FIRST LOOK:

Southeast conversations on the Lancet Countdown: Climate and Health, hosted by SEAP, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, APHA and Lancet Countdown U.S. Thursday 2/25 at 12:30 p.m. EST.

America Is Back In Paris, With Work To Do: The United States officially rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement on Friday. The move puts the U.S. back at the table with nearly every other country on the planet working to cut climate pollution. The U.S. must take significant action, however, to repair the substantive and reputational damage caused during the Trump administration. To comply with the agreement, the U.S. must set a 2030 target for national greenhouse gas emission reductions, which the Biden administration is expected to do before its summit with international leaders on April 22. The America Is All In coalition, launched Friday, also spotlighted an analysis demonstrating how action at all levels of government and the private sector can, together, reduce U.S. emissions by nearly 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. Some environmental groups, including the U.S. Climate Action Network, are calling for an even more ambitious target of 70% emissions reductions by 2030. "I think it would be extremely difficult for the U.S. to show leadership if it can't come up with something that is commensurate with the deep cuts in emissions that we need this decade to get on the road for net zero by 2050," Rachel Kyte, a former U.N. special envoy for sustainable energy and the dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, told E&E News. (E&E $, Reuters, AP, CBS, CNN, The Hill, New York Times $, Wall Street Journal $, The Guardian, Politico; Subnational efforts: Washington Post $, NBC, NPR, Bloomberg $, Greentech Media; Commentary: Time, Anne Hidalgo and William Peduto op-ed, CNN, Alok Sharma op-ed, The Hill, Alejandro Pérez op-ed)

Hurricanes Tipped Off 'Vicious Cycle' Of Homelessness In Louisiana: Residents of Southwest Louisiana continue to endure the turmoil set off by Hurricanes Laura and Delta, and rooted in systemic inequities and exacerbated by the fossil fuel industry, Southerly reports. “People who are poorer than they were six months ago are expected to spend more on housing than they did six months ago,” said Bill Quigley, a civil rights attorney and professor at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. “It’s just a vicious cycle for folks.” The region already faced an affordable housing crisis made worse by the gas boom over the last decade. After the storms, landlords used loopholes to kick out tenants despite a national eviction moratorium, or simply evicted them illegally. Now, amidst massive job losses fueled by the storms and the raging coronavirus pandemic, Lake Charles residents like Sasha Miller and her five-year-old daughter are caught in a tightening vise-set-on-spin-cycle of joblessness, homelessness, and COVID-19 exposure — all of which is made more stressful by a hard-to-navigate web of FEMA assistance processes. After months of tumult, including at least one point at which she called a suicide crisis hotline, Miller and her daughter now live in a two-bedroom trailer with 11 other people and an unknown timeline for returning to their old apartment. “I just hope it doesn’t get more stressful,” she said. Last week, electricity in Lake Charles abruptly shut off as temperatures plummeted to 14°F. (Southerly Mag; Cold: Earther; Climate Signals background: Hurricanes, 2020 Atlantic hurricane season)

Texas Power Restored, Full Costs Of Failure Growing But Still Unknown: Electricity has been restored across Texas and the Gulf, and the impacts of the nearly weeklong blackouts caused by the state's failure to prepare its grid for winter weather are beginning to come into focus. Around 70 deaths, so far, have been linked to the crisis, according to the AP. The total number likely won't be known for weeks. Customers whose power stayed on are facing a different crisis — astronomical electricity bills. Many of those, like Scott Willoughby who got a $16,752 bill, were Griddy customers who paid wholesale prices that can fluctuate wildly in times of crisis. On Sunday, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) halted power disconnections due to non-payments. Oil refineries, shut down by the cold, also released tons of toxic air pollutants into the atmosphere. Along with pipelines and other fossil fuel infrastructure, these facilities are spewing four times as much pollution as they were before the cold snap. (Power restored: Texas Tribune, Houston Chronicle; Deaths and death toll: AP, Texas Tribune, New York Times $; Electricity prices: New York Times $, Dallas Morning News, NBC, The Hill, The Verge, Houston Chronicle, NPR; Disconnections: CBS DFW, Texas Tribune; Pollution: Earther, Reuters)

DENIAL & EXTREMISM: 'Mark changed the rules': how Facebook went easy on Alex Jones and other right-wing figures (Buzzfeed)

ACTIVISM: 4 more states propose harsh new penalties for protesting fossil fuels (HuffPost), the activists working to remake the food system (New York Times $), the Superfund program turns 40. And it's a mess. (Environmental Health News)

REJOINING PARIS: Rejoining Paris was easy. Here's where the climate fight gets awkward. (Politico), John Kerry says Earth has 9 years to avert the worst consequences of climate crisis: 'There's no faking it on this one' (CBS, The Hill), Kerry: climate change among 'most complex security issues we've ever faced' (The Hill), U.S. must go ‘well beyond Paris commitments’ to avert catastrophic global warming, warns scientist (CNBC)

SOCIAL COST OF CARBON: How much does climate change cost? Biden expected to raise carbon’s dollar value (InsideClimate News)

TEXAS GRID FAILURE: Blackouts reveal endemic problems in the Texas power market (Dallas Morning News), deadly winter storm reignites debate over independence of Texas' power grid (Houston Chronicle), how a winter storm tested Texas’ go-it-alone attitude (Politico), Rep. McCaul defends Texas power grid: 'We're not used to this type of weather' (Politico), Texas’ electric bargain: a deregulated market brought fast growth, big investments and cheap rates (Dallas Morning News), 'The Grid' author on how Texas crisis highlights a fragile U.S. infrastructure (NPR), what the blackout crisis reveals about renewables, grid (E&E $), Texas and California built different power grids, but neither stood up to climate change (Politico)

FOOD & WATER: Texas is facing a food supply nightmare in wake of blackouts (Bloomberg $), Texas rushes plumbers to fix broken pipes, airlifts bottled water as crisis focus shifts to damages, water supplies (Dallas Morning News), Gov. Greg Abbott says power is almost fully restored statewide and grocery stores will soon be restocked (Texas Tribune), hospitals confront water shortages in winter storm aftermath (AP), Biden declares disaster in Texas as millions are asked to continue boiling water (NPR), water crisis expands beyond Texas (Axios), Southern cities hit hard by storms face new crisis: no water (AP), Texas water shortages persist; 'fragile' power grid returns to life (Reuters)

LIES: The Texas think tank giving cover for this week’s Republican wind power lies (Earther), debunking the conservative Texas renewable energy spin (Washington Post $)

POLITICS: Top Texas Republicans on the ropes after tone-deaf storm response (Politico), in extreme Texas cold, Green New Deal turns into hot potato (Al Jazeera)

WHAT HAPPENED(?): How Texas’ drive for energy independence set it up for disaster (New York Times $), neglect of power-grid and climate warnings set the icy stage (Texas Climate News), here's why gas and coal went offline during the Texas cold weather catastrophe (Washington Examiner), how Texas’ power generation failed during the storm, in charts (New York Times $), power failure: how a winter storm pushed Texas into crisis (AP), Texas failed because it did not plan (The Atlantic), how different electricity sources fare in extreme weather (Axios), why the power grid failed (Wall Street Journal $), weather experts: lack of planning caused cold catastrophe (AP)

ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY: Biden declares major disaster in Texas as focus shifts to who is responsible for the winter weather crisis (Washington Post $), ‘they were not prepared’: after winter crisis, Texas will have to confront its energy, politics and culture (Dallas Morning News), billions in damage across the South prompts focus on who’s to blame, and who will pay (Washington Post $), Democrats demand answers from Texas governor (Politico Pro $), Houston mayor: blaming renewables for Texas blackouts "disingenuous" (Axios), Texas outages take center stage during Congressional hearing on climate and clean energy (Utility Dive), Texas governor blasts grid boss, seeks power plant upgrades (Bloomberg $)

LEARNING LESSONS: Gov. Greg Abbott wants power companies to “winterize.” Texas’ track record won’t make that easy. (Texas Tribune), Texas blackouts point to coast-to-coast crises waiting to happen (New York Times $), Texas tells power plants to be winter-ready, but how to prepare is up to them. (Dallas Morning News), the lessons of the Texas power disaster (New York Times $), we’re doing disaster planning all wrong (Mother Jones)

ELECTRIFICATION: Texas power outage brings electrification-natural gas debate to a head (Yahoo News)

RURAL IMPACTS: “One thing after another”: Rural Texans faced the same storm — with unique hardships (Texas Tribune)

CLIMATE CONNECTION: Texas crisis exposes a nation’s vulnerability to climate change (New York Times $), climate change and record cold: What's behind the arctic extremes in Texas (CBS), climate change and record cold: what's behind the arctic extremes in Texas (CBS), 3 things people get wrong about the polar vortex and climate change (Forbes)

MEDIA: How a Texas TV reporter gained the confidence to cover climate change (Columbia Journalism Review)

HAALAND NOMINATION: Deb Haaland’s nomination to lead Interior is a historic first for Native Americans. The GOP wants Biden to cancel it. (Washington Post $), Oklahoma tribes' Black Freedmen seek ally in Haaland (E&E $), GOP senators attack Biden’s Interior secretary pick for wanting to protect land, air (HuffPost), Tribes have high hopes as Haaland confirmation hearing nears (AP), Tribes see troubled history in GOP's resistance to Haaland (Politico Pro $)

AGENCIES: Biden Energy Dept orders sweeping review of Trump energy rules (The Hill), NASA doing 'preparatory work' for climate push, acting chief says (Politico), states press for fast-track review of soot standard (E&E $)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: The Federal Reserve's deepening look at climate (Axios)

THE HILL: Manchin plans energy committee hearing on Texas power crisis (Washington Examiner), Oversight Democrats to probe Texas blackouts (E&E $), Pallone: E&C to begin moving climate legislation in March (Politico Pro $)

ORGANIZED LABOR: Biden squeezed between promises to go green and bolster unions (Politico Pro $), Biden's promise to fossil fuel workers will require 'enormous amount of work,' union official says (Washington Examiner)

NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Senate slows Biden's record-breaking staffing efforts (E&E $)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Biden silent on sanctions as Nord Stream 2 speeds ahead (Politico Pro $)

CITIES AND STATES: Continuing climate change fight, Virginia lawmakers commit to clean car standards (Virginia Mercury, AP)

CALIFORNIA: Dwindling cap-and-trade revenue leaves programs in limbo (E&E $)

FERC: FERC 'finally' ends PJM MOPR proceeding, paving way for grid operator's next capacity auction (Utility Dive), FERC moves could shift Biden's clean energy plan, Texas grid (E&E $), Congress, Texas should 'rethink' ERCOT's 'go it alone approach': FERC Chair Glick (Utility Dive)

IMPACTS: Ice, fire, floods: extreme weather and climate change (Bloomberg $), living with climate catastrophe (Axios), officials: drought could increase fire threat in Wyoming (AP)

CLIMATE AND POVERTY: When there’s no heat: ‘you need wood, you get wood’ (New York Times $)

OIL & GAS: Natural gas companies have their own plans to go low-carbon (NPR)

OIL SPILLS: Mauritius oil spill: questions mount over ship fuel safety (Climate Home), Israel shuts Mediterranean shore after oil devastates coast (AP)

TRASH: Baltimore continues incinerating trash, despite opposition from its new mayor and city council (InsideClimate News)

PIPELINES: Native demonstrators stand against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project in MN (WDSE), court rejects latest effort to stop Mountain Valley Pipeline (The Roanoke Times), Enbridge pipeline work site near Cloquet evacuated after 'suspicious device' found (Star Tribune $), Mountain Valley Pipeline defeats effort to block construction (Bloomberg Law)

UTILITIES: Michigan gas plant will be cleaner than coal but still add to pollution problem (Energy News Network)

(ALLEGED) UTILITY CORRUPTION: Avalanche of legal issues cloud FirstEnergy's future (E&E $), dark money group admits racketeering in Ohio bribery case (AP)

EVs: Health, medical groups push Congress to support EVs (E&E $), how much do drivers use EVs? Clashing studies fuel debate (E&E $), inside GM's plans to convert its factories for EVs (Wall Street Journal $), logjam kicks up debate over boosting electric vehicles (E&E $), Shell sets its sights on deploying 500,000 [electric] vehicle chargers by 2025 (Washington Examiner), Toyota still bets on hybrids despite competitors' focus on EVs (Axios)

AVIATION: Call to tax international flights to raise climate funds for poor countries (The Guardian)

FINANCE: BlackRock puts muscle behind push for net zero (E&E $)

SHIPPING: Maersk: Consumers can foot shipping's climate change bill (BBC)

IN MEMORIAM: Dianna Ortiz, nun who told of brutal abduction by Guatemalan military, dies at 62 (Washington Post $)

• I am a Native woman and a combat veteran. I support Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary (Indian Country Today, Elizabeth Perez op-ed)
• The Texas electricity crisis and the energy transition (Utility Dive, Alex Gilbert and Morgan Bazilian op-ed)
• Wind power is not to blame for Texas blackout (FT, Editorial Board $)
• Texas is the latest example of how governments are unprepared for disaster (Washington Post, Dan Balz analysis $)
• Texas Republicans, led by Cruz, taking heat as deep freeze batters state (Washington Post, Jacqueline Alemany analysis $)
• The electric vehicle revolution critics can't dispute (The Hill, Joe Britton op-ed)
• Biden should push US carmakers even further on EVs (Energy Monitor, Justin Gerdes op-ed)
• Climate change is upending Central America — the US must take action (The Hill, Kayly Ober and Rachel Schmidtke op-ed)
• Why Texas Republicans fear the Green New Deal (New York Times, Naomi Klein op-ed $)
• Texas’ wasn’t ready. N.J. is better prepared because we’re focusing on renewable energy. (NJ.com, Doug O’Malley op-ed)
• The lessons of the Texas power disaster (New York Times, Editorial Board $)
• Storm victims didn’t bring it on themselves (New York Times, Margaret Renkl op-ed $)
• A frozen Texas shows the perils of denial (Chicago Tribune, Steve Chapman column)

GWPF Complains About Fact Check With Rebuttal That Actually Agrees With Fact Check 

Facebook is finally working with some of the experts like John Cook who the Denier Roundup’s been telling you about for years now, announcing last week that they’re starting to incorporate more thorough fact checking measures. 

Better late than never!

But this also means that the complaints from deniers are about to reach a new tenor. Even before the new announcement, the Global Warming Policy Foundation was complaining about a fact check by one of Facebook’s fact-checking partners, Climate Feedback. 

Seems Climate Feedback had actual scientists take a look at a Breitbart post about a recent GWPF-published report by Dr. Indur Goklany that denies the connections between climate change and extreme weather. Turns out, legitimate scientists found it had “several inaccurate claims and cherry-picks information in a way that misleads readers about the scientific understanding of climate change.” 

Angry about their lies being exposed, GWPF issued its own rebuttal “to set the record straight.” It has nine points, of which only the last four actually address the scientific content, and only one actually attempts to make a substantive point — by citing Trump-defending, conspiracy peddler Roger Pielke Jr’s debunked and “normalization” schtick. Then there’s one dismissal of a citation request (science-speak for there’s no evidence for this). On the last two points, the GWPF just claims the Climate Feedback fact check proves Goklany’s point anyway. 

As for the first five complaints, they’re mostly semantics. But interestingly, they too reveal that even in responding to a fact checking, GWPF clearly and intentionally lies ... or everyone there is just real dumb. For example, they accuse Climate Feedback of not linking to the content, but the fact check is of the Breitbart coverage (not the GWPF .pdf itself), and CF provides the link in a special, stand-out grey box that says “see all the scientists’ annotations in context.” Did GWPF not notice the link? Or just not care that it was there? 

But GWPF’s first complaint is that “Climate Feedback claims that GWPF is a political advocacy organisation," which GWPF says is, "untrue [because] GWPF is an education charity and is non-partisan.” Unfortunately for GWPF, however, in 2014 a British judge ruled that GWPF’s actions were that of a political advocacy organization, not a charity. In response, the Global Warming Policy Foundation did not change its behavior, but instead spun up a political advocacy organization which it named the Global Warming Policy Forum, or, GWPF, of which it is a wholly owned subsidiary of GWPF, and does their political advocacy. 

So technically, it is totally correct to describe GWPF as a political advocacy organisation— a judge has ruled as much! Dr. Benny Pesier is Director of both GWPF and GWPF, so clearly he knows that GWPF does political advocacy. And then if people are confused by GWPF being both a political advocacy organisation and an education charity, the only ones to blame there are GWPF and GWPF. 

GWPF's next complaint is that Climate Feedback “claims that Goklany’s study is a ‘blog post.’ This is untrue. It is a report which runs 40 pages...” That "report," however, wasn’t released by any type of publisher, and it wasn’t peer-reviewed by any independent external experts, and it wasn't evaluated by an external editor at an academic journal. It is simply a .pdf posted to their blog. Or in other words, a blog post. 

GWPF is also very angry that Climate Feedback said it is misleading to call it a “study” (like Breitbart did) because it’s not original research or peer-reviewed or formally published in a journal. But that’s exactly what a study is. “The suggestion,” GWPF writes, pearls tightly clutched, “that ‘studies’ can only include original research would rule out thousands of review papers and indeed the IPCC assessment reports themselves.” 

But here’s the thing: review papers and the IPCC assessment reports aren’t studies! That’s why GWPF just called them papers and reports, but not studies! And in this fact check rebuttal GWPF published, they referred to it as a “study” only once, but a “report” seven times. The report itself calls itself GWPF’s “Report 46” of the GWPF. The GWPF websites have menu bars for their “Latest Postings” and a “GWPF Publications” drop-down menu that features options for “reports,” as well as “briefing papers,” “notes,” “essays,” “technical papers,” “annual accounts,” “annual GWPF lectures,” and “translations.” 

But oddly, there aren’t even any drop-down options for studies! (Because they know that’s not what they produce!)  

In their press release calling for Climate Feedback to withdraw their fact check, they refer to it as a “report” six times. 

The word “study” does not appear.

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