I love your approach for the second Trump administration. Overwhelming us is their MO, and focusing on a few key areas will be very helpful. Here's to doing what we can to push for what the climate needs despite headwinds at the top.
Its all good Emily. Chaos got elected. Incompetence and chaos will ensue. The best thing to do is keep your head when all others are losing theirs. Your focus areas sound like good ways to keep your head and be as effective as you can be. Keep breathing. Have fun doing what you do. And have fun just to have fun! To take a piece from a most smart and beautiful human being……"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” And also away from convicted felons and plain bad people.
I first subscribed to HEATED to simply subscribe to a climate newsletter, but realized pretty quickly that you have a unique perspective and voice not just on climate issues but broader issues as well. I stay subscribed precisely because you write about what you want to write about, so I know that what you choose to cover during the Trump admin will be just as awesome in coverage as as the past years have been.
Also with more and more outlets going majority paywall, especially during a time like a second Trump term, and all the discussion on how right wing outlets are free while real news is paywalled, just seems crazy to me. I know the scales are different but man it feels so unfair that a great newsletter which relies on subscribers like HEATED has to make the choice while a place like the NYT which runs in part of fossil fuel ad money is paywalled. Like if anyone should paywall to grow it should be HEATED.
It just speaks to what a good person you are and how important HEATED is. So thank you.
Yours was among my first paid substacks... I'm delighted that you're in it for the long-haul. I will continue to give where I'm able, and do all those little things (recycle, reduce, reuse, research) that individuals can do. I will continue to enlighten my legislators as to where I stand on environmental issues, and where I wish THEM to stand to get my vote. Unlike a certain cretin in the Oval, I'm spending my "golden" years being the best human I can be. <3
Welcome back, and it sounds like the perfect focus. Trump has drained the swamp and built a gated community for billionaires in its place, and your wider lens and sharper focus will give us all a clearer picture of exactly how that is working out. And for the rest of us, we are fully aware of the value of wetlands and will be restoring them wherever and whenever we can, as biodiversely/multiculturally as possible!
Absolutely support your new plan, but one suggestion.
Could Heated maintain a library (or at least links to) important climate stories or climate attacking stories? Just a reference source.
Three things we know:
1- truth will be seriously under attack
2- lies and disinfo will deliberately flood the space to drown out truth
3- mainstream media and the techbros are all part of the problem, not solution
So, we're going to need trusted sources of true info more than ever. Of course, you can't be the only one producing content. But you can serve an important clearinghoise function for truth you uncover in your work.
Bravo Emily, I am 1000% behind your wise and strategic approach! Trump’s team has been effective with their constant culture-war feeding and bear-poking that keeps people in reaction mode and never in strategic mode. Two things I would like to see the movement to pivot to are 1) talking about particulate pollution more and invisible emissions less - after all they are usually hand-in-hand, but the former has always sparked more consensus (and now we have the RFK camp focusing on human health) 2) the connection between ecosystem function and climate function, especially resilience against extreme climate events. I see both of these possible bridge-builders because I personally have found common ground with my political opposites. Nature-based solutions have gotten a bit of a yawn (I have theories why), but if they are framed as disaster-resilience strategies, which well-designed ones truly are, the fact that they also draw down carbon and cool the environs need not be emphasized. In other words, less mention of carbon and more mention of (climate-positive) improving human and environmental health.
As far as "particulates" and other RFK/MAHA "environmental health" issues. I'm an old guy and was raised in NJ when metro air was pretty foul. The whole country was blanketed in particulates, SO2 and mercury from the giant stacks of coal powerplants and steel mills.
I defend a focus on "invisible" GHGs, partly because the rules, regs, bans and mandates which were enacted with enviro support have been incredibly successful at slashing (probably 80% overall) particulates among most other "criteria" air pollutants. And absolutely yes in EJ communities, often by greater amounts. Mercury and lead, down to almost zero. SO2 & acid rain similar. CO, yep except for lawn and "off road" equipment. NOx down but not out. (Mostly from bad diesels and 500 million gas appliances, not "peaker plants." )
Around here the worst particulates are generally from Jethro's diesel or forest fires so.... There are still other particulates like tire wear, early gas direct injection engines, brake wear, road sand, agricultural plowing & burning, wood stoves... Does reducing these sound like it won't be part of the "culture wars?"
The first rebuttal to the RFK/MAHA claims is, "These pollutants and contaminants are way down in 50 years, so they don't remotely correlate with increasing 'chronic disease.'" I hate to "blame the victim" but if sedentary folks slurp down a half-pound of sugar a day it doesn't matter if it's from corn or cane or fruit or honey or maple, or how those crops were grown or in what soil.
"Nature-based solutions" like "regenerative ag" are quite popular in my area but I jump up and down and call them a "weapon of mass distraction," as far as climate action, because emissions reductions are the big deal and their sequestration is often exaggerated. "My area" is rural/resort and the amount of actual ag land is small and "regenerative" is being used to put a green veneer on water-intensive, land-inefficient, methane-generating cow-griculture." At the same time, many of its supporters use the vax-cynical construct of "Is the cure worse than the disease?", for everything from wind and solar to EVs and batteries. I can defend all these on overall resource use and emissions reductions and land and wildlife effects, but I find many enviros are actually sucked in by the litany of "side effects."
I buy some food from organic and regenerative sources, but I do it to protect the birds and butterflies; I don't think that food has a particularly different effect on my health and very little on GHGs.
Sorry about the rant. You can take the boy out of NJ, but...
This is the way. It's so hard to ignore the daily shitshow and not worry about all the things you "could" or "should" be doing. We'll kill ourselves if we do that for the next four years. We have to be more intentional and find ways to focus on what matters to us.
This makes sense, Emily! I’ve been a reader and supporter since the early days, and this evolution feels like precisely the right move.
HEATED has always stood out by cutting through the noise; this sharper focus only strengthens that impact. The three pillars—calling out Big Oil, holding corporations accountable, and highlighting changemakers—are a potent mix of exposure, pressure, and inspiration.
In my work as an Energy Coach and through my book Make Your Own Glass Half Full, I help leaders stay energized and take action in overwhelming situations—so I love seeing you carve out a path that makes impact sustainable for you, too.
If there are ways I can support you—amplifying stories, connecting you to sources, or spreading the word—count me in. Looking forward to what’s next!
Fossil fuel subsidies hit $7 trillion in 2022—7.1% of global GDP—with governments propping up coal, oil, and gas far more than renewables. $1.3T in direct subsidies, $5.7T in unpriced climate and health costs.
The takeaway? While leaders talk about clean energy, they’re bankrolling the problem. Cutting these subsidies isn’t just climate action—it’s economic common sense.
I love your approach for the second Trump administration. Overwhelming us is their MO, and focusing on a few key areas will be very helpful. Here's to doing what we can to push for what the climate needs despite headwinds at the top.
Fully support you and fully support this approach Emily. Trust your instincts on how your work can be most impactful and sustainable!
Its all good Emily. Chaos got elected. Incompetence and chaos will ensue. The best thing to do is keep your head when all others are losing theirs. Your focus areas sound like good ways to keep your head and be as effective as you can be. Keep breathing. Have fun doing what you do. And have fun just to have fun! To take a piece from a most smart and beautiful human being……"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” And also away from convicted felons and plain bad people.
I first subscribed to HEATED to simply subscribe to a climate newsletter, but realized pretty quickly that you have a unique perspective and voice not just on climate issues but broader issues as well. I stay subscribed precisely because you write about what you want to write about, so I know that what you choose to cover during the Trump admin will be just as awesome in coverage as as the past years have been.
Also with more and more outlets going majority paywall, especially during a time like a second Trump term, and all the discussion on how right wing outlets are free while real news is paywalled, just seems crazy to me. I know the scales are different but man it feels so unfair that a great newsletter which relies on subscribers like HEATED has to make the choice while a place like the NYT which runs in part of fossil fuel ad money is paywalled. Like if anyone should paywall to grow it should be HEATED.
It just speaks to what a good person you are and how important HEATED is. So thank you.
I am excited for you, and looking forward to seeing all the future posts!! I know you can do it!! 🤓
Yours was among my first paid substacks... I'm delighted that you're in it for the long-haul. I will continue to give where I'm able, and do all those little things (recycle, reduce, reuse, research) that individuals can do. I will continue to enlighten my legislators as to where I stand on environmental issues, and where I wish THEM to stand to get my vote. Unlike a certain cretin in the Oval, I'm spending my "golden" years being the best human I can be. <3
You're amazing, Emily! Bravo for your self-reflection and self-care. You're doing all the right things.
Welcome back, and it sounds like the perfect focus. Trump has drained the swamp and built a gated community for billionaires in its place, and your wider lens and sharper focus will give us all a clearer picture of exactly how that is working out. And for the rest of us, we are fully aware of the value of wetlands and will be restoring them wherever and whenever we can, as biodiversely/multiculturally as possible!
Absolutely support your new plan, but one suggestion.
Could Heated maintain a library (or at least links to) important climate stories or climate attacking stories? Just a reference source.
Three things we know:
1- truth will be seriously under attack
2- lies and disinfo will deliberately flood the space to drown out truth
3- mainstream media and the techbros are all part of the problem, not solution
So, we're going to need trusted sources of true info more than ever. Of course, you can't be the only one producing content. But you can serve an important clearinghoise function for truth you uncover in your work.
Just a thought
Bravo Emily, I am 1000% behind your wise and strategic approach! Trump’s team has been effective with their constant culture-war feeding and bear-poking that keeps people in reaction mode and never in strategic mode. Two things I would like to see the movement to pivot to are 1) talking about particulate pollution more and invisible emissions less - after all they are usually hand-in-hand, but the former has always sparked more consensus (and now we have the RFK camp focusing on human health) 2) the connection between ecosystem function and climate function, especially resilience against extreme climate events. I see both of these possible bridge-builders because I personally have found common ground with my political opposites. Nature-based solutions have gotten a bit of a yawn (I have theories why), but if they are framed as disaster-resilience strategies, which well-designed ones truly are, the fact that they also draw down carbon and cool the environs need not be emphasized. In other words, less mention of carbon and more mention of (climate-positive) improving human and environmental health.
As far as "particulates" and other RFK/MAHA "environmental health" issues. I'm an old guy and was raised in NJ when metro air was pretty foul. The whole country was blanketed in particulates, SO2 and mercury from the giant stacks of coal powerplants and steel mills.
I defend a focus on "invisible" GHGs, partly because the rules, regs, bans and mandates which were enacted with enviro support have been incredibly successful at slashing (probably 80% overall) particulates among most other "criteria" air pollutants. And absolutely yes in EJ communities, often by greater amounts. Mercury and lead, down to almost zero. SO2 & acid rain similar. CO, yep except for lawn and "off road" equipment. NOx down but not out. (Mostly from bad diesels and 500 million gas appliances, not "peaker plants." )
Around here the worst particulates are generally from Jethro's diesel or forest fires so.... There are still other particulates like tire wear, early gas direct injection engines, brake wear, road sand, agricultural plowing & burning, wood stoves... Does reducing these sound like it won't be part of the "culture wars?"
The first rebuttal to the RFK/MAHA claims is, "These pollutants and contaminants are way down in 50 years, so they don't remotely correlate with increasing 'chronic disease.'" I hate to "blame the victim" but if sedentary folks slurp down a half-pound of sugar a day it doesn't matter if it's from corn or cane or fruit or honey or maple, or how those crops were grown or in what soil.
"Nature-based solutions" like "regenerative ag" are quite popular in my area but I jump up and down and call them a "weapon of mass distraction," as far as climate action, because emissions reductions are the big deal and their sequestration is often exaggerated. "My area" is rural/resort and the amount of actual ag land is small and "regenerative" is being used to put a green veneer on water-intensive, land-inefficient, methane-generating cow-griculture." At the same time, many of its supporters use the vax-cynical construct of "Is the cure worse than the disease?", for everything from wind and solar to EVs and batteries. I can defend all these on overall resource use and emissions reductions and land and wildlife effects, but I find many enviros are actually sucked in by the litany of "side effects."
I buy some food from organic and regenerative sources, but I do it to protect the birds and butterflies; I don't think that food has a particularly different effect on my health and very little on GHGs.
Sorry about the rant. You can take the boy out of NJ, but...
Glad to have you back Emily! I just read your piece in 'All We Can Save' last night. Thank you for all that you do.
This is the way. It's so hard to ignore the daily shitshow and not worry about all the things you "could" or "should" be doing. We'll kill ourselves if we do that for the next four years. We have to be more intentional and find ways to focus on what matters to us.
This makes sense, Emily! I’ve been a reader and supporter since the early days, and this evolution feels like precisely the right move.
HEATED has always stood out by cutting through the noise; this sharper focus only strengthens that impact. The three pillars—calling out Big Oil, holding corporations accountable, and highlighting changemakers—are a potent mix of exposure, pressure, and inspiration.
In my work as an Energy Coach and through my book Make Your Own Glass Half Full, I help leaders stay energized and take action in overwhelming situations—so I love seeing you carve out a path that makes impact sustainable for you, too.
If there are ways I can support you—amplifying stories, connecting you to sources, or spreading the word—count me in. Looking forward to what’s next!
Some additional "fuel" for the Big Oil side of things: https://ourworldindata.org/how-much-subsidies-fossil-fuels
Fossil fuel subsidies hit $7 trillion in 2022—7.1% of global GDP—with governments propping up coal, oil, and gas far more than renewables. $1.3T in direct subsidies, $5.7T in unpriced climate and health costs.
The takeaway? While leaders talk about clean energy, they’re bankrolling the problem. Cutting these subsidies isn’t just climate action—it’s economic common sense.
I’m. glad you are back! Do you have any plans to have someone to help?
I’m hoping to work with some freelancers depending on the subscriber revenue that comes in!
We'll be here when you're ready. No worries. What you are doing is very important.
Glad you're picking a rhythm that suits your personal sustainability and a tight focus to avoid being overwhelmed.