Sarah Derouin
Science journalist, writer, editor. Former geologist. Happiest when drinking a coffee, sitting outside, and petting a dog.
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinMust-read reporting by @virginiagewin.bsky.social on how US federal actions are affecting science. By pairing the scale of the damage with the very human, personal stories behind the numbers, she paints a powerful and comprehensive picture of just how thoroughly US science is being hollowed out.
- Reposted by Sarah Derouin🧪 This is honestly heartbreaking. Over 7,800 research grants were cancelled or frozen in 2025. The Nature visualizes the scale of these terminations at the NIH and NSF, particularly those affecting infectious disease research and clinical trials. #AcademicSky
- What's driving the US's Greenland obsession? Likely a combination of geopolitical location and potential resources. But the island is remote, ice-covered, and an autonomous territory- facts that should not be ignored. The BBC updated/reposted a story I wrote last year: www.bbc.com/future/artic...
- Happy Pie-For-Breakfast season! 🥧
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinAbout that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in. Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
- Reposted by Sarah Derouin"our data centres use hardly any water!" "oh, how much do they use then?" "it's a secret" www.roanokerambler.com/google-striv...
- I think we have all driven over a bridge that make us nervous— this “temporary’ bridge in Mass. has lingered way past t its original 4-yr lifespan (4 decades!). It’s now being replaced and will be safer, wider, and have walking/bike paths. www.asce.org/publications...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinMy family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard. We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions. We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinExcuse you! If humans can reach net negative carbon emissions over the next few centuries, researchers suspect the Southern Ocean will “burp” built-up heat into the atmosphere. eos.org/research-spo...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinMosquitoes found in Iceland for first time as climate crisis warms country. Three specimens discovered in what was previously one of the few places in the world without the insects. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinSatellites might be able to fill in gaps in understanding about urban greenhouse gas emissions. Story by @sarahderouin.com eos.org/research-spo...
- Grim findings from Georgetown scholars on SNAP funding www.georgetownpoverty.org/issues/snap-...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinBREAKING: Our client Mario Guevara, an Emmy-winning journalist detained by ICE in retaliation for livestreaming law enforcement activity, will be deported tomorrow to El Salvador. Mario and his family are being punished for his reporting. This cruelty is meant to stifle our free press.
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinThis is why we fund scientists to study things like oyster slobber even if you don’t think it sounds important
- ⚠️ Chinese researchers have invented bone glue that mimics how oysters stick to surfaces underwater. The adhesive can reportedly repair orthopedic fractures in 2-3 minutes, even in blood-rich environments, and is bioabsorbable. interestingengineering.com/science/chin...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinA leading Democrat in the Senate just released an important report documenting how NASA has been working to implement the president's proposed budget, not Congressionally approved funds, in slashing missions. Read more ⬇️
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), top Democrat on Senate Commerce Cmte, is out with a Democratic staff report: "The Destruction of NASA's Mission: Whistleblowers Reveal OMB's Unconstitutional Plot to Gut the Agency." www.commerce.senate.gov/services/fil...
- I haven’t been a field geologist for more than a decade, yet throwing out these old notebooks is proving hard. There’s a lot of work (and geography) filling these pages 🧪
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinThe National Park Service faced a deadline this week to address signs that "inappropriately disparage" historical figures. One target is George Washington's house in Philadelphia, where he held enslaved people. n.pr/46rokSO
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinNew docs obtained via FOIA reveal how the personal attacks to FEMA staff last hurricane season were much worse than previously known, including swatting & doxxing of officials. Story @bloomberg.com, w/ @davey.bsky.social @jasonleopold.bsky.social (gift link): www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinCoal production, and its associated greenhouse gas emissions, could drop sharply in the next quarter century, according to new #AGUPubs research. Story by @sarahderouin.com. eos.org/research-spo...
- I love seeing Matt’s @retrodotcards.com games come to life. But the tributes to our beloved dog Franny makes everything he does so much sweeter.
- My picross game for the Nintendo e-Reader, Pixel Pup, will have themed puzzle collections. The first theme is "entomology", so I'm exploring costumes for Franny (the game's mascot) #gamedev #indiedev #videogamesonpaper
- The Edelman Fossil Park & Museum is a fantastic blend of architecture and smart engineering. Designers and engineers melded mass timber, low-carbon concrete and renewable energy to take sustainability to a new level. My latest for ASCE: www.asce.org/publications...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinTomorrow 1PM ET: My colleague @sarahderouin.com will be hosting a supportive virtual gathering for caregivers who are members of @sciencewriters.org . Join me! Event link: www.nasw.org/events/careg... Not a member? nasw.org/join
- Proud of @retrodotcards.com creator Matt Greer and a recent article in 404 media about his work: www.404media.co/balatro-port...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinSCOOP from me: the mass exodus of employees from NOAA is decimating a tiny office that literally keeps our measurements of latitude and longitude accurate — and, former employees tell me, endangers the science of how the US understands global measurements:
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinSCOOP: Less than two weeks before the start of hurricane season, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rescinded the agency’s strategic plan, which includes a document that guides agency priorities when responding to disasters, WIRED has learned.
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinCutting down trees in Brazil is causing it to rain less. New research in @aguadvances.bsky.social, words by @sarahderouin.com. eos.org/research-spo...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinNew research estimates that over the past 30 years, nearly 700,000 people died prematurely as a result of combined heat and pollution events. Eighty percent of these deaths were in the Global South. Words by @sarahderouin.com eos.org/research-spo...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinThe Trump administration has all but stopped enforcing environmental laws. grist.org/accountabili... #EPA #Environment #Pollution #Climate #Laws #Regulation
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinBrilliant to eliminate Energy Star, a program that costs $32m but delivered $40b in annual savings. None other than the US chamber of commerce tried to save it as a model of business/government partnership. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/c...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinPairing firsthand knowledge with scientific data collection can help communities predict neighborhood flooding risks. How a community science effort identified flooding hazards on Little Cumberland Island, Ga. Story by @sarahderouin.com. eos.org/research-spo...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinOfficial confirmation now from USDA terminating the Expanding #Agroforestry Project effective immediately Amazing they didn’t work “woke” into this disdainful press release that will hobble climate smart ag and hurt actual farmers: www.usda.gov/about-usda/n...
- US farms practicing #climate friendly #agroforestry grew 6% in recent years, but the federal funding freeze has halted those gains for the moment @sarahderouin.com reports for @mongabay.bsky.social on the national & practical effects, with a view from Appalachia where these funds have been key:
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinThe fate of billions of dollars in farm conservation funding that was to be spent over the next several years, including hundreds of millions of dollars in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, is in limbo as the USDA reviews its programs and grants
- Reposted by Sarah Derouin431,000 households in Michigan rely on this funding to heat and cool their homes. Most of the northern part of the state also just got hit by a massive ice storm and then more snow last night. This is unconscionable. #LIHEAP
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinThese trees are into getting shocked. Dipteryx oleifera towers above the rest of Panama’s rainforest — arboreal lightning rods. They’re more likely to survive ⚡ than their neighbors, giving them a competitive edge. Read more at: @nytscience.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/s...
- Farmers- and the communities they feed- are facing devastating uncertainty after this administration’s federal funding cuts. I talked to Appalachian farmers and agroforestry groups for my latest @mongabay.bsky.social news.mongabay.com/2025/04/as-u...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinREMINDER: Wisconsin has same-day voter registration. So, if you haven’t registered or recently moved or anything like that, you can register at your polling place (with ID and proof of residence) TODAY. Every state should do this. It’s great that Wisconsin does this. Go vote.
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinA new study from @harvardoeb.bsky.social found that 21% of the greenhouse gases in groundwater are emitted into the air before the water integrates into streams. Words by @sarahderouin.com. eos.org/research-spo...
- Reposted by Sarah Derouin"Crowds Stand Up for Science Across the United States" by Kimberly M. S. Cartier, Emily Dieckman, Jennifer Schmidt and Grace van Deelen for @americangeo.bsky.social #Eos: eos.org/articles/cro...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinExtreme weather can affect the spread of diseases like malaria, dengue fever, & cholera. New research explores how these climate patterns can interact with population immunity, affecting disease spread years after the climate event itself. Story by @sarahderouin.bsky.social. eos.org/research-spo...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinFarmers depend on climate data. They’re suing the USDA for deleting it. Growing food is a precarious business, and losing access to key information makes it worse. grist.org/food-and-agr... #Farmers #Farms #Food #Agriculture
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinEncyclopædia Britannica will continue to use ‘Gulf of Mexico’ for a few reasons: -We serve an international audience, a majority of which is outside the U.S. -The Gulf of Mexico is an international body of water, and the U.S.’s authority to rename it is ambiguous. 🧵⬇️
- Removing public data about science, health, and the environment creates dire consequences. Science journalism outlets wrote to govt agencies, urging them to restore tax payer-funded information. Read here: casw.org/news/journal...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinMy latest. As journalists and writers, we have a duty to use language that is accurate and describes our current reality. I’m no longer going to talk about DEI/Anti-DEI. Let’s be clear. We are facing racial purges and re-segregation. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinRobert F. Kennedy Jr. has spent two days of confirmation hearings claiming not to hold positions he's held for years, reversing statements he previously made, and denying saying things he said. With @kieraevebutler.bsky.social, we examined some of the wilder ones: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
- Reposted by Sarah Derouinhi any NASA / FDA / DHHS people: i write for Popular Science, and right we all know how much that concept is getting forcibly pushed aside... unpopular pseudoscience would love to chat securely about the current situation with y'all
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinHi again folks: If you're an NSF panel reviewer whose panel was canceled today -- or if you have submitted a proposal/grant application and are worried about it -- would love to chat with you today. Feel free to DM or email!
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinHi, Vox reporter here: If you've had a study section, NIH travel, or other NIH-related meeting cancelled (or not), raise your hand! Reply or DM me, and repost for visibility if you're able. #academicsky @drugmonkey.bsky.social
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinVentura County strawberry workers are harvesting in heavy smoke from the Hughes Fire. We remind workers their employers have to provide them with respirator masks if the AQI exceeds 150. Stay safe! #WeFeedYou
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinI had an interview set up for tomorrow with a scientist at Lawrence Livermore for a story... and they just cancelled because, "LLNL has been asked by the administration’s transition team to pause all media interactions for the foreseeable future." I guess this is how it's going to be. 🧪
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinNIH appears to have canceled/postponed all of its study sections—the independent review panels that approve federal grants for health research. Such grants fund the work/salaries of 300k people at more than 2,500 institutions
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinScientists uncovered big connections between rapidly thawing permafrost and past landslides near Eyjafjörður, Iceland. The findings could improve understanding of future landslide risk in a warming climate. Story by @sarahderouin.bsky.social eos.org/research-spo...
- Greenland is getting a lot of attention these days— and it’s all because of geology. I wrote a summary of the last 3+ billion years of Earth’s history for the BBC: 🧪 www.bbc.com/future/artic...
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinSaw someone upbraiding someone else for having a hobby while the world is on fire, and, my friends: 1. The world is ever on fire, this is today's conflagration; 2. If you don't find time for rest and joy the fire will consume you; 3. Don't let people shame you for being an entire human.
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinThis reveals that RFK’s whole “oh you can get a vaccine if you want to, just no mandates” thing is bullshit because he’s going after the vaccines themselves. Vaccines which, for the record, are one of the keystones to our civilization. Particularly regarding the survival of children.
- Bring your cocoa and you favorite story/podcast/pottery/new pet! We’re gonna hang out and bask in some good news and accomplishments!
- Hi MiSCers! Just a friendly reminder about our virtual Wintertime meetup on Dec 17 at 7p ET! Bring your favorite cozy beverage and come hang out. If you'd like, please bring a link (or show and tell) of something you did this year that you’re proud of. Sign up: www.miscicom.org/events/futur...
- 😳😳 A case study on the importance of robust geoscience education and science communication.
- Half of Kansans say they haven’t heard of the Ogallala aquifer. Here’s why you should care www.hppr.org/hppr-news/20...
- Reposted by Sarah Derouin1. The conventional explanation for food deserts—that these places are too poor or too rural to generate enough spending on groceries, or too Black to overcome racist corporate redlining — fail to grapple with a key fact: food deserts didn’t used to exist. My new piece in The Atlantic.
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinNo one has grifted more from a once-respected family name. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a conspiracy-theory crank who is a danger to public health, and every mention of him should be quite clear about that. slate.com/technology/2...
- This is a great story reminding us all that there are real, dedicated people who make up the giant entity of “government”. (I was one of them for 8 years- I am proud of my colleagues and our critical work)
- Gift link to a nice piece in WaPo describing who federal government workers are and what they do. Spoiler: they are our neighbors and they help us. wapo.st/48W5fc5
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinPeriodic reminder: You can submit your own work for consideration for The Best American Science and Nature Writing. (Editors, ofc, you can, too.) Info and submission form is all here, please share: jaimegreen.net/basn #scicomm #sciwri #sciencewriters #sciencewriting #naturewriters #naturewriting
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinIt’s not too late. If you live in: California Colorado Connecticut D.C. Hawaii Idaho Illinois Iowa Maine Maryland Michigan Minnesota Montana Nevada New Hampshire Rhode Island Utah Vermont Washington Wisconsin Wyoming YOU can register AND vote on #ElectionDay
- Did you know honey is one of the most counterfeited foods? Researchers and nonprofits are trying to crack down on fake honey, including “fingerprinting” varietals. My latest: ambrook.com/research/sup...
- Hear more about how #agroforestry can help farmers and fight #climate change 👇🏻
- Happy to hear @sarahderouin.bsky.social's reporting for @mongabay.bsky.social going out on AM & FM radio across the U.S. today PNS reworked her original report on #agroforestry as a response to #climatechange for millions of American listeners: news.mongabay.com/2024/03/new-... Listen here:
- Me, every fall: yay, it’s butternut squash season! Me, peeling and prepping squash: ugh it’s so hard to cut… don’t cut yourself…why is it so slimy? Ack, I can’t get this goo off my hands! Me, eating: I should look up more fall recipes! 🤦♀️
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinToday, Oct. 7, 2024, is the last day to register to vote in Nov's general election for the following states: AZ, AR, FL, GA, IN, KY, MS, TN, TX Visit vote.gov to register, update, or check your voter registration status 👇
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinSAVE THE DATE: NASW members, join your colleagues @carmendrahl.bsky.social @elandhuis.bsky.social @sarahderouin.bsky.social @tanyalewis.bsky.social and Lauren Young for a special #SciWriSocial for anyone juggling caregiving and career. All NASW members welcome: www.nasw.org/events/... 💚🧪📝
- Reposted by Sarah DerouinWhile it might not have drawn the most attention, I was particularly struck by the portion of VP Harris' economic speech in which she talked about her own experience as a caregiver for her ill mother with a kind of specificity that I suspect anyone who has done caregiving will recognize.
