ICYMI Here’s your Friday long read: My in-depth profile story of David Stevenson, the man who crushed America’s offshore wind industry. Thanks to @motherjones.com for republishing. 🙏

The EPA purged basic facts about Climate from its website LAST WEEK—including how human activity releases planet-heating carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The EPA says “natural processes,” like variations in Earth’s orbit and in solar activity, influence the climate. grist.org/politics/epa...

Is New York City getting its composting program right? 🗞️

A growing body of research reveals that America’s obsession with corn has a steep price: The fertilizer used to grow it is warming the planet and contaminating water. @amesalex.bsky.social reports via @floodlightnews.org: buff.ly/HSG3h2P

One recent study found that solar panels can generate as much energy as corn ethanol on roughly 3% of the land. “It’s just a terrible use of land,” Searchinger, said of ethanol. “You can’t solve climate change if you’re going to make such terrible use of land.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Promoted as a climate fix, a federal mandate to mix ethanol into gasoline is instead driving high emissions: 🌽 Ethanol production drives huge demand for corn 🚜 Corn is grown with heavy fertilizer use 🔥 That fertilizer releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300x stronger than CO₂

Cities are getting hotter. And there’s one simple fix on the table: reflective roofs. So why is a powerful industry fighting to stop them?

We’re thrilled to announce that Floodlight has chosen Brad Racino as our next editor-in-chief! 🎉 This follows a highly competitive national search that drew 240 candidates. Please join us in welcoming Brad!

It was great talking with @amesalex.bsky.social for his exceptional story with @floodlightnews.org on the environmental and climate impacts of corn production. They mentioned my report with @albine14.bsky.social for @ewgofficial.bsky.social about continuous corn. floodlightnews.org/corn-ethanol...

In my latest story for Floodlight, I dug into the climate cost of America’s corn boom — the fertilizer, the emissions and the federal policies and incentives that have propped it all up. Thrilled that The Guardian has also published this. floodlightnews.org/corn-ethanol...

As social media algorithms prove increasingly fickle, one of the best ways you can support Floodlight is by signing up for our newsletter. We only send it twice a month — just our latest investigations and stories straight to your inbox.

Edgemere in Queens was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. But while the city is building new protections in some areas, residents here are still waiting. Floodlight went to hear their stories: “They’re fortifying Manhattan. So where’s the investment for us?”

Few American cities are more vulnerable to sea level rise than New York City. The coastal community of Edgemere, Queens was among the hardest-hit during Superstorm Sandy. A decade later, residents still wait for promised flood protections. With @floodlightnews.org + @theguardian.com:

Kipnuk, Alaska, is disappearing. Flooding is eroding the permafrost bank protecting the village, and a $20 million EPA grant meant to stop it was abruptly canceled in May.

Troops are collapsing from heat exhaustion. Military bases are flooding. Planes can’t lift off in hotter air. But the Pentagon’s new message under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “We don’t do climate change crap.”

‘We are forgotten here’: As NYC builds seawalls, this Queens community feels left behind. 🗞️

The Trump administration has exempted 52 petrochemical facilities—many along the Gulf Coast—from new clean air rules, saying the move is in the “national security interests” of the U.S.

Reducing food waste is one of the most practical ways to slow climate change. Why are we ignoring it? @gaeacabico.bsky.social explains, with visual reporting by @floodlightnews.org:

"For decades, the Pentagon viewed the climate crisis as a national security threat – not for environmental reasons, but because it undermined operations and readiness. Now the Trump administration is dismantling that approach."

Despite the dangers, the airlines and regulators have not tackled the problem adequately, victims say.

Just published this deep dive in The Charlotte Observer about a hidden threat for air travelers: toxic fumes that creep into airline cabins. It's a problem that sometimes leaves crews struggling to stay conscious, land planes safely, or simply breathe. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/a...

Trump move to boost greenhouse, toxic emissions in Gulf states 🗞️ floodlightnews.org/trump-petroc...

The Pentagon is retreating from its longstanding commitment to plan for climate change — even as extreme heat, flooding, and smoke are hammering U.S. troops at home and abroad. My latest for @floodlightnews: floodlightnews.org/pentagon-rol...

For decades, the U.S. military properly treated climate change as a threat. Now, under President Convicted Felon, it’s backing away from plans to protect people and bases from extreme weather, even as heat & storms slam the troops. floodlightnews.org/pentagon-rol... h/t @sejorg.bsky.social

Hey everyone. I'm (finally) here on Blue Sky. I look forward to connecting with you. Feel free to follow me here and say hi.