FIRST LOOK:

Project Syndicate will convene distinguished speakers to explore how new regulatory frameworks and green public finance can be used to accelerate private-sector investment in the green transition. Monday, Sept. 20, at 9:00 am ET.

'That’s A Load Of Crap' — Enviros Fed Up With Big Business Doublespeak On Reconciliation Package: Big Business is trying to block the passage of Democrats' $3.5 trillion climate and social spending legislation and environmentalists are pissed, Politico reports. "Was it all bullshit?" Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power, rhetorically asked of previous statements by corporations that claim to support climate action but remain members of trade groups lobbying to tank the package that would be passed through the Senate using the procedure known as budget reconciliation. “There’s one train," she added, "and you’re either getting on it or we will have a really long, long memory.” Groups like the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable are deploying the full weight of their considerable lobbying apparatuses against the bill, which also includes investments in health care, child care, and racial equity in addition to climate change. Some companies have tried to stake a middle ground, saying they support climate action, while remaining part of groups lobbying to tank the biggest opportunity to meaningfully address the climate crisis in at least a decade over complaints about cost and process. “That’s a load of crap and I think they know it," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) retorted. Those companies have been warned, privately, they risk losing their place in business climate coalitions ahead of COP26 in November if they fail to formally distance themselves from the lobbying groups working to undermine climate action. Environmental groups have also refused to entertain the idea of cutting loose other social provisions of the bill to appease conservative Democrats. “We’re pushing for the full Build Back Better package,” Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of the League of Conservation Voters, told Politico. “We’re not negotiating with ourselves.” (Politico)

Climate Change Could Force 200 Million+ To Flee Home: As many as 216 million people could be forced from their homes by the impacts of climate change in the next 30 years, a new report from the World Bank finds. The Groundswell 2.0 report, published Monday, finds the combination of failure to cut climate pollution and alleviate global inequities could drive further desertification, sea level rise, and other slow-moving impacts that force people to relocate within their own countries. Those numbers are in addition to cross-border migration and those forced to flee their homes by acute climate-fueled disasters like extreme weather events. (AP, Reuters, The Hill, VOA, AFP)

Nicholas Dumps Rain On Beleaguered Gulf Coast: Nicholas reached hurricane strength before making landfall on the Texas coast early Tuesday morning. Now a tropical storm, Nicholas still brings with it life-threatening storm surge and could dump as much as 20 inches of rain across the same regions submerged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. It is also forecast to hit parts of Louisiana still recovering from last year's duo of Hurricanes Laura and Delta, and last month's Hurricane Ida. More than 360,000 Texas utility customers are already without power. The storm raises special concerns for those in and around the New Orleans region, where many still do not have power after Ida, and just 5% of the trash and debris left by that storm has been cleaned up. Environmental scientists with the group Healthy Gulf have also reported miles-long oil slicks from petrochemical plants — more than 2,300 spills have been reported to the Coast Guard, and about 900 have yet to be investigated — and Nicholas is expected to further reveal the industry's inability to cope with extreme weather. (Nicholas landfall: Washington Post $, CNN, ABC-13, AP, CBS; Ida recovery: Gambit, NOLA.com; Oil spills: NOLA.com; Oil industry: Houston Chronicle; Nicholas forecasts: NOLA.com, NOLA.com, Yale Climate Connections, NPR, Gizmodo; Climate Signals background: 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season, Extreme precipitation increase)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: California grid limits may worsen inequitable access to solar energy: study (The Hill), minority communities often lack access to safe biking infrastructure (Yale Climate Connections), report: to close the park access gap, open up schoolyards (Grist)

COP26: John Kerry: delaying U.N.. climate summit would be a ‘huge mistake’ (New York Times $)

WATER, CORN, LIFE: A Hopi farmer works to sustain corn-growing traditions in the face of a changing climate (Arizona Republic)

I MEAN ... : Indigenous tribes facing displacement in Alaska and Louisiana say the US is ignoring climate threats (InsideClimate News)

IDA AFTERMATH: New Orleans City Council eying Entergy probes, but halting recovery funds could be tricky (NOLA.com), here’s why US oil supplies took such big hit from Ida (Bloomberg $), 2 more deaths from heat attributed to Ida in Louisiana (AP), 11 deaths put focus on NYC’s failure to make basement apartments safe (New York Times $)

ADVANCING DEADLINES: Scientists scramble to harvest ice cores as glaciers melt (Reuters)

INFRASTRUCTURE BILL(S): Ad wars intensify as Democrats' green energy plans take shape (Axios, HuffPost), green groups spending $33M to boost reconciliation plan (E&E $), Gulf South Coalition calls for ‘intersectional’ infrastructure investment (The Louisiana Weekly), the House’s big budget reconciliation bill would be a bonanza for clean energy (Canary Media), Elon Musk is angry about a new bill that includes a $4,500 tax incentive for electric vehicles built by companies with unions (Business Insider), as the largest-ever U.S. climate bill inches forward, a lobbying frenzy ensues (Washington Post $), oil lobby targets Democrats in fight against tax plan (E&E $)

LIFE & DEATH STAKES: Murders of environment and land defenders hit record high (The Guardian, NPR, AP, Democracy Now), environmental threats are biggest challenge to human rights -UN (Reuters), the tragedy of ‘The Activist’ (Atmos)

DENIAL: How wellness influencers are fueling the anti-vaccine movement (Washington Post $)

AGENCIES: U.S. climate equity office debuts with ‘teeny-weeny’ budget (E&E News)

EPA: The backstory on Biden’s pick to be EPA’s top cop (E&E News), EPA IG: Emergency response systems at risk (E&E $)

DOI: Biden admin ends pandemic-era offshore oil royalty breaks (E&E News)

LAWSUITS: U.S. fishing group sues Biden administration over offshore wind project (Reuters)

THE HILL: A new residential solar push with a justice focus (Axios)

HOUSE: 6 things to watch as [Energy & Commerce] votes on historic environment bill (E&E News), House committee to mark up $150B Clean Electricity Performance Program (Utility Dive), Agriculture panel approves $94B reconciliation bill (E&E $), Transportation and Infrastructure issues reconciliation bill (E&E $), tax-writing panel to propose ‘bonus rates’ for clean energy (E&E $), House Democrats seek to roll back Trump tax cuts for wealthy, corporations (Reuters), [E&C] Committee OKs methane fee, launches debate on climate plan (E&E $)

SENATE: Manchin slams $3.5T plan, says climate bill ‘makes no sense’ (E&E News)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden heads to western U.S. to tout climate goals, back California governor (Reuters), Biden to survey wildfire damage, make case for spending plan (AP), Biden turns to Colorado to pitch investments in clean energy (AP), Biden says wildfires are ‘blinking code red’ for nation (New York Times $), in California, worsening fires show limits of Biden’s power (New York Times $)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: In India, Kerry pushes for Modi to set net-zero goals (Washington Post $), India says U.S. willing to collaborate to achieve green energy goals (Reuters)

CITIES AND STATES: Connecticut falls behind state's GHG goals: 'We told you so,' says Acadia Center (Utility Dive), New York directs utilities to submit transmission proposals as decarbonization deadline looms (Utility Dive), NYC poses critical test for state gas car bans (E&E $), Texas is pushing the most anti-trans bills in the country. Advocates fear deadly consequences. (The 19th* News)

CALIFORNIA: California farmers, worried about water, may be a force in recall vote (New York Times $), Biden admin, CalEPA sign pledge on environmental justice (E&E $), DOE approves California emergency grid order (E&E $), high-stakes recall election in California (ABC)

ILLINOIS: A massive green energy bill got legislative approval in Illinois monday. here’s what’s in it. (WBEZ), Illinois approves $700 million in subsidies to Exelon, prevents nuclear plant closures (Reuters), Illinois energy bill passes senate, heads to Gov. Pritzker for signature (WLS-Chicago)(Electrek)

FERC: FERC nominee's D.C. decisions draw scrutiny from critics, despite green sector praise (Politico Pro $)

IMPACTS: Extreme flooding to increase as temperatures rise, study finds (Washington Post $), California’s disappearing salmon (Washington Post $), why a warming arctic has the US coast guard worried about the rest of the country (TIME), Pakistan – 20 killed in floods and mudslides in north, monsoon death toll exceeds 160 (Floodlist, Daily Sabah, AA)

WILDFIRES: Wildfire smoke is killing more than 33,000 people every year (Truthout)

• SPAIN: A wildfire in Spain is uprooting villages, razing forests — and raising concerns about climate change (Washington Post $), crews in southern Spain face ‘complex’ wildfire for 5th day (AP, The Guardian, Reuters)
• HOPKINS FIRE: ‘Intense, quick’ Hopkins fire destroys homes, forces evacuations north of Ukiah (The Press Democrat, NBC Bay Area, San Francisco Chronicle, AP), Hopkins Fire prompts more California evacuations ahead of Biden visit (Washington Post $), homes burned; forward progress stopped; evacuation orders reduced to warnings (CBS San Francisco, The Press Democrat)

NEWS YOU CAN USE: How to stay safe during a flash flood (New York Times $), how to soften butter quickly, and why it matters for your baking (Washington Post $)

METHANE: Scientists build satellite to monitor methane leaks that contribute to global warming (CBS)

RENEWABLES: California lawmakers pass bill laying the groundwork for West Coast offshore wind development (Utility Dive), Minnesota’s Iron Range may soon be home to one of the largest solar panel manufacturing facilities in the country (Energy News Network and MinnPost), Britain announces biggest auction round in renewable energy scheme (Reuters), US solar gets more expensive in threat to climate change fight (Bloomberg $)

TRANSITIONS: How workers at Colorado Springs’ shuttered power plant are transitioning to new careers (Energy News Network)

BATTERIES: Major Calif. battery outage highlights energy storage risks (E&E News)

OIL & GAS: Global oil demand to exceed pre-pandemic levels next year, OPEC says (Wall Street Journal $, New York Times $)

PLASTICS: Corporations tried to blame you for the plastic crisis. Now states are turning the tables (Grist)

COAL: Britain’s last coal power stations to be paid huge sums to keep lights on (The Guardian)

(ALLEGED) UTILITY CORRUPTION: Lawsuit: TVA illegally backed fossil fuel lobbyists (E&E $), emails, docs show TVA’s ties to fight against federal regs (E&E News)

EVs: GM digs in with LG Corp to speed a fix for Bolt battery fires (Reuters), Chevy Bolt battery recall: how could this have happened? (Car and Driver), 'it's unnerving': Chevy Bolt owners want buybacks after 141,000 vehicles recalled for fire risk (Detroit Free Press)

AGRICULTURE: No bull: scientists potty train cows to use ‘MooLoo’ (AP, The Guardian, Gizmodo)

IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR GRETA: There’s Amazon prime, and then there’s shipping by schooner (New York Times $)

FINANCE: Engine No. 1 investment framework aims to tie company valuations to climate impact (Reuters)

STEEL: Green steel becomes a hot commodity for big automakers (Wall Street Journal $)

INTERNATIONAL: The Canadian federal election: what has happened and what is at stake (Reuters explainer), Australia burying ‘head in the sand’ on security risks of climate change, former defence official says (The Guardian), China's Yunnan imposes output curbs on aluminium, steel, cement makers (Reuters), energy crunch deepens as U.S. warns Europe isn’t doing enough (Bloomberg $, Wall Street Journal $), Green lawmakers urge EU to speed up climate change measures (Reuters), Norway’s pro-oil labor set to oust conservative government (Bloomberg $, Reuters, The Guardian), Norway’s ‘climate election’ puts center-left in charge (New York Times $), Trudeau pledges to cut Canada's oil emissions even as country keeps pumping more (Reuters)

• Australia is shaping up to be the villain of COP26 climate talks (CNN, Angela Dewan analysis)
• Australia's duty to the world: Stop mining coal (The Hill, David Shearman op-ed)
• Depleting the Climate Trust Fund (Energy Monitor, Depleting the Climate Trust Fund)
• Powell should stay on as Fed chair. The partisan campaign against him is dangerous. (Washington Post, Editorial Board $)
• Keep renewable energy production growing in state (Beckley Register-Herald, Keith Dempsey and Mike Tolley op-ed)
• California recall election: young organizers campaign for a 'No' victory (Teen Vogue, Lizeth Calderon op-ed)
• Climate change is bankrupting California’s ecosystems (CAL Matters, Martha Davis op-ed)
• Congress must ensure electric vehicles are within reach for all American drivers (The Hill, Paul Bledsoe op-ed)

• Poor countries push for lenience in banning fossil-fuel financing (Axios, Amy Harder column)

Disinfo Pros Misrepresent Old Maps and Retread Old Trump Ploy To Cut Down Forests 

The recurrence of conservative anti-vaxx radio hosts getting sick and dying of COVID-19 or, like ecosexual-phobe Todd Starnes, being shocked — shocked he tells you! — to hear President Biden say that Fox News has for months required employees to get vaccinated, has made it clear that there are those who are in on the grift, and those who are swept up in it. It’s become somewhat of a litmus test, a way to answer the age-old disinformation question of “do they really believe this stuff?”  

In the organized climate denial ecosystem, we’ve long since run out of doubt to give deniers the benefit of, but at times, even we’re surprised at a display of ignorance so profound it can only be pure. 

For example, Vijay Jayaraj of the fossil fuel-funded CO2 Coalition recently wrote something in Koch-funded Real Clear Energy suggesting he truly believes in his professional denial. 

In reaction to the news that the highest point on Greenland’s ice sheet observed rain for the first time on record, Jayaraj claimed that “the media is lying about Greenland and climate change” in the headline, and that “it would be a pure lie — or gross ignorance — to claim that rainfall at such an altitude has never occurred before at Greenland.” 

Instead, the reality is, he claims, that “records reveal that this is not the first rainfall in Greenland” (which is not what “the media” claimed anyway) “and certainly not the first on the Greenland summit peak, which stands at around 10,000 feet.” 

Except the records he then goes on to describe are of rain at 8,840 feet and “above 9,500 feet and very close to the Greenland summit peak” and later defined more specifically as “close to the 9,800-feet mark.”  

But even the topography map he cites shows that it’s not exactly “very close” to the peak, as the 1950 event he circled is separated by the “10,000 ft” demarcation line and is over 100 miles away. 

Not only is Jayaraj obviously either purely lying or grossly ignorant about an 800 foot elevation and 100-mile distance that his own source material demonstrates, he repeatedly blames “mainstream media” and “these media outlets” for misleading the public, when their reporting is very explicitly based on a readout from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, who have people stationed at the summit (10,551 feet, according to the NSIDC but not mentioned by Jayaraj) monitoring conditions for exactly a situation like this. 

They wrote very plainly that “there is no previous report of rainfall at this location,” and go on to give an overview of the conditions that shows how serious the Greenland melting has become — likely why Jayaraj went to such lengths to link to media coverage and not the direct source. 

But believing that anyone would find it convincing that if you circle a place and say that another place outside that circle are actually the same place is not something that anyone who being intentionally deceptive would be dumb enough to do. Lying is conscious, and no one could possibly think of this on purpose. (Though it does seem kind of familiar.) This kind of self-debunking argument is the domain of those who are better at fooling themselves than they are anyone else, of the grossly ignorant and not pure liars. 

On the other hand, some of the “old hands” of climate denial, as it were, recently held a press conference to claim that wildfires weren’t getting worse because of climate change. Instead, they went to the ol’ reliable industry playbook and pulled out some well-worn logging industry talking points previously debunked when Trump used them.  

The FoxNews write-up started with a quote from Myron Ebell that “the problem is not global warming or any other extraneous factor, it’s forest mismanagement,” framing the piece as an issue of government getting in the way of good (timber harvesting and sales) practices.

Over at Breitbart, they quoted the real point of this Trumpian approach, where Ebell says literally the line we were going to mockingly paraphrase as the denier position: “The basic problem with our national forests and our BLM forest is too many trees.”  

The sort of pure lie that could only be believed by the grossly ignorant, which is probably why it’s included in Breitbart’s story, and not the one at disinfo-savvy Fox!

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