FIRST LOOK:

Hot News, along with the rest of the Climate Nexus team, will be taking next week off for the 4th of July holiday. The newsletter will return on Monday, July 12. 

'Last Ice Area' Melting Faster Than Expected: The Wandel Sea and nearby waters north of Canada and Greenland, long known as the “last ice area” because climate scientists previously believed it would weather rising temperatures for decades, may not be as stable as previously thought. Last summer scientists were shocked to discover sea ice in the area was low enough for a ship to pass through. Now, a new study in Communications Earth & Environment has found climate change contributed to the thinned sea ice. Unusually strong winds were the proximate force that pushed ice out of the region, but Arctic warming has significantly thinned ice, and thicker ice would have resisted those winds. The area is especially important because it could become a last refuge for polar bears and other animals that depend on solid sea ice. “It’s called the Last Ice Area for a reason. We thought it was kind of stable. It’s just pretty shocking. In 2020, this area melted out like crazy,” study co-author Mike Steele told the AP. (Associated Press, New York Times $, The Independent) 

House Passes New Infrastructure Package: The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a roughly $760 billion infrastructure package they hope will be incorporated into the bipartisan infrastructure framework currently being negotiated. The INVEST in America Act includes several climate provisions, including funding for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, railways, and measures to make infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather. It also extends federal highway legislation, currently set to expire Sept. 30, and funds road and bridge repair, as well as updates to water infrastructure like wastewater and drinking water plants. All but two Republicans voted against the bill even though it included earmarks some had requested that would help their constituents. Some Republicans criticized the bill for its inclusion of climate measures. “I heard from my Republican colleague in [the Rules Committee] last night, ‘climate change provisions don’t belong in a transportation bill.’ Seriously? The largest source of fossil fuel pollution in the United States is transportation,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio, chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. (CBS, Reuters, The Hill, CNN, USA Today, New York Times $, Politico, Washington Post $)

Colorado Governor Signs Energy Transition Bill: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bipartisan bill into law on Wednesday that will provide $15 million to help workers and localities dependent on coal to help them transition to a clean energy economy. The money, which Polis described as "an important down payment," will fund the Office of Just Transition, which was created in 2019 to aid workers and communities dependent on coal as utilities in the state shift toward clean energy. Colorado utilities are cutting their use of coal, in part due to legislation requiring the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, but also because of the falling cost of wind and solar. “The key to a truly just transition unlocks new opportunities in more places than ever before — not only to provide jobs, but to support schools, and improve systems that are critical to powering our communities,” Polis said at the bill’s signing. (Denver Post $, The Hill, Associated Press) 

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: Work really sucks when it’s hot (New Republic), heat wave underscores disparities for vulnerable communities (On the Media)

CHAMPLAIN TOWERS: CNN's Erica Hill asked Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm about climate change's role in the Champlain Towers South collapse. Right-wing media predictably freaked out. (Media Matters), climate scientists say Miami building collapse is a wake up call (The Independent), the Miami building collapse and humanity’s tragic fight for the future (Wired), ‘the fear is very real.’ The Surfside collapse is renewing focus on climate change risks (TIME), the Surfside tragedy could be a ‘bellwether moment’ for managed retreat (Grist)

EXXON: How to sabotage climate legislation? An Exxon lobbyist explains (Grist), Exxon lobbyist caught on video talking about undermining biden's climate push (NPR), a lie for a lie makes Exxon cry (Heated), Exxon tapes add fuel for congressional investigators (E&E $), Exxon lobbyist says it pushed trade groups to 'be out front' on forever chemicals in activist recording (The Hill), oil lobbyist: Manchin, Sinema among ‘crucial’ senators for anti-climate effort (MSNBC), Insider: Exxon used climate playbook on plastics, PFAS (E&E $), Exxon mounts feeble walkback after lobbyist caught on camera telling truth about anti-climate agenda (Rolling Stone), undercover Exxon video reveals an anti-climate campaign (CNN)

PNW HEAT WAVE: Hundreds of deaths reported across Canada and the Pacific Northwest amid unrelenting heat wave (CNN, CNBC, New York Times $), heat wave more severe due to climate change, science shows (Bloomberg $), what is a ‘heat dome?' (USA Today), wildfires destroy town as hundreds die in ‘heat dome’ causing highs of nearly 50C (The Independent), millions in the West are still under heat warnings as parched conditions threaten even more wildfires (CNN), heat wave joins list of Oregon’s deadliest natural disasters; the worst remains Heppner Flood of 1903 (The Oregonian), the desperate hunt for air conditioners in Oregon and Washington (Slate), heatwave causing ‘biggest glacier melt in Washington state in a century’ (The Independent), heat wave in US and Canada summed up in one staggering satellite image (CNET), ‘it’s just devastating to see these conditions’ (NY Mag), Pacific Northwest wineries are shaking off the extreme heat wave, but are worried what it means for the industry’s future (TIME)

HEAT PUMPS: Heat pumps are ready to have a moment (Earther)

4TH OF JULY: Heat, wildfires and early tropical storm loom over July Fourth weekend (NBC), sizzling 4th of July weekend ahead: heat will continue across Southern California (LA Times $), experts recommend leaving the fireworks unlit this 4th of July (NPR)

BAN ON BANS: New Ohio law bans cities from enacting prohibitions on natural gas. No Ohio city has one. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

METHANE: Capping methane-spewing oil wells, one hole at a time (Washington Post $), Obama-era methane rules return. Are lawsuits next? (E&E $)

OIL LEAK: Coast Guard: ‘large’ oil leak during Georgia ship demolition (AP)

BUILDINGS: With time running out to cut carbon from buildings, industry just tightened its grip (HuffPost)

HOUSE: House Democrats unite to send firm climate signal to Biden (Politico)

WHITE HOUSE: The White House is seeking to soothe worries that it's pushing climate plans aside (NPR), climate pressures on Biden rise with the heat (Bloomberg $), White House releases CCS plan (E&E $), John Kerry: fFighting climate change could entail 'bigger economic transformation' than industrial revolution (Fox Business), countries with new fossil fuel projects should zero out emissions - U.S. climate envoy (Reuters)

INFRASTRUCTURE: Climate change could destroy America's roads (Vice), for first time, federal infrastructure projects being judged on how they tackle climate change and racial justice (The Hill), Biden admin lobbies Colorado environmental leaders on infrastructure (Axios), Democrats say there's no time to wait on including climate in infrastructure (The Hill), bipartisanship is climate denial (Earther) 

CITIES AND STATES: Major cities with the biggest projected temperature changes by 2050 (Chicago Tribune), Reno will become first US city to track real-time greenhouse gas emissions in effort to meet Paris climate agreement targets (Santa Barbara Independent)

IMPACTS: Miami’s climate dystopia gets real (Rolling Stone), summer is already off to a wild start (Bloomberg $), nowhere is safe, say scientists as extreme heat causes chaos in US and Canada (The Guardian), extremes committee validates Antarctic record heat (BBC), Italy covers shrinking glacier to save it from summer heat (Reuters)

HEAT: it wasn't just in your head — this was the hottest June on record in Boston (WBUR), what is a ‘heat dome?' (USA Today, Bloomberg $), Oregon’s built environment faces new tests with extreme heat (Oregon Public Broadcasting), welcome to our hellscape summer (Axios)

DROUGHT: California's rain year just ended - and the data shows we're in trouble (San Francisco Chronicle), Montana enters drought emergency as conditions worsen (US News & World Report), parts of Mass. and New England are facing a drought, and the heat isn’t helping (Boston Globe $), as the drought worsens, Utah’s national parks could face more flash flooding (Salt Lake Tribune), drier springs bring hotter summers in the withering southwest (InsideClimate News)

WILDFIRES: US West faces little-known effect of raging wildfires: contaminated water (Reuters), track the brutal 2021 wildfire season with these updating charts and maps (Buzzfeed), underpaid firefighters, overstretched budgets: he US isn’t prepared for fires fueled by climate change (Washington Post $), Colorado wildfires: firefighters continue to make big strides on blazes (Denver Post), researchers use drones to help forecast fires as wildfires hit Western US (Insurance Journal), Bottom Fire burns 3,000 acres on San Carlos Apache land near Bylas (Arizona Central) 

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: Wildfires grow in northern California with smoke plumes visible from space (The Guardian), will my COVID mask work for wildfire smoke? (San Francisco Chronicle)

CANADA WILDFIRES: Fire clouds spark 710,117 lightning strikes in western Canada in 15 hours (San Francisco Chronicle, Earther), ferocious wildfires destroy British Columbia town amid historic heat (Axios)

HURRICANES: Atlantic hurricane season off the charts already (AccuWeather)

ELSA: Tropical storm elsa is the latest evidence climate change is happening now (Yahoo), tropical storm Elsa forms over Atlantic (New York Times $), tropical storm Elsa path update as rapidly moving storm heads toward Florida (Newsweek), Tropical Storm Elsa strengthens near the Lesser Antilles - NHC (Reuters), Tropical Storm Elsa strengthening: Florida, Caribbean should track forecast closely (Weather Channel)

IEA: A bombshell report from closely followed International Energy Agency (Yale Climate Connections)

COAL: Sierra Club wants review of North Dakota power plant sale (AP)

HYDROGEN: A gigafactory for hydrogen could be a game-changer (Bloomberg $)

UTILITIES: As utilities risk missing carbon reduction targets, analysts stress need for organizational change (Utility Dive)

WATER: Water is disappearing in the West -- and not just during the summer (CNN), locals in rural Mexican town fault Coca-Cola for depleting water resources (CBS)

GRID: U.S. electrical grids are not prepared for climate change (Marketplace), more demand, less supply: drought and heat test U.S. power grid (NBC), what in the world is happening with the weather': Western heat wave raises questions for grid planning (Utility Dive)

COAL: Another KY coal plant to retire, but the pollution remains (WEKU)

EVs: Here’s how Biden aims to increase electric car sales (New York Times $)

NUCLEAR: Is nuclear power the missing piece of our climate change puzzle? (CNET)

OIL & GAS WELLS: How many abandoned oil wells threaten your favorite national park? (LA Times $)

QUEEN: Change needed to tackle climate crisis, Queen says (BBC)

SOCIAL MEDIA: How youth respond to climate change news on social media (Axios)

CARBON CAPTURE: Scarce carbon storage threatens net-zero push as emissions keep rising (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

YELLOWSTONE: Yellowstone’s most famous geyser could shut down, with huge ramifications (The Guardian)

OOPS: BBC removes Bitesize page on climate change ‘benefits’ after backlash (The Guardian)

TENNIS: Wimbledon upping its game to help the planet (Reuters)

SOLUTIONS: Willow trees could be a sustainable (and beautiful) way to treat wastewater (Popular Science), is bioenergy a sustainable climate solution? (NowThis)

REPUBLICANS: Young Republicans see shift in GOP: 'from outright denial to climate caucus' (The Hill)

GARDEN: Start a garden that can thrive in a drought (Bloomberg $)

CONCRETE: Concrete makers face heavy lift on climate pledges (Reuters)

SHOPPING: Singapore online retailers go green by merging fashion with sustainability (CNBC)

INSURANCE: Insurance industry feels the heat on cover for fossil fuels (FT $)

TECH: Two climate change AI co-founders named among MIT Technology review’s “35 innovators under 35” (Yahoo)

GREAT BARRIER REEF: Great Barrier Reef: leading scientists praise Unesco’s ‘in danger’ warning (The Guardian)

INTERNATIONAL: Will UK mining drive a green revolution? (BBC), Brazil sees most June fires in Amazon rainforest since 2007 (Reuters), fighting climate change might have just gotten easier (Scientific American), how climate change will widen Europe’s divides (Politico EU), New Zealand lawyers sue climate change body over alleged failure to meet targets (The Guardian), what scientists don’t understand, but fear, about climate change in Europe (Politico EU), top court gives French government nine months to act on climate change (Reuters)

• Exxon’s Mea Culpa Is Light on the Culpa (Bloomberg, Mark Gongloff op-ed)

• Media coverage of climate change is improving. but that alone won't stamp out disinformation (WBUR, Frederick Hewett commentary)

• Climate change could cost condo boards billions. They aren’t ready for it. (Washington Post, Evan McKenzie op-ed $)

• How to live in a climate ‘permanent emergency’ (New York Magazine, David Wallace-Wells op-ed)

• In Virginia, climate progress and preservation can work together (Washington Post, Mark P. Coombs op-ed $)

• Climate threats have and will continue to cost the military (Gainesville Sun, Adam Despang op-ed)

• Great Barrier Reef's decline should be a wake-up call (The Hill, Richard Leck op-ed)

• Is a federal judge trying to set climate policy with the 'Juliana' case? (The Hill, James L. Huffman op-ed)

• Climate change intensifies as Rep. Louie Gohmert blames the moon (Austin-American Statesman, Bill McCann op-ed)

Exxon Lobbyist: We Worked With ‘Shadowy Groups’ To ‘Aggressively Fight’ Climate Science and Our Carbon Tax Support Is A Ruse

On Wednesday, the UK’s Channel 4 news aired footage of ExxonMobil lobbyist (for now) Keith McCoy, in what he believed to be a Zoom call with a headhunter, but was actually an undercover Greenpeace investigator. 

In the video, McCoy brags about Exxon’s access to Senators, which the company is using to shape the bipartisan infrastructure negotiations to its favor. Beyond the potential interview-bluster, McCoy also, in what may be a first for an Exxon employee, admits that “Yes,” they did “aggressively fight against some of the science.” And did they also “join some of these shadow groups to work against some of the early efforts?” McCoy appears to ask himself rhetorically, answering affirmatively again: “Yes, that’s true.” (But “there’s nothing illegal about that,” he continued…)

So when lawsuits allege that the company worked with a network of covert anti-climate advocacy organizations, “yes,” they can quote an Exxon lobbyist in saying, “that’s true.” 

In a follow-up piece published Thursday where he also talks about plastics and natural gas as the future of the industry, McCoy describes how Exxon responded to concerns that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be regulated. Instead of engaging publicly, because they publicly deny that they manufacture the dangerous chemical, they got the American Petroleum Institute on the case. He explained that once environmentalists “start talking about how this is an ExxonMobil chemical and ExxonMobil is poisoning our waterways, the debate is pretty much over.” 

To prevent that, they “go in under the umbrella of API” so that “it’s just associations, no companies” and “you start to build out a coalition of associations,” which retain control because “companies feed into that privately when we have meetings, but the public face of it are the associations.” And what does that face look like? The standard industrial science denial discourses of delay, talking about how it’s not feasible to replace PFAS, and buying time by suggesting we just wait and study the issue further before making any sudden moves to prevent harmful pollution from reaching waterways where we have no way to remove them. 

“Lo and behold,” McCoy recounted, “we got a study, we got it passed. And that completely lowered the temperature and there has been very little talk about PFAS. There have been some bills introduced but there hasn’t been a lot of talk about it because you can point to, well, there’s a study going on. Let’s wait for the results of that study before we start moving forward on this.”

McCoy was also not coy about the company’s preference for evading accountability from lawmakers, explaining how they “don’t want it to be us” enduring congressional grillings. Instead, the “tough questions” are punted to their “associations,” who serve as “the whipping boy for some of these members of Congress.” 

He went on to explain that just earlier that week, “our CEO was invited to a hearing from a member of congress who we know is just going to rip him to shreds.” We assume this was in reference to the May hearing convened by Rep. Katie Porter to look into how the oil and gas industry (mis)spends public funding it gets, which would make pro-oil-PR-man Alex Epstein the “whipping boy” in question. (And sure enough, this past Wednesday he was hard at work at another hearing, this time defending a highly polluting coal plant in Puerto Rico by claiming that really it's nature that's the enemy, that he knows better than people that live there, and then later shouting debate me, coward at three Congresswomen who’d ignored him.)

Epstein’s apparent relish for his role as Big Oil whipping boy at the hands of Reps. Porter, Talib and Ocasio-Cortez aside, in other Congressional matters, McCoy made it obvious that ExxonMobil’s support for a carbon tax is only because they believe “it is a non-starter.” So why do they support something that McCoy says “is not gonna happen”? Because “it gives us a talking point. We can say well what is ExxonMobil for? Well we’re for a carbon tax.” 

Most folks weren’t exactly surprised at these revelations about ExxonMobil, since it’s been sort of obvious to everyone paying attention that this was their strategy and the way Washington works.  

But apparently it was a shock to Alex Flint of the Alliance for Market Solutions, one of the flourishing crop of conservative pro-carbon-price groups (falsely claiming to be an “alliance” instead of the more-common “coalition” to make it seem like it’s the sort of “coalition of associations” McCoy describes, as a way to inflate their perceived clout.) In light of the news that ExxonMobil’s own lobbyist doesn’t think their support for climate action is genuine, Flint said they still “believe ExxonMobil’s commitment to addressing climate change is genuine.” That makes him almost the only one still committed to the ruse, with the exception of theChamber of Commerce’s Neil Bradley, who expressed similar sentiments. 

Despite their positioning as the more Reasonable Conservative Climate Group that doesn’t deny the reality of climate change, Axios noted that AMS is supported by Exxon, which might explain this egregious display of denying the reality of a company causing climate change.  

So whether or not Flint knows, or can admit to himself, that AMS is one of the “shadowy groups” Exxon uses as an “umbrella” to “aggressively fight” real action by pretending to promote a policy it considers “a nonstarter” and “a talking point” … that is what AMS is actually doing.

“Yes, that’s true.” 

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