FIRST AND FOREMOST:

The recent spike in antisemitic violence in many communities across the U.S. is an alarming reminder that minority communities have never been safe from bigotry and discrimination. Climate Nexus joins our voice with those condemning and repudiating these and all acts of prejudice.

Recent antisemitic violence in the U.S. and around the world is an exploitation of legitimate protests over the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land on the West Bank and Gaza and, most recently, the killing of 250 Palestinians, including 67 children, in its bombardment of Gaza. Rockets from Gaza killed 12 in Israel. 

White supremacists have been emboldened in recent years by a sitting president who described self-identified neo-Nazis and neo-Confederates as "very fine people;" a year later, an adherent to the white genocide conspiracy theory murdered 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. This country was built on a foundation of white supremacy; the violence done to Black bodies in the form of slavery now takes the form of extrajudicial killings of Black Americans by police. The anti-Asian racism that saw Japanese Americans interned in concentration camps within living memory still continues today. The perpetrators of the Tulsa massacre, a century ago this week, were never held to account; those who instigated the insurrection on January 6th appear to be getting away with siccing an antisemitic, white supremacist mob on the heart of our democracy.

Simply put, virulent and violent white supremacy has flourished in the pandemic, including in the form of antisemitism, as we have seen in recent weeks. 

The white supremacy at the heart of antisemitism, and all forms of racism, is inextricably intertwined with the extractivist systems at the heart of the climate crisis — and addressing one is impossible without also addressing the other. 

Climate action must be equitable, and actively opposed to underlying structures of violence, bigotry, and racism. Climate Nexus stands with our Jewish siblings. 

Small Oil & Gas Producers Have Outsized Methane Emissions: Many of the oil and gas industry’s top emitters of methane are small, little-known companies, a new analysis of Environmental Protection Agency emissions data found. The analysis, commissioned by Clean Air Task Force and Ceres, found that five of the ten biggest methane emitters were small producers, and overall, the 195 smallest producers were responsible for 22% of total emissions, despite only accounting for 9% of production. These small producers have largely escaped the climate scrutiny placed on major oil and gas companies. The largest emitter, Hilcorp Energy, reported almost 50% more methane emissions than Exxon Mobil despite pumping far less oil and gas, and had a leak rate nearly six times higher than the average of the top 30 producers. One reason small producers, including Hilcorp Energy, emit so much is because they have purchased old, highly-polluting oil and gas assets from larger companies like BP and ConocoPhillips. The practice allows major fossil fuel companies to garner positive press by selling assets and cutting their personal carbon footprint, when in actuality those assets continue to pollute. “So nothing changed from the perspective of the climate, even though it certainly made ConocoPhillips look a lot better,” explained Andrew Logan, senior director of oil and gas at Ceres. (New York Times $, Gizmodo, MarketWatch, Washington Examiner, E&E $) 

Lakes Are Losing Oxygen: Climate change is contributing to falling oxygen levels in lakes across the world, according to a study published in the journal Nature yesterday. Previous studies have shown falling oxygen levels in individual lakes, but this study is the first to look at so many lakes globally, as researchers gathered data from nearly 400 lakes in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America. The study found that in the past 40 years, oxygen levels have fallen nearly 19% in deep waters and 5% in surface waters, which is up to nine times faster than the oxygen loss in oceans. Low oxygen levels in lakes can suffocate wildlife and threaten drinking water quality. In some lakes, oxygen levels increased at the surface, likely because warmer temperatures can drive algal blooms, which temporarily release oxygen. This oxygen increase does not benefit deep waters, though, and algal blooms can release toxic chemicals and produce methane, further contributing to climate change. “This study proves that the problem is even more severe in fresh waters [than in oceans], threatening our drinking water supplies and the delicate balance that enables complex freshwater ecosystems to thrive,” said Curt Breneman, dean of science at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which led the study. (The Guardian, Associated Press, E&E $, Sydney Morning Herald, Minnesota Public Radio, Axios)  

Activists Take Third Seat on Exxon Board: Activist investors have secured a third seat on the ExxonMobil board of directors, according to preliminary results released by the company Wednesday. Engine No. 1, a small, activist hedge fund that has pressured Exxon on its climate impact, put forward four nominees, three of which have been elected. While Engine No. 1 has only a 0.02% stake in Exxon, it gained support from other financial institutions unhappy with Exxon’s climate strategy. The newest board member, Alexander Karsner, has a strong environmental record and experience working in the renewable energy field. “It’s a watershed event when an activist investor takes three seats on the board of such a major company, and with the energy transition front and center in the bid to replace several board members, it seems inevitable that Exxon will be rethinking its climate strategy,” said Jason Bordoff, founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. (New York Times $, Washington Post $, CNBC, Reuters, CNN, Wall Street Journal $, Huffington Post, The Hill, Wall Street Journal $)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: Climate change threatens to displace Bangor residents who rely on affordable housing (Maine Public Radio), can Biden’s Justice40 plan deliver a fairer environment for people of color? (The Guardian), Fla. solar plans stoke fight over 'environmental racism' (E&E $)

PRIDEWASHING: Chevron celebrates pride while funding bigots in Congress (Gizmodo)

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP: How Latina community leaders rallied together after Austin’s disastrous storm (Vogue)

ANWR: Biden aims to end arctic drilling. A Trump-era law could foil his plans (New York Times $)

GAS STOVES: Here's why your gas stove is killing you (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee) 

G7: Climate crisis: rich countries falling short on vow to help poorer ones (The Guardian), spending by G7 nations favors fossil fuel interests over green energy (Mother Jones), UK urges Australia to scale up climate ambition before G7 summit (The Guardian), report: G7 nations spend more on fossil fuels than green energy [infographic] (Forbes)

AGENCIES: Yellen pitches infrastructure spending on the global stage to combat climate change (CBS)

LAWSUITS: Trump DOJ official sees roadblocks to Juliana settlement (E&E $)

SENATE: Chuck Schumer wants to pump up Cold War with China — at the planet's expense (Salon), Senate climate advocates start digging in on infrastructure goals (The Hill), 4 Senate Republicans in talks about border carbon fee (E&E $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden's clean energy plans: Revolution or red tape? (E&E $)

AMERICAN JOBS PLAN: Biden’s only climate plan is in jeopardy (Grist)

CITIES AND STATES: How will NYC’s next mayor tackle clean energy and climate change? (Gothamist), Nevada passes clean energy bill requiring state to join RTO, accelerating $2B transmission project (Utility Dive), state gives more time for input on N.H.'s 10-year energy strategy (NHPR), as offshore wind industry nears N.H., potential new workers show interest (NHPR)

ELECTRIC BUILDINGS: Sacramento approves ordinance requiring new buildings to run on all electric (KCRA Sacramento )

IMPACTS: A 20-foot sea wall? Miami faces the hard choices of climate change (New York Times $)

WILDFIRES: California wildfires threaten iconic redwood trees (NBC), wildfires are getting worse, so why is the U.S. still building homes with wood? (TIME), ‘mind-blowing’: tenth of world’s giant sequoias may have been destroyed by a single fire (The Guardian), landowners team up to fight wildfires — with fire (E&E $)

HURRICANES: Get ready for another “active” hurricane season in 2021 (Mother Jones), Hurricanes threaten 32 million U.S. homes (Scientific American), storm experts will send tough robots directly into hurricanes (Mashable)

DROUGHT: For farmers in the western U.S., drought inflicts harsh realities (NPR), even with recent rains, parts of the midwest and high plains remain parched by drought (Iowa Public Radio), western drought is locked in, but some relief is ahead for emerging midwest, east drought (Weather Channel), extreme drought worsening, officials tell committee (Navajo Times)

THIS IS FINE: The Biden White House is strangely calm about our burning planet (New Republic)

WATER: Mega-dairies, disappearing wells, and Arizona’s deepening water crisis (The Guardian), network of companies looking to move fracking wastewater in barges up and down Pittsburgh’s rivers (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette $), TVA calls research about former Allen Fossil Plant's impact on Memphis drinking water 'speculative' (Memphis Commercial Appeal)

RESILIENCE: Beleaguered by disaster damages, the U.S. may finally start spending on resilience (Grist)

ORSTED: Orsted plans $57 billion drive to be No.1 in green energy (Reuters), Orsted seeks green supermajor role with $57 billion plan (Bloomberg $)

ENERGY TRANSITION: Transition away from natural gas necessary to meet climate goals but creates equity concerns, experts say (Utility Dive)

RENEWABLES: Dominion says new ship has vital role in Biden wind-energy plan (Bloomberg $), solar in Soulsville: Memphis Rox, with solar installation, to highlight renewable energy (Memphis Commercial Appeal), one step closer to kicking our fossil fuel habit (Greenbiz)

CARBON OFFSETS: Wall street’s favorite climate solution is mired in disagreements (Bloomberg $)

PIPELINES: Judge overrides Biden admin on Keystone XL permit (E&E $)

COAL: It’s not over for coal yet as global prices surge on hot demand (Bloomberg $)

HYDROGEN: Hydrogen, RNG 'not ready for prime time' in gas grid – state policymakers (S&P Global), Siemens Mobility to work on hydrogen tech for trains after signing agreement (CNBC)

30x30: Does Biden's '30x30' plan trade science for popularity? (E&E $)

GRID: A habitable future needs a resilient grid, but it’s going to cost us (Greenbiz), plunging payout on top U.S. power grid squeeze coal, nuclear (Bloomberg $)

NUCLEAR: Bill Gates to build next-generation nuclear facility in Wyoming (Al Jazeera)

ACTIVISM: In the sunbelt, young climate activists push cities to cut emissions, whether their mayors listen or not (InsideClimate News), pressure campaigns are forcing oil giants to reinvent themselves (Fortune), pressure on the world's biggest polluters is increasing. But can it force change? (NPR)

BLACKOUTS: Texas lawmakers passed changes to prevent blackouts. Experts say they're not enough (NPR)

BUSINESS: Exclusive: Major companies unite to push climate solutions (Axios)

CARBON CAPTURE: Capturing carbon emissions: pragmatic solution or costly distraction? (Christian Science Monitor)

CARS: California urges EPA to let state set car-emissions standard (AP), why electric cars will take over sooner than you think (BBC), California’s renewable natural gas vehicles turn carbon negative in 2020 (Reuters)

POLAR POD: ‘Polar Pod' floating laboratory will flip onto its side and drift around Antarctica to research the Southern Ocean (CNN)

FINANCE: Engine No 1, the giant-killing hedge fund, has big plans of its own (FT $), climate change risks will affect U.S. bank capital in long-run - official (Reuters), big oil’s green-spending boost isn’t enough, IEA says (Bloomberg $), why May 26 matters to companies and investors (Greenbiz)

GREEN TECH: Bill Gates and EU pledge $1 billion boost for green technology (Reuters), we need more ‘patient’ capital behind early-stage climate tech (Greenbiz)

METHANE: Permian study finds overproduction leading to more methane leaks (Bloomberg $), Cargill backs cow masks to trap methane burps (E&E $) 

UN: Tasked to fight climate change, a secretive U.N. agency does the opposite (New York Times $), world must rewild on massive scale to heal nature and climate, says UN (The Guardian)

CELEBRITY: David Beckham buys stake in vehicle electrification firm (The Guardian)

WEATHER: TPG invests $100 million in Climavision, a new weather company (Axios)

OCEANS: US partners with four other countries to advance marine areas as climate solution (The Hill)

NET ZERO: 5 things to know about the global race to net zero (E&E $)

MEAT: We’re eating more meat than ever, and it’s a big problem for climate change (Fortune)

FINES: We reported on how California rarely cracks down on oil companies. Now regulators have fined one company $1.5 million. (ProPublica)

BOOKS: Top 10 books for a greener economy (The Guardian)

SHELL: Shell and the new era of climate risk (Greenbiz), Shell believes it will never pay resource tax on gas from its $55bn Gorgon project, hearing told (The Guardian)

WILDLIFE: Making way for wildlife (New York Times $), California’s almond trees rely on honey bees and wild pollinators, but a lack of good habitat is making their job harder (InsideClimate News)

INTERNATIONAL: Brazil's energy crisis affecting inflation, Cenbank chief says (Reuters), Greece plans green-energy shift to power electric VW fleet (Bloomberg $), Australian regulators step up climate disclosure oversight (Reuters), biggest India bank torn between Blackrock and funding coal (Bloomberg $)

• Call it what it is: a climate emergency (Covering Climate Now, Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope op-ed)
• Restoring degrading lands can help us mitigate climate change (Al Jazeera, Inger Andersen and Ibrahim Thiaw op-ed)
• New ‘normals’ caused by climate change require a more resilient coast; here’s how using natural infrastructure (Baltimore Sun, Wendi Weber commentary)
• Biden's budget tackles climate crisis across nearly every federal agency (The Hill, Kirin Kennedy op-ed)
• The Texas Big Freeze: How a changing climate pushed the state's power grid to the brink (Utility Dive, Dan Esposito and Eric Gimon op-ed)

Who’s Dumb Enough To Fall For Big Oil’s Greenwashing? Only Old Deniers Still Struggling With Emissions

On Tuesday, the Koch-y RealClearEnergy ran an op-ed by American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers that tried to spin the Koch-y Colonial Pipeline operator’s decision to protect its billing process by shutting down gas shipping as a justification for further support of “abundant homegrown energy.” 

The piece is standard industry cheerleading, jumping on the “this is like the ‘70s” meme that conservative trolls in the GOP have been using well before this piece ran. Also, Sommers references comments made on May 11th as “last week” in a piece published June 1, suggesting either an incompetently sluggish PR team, or one that desperately tried, and failed, to get the piece published somewhere more legitimate. 

It’d make sense that they wouldn’t start at RealClear’s safety-school for dirty energy propaganda op-eds, though. After all, their target audience these days isn’t the professional deniers that have fellowship positions at RealClear, but more mainstream audiences, as evidenced by their recent “Climate Action Framework” that pretends to embrace climate policy- as long as the cost comes from consumers, and not their profits. 

And the organized denial crowd is definitely not happy about the change in strategy. In fact, aside from the Republican members of Congress who receive campaign contributions and support from the oil and gas industry to say whatever is convenient, deniers seem to be the only ones gullible enough to take API’s obvious greenwashing at face value. 

For example, a blog post at CFACT headlines a piece on API’s framework as an “abject surrender and ignominious defeat,” which would be pretty sweet if it were true. 

Collister Johnson, who’s made some laughable claims in the past, sounded pretty heated about API’s bad faith feint. Their climate policy framework is, per Johnson in all his my Yale roommate George W. Bush hooked me up with an OPIC Board seat wisdom, “an open display of craven defeatism and submission to the woke, liberal world view which holds that the residue of the combustion of fossil fuels are ‘emissions’ - pollutants - which are harmful to the planet and therefore must be harshly regulate and ultimately eliminated.” 

Johnson goes on to try and grapple with the “impenetrable gobbledygook” that the Framework uses to disguise its pollution profiteering as climate heroics. In his view, the fact that API acknowledges “that the combustion of fossil fuels is a threat to civilization” and said that the industry needs to make some [public-funded, marginal] changes to “reach the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement”, means it “has adopted the most radical, least evidence-based, most extreme position held by climate change alarmists.” 

Now, API has hardly embraced the idea that the fossil fuel industry should be nationalized and converted to actual clean energy. But Johnson is terrified by their use of the word “emissions,” which apparently signals that they’ve “laid down their arms and admitted defeat.” 

Obviously we’re not quite so ready to believe that API has indeed adopted the “most extreme position held by climate change alarmists,” but we suppose it might be okay to take a slightly-less-jaded view of API’s newfound framework. 

Any sort of distance between API and CFACT is progress, given that in 1998, in response to the Kyoto Protocol, API was working on a plan to funnel industry money to groups like CFACT to spread climate denial.

Maybe if Sommers wants us to believe API is sincere in its commitment to the Paris Agreement, it can provide some transparency on how it worked with groups like CFACT to undermine the Kyoto Protocol. After all, those same groups are still working against climate policy, so if API truly wants to “reach the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement,” wouldn’t it lay bare the playbook of those seeking to stymie said ambitions?

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