FIRST LOOK:

A new report from from than 60 organizations across the Pacific Northwest, led by the Power Past Fracked Gas coalition, released a report this week exposing the dangers of methane gas and NW Natural's misinformation campaign.

Madagascar Nears 'Unprecedented' Climate Change Famine: Madagascar is on the brink of moving from a devastating drought and catastrophic food insecurity to widespread famine caused by climate change, the United Nations warns. In the island nation that has gone four years without rain, 30,000 people are currently experiencing level 5 (of 5) food insecurity as the country enters its "lean season" before the harvest. "These are famine-like conditions and they're being driven by climate not conflict," said the UN World Food Programme's Shelley Thakral. The situation is especially dire in the southern part of the country where the Economist reports desperately hungry families are selling their underage daughters to buy food. Tamaria, a single mother of four, who goes by one name, told the BBC she and her children had eaten nothing but locusts and cactus leaves for eight months. "I clean the insects as best I can but there's almost no water," she said. "What can I say? Our life is all about looking for cactus leaves, again and again, to survive." Madagascar has become increasingly arid, a trend "expected to increase if climate change continues," Dr. Rondro Barimalala, a Madagascan scientist working at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, told the BBC, citing the recent IPCC report. "This is unprecedented. These people have done nothing to contribute to climate change," Thakral said. "They don't burn fossil fuels… and yet they are bearing the brunt of climate change." (BBC, Economist, EuroNews, The Independent; Climate Signals background: Drought)

7,000 Preterm Births Caused By Wildfire Smoke Not As Bad As Today's: As many as 7,000 babies were born prematurely because of exposure to wildfire smoke between 2007 and 2012, new research from Stanford discovered. The study, published in Environmental Research, found the more days a pregnant person was exposed to smoke the more likely they were to have a preterm birth. A Week of exposure increased risk of preterm births by 5% and a month caused a 20% increase. “The smoke exposure then was dramatically less back then,” study co-author Marshall Burke told the Guardian. “Four of the last five years have seen worse smoke than any year in our sample.” Just this week, smoke from the Caldor Fire has made air quality in the Lake Tahoe region worse than some of the most polluted cities in the world and some Nevada counties experienced their worst air quality on record. The main culprit is fine particulate matter in the smoke (technically known as PM2.5) that infiltrates the lungs and causes or worsens a wide range of severe health impacts, including COVID-19. Racist policies and practices disproportionately burden people of color with PM2.5 pollution, which is also produced by burning fossil fuels, causing climate change and supercharging the wildfires. The study is consistent with others finding harm to children exposed to PM2.5 pollution, and wildfire smoke in particular, in utero. (The Guardian, New York Times $; NV air quality: The Hill; Climate Signals background: Wildfires)

DOI Announces Leasing Resumption, Report Warns Of Tribal Consultation Failures: The Biden administration will sell oil and gas leases on public lands and waters later this year, it said in court documents Wednesday. The move complies with a court order to resume leasing while the administration's pause on public lands and waters leases is litigated. In a statement, DOI said it would move forward with sales in the Gulf of Mexico by the end of the month with a sale notice likely being issued in September. Environmental groups criticized the administration for complying with the order. “Given the urgency of the climate crisis, and the well-documented shortcomings of the leasing system," Center for Western Priorities Policy Director Jesse Prentice-Dunn in a statement, [DOI Sec. Deb Haaland] must ensure that any public land leases that are put up for auction fully account for the costs that our children and grandchildren will have to pay.” The announcement came the day after a new report outlined inadequate consultation with Native American tribes and the prioritization of oil and gas extraction over cultural sites in the Southwest. (Leasing resumption: E&E News, The Hill, Reuters, Washington Examiner; Native disregard: New Mexico Political Report)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: North Carolina urban mapping project aims to identify heat islands, address racial inequities (WBUR), anti-critical race theory efforts put unique pressures on BIPOC teachers (Prism Reports), when environmental racism causes a hygienic hell (New York Times, Catherine Flowers and Mitchell Bernard op-ed $)

THE PANDEMIC GREEN PERIOD IS OVER: So much for a "green transition": Carbon emissions from power sector soar (Axios), report: global power plant emissions are surging (E&E $), despite the focus on fighting climate change, US demand for coal surged this summer (NPR), rising electricity demand is keeping coal alive (The Verge)

LINE 3: Line 3 opponents descend on Minnesota Capitol to seek a stop (AP)

[SNARKY DEFENSE MECHANISM HERE]: The antidote to climate dread (HuffPost)

THERMAL, CALIFORNIA: We looked for some of the hottest places in California. We found climate injustice in a nutshell. (ProPublica)

DENIAL: Climate denial is a conspiracy theory – with a playbook rebooted against vaccines (MSNBC)

ACTIVISM: Berta Cáceres’ murder shocked the world in 2016, but the killing of environmental activists continues (InsideClimate News), South African firefighter battles Cape Town blazes and inequality (Thomson Reuters Foundation), Extinction Rebellion protesters block Oxford Circus in London (The Guardian)

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON:  Roundtable discussion highlights importance of Battle of Blair Mountain to workers 100 years later (Columbus Dispatch), 100 years ago, armed coal miners went to war with the bosses (The Real News)

EPA: EPA pushes FERC to weigh climate impacts of pipelines, LNG (Houston Chronicle), Biden aims to remove all lead pipes. Will EPA follow suit? (E&E News), EPA water memo triggers fight over oil, gas pipelines (E&E $)

DOE: DOE-backed technology aims to protect grid's 'heart and soul' (E&E $)

FED: Will Biden keep Trump's Fed chair amid rising climate risk? (E&E $), the growing push for a green Fed (Axios), how should the Fed deal with climate change? (New York Times $)

LAWSUITS: Judge: DHS did not properly analyze environmental impact of border security (The Hill)

HOUSE: Carolyn Maloney to release environmental justice plan (E&E $), this Democrat [Josh Gottheimer] is bucking Biden’s climate plan (E&E News), lawmakers urge Biden and FEMA to declare drought disaster in West (Axios)

WHITE HOUSE: Combating climate change among top goals, new White House space official says (Politico Pro $), US climate envoy Kerry expected to travel to China in September  - sources (Reuters), President Biden approves a disaster declaration for California. (New York Times $)

INFRASTRUCTURE BILL(S): Schumer: Budget plan key to meeting US goals under the Paris deal (Axios, Reuters, Politico, The Hill), narrow House budget vote tees up billions in efficiency investments, but advocates want more (Utility Dive), Pelosi projects caucus unity as reconciliation bill moves to next stage (Politico Pro $), progressives eye halt to ANWR drilling in reconciliation bill (E&E News)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY?: US, China accuse each other of 'bullying' nations (Reuters)

CITIES AND STATES: Environmental group calls for ban on natural gas hookups in New Jersey by 2030 (Politico Pro $), DC, NYC ranked for infrastructure, environmental security (E&E $), what will Kathy Hochul do for New York climate policy? More than cuomo, activists hope. (InsideClimate News)

CALIFORNIA: California homeowners losing fire insurance coverage as threat grows (NBC), no matter the fire risk, California insurance companies can’t cancel your policy (Grist), want Calif. 100% clean power? Find more land (E&E $)

IMPACTS: A young Seminole activist worries about threat of rising seas to her native land (Yale Climate Connections), climate expert on why people outside of Tennessee should be worried about its storm (NPR)

ATTRIBUTION: In a summer of deadly deluges, new research shows how global warming fuels flooding (InsideClimate News), is climate change to blame for extreme weather events? Attribution science says yes, for some – here’s how it works (The Conversation)

THOUSANDS OF WORDS: The photos that show everything wrong with our current moment (Earther), Lake Tahoe shrouded in smoke from surging Caldor fire – in pictures (The Guardian)

HEAT: Hurricanes get names. What about heat waves? (New York Times $), autumn is quickly approaching, but the Lower 48 remains entranced by summer heat (Washington Post $)

DROUGHT: New climate observatory tackles Western water woes (E&E $)

WILDFIRES: ‘Fire weather’: dangerous days now far more common in US west, study finds (The Guardian), climate change fuels more ‘fire-prone’ days beyond US West coast (Thomson Reuters Foundation), wildfire smoke is hurting your skin (New York Times $), smoke from NorCal wildfires moves toward L.A., prompting air quality advisory  (KTLA, AP), gaps in wildfire smoke warning network leave people exposed (AP), hundreds of California residents are under evacuation orders as new fires spark in the state (CNN)

• CALDOR FIRE: Fire official says Caldor Fire "has simply outpaced us" as it nears Lake Tahoe (CBS), resources flood to fire as smoke blankets Tahoe area (Capital Public Radio)

• DIXIE FIRE: Returning home to a valley filled with flames (New York Times $), more Utah firefighters set to deploy to Dixie Fire in California (KUTV), Dixie Fire still burns inside Lassen Volcanic National Park, pushes north toward Highway 44 (Redding Record-Searchlight)

HURRICANES: A named storm probably will form within the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday (Washington Post $), Caribbean disturbance a threat to Mexico, Cuba, and part of US Gulf Coast (Yale Climate Connections)

RENEWABLES: First US-made offshore wind substation aims to boost domestic supply chain efforts (Politico Pro $), concern about endangered whales cited in suit over [Vineyard Wind] farm (AP), Iraq signs agreement with POWERCHINA to build 2,000 megawatt solar plants (Reuters), renewable energy startup aims to help Texans lower electric bills (Marketplace)

ELECTRIFICATION: Natural gas bans may hit $100B roadblock — report (E&E $)

BATTERIES: How batteries won big in the Senate infrastructure bill (E&E $)

BUILDINGS:  As PNW utilities contemplate building decarbonization, affordability concerns linger (Utility Dive)

OIL & GAS: Report: more oil companies adopt environmental goals, not net-zero (Houston Chronicle)

PIPELINES: German court rules that Nord Stream 2 must follow EU rules (Politico Pro $)

COAL: Chinese coal power investment slows, with 24 projects approved this year (Climate Home), China's provinces still planning over 100 GW of new coal projects - Greenpeace (Reuters), a new coal mine for England is stirring hopes and fears (New York Times $)

HYDROGEN: A beginner’s guide to the ‘hydrogen rainbow’ (Popular Science)

UTILITIES: Urbint pulls in $60M for its AI-powered tool to flag the dangers facing utilities (Canary Media)

CARS: The evidence that the world has passed ‘peak car’ (Grist)

EVs: Cleaner school buses are on the way in Virginia, but funding questions loom (Energy News Network), solar power in trucking's forecast as fleets find energy, cost savings (Utility Dive), the US EV charging network isn’t ready for your family road trip, let alone the expected wave of new cars (CNBC), electric-car charging stations give the home garage a powerful upgrade (Wall Street Journal $)

LAND AND VIOLENCE: 12 dead after attacks on Indigenous communities in Nicaragua (AP)

AGRICULTURE: Climate change is hurting cranberry harvests in Massachusetts (Yale Climate Connections)

CARBON REMOVAL: The dream of carbon air capture edges toward reality (Yale Environment 360)

FINANCE: Why governments are turning to green banks to accelerate the energy transition (Energy Monitor)

INTERNATIONAL: After wildfires, Greek PM says climate crisis demands radical action (Reuters), Germany's Sept election and why it matters to markets (Reuters), Denmark, Costa Rica seek alliance to speed up the end of oil and gas (Reuters), energy board vows to consult widely after Australian renewables industry says rules could prop up coal (The Guardian), European sleeper trains make a comeback (Wall Street Journal $), gas shortage boosts Russia’s sway over Europe’s energy markets (Wall Street Journal $), UAE assessing net-zero emissions target ahead of COP26 (Bloomberg $), with Assam silk and trees, Indians fight climate change and trafficking (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

• How Climate Change Could Worsen Gun Violence (The Trace, Daniel Semenza interview)
• Slow-walking the climate crisis (The New Yorker, Bill McKibben column $)
• West Virginia needs the Biden energy agenda (Volts, David Roberts analysis)
• Air pollution from household products is cutting people’s lives short (Environmental Health News, Deniss Martinez interview)
• The lost chapter: 100 years since Blair Mountain (Dominion Post, Editorial Board)
• Washington can look to Nevada for proof that investing in a clean energy standard is a no-brainer | Sisolak (Reno Gazette-Journal, Gov. Steve Sisolak op-ed)
• Electric vehicles will put NJ on the road to better public health (NJ Spotlight, Herb Conaway op-ed)
• View from a fire scientist when the world is burning (The Hill, Jessica McCarty op-ed)
• California's Recall Election for Governor Gavin Newsom Is a Warning Sign for Democrats (Teen Vogue, Kandist Mallet op-ed)
• Is democracy getting in the way of saving the planet? (The Guardian, Kate Aronoff column)
• How the US could slash climate pollution by 2030 (The Atlantic, Robinson Meyer analysis)

Rick Berman, The ‘Dr. Evil’ Of Industry PR, Uses Washington Examiner To Scare Burger Eaters with ‘Environmental Wokeism’

Despite the marked reticence among most big green groups to address agriculture’s climate impacts, and Democratic politicians' outright refusal to do anything but grovel at the feet of farmers due to their place in our cultural pantheon (entwined with white supremacy), the meat industry remains a steady investor in disinformation to make people think that any day now, a liberal will show up in their kitchen (or car) to snatch the big juicy burger right out of their hand. 

While sometimes such narratives arise seemingly spontaneously in response to climate proposals, like back in April when President Biden released his climate plan, there exists a steady campaign to keep this fear front of mind. 

The most recent example comes courtesy of the Washington Times, who ran an op-ed by Richard Berman headlined “environmental wokism is targeting your burger.” It recaps a smattering of climate-friendly diet op-eds that have been published throughout the year, and suggests that “the doomsday imagery is being stoked by animal liberation groups — including the radical PETA and the one percent Human Society of the United States — as well as the new synthetic meat companies who intend to profit if people consume less chicken, beef, and pork.” 

(Side note: We're pretty sure he’s referring to his old enemies at the Humane Society of the United States because when you Google "one percent human society of the United States" only this post shows up, and when you try just the "Human Society of the United States" you get a Facebook group with 116 likes and a bunch of misspelled references to the real one.)

Of course, all this climate concern about how we can cut down some emissions by making key changes to the agricultural sector is really just marketing by PETA and Big Synthetic Meat! It makes so much sense! 

What doesn’t make sense, though, is that Berman would be against eating chemicals in the first place. After all, he’s the guy who 60 Minutes once described as “Dr. Evil” because of his career spent defending the tobacco industry and various polluters (including lots of big restaurant and agricultural interests). 

And honesty is definitely not his policy. For example, in his Times column, Berman suggests readers go to fakefoodfacts dot com, which redirects to a post on his Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) front group. It lists some of the scary (sounding) chemicals found in meat alternatives, like food coloring or magnesium carbonate, which Berman describes as being used “to retain color” in food, but also “in flooring, fireproofing, and fire-extinguishing compounds.” 

Oh no! Just the thought of eating something as scary sounding as “magnesium carbonate” may have you reaching for an antacid to soothe your unsettled stomach. But when you do, just be sure to take a close look at its ingredients, because one of them may be magnesium carbonate- AKA “chalk.” (And it’s not like it’s new, either. Back in 1911, the Morton Salt company started adding it to prevent its salt from caking in the humidity, leading to the 1914 introduction of the Morton Salt Girl with her umbrella and the slogan, “when it rains, it pours.”) 

By using scary-sounding ingredient names to make meat alternatives sound unnatural, Berman’s unfairly playing to people's fears about chemicals. And he knows that. 

Because the irony is, Berman is more often posting things defending all sorts of chemicals. For example, CCF has a whole category of posts attacking organic activists, and 51 pages of “food scares” posts that defend pesticides. 

In one post, Berman criticizes a Chipotle ad campaign proclaiming the company only uses simple, pronounceable ingredients is “taking advantage of Americans' discomfort with eating ‘chemicals’” despite the fact that “everything from dihydrogen monoxide (water) to ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) has a chemical name and formula.” 

Now what would fear mongering about food coloring and calling chalk found in antacid by its formal name of "magnesium carbonate" be, if not “taking advantage of Americans' discomfort with eating ‘chemicals’?”

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