to be diverse, we need to find a compromise. not everyone can enjoy a vegan meal yall
look, there's some good in the Inflation Reduction Act—but there's also serious harm. I speak to EJ & CJ organizers for The Frontline in this deep dive into what comes next once the IRA passes
ft
@EJinAction
@RevYearwood
@_jadebegay
@BineshiAlbert
+ more
my deep dive for
@AtmosMag
on how climate change is exacerbating deaths at the border is finally out. this is a deeply personal & urgent story.
we hear how climate change is affecting migration patterns, but what about migrants?
the way some climate people come for each other is a big part of why the "movement" has catastrophically failed for so very long. sigh, it's so exhausting to watch people who want the same things eat each other up.
we can call each other in without tearing each other apart.
with puerto rico in the dark, y'all better RUN to watch
@sanbenito
's latest music video featuring the incredible
@bgraulau
's reporting
THIS IS WHAT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM LOOKS LIKE.
grateful to
@MaryHeglar
for giving me her time and joining The Frontline today to talk about redefining "individual action," the power of trolling fossil fuel companies & being a Black women among the sea of white dudes in the Climate World
i'm still thinking about the
#TyreNichols
news. for those who aren't sure how police violence connects to environmental and climate issues, here is a list of stories I've written on the issue.
A THREAD
really shaken by the devastation in fort myers and across florida. if you all arent taking the climate crisis seriously, what are you waiting for?
we need to act NOW. we need to get out and vote out climate deniers. we need systemic change. we need a culture shift.
if you care about climate & aren't sure how war is connected, here's a story I wrote on Palestine last year.
war is not only violent for the people living through it. it's violent for the planet. and its impacts can linger long after a war ends.
can't help but think about how some folks are privileged enough to take the time for burn out while many BIPOC in climate can't afford to.
support is great, but I think money is better. a lot of this boils down to who can actually afford to take care of their mental health. ☹️
In the last week, two of the most important climate voices,
@drvolts
&
@emorwee
, announced they're taking breaks, citing the physical and emotional toll of this work.
Burnout is real. But is there another layer on burnout climate people face? Can we better support each other?
sometimes, my interviews just break my heart. hearing scientists grapple w/ the reality of what's unfolding is painful. and I can't get emotional in the middle of an interview. I have to hold myself together.
shout out to my fellow climate storytellers. we do hard work, man.
some sweet news: I'll be kicking off
@sejorg
's inaugural environmental justice column.
I hope the column can be a space to be vulnerable as a woman of color in the field, as well as to offer guidance to my peers hoping to be better on the topic.
it's a HUGE DEAL that the world's top scientists (and 196 governments) signed off to language confirming that colonialism not only caused climate change historically, but also continues to drive the crisis today
Guess who bought a Prius last night 😌 got me some leather interior, heated seats, Bluetooth. The works! This shit might seem common to y’all, but I have only ever driven my mom’s hoopties so I am beyond happy 😭😭 no more 93 geo prism when I go visit my mom lmao
wild to me that courts can stop the President from forgiving our debt but couldn’t stop the construction of pipelines it deemed illegal like DAPL
they kept building even when courts were like hm this might be illegal. what’s stopping the President actually?? 😑
my feeling today is that we're fucked. I won't feel this way tomorrow because I can't, but it's OK to feel that way today. we can't give into doomism, but we're human—and sometimes, it does feel like we're doomed.
fuck you, SCOTUS.
baby's got her first
@climate
byline, edited by my fav
@blkahn
. OG earther crew unite!
seriously, tho, the work happening out on Whidbey Island to bring heat pumps to ppl is AMAZING. read read!
the perfect example of what
@AjaSaysHello
means when she says poor people aren't the ones fueling the fast fashion crisis.
this woman's household income is well into 6 figures, and she still chooses to spend hundreds at ASOS
if you dont get how the
#KyleRittenhouseTrial
is connected to our ecological crises, I got two words for you: white supremacy.
sigh, I'm so tired, y'all.
PSA: journalists who send sources entire drafts of their stories do an incredible disservice to those of us trying very hard to keep a clear line b/w us and our sources.
the way everyone thinks their opinion is the right one on this site versus recognizing that several things can be true at once drives me nuts.
y'all need to spend more time offline and in the real world and talk to actual people versus coming for everyone and anyone virtually.
some personal news: I'm leaving
@AtmosMag
! i'm here through the end of April :)
and so their search begins for a new climate editor (or director if you have the exp). share far and wide!
been trying to process this all morning. I remember when
@offbeatorbit
first told me about rob & his dreams of becoming an env lawyer. and I remember the day she told me of his cancer diagnosis.
the world is so cruel, but ppl like rob make it better.
y'all, people are dying in South Asia, and it is absolutely heartbreaking. the heat is killing them. climate change is killing them. politicians and corporate players who continue to extract fossil fuels are killing them.
I wrote for
@guardian
about how EJ groups are feeling about the IRA a year after its passing. turns out that most are struggling to tap into the funds allocated for them. hopefully, the govt's technical assistance centers help
reading today's Hot Take newsletter from
@MaryHeglar
and
@amywestervelt
and SHAME ON
@CrookedMedia
ugh. why is the media industry so goddamn disappointing and ugly???
sending hugs and love to two of the VERY BEST in the industry <3 hot cakes 4ever
glad to see a leading legacy pub like
@washingtonpost
cover and assess the trans community
this is how you cover the community -- by letting their voices guide.
it's monday, & The Frontline is out. we look at the legacy of Eunice Foote, the first scientist to formally study climate change (though she didn't know it then!)
the story isn't only about her—it's about the women who have followed in her path
wow, two big follows in one day.
hello,
@NaomiAKlein
+
@dwallacewells
!
@NaomiAKlein
's writing on globalization and our extractive economy literally formed my entire worldview. excuse me while I fan girl for a moment 🥲
me: interviews a dozen frontline leaders in less than a week to amplify their voices, cranks out 2,600 words in a day
internet: you missed this! I disagree with that! what about this issue?
this is what being a journalist in the internet age is like and it sucks lol 🤪🤪🤪
What’s happening in Tennessee should terrify us ALL. 2 black lawmakers were EXPELLED from their elected seats bc they stood w/ the ppl against gun violence
Wtf is happening to this country? I am speechless.
@Justinjpearson
is a climate justice leader. He deserved so much better
I want y'all to meet The Frontline, your daily reminder that the warming of the world is unjust.
I'll be writing a daily newsletter (M-TH) on environmental justice for
@AtmosMag
. Expect my usual punchy takes on the day's news, as well as evergreen features.
Subscribe now!
Welcome to The Frontline.
In our new daily newsletter, Climate Editor
@yessfun
will be exploring what it means to live, work, and fight on the frontlines of environmental injustice.
Launching Monday, Oct. 12. Subscribe at
i've spent most of the year digging into the issue of carbon capture at this one proposed facility.
have yall heard of blue ammonia? well, it's coming for a community already overwhelmed with pollution in cancer alley.
my deep dive for
@voxdotcom
#BlackHistoryMonth2021
is here, baby. at The Frontline, we don't need a special month to make space for Black leaders, but we will not skip this opportunity to celebrate them more!
the Black community has played such a pivotal role in the climate space
any staff at
@AP
or
@AFP
who might be able to help me with copyright claims i'm facing for sharing images to my personal site for stories i wrote? the photos are all gone now, but damn -- I didn't use the images for new content. i was just trying to show my work. plz help
Join me and
@jnoisecat
in conversation for this event. The environmental journalism industry has long given priority to white voices and white-dominated understandings of our Earth. It's time to uproot that.
Stories that only center white voices -- when it’s communities of color that are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis -- don’t reflect reality.
It’s time we uproot them. Join us at an online event on March 20th to find out more.
for the ppl mad about the words climate change, NYC is literally under a heat advisory right now. and this is not the first time heat has impaired infrastructure.
accept it or not, get ready for this to affect YOU sometime soon too. denying wont save u
any climate justice or environmental justice folks who got something to say about the student debt crisis? I'd love to talk to you for a story for The Frontline
please dm me and retweet!
what environmental/climate stories re: the war in Ukraine do you feel are getting lost amid all the gas/energy convo? that's important, but I haven't been seen much about food, water, air quality, or biodiversity.
what has the media been missing so far?
I'm really proud about today's edition of The Frontline. took us nearly a month to get this together, but as soon as I heard that Standing Rock & Cheyenne River youth were running AGAIN, I knew we needed someone on the ground to meet these young people
the way the nonprofit justice world just does NOT understand how or why journalism works is so disappointing and concerning. y’all aren’t devoid of accountability. the purpose of your work doesn’t remove you from criticism, esp when ppl are alleging YALL CAUSED HARM. smh
env and energy reporters are the whitest beat out there, per new
@pewresearch
data.
@prosaaquino
shared with the
@uproot_project
crew and WOW. a reminder why we need groups like ours
as the year nears its end, you know what time it is. time for my annual list of climate and environmental justice wins! these are often locally based and global! would love to source from y'all to make sure I don't miss anything major. what was a win that got you thru 2022?
serious question for a story: how are climate and environmental justice advocates responding to IRA? are folks gonna just welcome fossil fuel infrastructure into their communities? how are they planning to stop them should the bill pass?
DM me! writing about this for
@AtmosMag
are there any media jobs out there that value sharp global climate justice reporting without requiring silly quotas and overworking us all while paying us poorly?
would love to find one!!!!
(seriously, in search of THE RIGHT full time job, spread the msg)
got some pretty exciting news. i partnered with the re:arc institute, a new climate + design philanthropic org, to launch its inaugural podcast: architectures of planetary well-being
hear the episodes here ft
@Tamaraity
@Ayishas12
@trans_icon_mika
+ more
thrilled to see such a response here, especially affirming my own journalism practices.
for those who are interested in following my climate justice reporting and editing, subscribe to my newsletter/vertical The Frontline for
@AtmosMag
here :)
we already know fossil fuels are bad... and we already knew they were killing people, but a new report signals that the deaths are even higher than we thought. take almost 9 million people each year
Right now, we Hill staffers are peacefully protesting Dem leaders INSIDE. To my knowledge, this has never been done.
We’ve also never seen climate catastrophe, so we’re meeting the moment. Follow along as we fight with everything we have to jumpstart climate negotiations.
it's
#WorldWaterDay
coincidentally. on The Frontline for
@AtmosMag
,
@jfkeeler
writes about the Navajo Nation Supreme Court case regarding the Colorado River.
this is a gorgeous piece of writing. with amazing photos, too
as awful as the smoke feels in new york, i’m also thinking of our canadian peers on the frontline — especially first nations hit primarily hard. this is climate change in action
there's something about the incarcerated wildland firefighting force that really gets to me. like... these dudes did some illegal shit, but if they're good enough to fight fires, why are they even in prison?
my latest for The Frontline
twitter, lookin for some urgent help. trying to interview women climate scientists from the global majority who are familiar with Eunice Foote to talk to me for a story! I have plenty of US-based folks but would love some voices from Asia, Africa, and Latin America
plz RT!
this year will be the time we celebrate 4/20 with over 420 ppb of carbon in our atmosphere.
this is... alarming.
there's a whole campaign/event about this. learn more, y'all!
The Frontline today takes a critical approach on a beloved climate policy that's been getting a lot of hype lately: nature-based solutions.
protecting nature and planting trees sound great, but the reality is much more complicated.
if ur unsure how the
#RoeVWade
news connects to climate, this recent story gives a glimpse. climate change disproportionately affects women + girls.
this news is the last thing women, trans, + NB ppl w/ uteruses need. what will they take from us next?
we can't give into doomism—doing so is a privilege.
read my latest in
@damemagazine
on the optimist's guide to the climate crisis. shout out to
@thejournalista
for the introductions 💖
we need activism and movements that unite people, that inspire societal and cultural change.
we need to disrupt the status quo—yes!—but we need to ensure that we aren't alienating and turning people off to the greater message around climate justice and the climate emergency