(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: A poisonous legacy of racism and pollution still haunts this L.A.-area flood channel (LA Times $)
A SMALL BINDER FULL OF WOMEN!: Celebrate women’s history month with six inspiring women in atmospheric sciences (Washington Post $)
WAR IN EUROPE: Some lawmakers want to pair a Russian oil embargo with climate action. Will it work? (Washington Post $), ‘The price the world has to pay’: Ukraine’s gas giant CEO says Ukraine needs more than Russian oil sanctions (Politico Pro $), Here’s where Russian oil flows (Washington Post $), Russia seeks to sell LNG in asia, testing buyers' resolve (Bloomberg $), Will the Ukraine war derail the green energy transition? (FT $)
- US IMPORT BAN: Biden bans oil imports from Russia, calling it a ‘blow to Putin’s war machine’ (New York Times $, Black Wall Street Times, Politico, E&E News, FT $, Axios, Politico Pro $), Ban on Russian oil could hit the US economy as gas prices rise (New York Times $, Reuters), Biden just banned Russian oil. Now what? (Grist), US to ban oil imports from Russia as White House explores drastic plans to buffer economy from energy shock (Washington Post $, New York Times $)
- US POLITICS: 79 percent of Americans back Russian oil ban: poll (The Hill), 7 in 10 Americans polled support ban on Russian oil even if higher prices result (The Hill), Biden defends energy policies amid GOP attacks (The Hill), Democrats embrace politically risky strategy on rising gas prices (Washington Post $, Axios), Saudi, Emirati leaders decline calls with Biden during Ukraine crisis (Wall Street Journal $)
- EXTREMELY SURPRISING AND NORMAL: As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unfolds, right-wing media is pinning the blame on Greta Thunberg and climate activists (Media Matters)
- EU PLAN: EU presents plan to cut Russian gas imports by two-thirds this year, stops short of boycott (Washington Post $, New York Times $, The Hill, Politico Pro $, Axios, CNBC, Reuters), Europe's plan to wean itself off Russian gas (Reuters, factbox), How to persuade Europeans to shun Russian fossil fuels (Bloomberg $)
- UK: UK phasing out Russian oil (The Hill, Politico Pro $, New York Times $)
- GERMANY: Germany vetoes nuclear power extension, aims for LNG terminal in 2024 (Reuters)
- OIL MAJORS: BP says no new deals for Russian oil or gas as pressure grows over imports (S&P Global), Shell vows complete break with Russia (Axios)
- OH, TOTALLY FINE: Chernobyl plant disconnected from power grid, operator says, as IAEA loses contact with monitoring systems (Washington Post $)
FOSSIL VOLATILITY: Winners take all: in some markets, Ukraine war sparks boom (Reuters), What a Russian oil ban means for US gas prices (Gizmodo, Axios, The Hill), US LNG exporters emerge as big winners of Europe natgas crisis (Reuters)
CORONAVIRUS: Climate largely ignored in Covid recovery spending — research (E&E $)
CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: UN climate chief: Ukraine crisis must not delay global action (Reuters)
DENIAL & FRONT GROUPS: The behind-the-scenes plan to protect natural gas stoves and furnaces in Colorado (Colorado Public Radio)
CERAWEEK: Suddenly, oil companies are upbeat again (New York Times $), ConocoPhillips CEO says poor energy policies have contributed to lack of supply (Reuters), energy security in focus as Ukraine crisis causes supply crunch (Reuters), energy CEOs warn of `bedlam,’ more investment needed at CERAWeek conference (Bloomberg $), energy execs gird for yearslong war, market chaos (E&E News), Hess CEO says oil is in the ‘intensive care unit’ — US, other nations need to act (CNBC), Occidental says outlook for shale growth ‘dire’ (Bloomberg $, CNBC), US could increase gas exports to help Europe move away from Russian energy, CEO says (Fox Business)
ABOUT DAMN TIME: Finally Congress passes Emmett Till bill making lynching a hate crime (The Root, Black America Web, The Southland Journal, Washington Post $, CNN, NPR, AP, ABC, USA Today, New York Times $)
AGENCIES: Biden administration is finalizing a waiver for California to set its own vehicle emissions standards (CNN), EPA memo steers water money to disadvantaged communities (AP)
EXECUTIVE BRANCH: US intel report sees climate change as rising threat (E&E $), Pentagon announces permanent closure of leaking Red Hill fuel tank facility (Honolulu Star Advertiser, Axios)
WHITE HOUSE: Biden admin lays out its vision for a battery industry (E&E $), White House accelerates plans for zero-emission trucks (Utility Dive)
THE HILL: Amid record gas prices, lawmakers divided over US energy future (The Hill), Lawmakers hustle to finalize $1.5T government funding package (Politico Pro $), Congress expedites push to ban Russian energy imports (E&E News)
HOUSE: House Dems float bill to tackle lead water crisis (E&E $), House temporarily punts vote on Russia oil ban (Politico Pro $)
SENATE: Senate Dems to tackle reconciliation during retreat (E&E News), the GOP’s Toomey rails against the Fed becoming ‘politburo’ for credit (Bloomberg $), Union workers urge Manchin to pass key bill in West Virginia ad blitz (Reuters)
POLITICS: Hoyer says Russian gas ban is worth political cost (The Hill), how the tricky politics of a Russian oil ban roiled Washington in 100 hours (Politico Pro $), the highly flammable politics of high gas prices (Grist)
ELECTIONS: 5 House races to watch after redistricting (E&E News), Greens pick Andy Levin over Haley Stevens in Mich. race (E&E $)
NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Biden taps environmental expert [Joseph Goffman] to head EPA’s air office as it tackles climate rules (Washington Post $, Politico Pro $), Manchin delays vote on Interior nominee, citing energy crisis (The Hill), Committee OKs DOE nominees, delays Interior pick (E&E $), White House names EPA, Energy and USGS nominees (E&E News)
CITIES AND STATES: Measure to help address climate change in Maryland advances (AP), cities are investing billions in new sewage systems. They’re already obsolete. (Grist)
FLORIDA: Florida passes net metering bill that will gut rooftop solar, advocates say, as they call for a veto (Utility Dive, E&E News)
CALIFORNIA: California county rejects ExxonMobil plan to truck oil (AP), Calif. must ditch gas cars faster, activists tell governor (E&E $), Californians may get gas tax rebate to combat soaring fuel prices. (New York Times $)
IMPACTS: Conservation scientists are worried for the fate of NorCal's winter run salmon population (KCRA Sacramento ), the disasters that never happened: how to soothe rising climate anxiety (Reuters), weather whiplash dominated US winter 2021-2022 (Yale Climate Connections), ‘Australia is getting harder to live in’: unending rain, growing floods (New York Times $)
WILDFIRES: Shining a light on suicide risk for wildland firefighters (Inside Climate News), Kansas fire killed 1, destroyed 35 homes across 12,000 acres (AP)
- FLORIDA FIRES: Some allowed to go home, others evacuated as wildfires grow (AP)
AUSTRALIAN FLOODS: Australia floods leave $1 billion of damage as thousands flee (Bloomberg $), Sydney floods captured on social media as roads turn into rivers and cars become boats (The Guardian)
DEFORESTATION: Amazon rainforest is nearing critical ‘tipping point’ (Grist)
RENEWABLES: Emotions buffet NJ coastal wind project in peek at us future (AP), Giant, turbine-installing ship is Dominion Energy’s $500M bet on US offshore wind (Energy News Network), the largest remaining tall-grass prairie in Texas is getting solar panels. environmentalists can’t stop it. (Washington Post $), wind giants are facing more competition in the biggest market (Bloomberg $), solar firms jump as US and UK move to ban Russia oil imports (Bloomberg $)
BUILDINGS: Millions of Texans lack home weatherization that can save energy, lives (Texas Climate News)
EFFICIENCY: Energy efficiency equals energy security (Energy Monitor)
METHANE: Methane cloud spotted in Texas shale basin near gas pipelines (Bloomberg $), Major oil companies aim for zero methane emission by 2030 (Reuters)
OIL & GAS: Barbados PM defends fossil fuel exploration off coast of island nation (FT $), Biden's Russia-oil ban opens path for shale giants EOG, Devon to fill the gap (Bloomberg $), Big Oil's carbon split on display in Houston (Axios), boom time for oil producers as high prices pad profits, but gasoline spike brings warnings (Politico Pro $), IEA ready to release more oil to ease soaring energy prices, says chief (FT $)
PIPELINES: US Midwest carbon pipeline has secured less than 2% of key Iowa route, filings show (Reuters)
HYDROGEN: Japanese firms say tanker pilot shows coal to hydrogen plan feasible (Reuters)
UTILITIES: Itron, Utilismart partner on cellular metering, data solution to address C&I 'gap' for smaller utilities (Utility Dive)
(ALLEGED) UTILITY CORRUPTION: Former utility execs indicted for conspiring to steal millions (E&E $)
GRID: Accounting for clean-energy capacity value in PJM would lower costs, emissions, RMI study finds (Utility Dive)
EVs: PG&E, GM initiative will pilot use of electric vehicles to power homes in Northern California (Utility Dive, Canary Media), Tesla fights shareholder push to ditch carbon-rich crypto (E&E News), as prices top $4 a gallon, should you consider an electric vehicle? One consideration: They’re more expensive to insure and repair. Here’s why. (MarketWatch)
CLOTHING: Looking to reduce emissions, apparel makers turn to their factories in the developing world (Inside Climate News)
AGRICULTURE: Colombian gene bank provides hedge against climate change (FT $), farmers’ report warns climate crisis puts Australia’s food supply at increasing risk (The Guardian)
RELIGION: The Bible is full of passages about caring for the Earth (Yale Climate Connections)
SHIPPING: How the biggest, dirtiest ships may one day go green (Bloomberg $)
FINANCE: Credit Suisse faces investor call to cut lending for fossil fuels (Reuters, Bloomberg $), top US pension fund rejects calls for fossil fuel divestment (FT $)
VANESSA: Vanessa Nakate confronts rich world’s ministers over loss and damage (Climate Home)
TRASH: Chemical recycling plants incinerate plastic and create hazardous waste (Bloomberg $)
INTERNATIONAL: Canada's oil, gas emissions cap may wait until 2023, leaving climate plan hole (Reuters)