Dispossession, Forced Relocation Of Indigenous People Left Tribes Exposed To Ravages Of Climate Crisis, Study Confirms: A major research project published Thursday in Science confirmed and quantified what Indigenous peoples have long believed to be true: ethnic cleansing by European settlers and the U.S. government forced tribes onto marginal lands, resulting in Indigenous peoples across what is now the U.S. being disproportionately exposed to the climate crisis. Researchers assembled and assessed the historic lands and dispossession of 380 tribes spanning a period from the 1500s through the 19th century. The total land holdings were obliterated. White settlers dispossessed Indigenous tribes of 98.9% of their total lands. Today, federally- or state-recognized tribes hold just 2.6% of their historical lands. “Whether it’s within the U.S. context or in other parts of the world," Kyle Whyte, an author of the study, environmental justice professor at the University of Michigan, and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, told Grist, "Indigenous people are calling for recognition that the reason why they are often facing more severe climate threats than other populations is because of the impact of land dispossession.” Forced relocation hundreds of miles from their ancestral homes also exposed tribes to extreme weather far beyond what their historical lands experienced. Possibly the most extreme, the Hopi reservation in what is now northeastern Arizona endures 57 days above 100°F per year, compared to just 2 days per year on their historic lands which included higher elevations. More extreme heat harms human health, drives up energy costs. “In the past, we used to go to the high country, where we had our summer camps. That’s where we would cool off,” Nikki Cooley, co-manager of the Tribes & Climate Change Program at Northern Arizona University and a citizen of the Diné (Navajo) Nation, in what is now northern Arizona. “We don’t have that, because all of the high-elevation communities are off the reservation.” While legislation currently being negotiated in Congress includes $216 million for tribal climate resilience and adaptation, of which $130 million would help Indigenous communities leave dangerous areas, the study's authors say giving the land back would go further to reparing the unknowable historic harms — echoing a long chorus of calls by the LANDBACK movement. “There are really meaningful, deep connections that people have to place,” Paul Berne Burow, one of the paper’s authors and a doctoral student at Yale, said. “Returning dispossessed lands is one of the best things that can be done to begin to address these inequalities.” (New York Times $, Grist)
Congress To Subpoena Big Oil: Major oil CEOs denied knowledge of their firms' historic climate science denial and disinformation as well as numerous aspects of their firms' current operations in a House Oversight hearing Thursday that drew clear parallels to the Big Tobacco hearings of the 1990s. At the conclusion of the hearing, Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) announced she would subpoena documents from the four oil companies (Exxon, Chevron, Shell and BP) and two trade associations (API and the U.S. Chamber of commerce), relating to their funding of "shadow groups" and "over 150 public relations companies" to spread climate disinformation. None of the CEOs, nor the heads of their trade associations, were able to provide a clear answer for where they believed a carbon tax should be set — a policy they loudly proclaim to support — and none were willing to tell the industry's major trade association, the American Petroleum institute, to cease funding anti-electric vehicle advertising. "As a Black Congresswoman with asthma caused by fossil fuels and the teargas you fund," Rep. Cori Bush told the witnesses. "You should all resign." (Hearing: CNN, E&E News, Gizmodo, Grist, Washington Post $, Buzzfeed, New York Times $, NBC, Bloomberg $, Wall Street Journal $, Politico Pro $, The Hill, New York Times $, The Hill, NBC, Good Morning America; Subpoenas: Heated, CNN, Reuters, UPI, LA Times $, The Hill)
China Tweaks NDC: China submitted its updated pledge to reduce climate pollution Thursday, offering slightly more ambitious goals and timelines compared to its previous NDC. The lack of new, significant goals from the world's largest annual polluter was "consistent with everything that we’ve seen from [Chinese president] Xi Jinping’s previous statements," Sam Geall of China Dialogue told the AP. (The U.S. is by far the world's biggest historic emitter of climate heating pollution.) China's new pledge, known as a "nationally determined contribution," aims to peak CO2 emissions before 2030, a slight shift from the previous language that said “around 2030,” reduce carbon intensity by 2030 below 2005 levels by more than 65% (up from the earlier 60% - 65% range), and increase non-fossil energy by about 25% (instead of the previous 20%-25%). "Six years after the Paris Agreement, China's choice epitomizes the lack of determination to step up climate action among some of the major economies," Li Shuo, a policy adviser at Greenpeace China, said. (AP, New York Times $, Washington Post $, Reuters, The Guardian, Axios, Bloomberg $, The Hill, FT $, Politico Pro $, CNN, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, Washington Examiner; Historic pollution: CNN)
All Carrots, No Sticks. Also, No Paid Leave. President Biden announced a cut-down $1.85 trillion proposal to invest in addressing the climate crisis along with other social infrastructure measures Thursday. Many of Biden's originally-proposed climate provisions, a total of $555 billion, remained in his new framework, while other major priorities, including paid family leave, free community college, and lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, were cut amid opposition from centrist Democrats Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. The climate provisions now primarily focus on incentives to reduce climate pollution and adopt clean energy, with virtually no penalties for not doing so. Every Republican opposes the legislation, which will need to be passed in the Senate via the procedure known as budget reconciliation. Following Biden's announcement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to immediately immediately pass the bipartisan infrastructure package already passed by the Senate, but the Congressional Progressive Caucus vowed to block the bill without more, and more concrete, assurance that progressive priorities will be included in the final so-called 'reconciliation package,' a position the CPC has held throughout the monthslong negotiations. (Biden framework: New York Times $, The Guardian, CNBC, Bloomberg $, ABC, FT $, Bloomberg $, The Hill, New York Times $, The Guardian, Politico Pro $, NBC, Politico Pro $, CBS, Reuters, CNN, The Hill, NBC, Grist; Carrots: The Hill, CNBC, Washington Examiner; CPC: New York Times $, Reuters, The Hill, The Hill, New York Times $, Politico Pro $) |
COP26: ‘Thin’ Pacific island teams at COP26 spark fears of inequity (AP), climate-vulnerable countries float 'emergency' timetable to cut emissions (Thomson Reuters Foundation), 30,000 people gather for a climate summit in a pandemic. What could go wrong? (Washington Post $), COP26 activists head to Glasgow via land, sea – and in a giant metal ball (The Guardian), Ahead of Glasgow climate conference, India and China dim hopes for reaching sweeping deal (Yahoo, FT $), EU chief calls for leadership at climate ‘moment of truth’ (AP), humanitarians look for COP26 to deliver on existing climate crisis needs (The New Humanitarian), the make-or-break climate summit: here’s what’s at stake at COP26 (The Guardian), UK to remove all seven countries from its COVID red list (Bloomberg $), wealthy nations urged to meet $100bn climate finance goal (The Guardian), China's Xi to attend G20 leader's summit via video link (Reuters), protesters target London banks ahead of climate summit (AP)
- HUMAN RIGHTS: UN, US officials urge action to avert climate disaster (AP, The Hill)
- CURTAIN RAISERS: A look at the top issues for this year’s UN climate summit (AP), what to know about COP26 in Glasgow (Axios), what you need to know about the UN COP26 climate summit — and why it matters (Washington Post $), why the COP26 climate summit won’t save the planet (Politico Pro $), ‘everything is at stake’ as world gathers for climate talks (AP)
- MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME: World is failing to make changes needed to avoid climate breakdown, report finds (The Guardian), to close 1.5C gap, countries face call for another round of climate pledges by 2023 (Climate Home), world leaders failed to bend the emissions curve for 30 years. Some climate experts say bottom-up change May work better (InsideClimate News)
CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Biden hampered by lack of confirmed ambassadors ahead of key foreign trip (CNN), Australia rejects global methane pledge, but New Zealand might say yes (Reuters), EU to push rich nations to increase climate finance at COP26 (Reuters), [Persian] Gulf energy giants pledge net zero - but plan to stick with oil (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
- HEY, IT CAN'T HURT: Kids offer up Lego-like climate instructions to world leaders (Axios)
- G20: Climate set to dominate G20 summit ahead of UN conference (Reuters), ‘existential challenge’: G20 draft climate communique commits to 1.5C goal – report (The Guardian, Reuters), G-20 leaders plan to stop funding offshore coal, draft statement says (Bloomberg $), G-20 told to think in trillions when it comes to climate aid (Bloomberg $), G-20 climate talks threatened by clash over coal ahead of COP26 (Wall Street Journal $)
- POPE: With world leaders set to gather for the COP26 climate summit, Francis calls for ‘radical’ action. (New York Times $)
DENIAL: What the oil industry still won’t tell us (Vox)
FOSSIL VOLATILITY: Spike in energy prices not a result of green transition problems - IEA's Birol (Reuters), an electricity crisis complicates the climate crisis in Europe (New York Times $)
MEDIA: ABC News announces month-long coverage of climate crisis (ABC), Wall Street Journal criticized for Trump letter pushing election lie (The Guardian, The Hill), Wall Street Journal reporters disgusted after opinion editors publish Trump’s unchecked election tirade (Daily Beast, CNN), Wall Street Journal's defense of Trump's lie-filled letter backfires badly (HuffPost)
AGENCIES: GAO: Collect racial data on disaster aid to avoid disparity (E&E $), CDC lowers lead level for kids as EPA plans to tackle toxin (E&E $, AP)
EPA: Regan: EPA ready to tackle climate rules (E&E $), EPA moves to strengthen smog standard Trump left alone (Politico Pro $), EPA to reconsider ozone standards, advocacy groups say (E&E $), EPA unveils strategy for reducing lead exposure (The Hill)
DOI: Interior lays out Native American youth corps program (E&E $)
EXECUTIVE BRANCH: Treasury Secretary says spending packages will change US economy for the better (Reuters), former Treasury official Sarah Bloom Raskin on regulators’ role in climate, ESG action (CNBC)
THE HILL: Republicans blame Biden and Democrats for energy crunch (Washington Examiner)
HOUSE: Pelosi warns Democrats not to 'embarrass' Biden as leaders push for infrastructure vote (CNN), top progressive lawmaker [Rep. Cori Bush] urges White House to fight for larger spending bill (FT $), Rep. Cori Bush to Manchin, Sinema: let us see the vote, that’s how we know where you stand (MSNBC)
SENATE: Joe Manchin has made millions from coal. His ties are now facing examination as Democrats scramble for a climate and economic agreement (CNN), rising gasoline prices prompt Senate floor fight (E&E $), Sen. stabenow wants you to know about Democrats' climate-friendly agriculture provisions (Washington Post $)
WHITE HOUSE: New initiative helping White House fulfill environmental justice promise in marginalized communities (ABC7), Kerry warns world ‘not yet’ in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees (Politico Pro $), missteps or strategy? Biden officials mix climate signals (E&E News), White House announces new tribal nations summit date (Indian Country Today), Susan Rice: We believe this framework has the votes to pass Senate, House (MSNBC)
- LONG DISTANCE NEGOTIATION: Biden heads to crucial climate talks as wary allies wonder if US will deliver (The Guardian), Biden heads to Europe with his economic agenda — and his presidency — in the balance back home (CNN, Politico), Biden on tour still needs a big win at home (Bloomberg $, Politico), Dems jostle to make progress on climate ahead of Biden trip (E&E News)
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL(S): Liberals weigh their options: Settle for half a loaf, or fight (Politico, CNN), Democrats release text of budget reconciliation package (E&E News), Congress wants to cut emissions with no regulation. Will it work? (Grist), Democrats reach agreement on clean energy tax credits (Politico Pro $), Democrats release reconciliation outline; divisions remain (E&E News), new budget deal marks the biggest climate investment in US history (Washington Post $), your guide to the huge Dem deal: 14 new policies and what could stop them (Politico), Hayes: we have a Build Back Better deal. Now let’s remember how we got here. (MSNBC)
- WHAT'S IN AND OUT?: Education, clean energy, housing make the cut in Biden framework (Bloomberg $), what are the climate change provisions in the US budget bill framework? (Reuters FactBox), methane fee makes cut in Democrats' draft reconciliation bill (Politico Pro $), Democrats scrap bank reporting requirement from US spending package (Reuters), draft reconciliation package would revive Superfund oil tax (Politico Pro $), paid family leave appears to be out of Biden spending plan -Hoyer (Reuters), 'inexcusable': Democrats draw heat from paid leave advocates (The Hill)
POLITICS: Mistrust reigns as progressives hold the line on infrastructure (Politico Pro $), weary Dems keep reliving Infrastructure Week (Politico)
NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Senators question EPA nominee on climate rules, chemicals (E&E $), US Sen. Ted Cruz delays dozens of President Joe Biden’s ambassador nominations, stoking feud over national security (Texas Tribune)
CITIES AND STATES: Twenty-five US cities on track to surpass Paris climate targets by 2025: report (The Hill, Politico Pro $), for landmark new climate law in North Carolina, ‘technical’ concerns linger (Energy News Network), Maine explores rate design changes to boost storage, EV deployment (Utility Dive), Wisconsin bill would clarify third-party solar’s legal status, once and for all (Energy News Network)
- CALIFORNIA: California lacks rules to prevent heat deaths — study (E&E $), California judge rejects water deal for major farm supplier (AP), Newsom targets oil drilling over union objections (Politico)
- NEW YORK: Nine years after Sandy, Cuomo’s flagship community-led climate adaptation program has disappeared into a ‘black hole’ (New York Focus), New York rejects proposed NRG, Danskammer Energy gas plants, citing 2019 climate law (Utility Dive)
FERC: DC Circuit questions FERC climate analysis of Jordan Cove LNG project (Politico Pro $), FERC chair on transmission, environmental justice, NEPA (E&E $), states, public need bigger role in transmission development, FERC's Glick says (Utility Dive)
IMPACTS: ‘We can’t live like this’: climate shocks rain down on Honduras’s poorest (The Guardian), Chicago is at risk as climate change causes wild swings in lake Michigan water levels (CNBC), climate change could start forcing millions of Africans out of their homes within the next 9 years, World Bank report warns (CBS), Turkey’s Lake Tuz dries up due to climate change, farming (AP)
EXTREME WEATHER: Storms rake greater Baton Rouge area after dropping twisters around Lake Charles (The Advocate, Weather Channel, CNN), powerful storm system to sock eastern US with gusty downpours, coastal flooding (Washington Post $)
HEALTH: More than 12 million global deaths are associated with environmental risks every year, Pan American health official says (CNN), climate change is having a growing impact on the world’s health, says Lancet Countdown (CNBC)
HEAT: Here's what every degree of heat rise could do to the global economy (CBS)
DROUGHT: The West's historic drought in 3 maps (CNN), Nevada researchers, NASA launch online data platform to help Western water users manage limited supplies (Santa Barbara Independent)
WILDFIRES: Scientists find link between Western wildfires, warmer Arctic (E&E $)
HURRICANES: ‘Medicane' is not just a weather buzzword. It's a real phenomenon (CNN)
AIR POLLUTION: Could cities slash child ill-health by cutting emissions? (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
FORESTS: Congo to ban log exports to reduce pressure on its forests (Reuters), Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions rose 9.5% in 2020 with Amazon deforestation -study (Reuters), study: 10 UNESCO forests emit more C02 than they soak up (AP, Gizmodo, CNN, Reuters)
RENEWABLES: N.Y. offshore wind farm taps first-in-US transmission tech (E&E $), PRC kicks off formal community solar rulemaking process (New Mexico Political Report), supply-chain woes threaten to drive up clean-power costs (Bloomberg $), Texas leads country in existing and new clean energy projects (Houston Chronicle), UK firm plans to reach millions of Nigerians with solar power (Bloomberg $), US moves to expand offshore wind beyond the Northeast (Reuters)
BATTERIES: Native opposition to Nevada lithium mine grows (Grist)
OIL & GAS: Big Oil's climate targets (Reuters, FactBox), [After Hurricane Ida damage] Shell Norco, Louisiana refinery to restart crude, gasoline, diesel units -sources (Reuters), the end of large gas plants? New York ruling creates furor (E&E News), TotalEnergies profit jumps more than expected as prices soar (Bloomberg $), very few big oil climate targets ‘have meaning’: former BP CEO Lord John Browne (CNBC)
PIPELINES: A Berkshire pipeline was behind a large methane spew in the US (Bloomberg $)
EMISSIONS: Counting CO2 is hard and expensive, but tech firms think they have a solution (Reuters)
COAL: Montana court rejects permit for Rosebud coal strip mine expansion (Reuters), South Africa power monopoly seeks more than $30bn to end coal reliance (FT $)
UTILITIES: Arizona Public Service threatens lawsuit over proposed $172M rate cut (Utility Dive)
GRID: What a $2B Texas project says about US quest for CO2-free grid (E&E News)
EVs: How Hertz is fighting to stay relevant (Axios), Tesla is setting the bar for electric vehicles, VW CEO admits (CNBC)
MOVERS & SHAKERS: Meet six people fighting water scarcity across the globe (Bloomberg $), meet [Fatih Birol] the man who defines the energy markets—and wants the world to go clean (TIME), meet [Alok Sharma] the UK Minister Charged with Making COP26 a Success (TIME)
TWIST OUR ARMS WHY DON'T YOU: A four-day work week would help save the planet (FT $)
AVIATION: Britain drafts COP26 deal on global aviation emissions (Reuters), American Airlines' new plan for net-zero emissions (Axios), Some airlines risk failure if they do not cut emissions faster - industry report (Reuters)
FERAL HOGS: Feral hogs are a problem for the climate, researcher says (Yale Climate Connections)
BUSINESS: Science-based arbiter of corporate climate targets sets out new rules (FT $)
CARBON PRICING: Businesses rally behind global carbon pricing strategy (FT $)
FORESTS: A big new forest initiative sparks concerns of a ‘carbon heist’ (Yale Environment 360)
FINE ARTS: Mosaic theater tackles climate change, with a play that spans nine consecutive autumns (Washington Post $)
BITCOIN: Bitcoin miners are gobbling up US energy (Gizmodo)
SHIPPING: Industry looks to UN climate talks to steer cleaner shipping (Reuters)
INTERNATIONAL: Netherlands set to miss 2030 climate goals without further action (Reuters), Qatar targets 25% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 under climate plan (Reuters), US Energy Department's NREL sees [Mexican] AMLO bill pushing up emissions and costs (Bloomberg $), Greece is getting rewired for the future (New York Times $)
MUSIC FOR YOUR WEEKEND: The greatest songs about the climate crisis – ranked! (The Guardian) |
Big Oil CEOs Zoom Into Congress To Deny Their Industrial Climate Denial, But It’s A GOP Question That Might Prove Perjury
Yesterday six heads of oil companies and lobby groups testified virtually before Congress in a marathon, all-day hearing in which they, and Republicans, provided examples of how their disinformation has shifted from denial that they’re causing the problem to denial by suggesting their polluting products are actually part of the solution.
The comparison to the tobacco industry hearings, where executives perjured themselves about the risks of smoking, were explicit and frequent, and clearly the CEOs had trained with lawyers to avoid (being investigated for) lying under oath.
Which means that while the 10am-5pm hearing was full of dramatic moments, despite the CEO’s best attempts to stay on-script and not actually know anything about the companies they run, the biggest news came at the very end: Oversight Committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York will issue subpoenas to obtain documents the companies refused to voluntarily hand over in advance of the hearing.
In announcing the subpoenas at the end of the hearing, Rep. Maloney, over the objections of Republicans who praised how the companies had voluntarily sent over 100,000 pages, pointed out that most of those pages were useless printouts from their websites, or emails of press releases and other spam the companies turned over in obvious hopes of flooding the Committee with useless garbage.
Which, coincidentally, also seemed to be their strategy for the hearing.
So there may not have been an obvious moment in which CEOs committed a perjury as obvious and straightforward as the tobacco CEOs. (Which means that we were wrong to suggest the CEOs would wiggle out of their commitments to attend, but right to suggest that lawmakers should get those subpoenas ready to go!)
But while the Democratic lawmakers presented the CEOs with detailed, well-researched questions about their pollution of the communities in real life and information pollution online, it may end up that the most damning question of the day was supposed to be an easy one. It came from a Republican, and it was one of the only yes or no questions that the CEOs actually answered.
Rep. Comer tried to reverse-gotcha, and asked the four oil executives if they’d approved any climate disinformation campaigns in their time as CEOs, which of course they all disavowed (hmm, wonder if there’s any reason he didn’t ask API or the Chamber’s leadership?)
But if the legally-enforceable Congressional subpoenas show that the companies are still funding climate change disinformation, or if the company’s misleading ads are in fact considered disinformation campaigns, those simple, declarative answers, basically the only direct ones offered all day, would be proof of perjury, and an irony so rich Republicans would try and give it a tax cut.
When giving opening statements, the CEOs rarely looked up from their carefully crafted scripts that ducked responsibility for the climate crisis and positioned themselves as saviors. Throughout the hearing they remained committed to their talking points, though body language cues like a sudden furious blinking as though they’re trying to signal to “S.O.S.” seemed to signal the occasional discomfort with the tough questions from Democratic lawmakers.
Fortunately for the CEOs, they got a chance to relax once it was the GOP’s turn to lob them some softballs. Republicans like Rep. Comer went beyond that and even defended the polluters and attacked Democrats for daring to inconvenience these CEOs, then pretended to care about inflation and the well-being of the working class by inviting a pipeline welder who was laid off work on the Keystone XL pipeline.
But Comer apparently couldn’t be bothered to actually listen, as he later asked Mr. Crabtree a question about when he lost his job that he had already addressed in his opening statement. Given Rep. Jim Jordan’s history of ignoring people he’s supposedly protecting, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that he asked Crabtree for a third time when he was laid off. The answer was, once again, just three hours after Biden’s announced cancellation of the pipeline.
One Republican was disgusted that Democrats were asking the CEOs to pledge not to fund climate disinformation, which apparently is something Republicans support. Two Republicans said the CEOs deserved an apology, and a third, GOP Rep. Herrell, would offer such, as well as a “thank you,” something that Rep. Jim Jordan echoed, as did Rep. Gibbs, and at least two other fossil-fueled Republicans as the day went on. Rep. Higgins, who’s gotten over a hundred thousand dollars from the industry, was particularly incensed.
When it came to questions from Democratic lawmakers though, all questions were directed to the CEOs. Chairwoman Maloney started by hitting Exxon for its advertorials downplaying climate change, which CEO Darron Woods simply asserted that if you read the full context it actually was consistent with the science, despite Maloney describing in detail how even Exxon’s own scientists contradicted those ads.
Throughout the day, Woods would repeat variations on that theme, defending the company by claiming statements were consistent with the science of the time, even though Exxon’s internal documents prove they knew that wasn’t the case. “Historically untrue,” tweeted disinformation researcher Robert Brulle of Brown University.
When it was Rep. Ro Khanna’s turn at the mic, he got the Exxon CEO to admit that fossil fuels cause climate change, and pointed out that former CEO Lee Raymond said exactly the opposite of that, decades after their own scientists made the consensus clear. But Woods refused to say that Raymond was wrong at the time, and instead insisted that it was consistent with the context. Rep. Khanna tried to get him to admit that it was a mistake, and Woods would not admit even that much.
Khanna then asked about the importance of electric vehicles in decarbonizing, which Shell and BP have both indicated they think is important. API, however, opposes electric vehicle tax credits, so Khanna asked if they would be willing to ask API to stop those advertisements.
They all refused to tell API to stop that opposition, which they supposedly don’t support, except of course in the literal sense that they financially support API.
They also refused to commit to an independent audit to determine if their companies were funding climate disinformation organizations or even a pledge not to fund climate denying organizations, even though they all claim to care deeply about the climate crisis.
While the CEOs claim they support market mechanisms for reducing emissions, they were uniformly incapable of giving a direct number (or even a range) for what price-per-ton a carbon tax should be set at, though Exxon’s CEO suggested that to justify carbon capture it’d need to be at least $100/ton.
They also had no idea how much American taxpayers subsidize their industry (which ranges from $20 billion to $650 billion, depending on what you count as a 'subsidy') and apparently didn’t know their own internal budgets well enough to say how much public support they get. “I can’t answer your question directly,” BP’s CEO responded, which might as well have been the only answer any of them gave, given their evasiveness and training to avoid repeating the tobacco industry’s perjury.
Maryland Rep. Haskins pointed out that “the First Amendment does not protect fraudulent commercial speech” and again, the CEOs were unwilling to say anything concrete acknowledging that companies shouldn’t lie — relevant given Exxon’s invocation of the First Amendment in its defense against litigation accusing it of false advertising.
Later, Rep. Sarbanks, also of Maryland, pulled up lobbying records for the companies, of which the CEOs were similarly ignorant. None seemed aware of the fact that despite their supposed commitment to the Paris Agreement and climate action, they rarely, if ever, lobbied for it. Instead, they’d pushed heavily on corporate tax cuts and other real priorities. According to a report the Committee released, only 0.4% of their $452.6 million on lobbying since 2011 was about the carbon price they supposedly support. (Now, at this point we were definitely wondering how much these CEOs DO know about the companies they supposedly run, but of course, we're not Very Important Titans Of Industry who need plausible deniability.)
Rep. Rashida Tlaib also asked detailed questions, asking the CEOs and then educating them, (since they of course knew nothing) about the various Alaskan, Coloradan, and other front groups like Energy Citizens that API, Exxon and the others funded in recent years. “Lies, plain and simple” she called it.
Then she pointed out that Chevron owes over $50 billion in settlement fees for all the people and ecosystems harmed by its pollution, and pointedly asked “When are you going to write the checks?” Mr. Worth, of course, demurred. “I’m not exactly following…” he said, in response to how Chevron had successfully paid to put a lawyer in jail after he fought for Indigenous communities suffering the harms of industry pollution.
Rep. Katie Porter traded her legendary white board for a jar of M&M’s, using them to portray Shell’s massive investments in oil, gas and chemicals, and paltry expenditures on clean energy. She then turned to API’s Sommers, getting him to admit that developing wells takes time, undercutting the GOP’s argument that the Biden agenda is already having impacts. Porter then used a "swagger waggon" full of rice to show how many acres of land they’ve leased to drill on, yet haven’t done anything with (nearly 14 million), further undercutting their argument that recent political moves have constrained oil production.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thought it was a “wonderful opportunity” to speak with the oil CEOs, given their influence watering down the ongoing budget reconciliation negotiations, quoting Sommers on CNN saying they’re “leaving everything on the field” to oppose the legislation. Turning to Exxon CEO Woods, AOC asked about Keith McCoy, the Exxon advisor caught in a sting bragging about their lobbying influence, and concluded by telling them that “some of us have to live in the future you are setting on fire.”
Rep. Cori Bush didn’t pull any punches, either, asking the executives about the disproportionate impact of fossil fuel facilities on communities of color, if most oil CEOs were Black or white, and asked Shell’s CEO how she felt about the company’s reports showing that Bangladesh “a country of 90 million Brown people” would have to be abandoned, and if Black and Brown communities were “expendable.”
Not getting any good answers, Bush ended her time by calling the environmental injustices their companies commit “a striking example of White supremacy” and calling on the CEOs to resign (like the tobacco executives before them).
It wasn’t the end of the hearing, but it might as well have been — particularly as the resignation call was echoed by the last speaker, Rep. Ilhan Omar. |
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