Today's Climate

May 14, 2021

Biden’s Pipeline Dilemma: How to Build a Clean Energy Future While Shoring Up the Present’s Carbon-Intensive Infrastructure

Even as President Biden worked this week to shore up support for his $2 trillion energy infrastructure plan, his administration found itself bombarded with the harsh realities of the nation’s oil-dependent present. From the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack to Michigan’s legal battle to shut down Line 5, it’s clear Biden can no longer avoid the divisive issue of what to do about America’s pipelines.

Inside Climate News

Biden Administration to Repeal Trump Rule Aimed at Curbing EPA’s Power

The Biden administration on Thursday moved to repeal a Trump-era regulation that it said weakened the government’s ability to curb air pollution that threatens public health and is driving climate change, the New York Times reports. Critics said the regulation distorted the costs of reducing air pollution while diminishing the associated benefits.

The New York Times

From Denial to Ambiguity: A New Study Charts the Trajectory of ExxonMobil’s Climate Messaging

Drawing on tactics used by the tobacco industry, ExxonMobil carefully cultivated its arguments over the course of decades “to downplay its role in the climate crisis and to continue to undermine climate litigation, regulation, and activism,” new research found. The company’s tactics included using more nuanced language to muddy public debate over climate change, the report says.

Inside Climate News

Fire Officials Aim to Douse Blazes Fast, Avoid Megafires

U.S. officials said Thursday they will try to stamp out wildfires as quickly as possible this year as severe drought tightens its grip across the West and sets the stage for another destructive summer of blazes, the Associated Press reports. Officials said they hope responding to smaller fires will reduce possible megafires in the upcoming months.

Associated Press

EPA Watchdog Calls for Improved Enforcement Presence After Decade-Long Decline

Regulatory enforcement from the Environmental Protection Agency has declined from fiscal year 2007 through fiscal year 2018, due primarily to resource constraints and leadership decisions, according to a new report released by the agency’s Office of Inspector General. The report also noted a lack of data on efforts like compliance activities and rates in EPA’s enforcement documents.

The Hill

New York’s Public Power Bill Could Be a Model for the Rest of the Country

A proposed bill in New York could help the state meet its ambitious climate targets and offer a model to the rest of the country in how to reduce carbon emissions, Gizmodo reports. The New York State Build Public Renewables Act, which is gaining traction among state lawmakers, would essentially create a public option for electricity and empower state energy authorities to build out renewable capacity.

Gizmodo

May 13, 2021

EPA Report, Delayed by Trump, Now Warns of United States Entering Unprecedented Climate Territory

The Environmental Protection Agency released a report Wednesday that had been delayed by the Trump administration for years detailing the harsh and widespread consequences climate change wrought on the United States during President Trump’s tenure, the Washington Post reports. The consequences include destruction of permafrost, loss of winter ice and spikes in summer heat.

The Washington Post

Federal Reserve Privately Presses Big Banks on Risks From Climate Change

The U.S. Federal Reserve has asked lenders to start providing information on the measures they are taking to mitigate climate change-related risks to their balance sheets, Reuters reports. The move highlights how U.S. watchdogs are moving to execute President Biden’s climate agenda, with potentially major ramifications for Wall Street.

Reuters

Inside Clean Energy: Arizona’s Energy Plan Unravels

Six months ago, Arizona looked like a model for bipartisan legislation. Democrats and Republicans had come together to craft a plan to get the state to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050, and a bipartisan commission seemed set to pass it. So why did that same group vote down the measure last week? That and more in the latest Inside Clean Energy by Dan Gearino.

Inside Climate News

Canadian Company Continues Operating Oil Pipeline Through Michigan Despite Governor’s Order to Halt

Enbridge, a Canadian energy company, is continuing to operate an oil and gas pipeline through Michigan despite Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order to shut it down, The Hill reports. Whitmer on Tuesday ordered the shut down of Line 5 by May 12, saying that an underwater section of the pipeline is too risky to keep operating. Enbridge contests that it operates the federally regulated line legally.

The Hill

Pipeline Hack Points to Growing Cybersecurity Risk for Energy System

The audacious ransomware attack that shut down the Colonial Pipeline and sent Americans scrambling for gasoline in the Southeast this week could become increasingly common and highlights the issues facing America’s aging and vulnerable energy infrastructure, the New York Times reports. The energy industry was the third most targeted sector for such attacks in 2020, a recent report found.

The New York Times

Brazil’s Lower House Passes Bill to Ease Environmental Permits

Brazil’s lower house of Congress has approved a bill to loosen licensing requirements for infrastructure, mining, agriculture and other projects, despite its being fiercely contested by environmental groups, Reuters reports. The move drew criticism from conservation groups at a time when Brazil’s environmental record is under intense scrutiny as deforestation in the Amazon rainforest soars.

Reuters

May 12, 2021

Climate Emissions Shrinking the Stratosphere, Scientists Reveal

The thickness of the second-lowest layer of the atmosphere has contracted by over 1,300 feet since the 1980s due to warming temperatures in the troposphere, where humans live, which has expanded to squeeze the stratosphere, while increased CO2 actually cools the stratosphere, causing it to contract. This could affect satellites, radios and GPS navigation.

The Guardian

A U.S. Virgin Islands Oil Refinery Had Yet Another Accident. Residents Are Demanding Answers

Amid an ongoing EPA investigation, a U.S. Virgin Islands oil refinery had another accident that disrupted schools for the second time in less than a month. At a community town hall set for Thursday, worried residents hope to get some clear answers.

Inside Climate News

Cities Aren’t Making Climate Investments Where They Matter Most

Less than half of more than 800 cities surveyed have a plan to tackle climate change, according to the nonprofit CDP. Cities are responsible for three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume about two-thirds of the world’s energy supplies, Bloomberg reports, making them vital in the fight against global warming.

Bloomberg

Hurricane Zeta Was a Category 3 storm—Not a Cat 2—When it Hit New Orleans, New NHC Report Says

The 27th of the 30 named storms that formed in the Atlantic last hurricane season was actually a Category 3 storm, not the previously reported Category 2, because its winds briefly topped 115 mph as it made landfall. The new designation results in one new record and one tied record being added to the long list of firsts for the season, NOLA.com reports. 

NOLA.com

Scientists Say This Bacteria Won’t Make You Sick and Could Be Good for the Planet

A team of scientists have created a possible alternative to plastic called “aquaplastic,” which uses E. coli, the bacteria responsible for some foodborne illnesses. The substitute plastic degrades in just 45 days and can be used as a plastic film or a bendable mold.

The Washington Post

Chemical Giants Hid Dangers of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Food Packaging

DuPont and Daikin knew that the PFAS compound used in packaging like pizza boxes and fast food wrappers were connected to kidney disease, cancer and other adverse health effects, but did not alert the public or the FDA, the Guardian reports. The companies withheld data a decade ago showing the “forever chemicals” were connected with health problems.

The Guardian