FIRST LOOK:

EPA Announces Strongest-Ever Vehicle Emissions Standards: The Environmental Protection Agency finalized the strongest-ever federal clean car standards for the model years 2023-2026 yesterday, strengthening them from the lower Trump-era emissions standards. This represents one of the most significant climate moves from the Biden administration, as the transportation section accounts for nearly 30% of overall US greenhouse gas emissions. The move is also designed to increase the sale of electric vehicles because emissions standards look at the average mileage per gallon of all vehicles a company sells combined, so electric cars can help offset the sales of pickup trucks and other low mileage models. The EPA says the move will prevent 3.1 billion tons of carbon emissions by 2050, reduce US gasoline consumption by 360 billion gallons, and save consumers money in fuel costs. It is also expected to generate $190 billion in public health benefits from cuts to air pollution. A wide range of industry representatives, environmental activists, and labor voices celebrated the win. Molly Rauch, the public health policy director at Moms’ Clean Air Force, said the standards were “good news for the millions of children whose asthma is made worse by car pollution. It’s good for the Black and Latino communities that are disproportionately exposed to tailpipe pollution. It’s good for all people living near highways and around dense traffic—and suffering poor health because of it.” However, some felt the standards do not go far enough. Jeff Alson, a former EPA policy adviser who worked on the Obama-era emissions standards said the standards are “not going to get us anywhere near the level we’ve got to get to reduce vehicle emissions enough to protect the planet.” (New York Times $, CNN, Reuters $, Washington Post $, Grist, Associated Press, NPR, Wall Street Journal $, Verge)

Economic Growth Predictions Fall After Manchin Pulls Support For Build Back Better: Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius said in a note to clients yesterday that it was lowering its economic growth predictions for 2022 after changing its previous assumption that the Build Back Better Act would pass. The company’s update came after Sen. Joe Manchin said he could not support the bill in its current form. Goldman lowered GDP growth expectations for the first three quarters of 2022, which Insider calculated to be a loss of $60 billion. Goldman said the US could expect a lesser economic impact if Congress passed some elements of the bill, but the extension of the Child Tax Credit, which Manchin has said he does not support, was expected to bring the most growth. In addition, clean technology companies saw their stocks tumble after Manchin’s comments. Shares of several electric vehicle start-ups as well as Tesla and General Motors fell on Monday, as did the stocks of several major solar companies. “If BBB doesn’t become law, the economic recovery will be vulnerable to stalling out if we suffer another serious wave of the pandemic; an increasingly likely scenario with Omicron spreading rapidly,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics, on Twitter. (Economy: Insider, CNN, CNBC, Reuters, Reuters, MarketWatch, Marketplace; EV Stocks: CNBC; Solar Stocks: Bloomberg, Gizmodo)

Largest US Power Company Lobbies Against Rooftop Solar: Florida Power & Light, the largest energy company in the US, is pushing for policies that hurt the rooftop solar industry in Florida, an investigation by Floodlight and the Miami Herald found. The company is lobbying to weaken net metering policies, which allow homeowners and businesses with rooftop solar to sell unused power back to the grid to offset the costs of installation. According to emails obtained during the investigation, FPL sent specific legislation text to state senator Jennifer Bradley’s office; two days later, their parent company, NextEra Energy, donated $10,000 to her political committee. A month later, Bradley filed a bill almost identical to the one FPL sent in the Senate, and a different lawmaker introduced it in the House. While only 1% of Florida electricity customers currently sell power from rooftop solar back to the grid, the policy has been charged with expanding the industry, and any changes could hamstring it. Utility experts say that rooftop solar in Florida could grow by 39% a year until 2025 if the current net-metering system is left in place. Rooftop solar is a threat to the business model of power companies like FPL because they don't make money off power generated from rooftop panels. “Companies do not pass legislation,” said Katie Chiles Ottenweller, south-east director for Vote Solar. “Legislators pass legislation. I’m hopeful this is a conversation-starter but at the same time it’s really hard to have a conversation when you have a gun to your head. The bill as it is written will decimate this industry.” (Floodlight, Miami Herald) 

BBB REACTIONS: U.S. coal miners' union asks Manchin to 'revisit' opposition to spending bill (Reuters, Business Insider, Bloomberg $, The Hill), I'm kind of speechless': Democrats scramble to salvage climate provisions after Manchin sinks Build Back Better (CNN), Biden spoke to Manchin hours after Build Back Better opposition (NBC), Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on Manchin: An egregious breach of the trust of the president (MSNBC), Lawmakers, West Virginians, White House react to Manchin's Build Back Better opposition (MSNBC), I'm not blaming anybody': Manchin defends decision to oppose Build Back Better bill (MSNBC), Jayapal Defends Breaking From Progressives’ Two-Track Strategy on Build Back Better (The Intercept), Schumer vows vote on Biden's $1.75 trillion bill despite Manchin's rejection (Reuters), Harris says 'stakes are too high' for Build Back Better to be about Manchin (The Hill), Biden and Manchin speak after heated clash over Build Back Better Act (NBC)

BBB CLIMATE: Behind Manchin’s opposition, a long history of fighting climate measures (New York Times $), Manchin killing Build Back Better is 'devastating' to climate change action, experts say (Yahoo), With the loss of Manchin's vote, Biden's climate change agenda may be doomed (NPR), Factbox: U.S. climate-change fight threatened as Manchin rejects Biden's bill (Reuters), How the Biden climate agenda could be rescued after Manchin stunner (Axios), Did Manchin just torpedo Biden’s effort to combat climate change? Democrats vow to fight on (LA Times $), Biden's climate change plan is stalled when Manchin opposes build back better (NPR)

BBB IMPACT: Biden's Build Back Better plan is on ice. Here's what that means for you (CNN)

ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM: How Black communities become “sacrifice zones” for industrial air pollution (ProPublica)

CHILE: Drought-hit town hopes Chile’s new leader will take back water from Big Avocado (Climate Home)

HOLIDAYS: Climate change is a generational conflict. That means the holidays could get really heated. (New Republic)

2050: The US could reliably run on clean energy by 2050 (Popular Science)

BATTERIES: Battery storage soars on U.S. electric grid (Wall Street Journal $)

YEAR IN REVIEW: Environment stories you might have missed in 2021 (The Guardian)

RESERVATION RANCH: A river of secrets: How the battle over Reservation Ranch summoned a violent past (LA Times $)

LAWSUITS: Facing climate change in the courtroom requires innovative touch (Bloomberg Law), Climate lawyer loses supreme court appeal over Heathrow leak (The Guardian)

CONSTRUCTION: Construction isn't keeping up with climate change; former GOP chair in Georgia (NPR)

ELECTRIFICATION: Redfin CEO: 2022 will be a big year for electrified homes--and entrepreneurs should take note (INC.) 

CITIES AND STATES: Florida is locking in its own demise (Gizmodo), unclear metrics impair San Diego's climate equity index (PBS NewsHour), NJ will slowly phase out diesel trucks for electric vehicles to combat pollution (Bergen County Record), Arizona regulators approve plan to accelerate EV investment, require utility transportation plans by June (Utility Dive), Florida has billions in bonding capacity to combat climate risks (Bloomberg $), Two major new climate plans in the Pacific Northwest (Grist), First-in-the-U.S. rules that give oil and gas industry leeway in slashing emissions OK’d in Colorado (The Colorado Sun)

DON’T LOOK UP: Q&A: Leonardo DiCaprio and Adam McKay dare you to look up (AP)

ENERGY PRICES: New video explores ups and downs of global energy pricing in 2021 (Yale Climate Connections)

IMPACTS: Strange weather we’re having (Slate), study draws link between melting Arctic ice and Western U.S. fires that flare in the fall (Seattle Times), Snowless winters could soon strike the US Mountain West (The Hill), Himalayan glaciers are melting at an extraordinary rate, research finds (CNBC), California braces for flooding, East Coast may get a warm Christmas (ABC), Alaska’s dalton highway is threatened by climate change and facing a highly uncertain future (InsideClimate News)

TORNADOES: U.S. tornadoes push insurers 2021 bill over $105 bln as climate change impact grows (Reuters), Tornadoes and storms that hit US were a derecho, says National Weather Service (The Guardian)

RAI: This surprise super typhoon is further proof the climate crisis is here (Vice), Super Typhoon Rai Devastates Philippine Islands (PHOTOS) (Weather Channel), Philippines struggling after deadly typhoon (NBC), Philippines' Typhoon Rai death toll rises further as areas remain cut off from help (CNN), Super typhoon Rai leaves a path of dEVastation and uncertainty (NPR), More than 200 are dead and many are missing after typhoon Rai hit the Philippines (USA Today), Philippines Typhoon Rai: Drone footage shows devastation as death toll hits 375 (The Independent)

FLOODING: A record 20.73 inches of rain fell in a day during extreme Tennessee floods, report shows (The Tennessean) 

MALAYSIA: Eight killed in Malaysia floods amid criticism of rescue efforts (Al Jazeera), Flooding in Malaysia leaves 8 dead and 41,000 displaced (CNN), At least eight dead in Malaysia floods as rescue effort stumbles (Reuters)

CALIFORNIA: California snow drought ends in dramatic fashion, while other states still deal with shortage (Mercury News) 

DROUGHT: Drought-denting rains, feet of mountain snow to plaster west coast (Washington Post $), the pain of the West-wide drought in 2021 (Deseret News), El Paso was “drought-proof.” Climate change is pushing its limits. (MIT Technology Review), rain, snow to hit West Coast as drought continues (Axios)

WILDFIRES: Extreme wildfires are taking a toll on the mental health of firefighters (Popular Science), After years of delays, CalFire says updated and expanded wildfire hazard maps are on their way (Jefferson Public Radio)

CHRISTMAS: Green Christmas: springlike warmth to swell over lower 48 (Washington Post $), For Christmases yet to come, climate change threatens Maine's beloved evergreens (Maine Public Radio)

GREAT BARRIER REEF: Australian government’s plan to protect Great Barrier Reef falls short, environment groups say (The Guardian)

SEWAGE: 60 Minutes investigates: Americans fighting for access to sewage disposal (CBS)

RENEWABLES: Radnor-based renewable energy pioneer is acquired by Fortune 500 firm (Philadelphia Inquirer)

LNG: U.S. to be world's biggest LNG exporter in 2022 (Reuters), Venture Global signs another pair of LNG supply deals with China (Bloomberg $), Venture Global to sell LNG to China National Offshore Oil Corp (Reuters)

METHANE: Methane emissions fall with natural gas production in the Uinta Basin, but leaks remain high (Utah Public Radio)

GAS: Largest US natural gas producer pushes exports as ‘green initiative’ (FT $), Natural gas rate hike leads to sticker shock for some customers (Winston-Salem Journal), European natural gas prices rise further as freezing weather arrives (FT $)

PIPELINES: Deal with Ted Cruz sets stage for Russia pipeline fight in early 2022 (New York Times $)

COAL: Coal-fired power generation on track to hit all-time high this year, IEA says (CNBC)

GRID: Extreme weather, plant retirements challenge US grid amid a looming Midwest capacity shortfall: NERC (Utility Dive)

EVs: Here’s every electric vehicle that currently qualifies for the US federal tax credit (Electrek), A bad omen for electric vehicles (Axios), electric vehicle advocates lobby state lawmakers (WVTF), Honda's 'project courage' creates electric vehicle for sick children at OC hospital (Newsweek), EV sales in Latin America may only touch 5% by 2030, Toyota says (Bloomberg $)

CARBON REMOVAL: The controversial plan to vacuum carbon out of the atmosphere (Slate)

FINANCE: How the Glasgow Dialogue can deliver finance for victims of the climate crisis (Climate Home), EU plans to finish green investment rules for gas and nuclear next year (Reuters)

HISTORY: The deep history of climate change (Dissent)

HISTORY: How will our warming climate stabilize? Scientists look to the distant past (Ars Technica), Climate clues from the past prompt a new look at history (Yale Environment 360)

CLIMATE ANXIETY: As climate anxiety rises, chat groups tackle isolation and taboos (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

FILM: Climate change is the greatest threat to humanity. Here's how filmmakers have tried to make sense of it all. (Washington Post $)

TRAVEL: The climate toll of business conferences (Axios) 

BABY: Should you have a baby during the global apocalypse?: An F.A.Q. (The New Yorker $)

INTERNATIONAL: 2022 is a year to call out greenwashing in China (Bloomberg $)

• Seeing Build Back Better clearly now (Charleston Gazette-Mail, Adam Craten op-ed)
• Climate change is ravaging the planet. Don’t let Joe Manchin slow the U.S. response (LA Times, Editorial $)
• Protecting the freedom to vote will help us tackle the climate crisis (The Hill, Ebony Twilley Martin op-ed)
• What's at stake for climate change if Build Back Better collapses (The Hill, Shirin Ali op-ed)
• Should California’s last nuclear power plant stay open? (San Diego Union-Tribune, Editorial)
• The pandemic proved that privatization can’t provide enough public goods—like vaccines, education, justice, and a sustainable planet (MarketWatch, Donald Cohen op-ed)
• The power crunch just made renewables stronger (Bloomberg, David Fickling op-ed $)
• Looming water cuts call for solutions (Nevada Independent, Linda Stout op-ed)
• Chaco needs permanent protections (Albuquerque Journal, Alastair Lee Bitsói op-ed)
• I’m dreaming of a white Christmas: navigating to net zero real world emissions (Forbes, Bhakti Mirchandani op-ed)
• What’s missing from the draft San Diego Climate Action Plan? Climate literacy. (San Diego Union-Tribune, Kayla Gorman op-ed)
• By all means, vote in the Senate on build back better (Wall Street Journal, Editorial Board $)

We're off this week! See you in the new year. 

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