Shannon Osaka
@shannonosaka.bsky.social
š¤ 19516
š„ 396
š 246
climate *zeitgeist* reporter for
@washingtonpost.com
. DM for Signal.
pinned post!
So so excited that my book on microplastics and the rise of plastic has been picked up by Harper š„¹š„¹ Thank you to agent extraordinaire Alice Whitwham at
@cheneyagency.bsky.social
, amazing editor Sarah Haugen at Harper, and family & friends for believing in this project.
about 2 months ago
17
155
21
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Maggie Astor
1 day ago
I guess I have to post a screenshot from the article in order to get rid of the headline-and-photo preview that Bluesky is ludicrously flagging as adult content, lol uh anyway hope you'll read it, gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/w...
4
40
6
Breast, thyroid, and colon cancer rates are skyrocketing in young adults. Some of my colleagues break down the reasons why:
www.washingtonpost.com/health/inter...
2 days ago
1
21
9
āMeasuring itself is a political act with political consequences,ā Dr. Pralle said. āAnd clearly the Trump administration does not want to do anything to alleviate a problem like climate change.ā
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/c...
from
@maxinejoselow.bsky.social
loading . . .
A Trump Administration Playbook: No Data, No Problem
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/climate/trump-federal-data-climate-change-health.html
6 days ago
1
11
4
It's not your imagination: Wildfire smoke in the U.S. has dramatically worsened since 2019. According to a new study, it's already killing 41,000 people a year - and it's poised to get much worse. new from me
@johnmuyskens.bsky.social
and
@sadbumblebee.buzz
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
Record wildfire smoke kills more people each year than car crashes. Itās about to get worse.
The past six summers have been the smokiest on record. New research shows that smoke could become the costliest consequence of climate change for Americans.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/09/18/wildfire-smoke-deaths-climate-change/
7 days ago
12
373
190
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Washington Post Guild
10 days ago
Statement from Post Guild Leadership: The Washington Post Guild condemns the unjust firing of columnist Karen Attiah
80
4759
1023
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Drew Harwell
15 days ago
A National Guard report accidentally emailed to the Post says veterans and active-duty troops view the D.C. deployment with "shame and alarm"
@alexhorton.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
loading . . .
National Guard documents show public āfear,ā troopsā āshameā over D.C. presence
Internal documents reviewed by The Post reveal, with rare candor, how domestic missions rooted in politics risk damaging Americansā trust in the military.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/09/10/national-guard-trump-dc/
453
8753
3594
Some context on the Hyundai raid from
@evanhalper.bsky.social
and myself:
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
loading . . .
How the Hyundai raid could upend Trumpās dream of more U.S. factories
President Trump said he stood up for Georgia workers by detaining 300 South Korean nationals. Experts say he risks killing thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/09/09/hyundai-raid-georgia-trump-immigration-jobs/
16 days ago
1
33
16
For the last several months, I've been digging through endless scientific literature on what happens when pregnant mothers are exposed to plastic chemicals in their food, water, and everyday household products. The result is this story. I hope you'll take the time to read.
wapo.st/4g3ZoFc
loading . . .
The health risks from plastics almost nobody knows about
Researchers have linked phthalates, chemicals found in plastics, to premature birth, infertility and ADHD.
https://wapo.st/4g3ZoFc
21 days ago
16
237
121
53% of new cars sold in China are now plug-ins ā¼ļø in some form or other -- 32% full EVs and 21% plug in hybrid
cleantechnica.com/2025/07/21/5...
loading . . .
53% EV Share in China! ā June 2025 Sales Report - CleanTechnica
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. BEVs represented close to a third of the total Chinese car market in June. June saw the continuation of the never ending grow...
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/07/21/53-ev-share-in-china-june-2025-sales-report/
23 days ago
1
12
2
Classic. A city council in the UK won't allow locals to install EV chargers *buried under the sidewalk* and at owners' expense. In 2019, that same council declared a climate emergency š« š«
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
loading . . .
How the shift to electric cars is being tripped up by health and safety
Councils touting their net-zero credentials are turning down driversā requests to dig channels that would let them use cheap home charging, reports George Nixon
https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/money/article/how-the-shift-to-electric-cars-is-being-tripped-up-by-health-and-safety-9bvltvwg9
about 1 month ago
7
36
4
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Gernot Wagner
about 2 months ago
Austrian carbon tax goes NYT:
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/c...
Yes, the tax survived, while the dividends just got killed by the new government. But the real story isn't necessarily about the "Klimabonus", but the Klimaticket(!). mini-Austro-š§µ
loading . . .
How a Carbon Tax Plan in Europe Survived (Mostly)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/climate/austria-carbon-tax-klimabonus.html
2
35
16
A study predicted economic damages from climate change 3x higher than previous assessments. But it was flawed -- all thanks to the data from just one country. I dug into this strange study and the researchers calling it out:
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
A study predicted huge climate damages. But it had a fatal flaw: Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistanās erroneous data dramatically changed the results of a study on global climate damages.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/08/06/nature-study-flawed-climate-damages/
about 2 months ago
3
53
25
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Andrew Dessler
about 2 months ago
Lots of interesting stuff buried in the DOE report. For example, here's a reference that doesn't exist:
6
122
41
We annotated some of the most, er, interesting lines in the DOE's new climate report with the help of scientists. New from me and the rest of the team:
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
We fact-checked the Trump administrationās climate report
Scientists say the report cherry-picks key data and misrepresents the state of climate research.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/31/endangerment-repeal-climate-science-report/
about 2 months ago
2
33
17
So so excited that my book on microplastics and the rise of plastic has been picked up by Harper š„¹š„¹ Thank you to agent extraordinaire Alice Whitwham at
@cheneyagency.bsky.social
, amazing editor Sarah Haugen at Harper, and family & friends for believing in this project.
about 2 months ago
17
155
21
'But she did not intend to be silenced. āSpeaking out for kids in this situation is more important than my career,ā she says.'
www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/in...
loading . . .
Ms. Rachel grew up on Mister Rogers. Now sheās carrying on his legacy.
The YouTube star wants her audiences ā adults and children alike ā to see the humanity of all people.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/interactive/2025/ms-rachel-childrens-media/?itid=hp-top-table-main_p001_f012
about 2 months ago
0
23
5
China calls them the "New Three" -- solar panels, EVs, and batteries -- a set of technologies the country dominates. But once, the US had a headstart. New from me and
@naemas.bsky.social
on how the US lost its lead in clean energy -- and how China took over.
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
The U.S. invented these technologies. Then China dominated them.
China dominates the global market for clean energy technology like electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels, which were all invented in the U.S.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/31/china-clean-energy-united-states-inventions/
about 2 months ago
10
194
77
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
News Eye
about 2 months ago
NEW: 18,500 children have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. The Washington Post has just published every single known name. A seminal moment.
58
2716
1673
And here it is:
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
EPA moves to end climate regulation under Clean Air Act
The agency proposal would rescind the landmark āendangerment finding,ā which says that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/29/epa-endangerment-finding-clean-air-act/
about 2 months ago
1
33
25
A very interesting moment in the latest Ezra Klein podcast with Jesse Jenkins and Jane Flegal. I've been thinking about this for a long time... The special report on 1.5C never said that 1.5C was a magical threshold. It said that 1.5C was much better than 2C... 1/
about 2 months ago
6
43
12
One of the craziest S-curves I've seen for electric vehicles -- from Nepal. Great reporting by
@lydiadepillis.bsky.social
and Bhadra Sharma
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/b...
about 2 months ago
4
43
11
"'At the simplest level, if you have impaired nutrition and growth, your brain stops growing.'"
www.washingtonpost.com/world/intera...
loading . . .
Gazans are starving. Hereās what lack of food does to the human body.
Children suffering under severe food shortages can face lifelong consequences.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2025/gaza-hunger-starvation-children-body/?utm_campaign=wp_the7&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F43d9e1a%2F688755de300b04282954fae3%2F62fa873beaa00b1e010086d9%2F19%2F106%2F688755de300b04282954fae3
about 2 months ago
0
14
6
"The employees of a large US chemicals company āformed a ringā around her, she says. āSo I filed the harassment reports with the UN. The guy had to apologise, and then he left the meeting. He was at the next meeting.ā
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
loading . . .
āTotal infiltrationā: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks
Petrostates and well-funded lobbyists at UN-hosted talks are derailing a deal to cut plastic production and protect people and the planet
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/23/total-infiltration-how-plastics-industry-swamped-vital-global-treaty-talks
2 months ago
1
13
4
"Others fear respiratory infections that might result from spending long periods in air-conditioned rooms....[and] āthermal shock,ā resulting in nausea, loss of consciousness and even respiratory arrest." The strange world of how Europe views air conditioning:
www.wsj.com/world/europe...
loading . . .
The New Hot Topic in European Politics Is Air Conditioning
As summer temperatures rise, battle lines have been drawn between those who want air conditioning and those who worry over the environmental cost.
https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/europe-air-condition-heat-waves-politics-24aceab4
2 months ago
2
4
2
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Josh Lappen
2 months ago
Big energy policy question of the decade: Will cost crisis in fact produce a popular swing in favor of clean energy, or a new round of anti-clean revanchism? Current discourse(TM) has me pessimistic- but door's wide open to messaging that presents energy transition as the solution to volatility!
add a skeleton here at some point
6
42
12
Chemtrails and cloud seeding conspiracy theories are increasingly moving from the fringe into GOP-sponsored laws. Latest from me:
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
How weather conspiracy theories moved from online fringes to state laws
On Monday, Floridaās attorney general warned, āWe donāt jeopardize public health so we can bend the knee to the climate cult.ā
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/16/weather-modification-geoengineering-cloud-seeding-right/
2 months ago
3
9
4
Cox Automotive released its EV numbers yesterday. This is the first quarter since Q2 2020 (pandemic!) with a year-over-year drop in sales. Down about 6.3 percent. There has been a lot of talk about how EV sales slowing down is just media vibes, but ...
www.coxautoinc.com/market-insig...
loading . . .
Q2 EV Sales Dip During Record First Half; Q3 Poised for Spike Before Tax Credit Expires - Cox Automotive Inc.
Cox Automotive publishes a quarterly Kelley Blue Book new-vehicle sales report enumerating electric vehicle sales.
https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/q2-2025-ev-sales/
2 months ago
1
6
2
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Daniel Swain
2 months ago
And now: A thread regarding my thoughts on "1.5°C"--not only as a Paris Agreement target, but also re: relevance to recent
#climate
events & overlaps (or not) w/geophysical realities. (This was originally written as a response to a journalist, who used excerpts in their article.)
13
438
205
Rooftop solar companies are preparing for the loss of a 30% tax credit that has been in place for almost two decades. Some think they'll make it through as electricity prices rise -- others are bracing for impact.
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
Rooftop solar has been surging. Now itās headed for a crash.
Congress has dramatically slashed subsidies for rooftop solar, devastating an industry that has surged over the past decade.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/10/rooftop-solar-budget-bill-crash/
3 months ago
3
7
1
The Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate law ever to pass the US Congress, is now almost entirely repealed. Again, a nail in the coffin for the hope that projects in red states would protect the law.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
loading . . .
House passes tax and immigration bill, sending it to Trumpās desk
Republicans passed a mammoth tax and immigration agenda they hope will reshape the U.S. economy and unwind many of the Biden administrationās accomplishments.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/03/trump-tax-bill-house/
3 months ago
1
23
15
@maxinejoselow.bsky.social
reporting that the solar and wind excise tax is out of the wraparound amendment:
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07...
loading . . .
Update from Maxine Joselow
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/01/us/trump-bill-news/96114dea-41de-5d64-a4ad-fac1f5af5e48?smid=url-share
3 months ago
1
15
6
"Sen. Joni Ernst said her closely watched amendment seeking to maintain wind and solar tax credits will not get a Senate vote before the anticipated passage of the GOP megabill."
www.politico.com/live-updates...
loading . . .
GOP clean-energy amendment won't get a vote
āThereās a lot of stuff that went on overnight that kind of waylaid our plans," Sen. Joni Ernst said.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/01/congress/gop-clean-energy-amendment-wont-get-a-vote-00434821
3 months ago
2
3
9
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Eric Michael Garcia
3 months ago
Murkowski tells me about the tax credit on renewables: āI donāt want to see us backslide on clean energy.ā
5
51
12
The GOP bill is much worse for wind and solar than clean energy experts expected. Many were scrambling today to understand exactly what the additional tax on wind and solar means -- and how much it will slow investment. From me and Evan Halper:
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
GOP is on verge of sweeping victory in bid to gut clean energy economy
The Republican controlled Congress is poised to score a major victory for President Donald Trump by repealing green energy incentives that Democrats passed in the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/06/28/solar-green-energy-tax-bill-trump/
3 months ago
17
179
136
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Emily Pontecorvo
4 months ago
Richard Lazarus, 2009
1
11
1
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Clare Fieseler, PhD
4 months ago
Thrilled to have moderated a panel of legendary journalists last night at the National Press Club about covering energy and climate policy in Trump 2.0 Thatās me and
@shannonosaka.bsky.social
of the Post,
@justinworland.com
of TIME and Lisa Friedman of NYT. Thanks to our host
@canarymedia.com
ā”ļø
0
16
3
Important note in here: "If you want to look at the permitting burdens across the United States, probably 80% to 90% of them are state and local."
add a skeleton here at some point
4 months ago
0
12
4
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Zeke Hausfather
4 months ago
They do today; the 20-year average would cross 1.5C in 2027/2028 under the WMOās median temperature projection using the WMO average of six groups (with a caveat that there are differences across surface temperature records and uncertainties within each)
0
10
2
An underappreciated aspect of the new WMO report -- if the temperature predictions are correct, the world will pass 1.5C in as a long-term average (i.e., the _actual_ Paris goal) in 2027. In just two years.
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
Earth could cross a key climate threshold in two years. Hereās why it matters.
A new World Meteorological Organization report spells the end of the worldās most famous climate goal.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/05/29/15degrees-celsius-world-meteorological-organization/
4 months ago
7
194
129
Never thought I would see a Trump Executive Order railing against RCP 8.5 but well, here we are:
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
4 months ago
5
28
7
We will see what happens in the Senate, but this
@zeitlin.bsky.social
piece is a good summary of how the IRA's political vision -- that clean energy investment in Repub districts would keep Republicans from repealing tax credits-- seems to have failed.
heatmap.news/politics/ira...
loading . . .
How the Political Theory of the IRA Broke Down
Investing in red states doesnāt make defying Trump any safer.
https://heatmap.news/politics/ira-political-theory
4 months ago
8
224
103
The freelancer involved in the "Heat Index" AI incident posted this on Facebook yesterday. I appreciate his awareness that this action erodes trust for ALL journalism, including from those who never use AI. Also: I can't help but feel for him.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
4 months ago
3
11
2
I would LOVE a PHEV with DC fast-charging. 50 miles EV only is pretty substantial as well...
add a skeleton here at some point
4 months ago
1
8
0
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Fenit Nirappil
4 months ago
I'm a health reporter at The Washington Post looking to talk to people who do not qualify under these narrowed criteria about why coronavirus vaccination matters to you If you're comfortable sharing your experiences for an article, please email me at
[email protected]
add a skeleton here at some point
8
86
67
Typically excellent
@tamarhaspel.bsky.social
piece on what's behind all the talk about seed oils:
www.washingtonpost.com/food/2025/05...
loading . . .
Column | Are seed oils bad for you? Hereās what the evidence actually tells us.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his āMake America Healthy Againā supporters argue that seed oils are toxic, but the vast majority of the evidence says otherwise.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2025/05/14/seed-oils-safety-studies/
4 months ago
1
28
6
Very excited that the Washington Post has two finalists for the data-driven storytelling award at the NIHCM foundation -- first, from myself and
@sducroquet.bsky.social
, our story about how microplastics end up deep in our bodies:
nihcm.org/awards/data-...
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
The plastics we breathe
Every time you take a breath, you could be inhaling microplastics. See how tiny and dangerously invasive they can be.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2024/microplastics-air-human-body-organs-spread/
4 months ago
2
32
3
reposted by
Shannon Osaka
Emily Pontecorvo
5 months ago
Here is a rundown of exactly how the GOP proposal would change every clean energy tax credit. While it looks like a bunch of nips and tucks, it's probably more akin to a full repeal. More analysis from us to come.
heatmap.news/politics/way...
loading . . .
The House GOP Tax Proposal Would Effectively Kill The IRA
The Ways and Means Committee released its proposed budget language, and itās not pretty for clean energy.
https://heatmap.news/politics/ways-and-means-budget
9
363
205
Key provisions for individuals: Would end $7500 EV tax credit next year, $4000 used EV tax credit this year, AND 30% solar panel tax credit this year. The latter is not surprising but a big blow. Many many people on both sides of the aisle utilize the rooftop solar tax credit.
add a skeleton here at some point
5 months ago
2
13
8
One of Kennedy's (false) claims on the rate of chronic disease is now repeated by AIs: "The figures have started to creep into search results of AI models on chronic diseases in the 1960s... presumably because Kennedy is now considered a voice of authority."
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
loading . . .
Analysis | RFK Jr.ās absurd statistic on the spike in chronic diseases in the U.S.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the percentage of Americans with chronic diseases has gone up 20 times in six decades. That makes no sense.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/25/rfk-jr-chronic-diseases-false/?utm_campaign=wp_the7&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F4241085%2F680b68deb5804d16a7027f69%2F62fa873beaa00b1e010086d9%2F51%2F109%2F680b68deb5804d16a7027f69
5 months ago
1
21
15
The MAHA movement is surging, and changing the conversation around chemical risks. I wrote about the overlaps -- and some stark differences -- between MAHA and the environmental movement.
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
loading . . .
Thereās a new form of environmentalism. Itās called āMake America Healthy Again.ā
How a group of moms wary of food additives and vaccines is changing the conversation on chemical risks.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/04/24/maha-movement-food-reform-conservative-moms/
5 months ago
17
33
10
Load more
feeds!
log in