Merry Christmas at The Honest Broker
An updated reader's guide and a holiday special!
As readers here know I am a big fan of numbers. So let’s take a quick look at The Honest Broker almost 6 months since I decided to make it a central focus of my work. Since June, there have been almost 90 posts, with more than 80% of them completely ungated. Over that time readership has increased by more than 250%, and I’m hopeful to cross 10,000 total subscribers in early 2023.
The independent research and analysis posted here routinely breaks through into the mainstream media around the world and frequently enters into more specialized scientific and academic discussion — Thank you!
As always, I welcome your feedback, suggestions, tips and requests. The Honest Broker has succeeded beyond all my expectations and I intend in 2023 to build upon where it has come these past several years.
Below, please find an updated “reader’s guide” with direct links to articles in Series, Weekly Memos and links to various talks & lectures. And of course, you can find hundreds more articles in THB archive. There is plenty here to read, to challenge your thinking, to prompt a response, and, as well, to hopefully distract from the Arctic blast many of us see out our windows today.
I ask for your help as well. Please share, recommend, like and subscribe at any level. I welcome all — a diversity of participation here is one of the best parts of this growing community we are developing together. In my experience online, THB has the highest quality of commenters of any platform I’ve participated in over the past 20 years. So please keep it up.
Next week, please look for my year-end 2023 office pool, in the spirit of the late William Safire. Meantime, all best for the holidays!
Please note that I have a Christmas Special going until the end of the year — 25% off forever, including for gift subscriptions!
A READER’S GUIDE TO THE HONEST BROKER (updated 23 Dec 2022)
Start here: How to Read The Honest Broker: A subscriber's guide to getting the most out of my Substack
In addition to my regular posts, The Honest Broker is currently organized into the following categories:
SERIES: These are ongoing discussions of specific topics that span more than one post. This is where I try out new arguments and ideas for your feedback, and (if I do my job right) some of these will make their way into published papers, essays or even a book.
PIELKE’S WEEKLY MEMO: These are (semi) weekly posts where I write in a more abbreviated and informal style. This is where I try to share early looks at work in progress or that is currently especially very timely. Almost all of these posts have a section that is gated for paid subscribers that may include further discussion and direct links/downloads to ungated articles. In 2023, I’ll make my book on sports governance — The Edge — available free to all paid subscribers. My book — Disasters & Climate Change — is currently available for download to all paid subscribers (here).
TALKS & LECTURES: I give a lot of talks and lectures around the world. Several recent talks have resulted directly from invitations from readers of THB. Some of my talks make their way to YouTube, others would otherwise disappear into the ether. So I make a selection of these talks available here and often make my slide decks available to paid subscribers.
Below you can find direct links to and guidance on substance of the SERIES, WEEKLY MEMOS and TALKS & LECTURES. I already have big plans for 2023 and am looking forward to continuing this experiment in exploring a new approach to independent research and writing. Thank you for reading, for participating and for your support. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Thank you for reading The Honest Broker! Thanks to your support it has thousands of subscribers and tens of thousands of readers around the world. In the coming weeks the total number of subscribers is likely to pass 10,000. Wow! If you are enjoying the newsletter and would like to join supporters of The Honest Broker, please consider becoming a free or paid supporter. This is independent research and writing, and it would not be possible without you.
SERIES
Pielke Sr. on Weather and Climate
Making Sense of Science in Policy and Politics
What the Media Won’t Tell You About . . .
The Future of Football
Making Sense of Trends in Disaster Losses
PIELKE’S WEEKLY MEMO
#1 ($): Some quick notes on recommended readings and what's upcoming at THB
#2 ($): What is climate change? Remarkably, the UN organizations that oversee climate science and climate policy each use a different definition of "climate change." Here is why that matters.
#3 ($): Supreme Court on climate, making sense of "event attribution," and PAC-12 RIP
#4 ($): Some follow up suggestions on ESG investing, regulation of athlete eligibility and global temperature targets
#5 ($): Manchin, Eco-terrorism, Fires in Spain & Germany's Coal Re-start
#6 ($): Manchin Redux, US Tornadoes, London Fires & Men vs Women Athletic Performance
#7 ($): More on the IRA, World Triathlon trans policy, great news you haven't heard & some recommended readings
#8 (FREE): A defense of Alex Berenson, geopolitical risk in clean energy supply chains and some recommended reading
#9 (FREE): A new analysis of solar and wind under the IRA, a historic White House science integrity scandal, some recommended weekend readings, plus a goal of the week
#10 ($): The most misunderstood term in climate science, perils of following the science, recommended podcasts, readings and a classic goal of the week
#11 ($): A starter set of essential slides for understanding climate science, impacts and policy
#12 (FREE): Magic Beans as climate policy, United in (Bad) Science, Pakistan's floods, a new talk, recommended readings and goals of the week!
#13 ($): Disaster Denialism, Coming Attractions and A Few Freshly Ungated Papers
#14 ($): Slides from and discussion of my "Climate Misinformation" talk today
#15 ($): A mysterious disappearing article at the NYT, THB updates, an absolutely amazing graph & recommended readings and podcasts
#16 ($): The NYT mystery resolved! Plus political contributions of U.S. scientists and more good news on climate
#17 ($): COP27 Special: What to Read, Misinformation of the Week and U.S. Hurricane Update
#18 ($): A Trip on the Thames and My Oxford Lecture
#19 ($): A sneak peak at normalized U.S. hurricane losses 1900 to 2022
#20 ($): A new podcast, three freshly ungated articles & my UCL talk on science advice
TALKS & LECTURES
Issue Advocate or Honest Broker: The Roles of Researchers in Communicating Science
Five Things Everyone (Including Experts) Should Know About Climate
More Good News From the Most Recent Climate Scenarios (and full video here)
The Most Important Questions for Scientists to Ask About Advocacy
MOST READ POSTS
The Unstoppable Momentum of Outdated Science: Much of climate research is focused on implausible scenarios of the future, but implementing a course correction will be difficult
SERIES: What the media won't tell you about . . . hurricanes: Let's take a look at what the IPCC and official data really say
How to Understand the New IPCC Report: Part 1, Scenarios: Contrary to what you've been reading, the massive new IPCC report offers grounds for optimism on climate science and policy
How the Myth of the Population Bomb Was Born: As the world passes 8 billion people, a look back at the modern origins of neo-Malthusianism
Climate Misinformation from the Biden Administration: The draft U.S. National Climate Assessment is about political promotion not scientific assessment
And a very Merry Christmas to you, sir. Thank you for all of your postings, and I look forward to another year of education.
Thanks and happy holidays Roger!
To other readers, what are your favorite blogs/Substacks/podcasters on climate beyond THB? I find it can be difficult to find other writers who consider climate change as a serious problem but refuse to engage in alarmism (which is why this substack is so enlightening!)