FIRST LOOK

Blue Hydrogen Not Really Green At All: The climate-heating impact of so-called blue hydrogen is 20% greater than simply burning methane-based gas, new research shows. "Blue hydrogen," hydrogen derived from fossil fuels like coal and gas combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) to eliminate carbon emissions, is a darling of the oil and gas industry, which touts it as a low-carbon fuel. However, the first academically-rigorous assessment of blue hydrogen's climate impact, published Thursday in Energy Science and Engineering, finds it is actually worse than than "gray hydrogen" extracted from coal and gas without CCS because so much methane is emitted from extracting and burning gas to power the CCS operations. Officials both in the U.S. and U.K. have discussed the role of blue hydrogen in those countries' energy systems, and the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package passed this week by the Senate includes funding for developing "clean hydrogen." "Blue hydrogen is a dangerous distraction, which, if actually employed at scale, would aggravate rather than help address climate change," Haworth told Earther. "Policy makers should be skeptical of such ideas until they are thoroughly vetted by independent full lifecycle analysis by scientists and engineers in a transparent and peer-reviewed framework." (Earther, New York Times $, The Guardian; UK: The Guardian)

Extreme Heat Killing Farmworkers, Compounding Compound Inequities: Extreme heat fueled by climate change is killing farmworkers, with compoundingly inequitable systemic effects, Bloomberg reports. Recent farmworker deaths in the U.S. from extreme heat have raised attention to the heightened vulnerability of people forced to work outside for fear of losing their income. People laboring in the fields “are being used as a human shield to buffer the rest of the country against the most violent effects of climate change,” Elizabeth Strater, of the United Farm Workers, told Bloomberg. The death wrought by climate-fueled heat will be far worse in developing countries with less-mechanized farming. In India, for example, where 40% of the workforce is in farming, higher temperatures will reduce crop yields, which will in turn drive down salaries while increasing the cost of food. “If you have a lower capacity to adapt, you’re going to get hit twice, maybe three times more by climate change,” said farm labor economist Cicero Lima. “With lower crop yields, more people are making lower salaries and paying higher prices for food. In this scenario, the world will be more imbalanced.” (Bloomberg $; Extreme heat and heatwaves)

Turkey, Scorched By Fires, Now Inundated By Floods: At least 27 people are dead after torrential rain set off severe floods and mudslides along Turkey's Black Sea coast, officials said Friday. The flooding comes just as Turkish officials announced they are getting the deadly wildfires in the southwestern region of the country under control. Nearly all of the deaths occured in Kastamonu province. Five bridges have collapsed with many more damaged and about 330 villages are without electricity; more than 1,700 people have been evacuated with an unknown number still missing. As human extraction and combustion of fossil fuels heat the atmosphere, extreme precipitation events are becoming more common because the air can hold — and thus release — more moisture. (AP, Reuters, Al Jazeera, BBC, New York Times $, Al Jazeera; Climate Signals background: Extreme precipitation increase, Wildfires)

DIRTY ASSETS: Exxon launches U.S. shale gas sale to kick-start stalled divestitures (Reuters), BHP urged to run down not sell its fossil fuel assets (FT $, E&E $), New York's pension fund to review oil holdings, axes more coal investments (Reuters)

DEBT AND LOSSES: Debt in a warm climate: coronavirus and carbon set scene for default (Reuters), extreme weather blows out catastrophe insurance losses to $40bn (FT $)

GREENWASHING: Using artificial intelligence to sniff out corporate greenwashers (Bloomberg $)

A&O: Companies must see past trees to blazing forests (FT, Lex analysis $)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: The Sunrise Movement's members of color say the group 'tokenized' and 'used' them for years (Buzzfeed)

IPCC REPORT: A ‘code red for humanity’ (New York Times, The Daily $), the best-case climate scenario is going to be extremely hard (Grist), the UN report is scaring people. But what if fear isn’t enough? (Grist), feedbacks and tipping points: big uncertainties about future warming (E&E $), greenhouse gas emissions must peak within 4 years, says leaked UN report (The Guardian), climate change worsens extreme weather. A revolution in attribution science proved it. (Vox), the new IPCC Report includes – get this, good news (Yale Climate Connections), paleoclimate data raises alarm on historic nature of climate emergency (Scientific American)

• METHANE:  It’s time to freak out about methane emissions (Vox), the IPCC understated the need to cut emissions from methane and other short-lived climate pollutants, climate experts say (InsideClimate News), how much worse will thawing arctic permafrost make climate change? (Scientific American)

MOUNTAIN WEST WILDFIRES: Hundreds forced to evacuate Montana wildfire as blazes rage across the West, fueled by dry conditions and high temperatures (CNN, AP), wildfire forces evacuation of small north-central Idaho town (AP), major wildfires threatening towns in Montana, California (AP)

HEAT: Extreme heat, deadly wildfires scorch US, Europe, Africa (Axios), NASA interactive map shows how rising seas will affect cities (E&E $)

• USA: Heat wave blasts U.S. with 150 million Americans under alerts (Washington Post $), Northwest heat wave spurs help for vulnerable residents (AP), heat wave hits Northwest, sending people to cooling centers (AP)
• EUROPE: Heatwave scorches Mediterranean in latest sign of climate change impacts (Bloomberg $), Europe may have hit its hottest temperature on record amid devastating wildfires and floods. (New York Times $), Italy may have hit Europe’s hottest day on record as anticyclone ‘Lucifer’ sweeps in (CNN, New York Times $)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: New UN report could be a game-changer for climate lawsuits (Grist), litigation increasingly the ‘only option’ when big emitters fail to address climate change (Energy Monitor), IPCC report a ‘call to arms’ for climate science in courts, legal experts say (Climate Home)

COP26: The High Ambition Coalition's priorities for the Glasgow climate summit (Axios)

FRIDAY RAGE: Bangladesh climate migrants escape rising seas only to die in factory fire (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

THE POLITICAL IS PERSONAL: Climate change is making people think twice about having children (CNBC)

VOTER SUPPRESSION: Texas Senate outlasts 15-hour filibuster by Sen. Carol Alvarado to pass GOP voting-restrictions bill (Texas Tribune)

AGENCIES: FEMA revises rules to address inequity in climate grants (E&E $), Forest Service directive rekindles debate on prescribed burns (E&E $), retired forest official plants trouble in timber debate (E&E $), timber fight takes root in hills of S.D. (E&E $)

DOI: Feds propose expanded coastal barrier protection (E&E $)

THE HILL: The hard part: Committee priorities for reconciliation (E&E $)

HOUSE: House moderates say they won’t back budget vote until infrastructure bill passes (New York Times $, Politico Pro $)

SENATE: The Senate’s two-track approach reveals little bipartisanship, and a fragile Democratic consensus on climate (InsideClimate News), Dems float tax credit bill to boost offshore wind manufacturing (E&E $), How the infrastructure bill passed (the Senate) (New York Times $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden’s OPEC plea pits fuel price fears against climate push (Bloomberg $), why the White House's call to pump more oil is oddly timed (Axios), Biden wants to rebuild quickly, but infrastructure bill may bulldoze underprivileged voices (Washington Post $)

INFRASTRUCTURE BILL(S): The infrastructure bill is a trillion-dollar test for environmental justice (Bloomberg $), Senate blueprint is lauded as potentially historic climate legislation (Bloomberg $)

RICH PEOPLE: Bill Gates pledges $1.5 billion for climate change projects if Congress passes infrastructure bill (CNBC, Politico Pro $, The Hill, The Verge, Wall Street Journal $)

CITIES AND STATES: Greenhouse gas pact helps fund green reinvention of Virginia public housing (Energy News Network)

CALIFORNIA: Calif. lawmakers float competing drought response bills (E&E $), California greenlights first-of-its-kind energy code to encourage electrified buildings (Utility Dive, E&E $)

FERC: Chatterjee on grid, climate and how he ‘bungled’ policy (E&E $)

IMPACTS: waist-deep flood hits Cameroon's commercial capital after torrential rains (Reuters), Greek pine honey threatened as wildfires destroy hives and forests (Reuters), how climate change could shift where tornadoes strike most (Washington Post $), flooding in China kills 21, as thousands escape to shelters. (New York Times $)

SALMON: Record salmon in one place. Barely any in another. Alarm all around. (New York Times $), ‘salmon is life’: for native Alaskans, salmon declines pose existential crisis (Civil Eats)

BOOZE: A tale of two vineyards (New York Times $), what climate change might do to your favorite wine (Wall Street Journal $)

DROUGHT: First water cuts in US West supply to hammer Arizona farmers (AP), can water megaprojects save the US desert west? (part 1) (Clean Technica), drought limits the ability for an endangered fish to reach adulthood (New Mexico Political Report), California’s dry season is turning into a permanent state of being (Bloomberg $), 'once in 100 years' drought seen affecting Argentine grains exports into next year (Reuters)

WILDFIRES: Fire officials are predicting more wildfires in the West as forecasts call for dangerously high temperatures (CNN), ‘the fire moved around it’: success story in Oregon fuels calls for prescribed burns (The Guardian), fires charring range set up ranchers for hardship in US West (AP)

• CALIFORNIA: What the Dixie Fire took from hundreds of residents (New York Times $), Dixie fire destroys another 550 homes, becoming one of most destructive in California history (The Guardian, Reuters), the Dixie Fire destroyed this small California town. A week later, its residents remain in limbo. (Washington Post $), amid Dixie Fire destruction, a pastor questions rebuilding (Washington Post $)
• SIBERIA: Wildfire smoke in Siberia causes ‘stay at home’ instruction (AFP), a firefighter confronts Siberia's wildfires: 'We had to surrender' (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
• GREECE: After a long battle, firefighters contain some wildfires in Greece. (New York Times $), Greek wildfires: New blaze breaks out on Evia island (AP)
• ALGERIA: Algeria orders probe into mob lynching linked to wildfires (AP)
• PACIFIC ISLANDS: Climate-fueled wildfires take toll on tropical Pacific isles (AP)

HURRICANES: Fred predicted to intensify into tropical storm and soak Florida despite recent downgrade (Washington Post $, AP, Yale Climate Connections), DeSantis tells Floridians to review disaster plans as Tropical Storm Fred approaches (The Hill), new hurricane-hunting drones deployed to help warn of intensifying storms: 'This could be transformational' (CBS)

😬😬😬: Alarming CDC report says new tropical disease had killed two in US (The Hill)

RENEWABLES: The Midwest lost clean energy jobs in 2020, but there were signs of hope, new report says (Energy News Network), can solar developers and farmers find common ground? (Canary Media), low wind speeds hurt profits at two of Europe’s major energy firms (CNBC, FT $, Reuters), abandoned pits of former mining town fuel green revolution (The Guardian)

BATTERIES: World’s largest battery maker CATL battles to stay on top (FT $)

OIL & GAS: Shell has to pay $111 million for 1970 oil spill that turned rain Black (Earther), Oil holds steady as traders weigh delta [variant]’s impact on demand (Bloomberg $), spread of COVID-19 delta variant knocks oil demand outlook -IEA (Reuters)

PIPELINES: PennEast aims to complete first phase of natgas pipe in 2022, despite right-of-way delay (Reuters)

HYDROGEN: Oman sets up hydrogen alliance to develop clean fuel industry (Reuters)

UTILITIES: This San Diego energy company is doubling down on fossil fuels (LA Times $)

GRID: Transmission for renewables in largest power market may cost $3B (E&E $)

EVs: Major energy groups partner to build national EV charger network (E&E $), Toyota, greens trade barbs over automaker's pace in EV race (E&E $), infrastructure bill could boost EV charging stations, but who’s in charge of the stations? (Marketplace)

CARBON PRICING: API supports carbon pricing, but its allies are skeptical (E&E $), Zurich Insurance boss wants carbon tax to punish polluters (Reuters)

CARBON CAPTURE: CCS ‘hubs’: climate fix or boon for fossil fuels? (E&E $)

CARBON FOOTPRINTS: The new report on climate change is dire. What can I do about it? (LA Times $)

CARS: At MOMA, love of cars can be exhausting (New York Times $)

FINANCE: Venture capital veteran Sacca returns with $800 million for climate tech (Bloomberg $), China investors turn to renewables, chips, to avoid regulators' attention (Reuters)

BITCOIN: The cryptocurrency lobby is a new major climate enemy (Earther)

WILDLIFE: Why some animals are shrinking (Vox)

INTERNATIONAL: ‘Green Garbage’ ads trashed by German election rivals (AP), Sturgeon urges Johnson to ‘reassess’ North Sea oil project (FT $, Bloomberg $), Nicola Sturgeon ‘hiding behind PM’ on Cambo oilfield, say climate groups (The Guardian), Spain says EU rejects request to change power pricing mechanism (Reuters), Japan to launch indicator combining GDP and carbon emission reduction efforts -Nikkei (Reuters)

• In the face of climate change, we must act so that we can feel hopeful—not the other way around (TIME, Katharine Hayhoe op-ed)
• By pushing for more oil production, the US is killing its climate pledges (The Guardian, Adam Tooze op-ed)
• Tying CEO pay to carbon emissions works. More companies should try it (CNN, Friso Van der Oord op-ed)
• Mapping where it’s getting hotter and where it’s not (Bloomberg, Justin Fox column $)
• How scientific illiteracy is killing us: Resistance to COVID-19 prevention (The Hill, Robert Klitzman op-ed)
• Is Biden serious about climate? His 2,000 drilling and fracking permits suggest not (The Guardian, Wenonah Hauter op-ed)
• Opinion: We could cut carbon emissions tomorrow — if we really wanted to (Washington Post, Fareed Zakaria column $)
• Virginia is on the front lines of climate change. Congress must make up for lost time (Washington Post, Rebecca Rubin op-ed $)
• How to fix our rigged tax system (Washington Post, Sen. Elizabeth Warren $)
• Can America really drive its way out of climate change? (New York Times, Spencer Bokat-Lindell op-ed $)
• Economic reality is dragging Russia toward climate acceptance (Bloomberg, Clara Ferreira Marques analysis $)

Washington Post Lets George Will Mislead Its Opinion Page Readers

The Washington Post does a lot of great reporting on climate change, and its opinion page is often home to strong pro-climate arguments, like this one from Tuesday about how with the new IPCC report findings, “climate doubters lose one of their last remaining arguments.” 

A day later, though, the same opinion page published a piece by their conservative columnist and long time “climate doubter” George Will that nevertheless presented readers with the sort of climate disinformation we’re more used to seeing from the Wall Street Journal. 

In fact, Will’s Post column was basically indistinguishable from the content on the opinion page over at the Journal, in that it outsourced its thinking to Steven Koonin. A bunch of WSJ opinion pieces have invoked or been penned by the disgraced and debunked ‘Obama scientist’, and apparently the Washington Post wants to be more like Murdoch’s Journal so that’s what Will did, too. 

But Koonin is obviously no match, scientifically, for the IPCC. The IPCC reports are assembled by literally hundreds of climate scientists, and based on thousands of peer-reviewed studies. Koonin is an out-of-date physicist with zero climate science publications in the peer-reviewed literature. IPCC report authors are highly credible. Koonin is… not. 

In fact, Koonin’s blunders and debunkings are so plentiful, we could do a whole IPCC-style literature review of them! 

For example, the WGI, physical-science equivalent would be the fact checks on Koonin’s scientific misstatements. Dana Nuccitelli wrote a 14-tweet thread addressing some of the false claims and red herrings in George Will’s Washington Post column. In response to Koonin’s last media moment earlier this year, Climate Feedback tapped twelve climate scientists to review an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal based on his book, “Unsettled”, and found a variety of misleading and incorrect claims, for example about Greenland’s ice melt or wildfires in the US, both of which are increasing. 

Mark Boslough, one-time physics student of Koonin, reviewed his book for Yale Climate Connections, and was unimpressed, concluding by advising readers “to see crankyuncle.com for information about logical fallacies used by climate change deniers.” 

On the social science side, economist Gary Yohe examined passages from Koonin’s book, consulted with climate scientists, and wrote a detailed debunking for Scientific American showing how Koonin misrepresents the science on climate change impacts. For example, Koonin claims sea level rise isn’t a big problem because water levels have “been rising over the past many millenia.” But, Yohe points out, “while seas have risen eight to nine inches since 1880, more than 30 percent of that increase has occurred during the last two decades.” (And not only is sea level rise going to flood coastal cities in the future, it’s already started happening.)  

On the political science aspect, there’s former science advisor to President Obama John Holdren, who wrote a rebuttal to Koonin’s book by way of explaining the basics of science, uncertainty and policymaking. 

And then there are the debunkings of the various opinion page pieces promoting Koonin’s work, all similar to George Will’s latest in the Post. Most damningly, perhaps, is a piece from a dozen climate scientists and disinformation experts in Scientific American making it clear that not only are Koonin’s scientific claims misleading, but his claim to fame as an ‘Obama scientist’ is little more than a marketing gimmick. And even then it’s hardly effective, as it’s mostly only working for far-right, disinformation-peddling pundits, and the outlets they inhabit. 

Mark Kaufman at Mashable used a past Washington Post column by Marc Theissen promoting Koonin’s book as the basis for a piece headlined “3 signs the climate op-ed you’re reading is full of it.” The “TL;DR? Beware poorly reported and dubiously sourced opinions, masquerading as respectable science coverage.”

Like everyone else these days, the Washington Post’s opinion editors know that climate doubters have lost. So why are they pushing climate disinformation on their readers?

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 ($)