FIRST LOOK:

As the impacts of the megadrought across the West continue to mount,  be sure to follow the Water Hub at Climate Nexus. 

Nearly All The Chinook Salmon In The Sacramento River Will Die: A drumbeat of climate-fueled heatwaves, compounded by water management practices, will likely kill nearly all juvenile chinook salmon in the Sacramento River, California wildlife officials warn. “It’s an extreme set of cascading climate events pushing us into this crisis situation,” California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Jordan Traverso told reporters. Salmon need river water at or below 56°F to fully develop (which, in a human context, is so dangerously cold it can inhibit your ability to control your breathing). Low river levels caused by drought mean the water heats and evaporates faster, which lowers, and thus further warms the water in a vicious cycle. The salmon die-offs have increased due to diversions from the Shasta Reservoir, which was formed by damming the Sacramento River in the 1940s, to the agriculture industry across the Central Valley, itself parched by the climate-fueled megadrought. (CNN, Sacramento Bee $, Gizmodo, Newsweek; Cold water effects: Weather.com, ColdWaterSafety.org, UseAKayak.org; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves, Drought)

DOE To Propose First Efficiency Standards For Manufactured Housing Since 'The Sign': The Department of Energy may update energy efficiency standards for manufactured homes for the first time since 1994, Utility Dive reports. Strengthened standards for new homes could dramatically benefit the disproportionately low-income population who live in them because manufactured homes use 70% more energy per square foot than traditional houses. A 2016 draft DOE rule would have saved those living in manufactured homes thousands of dollars in energy bills over the lifetime of the home, but the Trump administration did not publish the rule. The DOE's approach would use a tiered system with stronger efficiency requirements applied to more expensive units in order to limit upfront cost increases and ensure strong cost/benefit savings over the life of the unit. (Utility Dive)

High Risks And Low Wages — Federal Firefighters Feeling The Strain: As wildfires, fueled by human-caused climate change, have grown more extreme, so has the burden on the wildland firefighters, and it's pushing many out of the job they love, Thomson Reuters reports. "The seasons are longer, and we're not being treated any better," Brian Campbell, veteran of nearly two decades of firefighting for the U.S. Forest Service said. Donovan Lee, a 22-year veteran who quit last year agreed. "Every year for the last five years, it's getting worse and worse," he told Thomson Reuters, adding, "You make more money at McDonalds." Low pay and benefits are a major driver of shortages. (President Biden raised the minimum wage for federal firefighters to $15 per hour, still less than the typical salary of a local firefighter, less than a month ago.) One-fifth of federal firefighting jobs are vacant, leaving firefighters to work overtime in increasingly-dangerous heat made worse by climate change. "If they pay more, firefighters wouldn't need to be working overtime to get a livable wage," said Kelly Martin, president of the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. "In a perverted way we've monetized risk taking." (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: Extreme heat is getting worse for low-income, non-white Americans, a new study shows (NPR, CNN, The Guardian), cycling advocate protests removal of bike lanes in Black community (Black Wall Street Times)

BUDGET DEAL: Senior Democrats prepare Medicare and climate initiatives as well as tax increases on wealthy as details of $3.5 trillion budget deal emerge (Washington Post $, Reuters, Bloomberg $), Biden pitches his spending plans on Capitol Hill (Washington Post $, Axios), what the budget deal means for climate policy (E&E $), climate activists hail Dem budget spending on clean energy (AP, E&E $, The Hill, MSNBC), Democratic senator: reconciliation package to include clean electricity standard (The Hill), Markey: passing reconciliation bill "precondition" for successful climate summit (Axios), Joe Manchin says he’s ‘very, very’ disturbed about reconciliation proposals on climate change (CNN)

MEDIA: If you’re not a climate reporter yet, you will be: Covid-19 coverage offers lessons for reporting on the climate crisis (Nieman Lab)

EUROPE: EU unveils ambitious climate package as its cools on fossil fuels (CNN, Axios, Reuters, Bloomberg $, Politico Pro $), Europe is proposing a border carbon tax. What is it and how will it work? (New York Times $), EU proposes adding shipping to its carbon trading market (Reuters), EU proposes effective ban for new fossil-fuel cars from 2035 (Reuters, Bloomberg $), 10 key policies in [EU]’ plan to slash emissions (Politico Pro $), the seven elements of the EU green deal you should care about (Bloomberg $)

THE GOOD AMAZON: Parts of the Amazon go from absorbing carbon dioxide to emitting it (New York Times $, The Guardian, Axios, InsideClimate News, The Hill)

BOTTOM LINES: The number of lives that clean energy could save, by U.S. state (Yale Climate Connections)

ACTIVISM: Watching for birds & diversity: Audubon groups pledge change (AP)

AGENCIES: Biden to restore protections for Tongass National Forest in Alaska (New York Times $), DOE initiative seeks to drop long-duration storage cost 90% in a decade (Utility Dive, E&E $, Politico Pro $, The Hill), Haaland urged to replace leader of policing task force (E&E $)

NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT: Biden administration seeks to reshape major climate report (Axios)

THE HILL: Congress to examine ransomware threat as NERC, FERC call for 'continued vigilance' to secure electric grid (Utility Dive), Republicans intensify attacks on Biden over gas prices (E&E $), Democrats call for a tax on imports from polluting countries (New York Times $)

HOUSE: House Democrats move to forgive local disaster spending (E&E $), New York lawmaker rolls out Green New Deal for public schools (Washington Post $), 7 climate questions for Rep. Rashida Tlaib (E&E interview $)

SENATE: Senate [Energy Committee] passes measure likely to shape infrastructure bill (Reuters), Manchin, Barrasso strike deal on coal reclamation program (E&E $), Collins vows to defend 'carbon neutral' branding for biomass (E&E $), Senate panel approves wildfire, agency guidance bills (E&E $), Senate's 'quiet' climate hawk looks to sell energy standard (E&E $)

WHITE HOUSE: Gina McCarthy: White House to use 'regulatory authority' on climate (E&E $)

POLITICS: Democrats' next political high-wire act: Selling their $3.5T budget deal (Politico)

NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Army Corps nominee pledges not to politicize DAPL environmental review (The Hill, E&E $), Biden oceans nominee vows to take on plastic pollution (E&E $), Senate committee approves EPA, Commerce nominees (E&E $)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Putin tells Kerry climate change offers chance to cooperate (Bloomberg $, Reuters)

CITIES AND STATES: Chicago’s big climate problem (New York Times $), Houston’s Mayor asks EPA to probe contaminants at rail site associated with nearby cancer clusters (InsideClimate News)

CALIFORNIA: A delta in distress (InsideClimate News)

TEXAS: ERCOT releases plan to boost reliability after blackouts, as report outlines gas, electric failures (Utility Dive, E&E $)

IMPACTS: Numbers explain how and why West bakes, burns and dries out (AP), high-tide flood risk is accelerating, putting coastal economies at risk (The Conversation, E&E $), severe flooding sweeps Germany, with at least 20 dead and dozens missing due to ‘unusual’ rains (Washington Post $, AP)

HEAT: Yet another major heat wave is set to roast the western US and Canada by the weekend (Washington Post $), what counts as a heat wave? It’s a life-or-death question. (Grist), the heatwave forcing America to confront climate reality (The Guardian), Anthrax, grasshoppers, dying clams show north American heat toll (Bloomberg $)

DROUGHT: 'In hell': nowhere has been drier than this stretch of Texas (E&E $), water crisis reaches boiling point (Indian Country Today), it’s not just water supply: drought harms water quality, too (Bloomberg Law), drought emergency declared in Washington state (AP)

WILDFIRES: This small Northern California town was ravaged by a wildfire for the second time in less than a year (CNN), California blaze erupts near site of deadliest US wildfire (AP), Oregon and Washington enter top preparedness level as the largest US wildfire scorches the region (CNN), residents warned to get ready to go as California fire grows (AP), we must burn the West to save it (Vox), wildfire smoke may be even more toxic than previously thought (Yale Climate Connections), 

EVENING NEWS: Devastating wildfire conditions in West expected to worsen (ABC), devastating wildfires rage across the West (ABC), wildfires raging across the West (NBC)

HURRICANES: Tropícal Storm Felicia forms far off Mexico’s coast (AP)

IMPACTS' IMPACTS: As climate change spurs migration, Biden urged to weigh new protections (Thomson Reuters Foundation), the US was leader in refugee resettlement, can it be the same for climate flight? (Forbes), Biden taskforce warns of climate migration catastrophe (E&E $)

RENEWABLES: Biden admin: China putting 'entire solar supply chain' at risk (E&E $), Greenvolt raises $177 million in IPO to fund expansion (Reuters), groups to federal court: Undo Alabama solar 'roadblock' (E&E $), Musk wraps up trial testimony defending role in Solarcity deal (Bloomberg $), California is planning floating wind farms offshore to boost its power supply – here’s how they work (The Conversation), analysis reveals shift to cleaner energy through renewable technology (Global Times)

OIL & GAS: Oil drops as US fuel stocks grow and OPEC+ closer to deal (Bloomberg $), OPEC reportedly reaches compromise on oil production after dispute with UAE (CNBC)

PLASTICS: Maine approves law to shift recycling costs to producers (AP, The Hill)

PIPELINES: Line 3 pipeline opponents appeal to Minnesota Supreme Court (AP), death of the ‘mega pipeline’ forces rethink of oil and gas infrastructure (FT $), America’s natural gas pipeline routes and environmental justice (Eos), whistleblowers say 'bad seeds' undermine pipeline safety (E&E $)

COAL: Report: Appalachian states face billions in mining cleanup (AP)

HYDROGEN: Hydrogen backers confident of avoiding another false dawn (FT $)

UTILITIES: Payments or fines: How Dems' CES would affect utilities (E&E $)

GRID: Extreme weather fuels rise of ‘virtual power plants’ (FT $)

EVs: Five facts on why electric buses are key to Biden's green agenda (Reuters Factbox), VW to double size of EV-charging network (E&E $)

ALLLLLL ABOARD: Commission proposes $117 bln to remake U.S. train corridor, cut travel times (Reuters)

AGRICULTURE: US 'loophole' can push organic farmers to destroy wildland (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

BUSINESS: Microsoft inks solar, environmental justice deal (E&E $)

CARBON PRICING: Why pricing carbon is still more theory than reality (Bloomberg $)

CARBON CAPTURE: Shell announces large CCS project in oil sands (E&E $)

MASSIVE SOCIETAL TRANSITION: Climate solutions could cause their own problems (Axios)

BITCOIN: Bitcoin miners seek to go nuclear to address environmental woes (Bloomberg $)

SHARK WEEK: Sharks that hunted near Antarctica millions of years ago recorded Earth’s climate history in their teeth (The Conversation)

INTERNATIONAL: UK government plans to slash transport emissions by decarbonizing aviation, trucks and rail (CNBC), UK ministers resist calls to reduce VAT on green home improvements (The Guardian)

COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO A NICER GUY: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro hospitalized after 10 days of hiccups (Washington Post $)

• A plan to address the growing orphaned wells crisis (The Hill, Sen. Ben Ray Luján and Sen. Kevin Cramer op-ed)
• It seems odd that we would just let the world burn (New York Times, Ezra Klein column $)
• Progressives ramp up climate demands as Manchin draws red line on eliminating fossil fuels (Washington Post, Jacqueline Alemany analysis $)
• How agriculture and climate change are connected, and why it matters (Centre Daily Times, Sylvia Neely op-ed)
• A carbon border tax is a necessary nuisance (Bloomberg, Chris Bryand column $)
• The Guardian view on the government’s net-zero targets: too much hot air (The Guardian, Editorial Board)
• We need to look beyond the market to beat climate change (FT, Joe Spearing op-ed $)
• 60 seconds on Earth with Leah Thomas (Atmos, interview)

Deniers Argue The Dust Bowl Means Record PNW Heatwave Is No Big Deal

One of deniers’ recurring responses to the incredible, record-breaking, “virtually impossible without human-caused climate change” heat the Pacific Northwest is experiencing this summer is to downplay it by pointing to the 1930s. If things were hotter and drier in the past, then how can climate change be making it hotter and drier now? they rhetorically and illogically ask. 

For example, Roundup-Refuser, professional denier, and non-founder of Greenpeace Patrick Moore, recently quoted a post from conspiracy monger and perennial censorship victim by “the Nazis at Twitter,” Tony Heller, pointing out that in July of 1936 there were a lot of states and weather stations experiencing temperatures over 100 degrees. Moore added that “heat spells are not new” and that “the 1930s were often warmer than today when CO2 was at about 300 ppm compared to today’s 417ppm.” 

Heller also tweeted on Wednesday that in “July 1934, 80% of the U.S. was in drought.” The tweet was accompanied by a graph from NOAA, who Tony believes is hiding inconvenient climate data, even as he uses it as the proverbial cherry tree from which to pick data to back his crackpot conspiracies. 

Anthony Watts, denier who years ago kicked Tony Heller off his site for being so blatantly dishonest, penned a similar denial screed for his Heartland Institute paycheck. He noted that “more high temperature records were set during the first half of the twentieth century than during the past 50 years,” and later pointed specifically to “25 of the record highs” that were “set or tied in the 1930s alone.” 

(Watts went on to describe how Portland experienced a record temperature drop, but “this all-time record cooling didn’t get much press because it goes against the groupthink narrative that ‘climate change’ causes only bad things.” Apparently it didn’t strike Tony that the reason why a record cooling of 52°F was possible was because of the record warmth that drove temps to 116, and “regression toward the mean.”) 

Anyway, as you may be wondering, no, these deniers largely don’t address the giant flaw in their argument — that the current heatwave has nothing to do with human activity because it’s not worse than the 1930s heatwaves. 

Because as you may know, if you’ve read The Grapes of Wrath or watched a Ken Burns documentary, during the 1930s there was this lil ol’ thing called the Dust Bowl. 

Over-enthusiastic new farmers devastated the topsoil across the west and triggered drought and heatwaves across the country. It remains one of the most devastating examples of how human activity can change the climate. 

That’s why it’s such a surprise to see it being invoked by deniers as a way to downplay the record-breaking heat that has baked the Pacific Northwest. They’re citing an example of a human-caused climate disaster to prove a climate disaster can't be human-caused.

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