Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Sharon Astyk Profile picture
Sharon Astyk
@SharonAstyk
Science Writer, Author of Four Books on Food, Agriculture, Energy and Climate. Mother of 11 Amazing kids. Farmer. Data Chick. Plant Addict.
Oct 30, 2024 • 18 tweets • 3 min read
So about that pig with H5N1 in Oregon. It occurred on a backyard farm - the kind of small, home scale farm that local agriculture has been supporting. The kind of farm that DOES NOT feed chicken shit to pigs, but raises them on pasture, that doesn't confine them and fill them With antibiotics. The kind of person who raises a pig for themselves and two to sell to cover the cost of butchering. I know this sort of agriculture very well, having practiced it and worked with a lot of people who practice it.
Oct 21, 2024 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
Actually this is partly wrong. A thread. 1/4 It is true these people are white supremacists. But it is also true that they were better off under Trump, but NOT because of any Trump policies, but because of PANDEMIC policies. But these folks can't say that. OF COURSE THEY WERE BETTER OFF. They got stimulus checks in the mail. They couldn't be evicted or foreclosed upon. They got more, better healthcare and telehealth. They got more food stamps. Wages were WAY up for essential workers. They didn't have to pay student loans.
Aug 2, 2024 • 49 tweets • 9 min read
Folks are asking how to prepare for bird flu. Here's the first part of my work on this. This is going to be a three part essay, focusing first on what you can do BEFORE things happen, second on what things might be like when H5N1 begins to go human to human... and finally, a discussion of knock-on effects on events and supply chains etc... in different scenarios. Today's essay is the first part.
Now first, let's make sure we're all absolutely clear. Being able to prepare is a luxury.
Aug 1, 2024 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
Ok, so important study came out today about H5N1. And even if you normally think that I'm way too worried about this, you might want to pay attention.
It was a study of only TWO of the 173 farms we KNOW have had H5N1 in cows. We know that's probably an undercount from previous studies.
They tested 14 farmworkers, and found that two had had symptomatic respiratory illness at the same time the cows were sick, and both tested positive for antibodies.
Apr 8, 2024 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
I probably have had more kids than 99% of the people here. I fostered for 10 years, more than 40 kids. 4 bio, 6 adopted permanent kids. I've had medically fragile babies, toddlers with medical issues...THE CONSTANT SICK IS NOT NORMAL - period. Don't get me wrong, it is normal for your kids to get a few snot-related things during their first year in daycare. It is NOT normal for your child to be hospitalized repeatedly, to get multiple severe viruses, or to be non-stop on antibiotics. That is covid immune damage.
Oct 13, 2023 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
In the horrible waves of grief and awfulness and war we're facing, it wouldn't be surprising if you missed the fact that Berkeley Earth released new data showing a 90% chance of the world crossing the formal 1.5C barrier before THE END OF THIS YEAR. Last November, they gave a 1% of crossing it this year. I think that's as good a measure of any of how stunning the progression of climate change over this year has been.

Which brings me to a reminder of what I'm now calling "Astyk's timescale" about climate change.