FIRST LOOK:

Once you've caught your breath after an epic week of climate news, submit your upcoming event or report to be featured as a First Look!

Biden Focuses On Jobs In Day 2 Of Summit: President Biden closed out the White House climate summit Friday with a focus on how addressing climate change will create an "opportunity to create millions of good-paying jobs around the world." Whereas Thursday's session emphasized America's renewed ambition in the form of its pledge to cut climate pollution by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 (and other countries' strengthened emissions reductions pledges), Biden sought Friday to emphasize benefits to be reaped by those efforts and through the innovation needed to succeed. “We need a mind-set that overcomes resistance to change,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said during the Friday Session. This is “our generation’s moonshot." Participants also stressed the need for international cooperation and action. “We cannot win this fight against climate change unless we go globally to fight it together,” Kenyan President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta told the summit. (Opportunity: Washington Post $, Thomson Reuters Foundation, AP, InsideClimate News, E&E $; Innovation: (Reuters, Washington Post $; 'Moonshot': New York Times $)

Inslee To Sign Cap-And-Trade Bill: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to sign cap-and-trade legislation to limit climate change that passed both chambers of the state legislature over the weekend. Washington is just the second state to adopt such an extensive climate change policy. The bill will cap climate pollution by sector and businesses that emit less than their allotted amount would be able to sell credits to other businesses. The pool of available credits will shrink in order to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Funds raised by the cap-and-trade system will fund projects to reduce transportation pollution and improve resilience to climate impacts. The bill will take effect in 2023, unless the Legislature fails to pass a new statewide transportation-spending package by then. (Seattle Times)

California Gov. Moves To End Fracking, Oil Extraction As State Faces Drought, Fire Risks: California will stop issuing new fracking permits by 2024 and will halt all oil drilling by 2045, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday. Newsom's order to state regulators, if successful, would make California, currently the seventh-largest oil-producing state in the country, the largest to ban fracking. Newsom's order comes as the American West stares down the barrel of a 'megadrought' expected to prompt the region's first ever official water shortage declaration, which would impose cuts on water allocation. Climate change makes droughts worse by changing precipitation patterns and increasing evaporation caused by higher temperatures, all of which in turn is setting the stage for a horrific fire season on the heels of last year's record-breaking conflagrations. Those wildfires threaten more than just what they might burn. Recent research shows particulate pollution (PM2.5) caused by wildfires can be several times more harmful to human respiratory health than other forms of air pollution, including car exhaust, possibly because wildfires burn everything in their path, including homes and other buildings, and thus release particularly toxic chemicals. (Fracking: (AP, Palm Springs Desert Sun, LA Times $, San Francisco Chronicle, SF Gate, KCRA Sacramento, E&E $, Earther, Reuters, The Verge, The Guardian, Politico Pro $, Washington Examiner; Drought: Mashable, Modern Farmer, Arizona Republic; Wildfires: NBC; Climate Signals background: Drought, Wildfires, 2020 Western wildfire season)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: 1 verdict, then 6 police killings across America in 24 hours (AP), how infrastructure has historically promoted inequality (PBS NewsHour), in Kankakee County’s Pembroke Township, race, poverty, farming, Nicor gas pipeline converge (Chicago Sun-Times), Nickelodeon airs Earth Day segment teaching children about 'environmental racism' (Washington Examiner)

ELECTRIFICATION: Why new induction cooktops are safer and faster than gas or electric (Wall Street Journal $)

METHANE AND COAL COUNTRY: Halting the vast release of methane is critical for climate, UN says (New York Times $), largest source of US methane emissions: Appalachian Basin (E&E $), infrastructure funding could be 'opportunity of a lifetime' to plug thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette $ and AP), West Virginia unions pressure Manchin to back Biden on infrastructure plan (NPR), Biden task force identifies $38B in unspent funds for coal communities (Politico Pro $, AP, Reuters, E&E $)

DENIAL: Researchers warn misinformation on Facebook threatens to undermine Biden's climate agenda (Washington Post $)

AGENCIES: EPA launches environmental justice initiatives (E&E $), the EPA calls an old creosote works in Pensacola an uncontrolled threat to human health. Why is there no money to clean it up? (InsideClimate News), Interior to study massive solar project on Nevada tribal land (E&E $), Haaland promises bold thinking on Indigenous issues (E&E $)

LAWSUITS: Red states sue Biden over social cost of carbon — again (E&E $)

THE HILL: Biden made the world a bold promise. Here's Congress' role (E&E $), power grid upgrades absent in Senate Republicans' $568B counter to Biden infrastructure proposal (Utility Dive), top Republican accuses Biden of 'dictatorship' for climate pledge (Washington Examiner), Biden’s climate plan doesn’t ban meat. But baseless claims left Republicans fuming: ‘stay out of my kitchen’ (Washington Post $)

HOUSE: AOC’s plan for a 1.5 million-strong Civilian Climate Corps, explained (Grist), Marjorie Taylor Greene brags she read all 14 pages of the green new deal (Earther)

SENATE: Democrats look to reimpose crude oil export ban (E&E $), Manchin, Capito praise Republicans' infrastructure plan (Politico Pro $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden doubles climate spending abroad, disappointing greens (E&E $), the White House warns that the US lags behind China on developing clean technologies (New York Times $), John Kerry after climate summit: ‘this is where the market is moving’ (Bloomberg $)

CLIMATE SUMMIT: Biden’s climate summit made progress. But we won't reach net zero by 2050 without those who weren’t invited (TIME), Biden’s climate summit launches the world into a climate sprint (TIME), summit shows Biden's big vision on fighting climate change (Washington Post $), summit catapults world ahead in crucial year to curb warming (AP)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: The US is back on climate. Now what? (Politico), wealthy nations ‘failing to help developing world tackle climate crisis’ (The Guardian), Biden tries to show — not just tell — the world it can trust the US again (NPR), Biden vows US will work with Russia on climate (The Guardian), Biden wants to restore US role in fight against climate change. Here’s how the US shaped past efforts (Washington Post $), Biden’s climate summit sets up a bigger test of American power (New York Times $), Biden will push allies to act on China forced labor at G7 -adviser (Reuters), global emissions goals come with big cost and political hurdles (Wall Street Journal $), US steps back into leadership role to battle global climate change (NPR), what the US’s ‘fair share’ of emissions reductions looks like (Earther), Biden is pushing the US to lead the world in fighting climate change (Washington Post $)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY, CHINA: Biden’s climate summit shows rivalry with US complicates China’s green push (Washington Post $), Biden’s pledge to slash US emissions turns spotlight on China (The Guardian)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY, BRAZIL: Brazil cuts environment spending one day after US climate summit pledge (Reuters)

US NDC: How do you cut 50% of greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030? (Wall Street Journal $), Biden’s big climate pledge: can it succeed, and what noticeable changes could it bring? (The Guardian), Biden’s climate plan faces global skepticism (Politico), Biden’s pledge to slash emissions would require big US changes (Wall Street Journal $), historic US carbon goals fail to sway major emitters (E&E $)

AMERICAN JOBS PLAN: Biden’s only hope to cut emissions in half? His infrastructure plan. (Grist)

FIRST 100 DAYS: More action, less talk, distinguish Biden’s 100-day sprint (AP), Biden will close the first chapter of his presidency before a sparse crowd — and with a historic backdrop (Washington Post $)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: US intelligence touts new emphasis on climate change, calling it an "urgent national security threat" (CBS)

NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Senate confirms Biden FEMA administrator pick [Deanne Criswell] (E&E $), Biden taps [Rick Spinrad] a former top scientist at NOAA to lead the weather and climate agency (NPR), Biden BLM pick rooted in politics, conservation (E&E $), DOE picks may sway Biden on climate, environmental justice (E&E $), Interior deputy pick [Tommy Beaudreau] reveals coal, oil and gas work (E&E $), Interior girds for another partisan confirmation fight (E&E $)

CITIES AND STATES: Connecticut considers stretch code that lets cities push builders on efficiency (Energy News Network), Democrats, activists call on [Indiana] governor to veto wetlands bill (AP), environmental crises are forcing millions into cities. Can countries turn climate migrants into an asset? (TIME), Honolulu commits to decrease emissions by 45% by 2025 (AP), Montana legislator introduces bill to legally target environmentalists after coal bailout fails (Earther), NYC bans pesticides in parks with push from unlikely force: children (New York Times $), New Mexico fights to escape powerful grip of big oil and gas (The Guardian), New York state pension fund backs activist nominees in Exxon proxy fight (Reuters), want tax incentives in Des Moines? Be ready to meet higher energy efficiency bar (Energy News Network), growing spotlight on environmental justice focuses on Colorado’s energy future (Denver Post)

FLORIDA: Basically everyone in Florida is united against these new highways (Grist), climate change in Florida is forcing a response from Republican politicians (Teen Vogue)

TEXAS: Natural gas trade group blames power outages for production decline during winter storm (Houston Chronicle)

CALIFORNIA: Confronting a shifting climate, how will California grow? (Washington Post $), resilient redwood forest a beacon of hope for California (AP)

IMPACTS: ‘Assistance not approved': her home still wrecked months after a freak storm, an Iowa woman’s FEMA ordeal presages the turmoil ahead as climate disasters worsen (Washington Post $), a climate change challenge in Louisiana: escape the danger while retaining community (Reuters), climate change has knocked earth off its axis (Earther), is your home at risk from climate change? Here's how to know (NPR)

WILDFIRES: Wildfire-fighting plane is shut down as fire season begins (AP)

METHANE: Leaking landfill contributes to world’s mystery methane hotspot (Bloomberg $)

RENEWABLES: ‘Insanely cheap energy’: how solar power continues to shock the world (The Guardian), report: federal government must tackle energy wage gap in green economy shift (Politico Pro $), revealed: UK solar projects using panels from firms linked to Xinjiang forced labour (The Guardian), Samsung unit considers developing $673 million solar plants in Texas -documents (Reuters), US to host international clean energy meetings (Politico Pro $), why renewable electricity powers decarbonization — and pays off (Grist)

OIL & GAS: A big oil project in Africa threatens fragile Okavango region (Yale Environment 360), where does all the radioactive fracking waste go? (DeSmog)

PLASTICS: Shareholders push Amazon to reveal its plastic footprint (The Verge)

PIPELINES: D.C. Circuit won't reconsider DAPL ruling (Politico Pro $), Standing Rock disputes new figures by Dakota Access owners (AP)

UTILITIES: PG&E gets initial approval to securitize $7.5B of wildfire costs, despite ratepayer impact concerns (Utility Dive)

WATER: Lead detected in 80% of Allegheny County, Pa., water systems: Report (Environmental Health News), up to 20% of crucial groundwater resources are at risk of disappearing (Earther, E&E $, CBS)

EVs: America’s gas-fueled vehicles imperil Biden’s climate goals (AP), electric vehicles prove to be as safe as gas-powered cars, IIHS says (ABC), Honda to phase out gas-powered cars by 2040 in North America (AP, Bloomberg $), how a wave of electric trucks could create millions of ‘accidental environmentalists’ (Wall Street Journal $), report: all new cars and trucks in US could be electric by 2035 (Yale Climate Connections)

ACTIVISM: Activists dump fake coal outside Lloyd's of London in fossil fuel protest (Reuters). jury acquits Extinction Rebellion protesters despite ‘no defence in law’ (The Guardian)

AGRICULTURE: Environmental groups call Biden’s carbon bank plan a ‘scam’ (Modern Farmer)

BUSINESS: Two Disney resorts aim to get a large portion of power from solar panels (Washington Examiner)

CARBON CAPTURE: Big Oil is just one industry hoping carbon capture will help it survive the new green economy (NBC)

CARBON PRICING: Chamber [of Commerce] resists pressure to back carbon pricing (E&E $)

FINANCE: Firms may have to disclose climate-related risks in financial disclosures (NPR)

GEOENGINEERING: Carbon capture and "dimming" the sun: climate geoengineering poses technical and ethical dilemmas (CBS)

INTERNATIONAL: Why EU climate weapon is in the financial fine print (Bloomberg $), Australian super funds to vote against company directors not tackling climate crisis (The Guardian)

UK: UK faces legal action over public finance for Mozambique gas project (Climate Home), UK replaces France as Europe’s second largest electric car market (The Guardian)

SAUDI ARABIA: Can the Saudis’ oil money help him save the planet? (Reuters), Saudi Arabia sees over $200 bln in savings from energy reforms plan - FinMin (Reuters), Saudi Arabia to join new forum on climate change - state news agency (Reuters), women plant 'water farms' to fight drying soil in northeast Brazil (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

• Carbon capture offers promise for Texas oil and gas companies' future (Houston Chronicle, Chris Tomlinson column)
• Don’t ask officials what they think of global warming — ask if they want a warning (Washington Post, Dale Durran commentary $)
• Biden’s 10-year climate plan (Wall Street Journal, Editorial Board $)
• The Guardian view on Biden’s green revolution: it needs revolutionaries (The Guardian, Editorial Board)
• Have We Really Come That Far Since Rodney King? (Politico, Erin Aubry Kaplan op-ed)
• Let’s launch a moonshot for meatless meat (New York Times, Ezra Klein column $)
• A world where George Floyd and Ma’khia Bryant would still be here is a world without police (NewsOne, Mariame Kaba and Andrea J. Ritchie op-ed)
• Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap (The Conversation, James Dyke, Robert Watson, Wolfgang Knorr commentary)
• Biden needs natural gas to hit green energy goals (Boston Herald, Michael Graham op-ed)
• The China shock and the climate shock (New York Times, Paul Krugman column $)
• Why the energy transition will fail without technology and trees (Energy Monitor, Philippa Nuttall Jones op-ed)
• Why the US needs a successful federal green bank (The Hill, Stephany Griffith-Jones, Ilmi Granoff, and Douglass Sims op-ed)

Deniers Try O’Keefe Method With Kerry’s CO2 Removal Mention

While the bulk of last week’s climate denial focused on pushing “American Energy” propaganda, on Friday the professional disinformation set pushed a particularly misleading attack on President Biden’s international climate envoy John Kerry. 

They seem to be learning from the illegally-misleading Amtrak loudmouth James O’Keefe, propaganda-saboteur who’s infamous for doctoring together “sting” videos purporting to catch people admitting something, but in reality just showing how easy it is to mislead the willingly misled with carefully edited video (or even not that carefully).

But it’s a good thing (for them) that O’Keefe is going to be popping out of a cake at Heartland’s next birthday party, because they still don’t quuuuite have his schtick nailed down quite yet. Instead, Steve Milloy opted for simply posting a 30-second snippet of something John Kerry said, and letting the lack of context do the work of making it seem ridiculous instead of cutting multiple different things together in a really obvious fashion like O’Keefe does.

During President Biden’s Climate Summit, Kerry talked about how even once we get to net zero emissions there will still be work to do, because we’ll “need to get carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.” 

What Kerry’s referring to is formally called Carbon Dioxide Removal, which describes a few different types of processes for capturing the CO2 that’s already in the atmosphere, and then locking it away long-term underground or underwater, or through reforestation efforts, getting stored in concrete, etc. And it’s different from Carbon Capture and Sequestration, which is the industry’s fantasy that if the public gives it enough money, it will develop technology to scrub the carbon from the fossil fuels it wants to keep selling.

So he’s right, only when CO2 is back to pre-industrial levels will the climate stop warming and destabilizing our infrastructure, and upending age-old agricultural practices and worsening extreme weather events. But that sort of extended explanation is not in Milloy's version of the video. 

Instead, career defender of tobacco and fossil fuels Steve Milloy appears to have stood in front of his TV screen and filmed the clip by hand on his phone, catching and posting a grainy, muffled, slightly swaying video along with the caption claiming that it was “a statement of climate futility and insanity.” 

That video was then reposted by The Daily Caller, again with zero context, simply the caption “JOHN KERRY: ‘We need to get carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.’” And if you’re wondering what the deal is and thinking surely no one could possibly be stupid enough to believe that Kerry was suggesting a total removal of every single molecule of CO2 from the atmosphere, and not just restoring the climate to normal conditions, think again! 

Or rather, don’t think at all, and you’ll be in the right headspace for the reply to the Caller’s tweet. With nearly 3,000 likes of it own, one “Melissa Koch,” who said that “as a Biology teacher, that statement horrifies me. Complete lack of understanding of basic earth processes and cellular respiration/photosynthesis cycle. And people will now take it as gospel.” 

Now, the idea that a comment John Kerry made offhand in a virtual climate summit would become “gospel” to anyone may be an amusing fantasy, but is a biology teacher really that dense? No, actually! Sorry for the rhetorical mislead there about the (we assume) coincidentally-named Koch being dumb enough to fall for this, because two tweets later she admits “you could take his meaning that ALL CO2 needs to go or we need to reduce it from pre-Industrial levels” before launching into the denier-standard “we NEED CO2 to survive” stuff. 

Turns out even a random climate science’s denier account with 287 followers has higher editorial standards than rightwing media and deniers. On top of the Daily Caller’s use of Milloy’s video in a tweet, GatewayPundit made a whole “story” out of it, which ClimateDepot thought worthy of posting as well!

How effective of an insult can it really be though, when even its own biology-teaching champions immediately confess it’s a deliberate misreading of Kerry’s statement? Even those parroting this attack know it’s nonsense.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to receive Hot News every morning!

Send updates or feedback to nkauffman@climatenexus.org
Submit events and other items for consideration for a First Look using this form
Some articles require logins or subscriptions ($)