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The 19th* is seeking input on stories and issues to pursue at the intersections of gender, and climate. Tell The 19th* what you would like to learn more about.

In Western US, Wildfires Burn As Blizzard Dumps Snow: Wildfires are burning across the Southwest, including in Arizona, Nebraska, and New Mexico. Over the last week, the Tunnel Fire has burned at least 150,000 acres, killing at least one person, damaging or destroying more than 200 structures, and forcing thousands to evacuate. The underlying widespread drought is exacerbated by high temperatures, extremely low humidity, and winds gusting over 70mph, which created dire conditions. Climate change, caused mainly by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, is supercharging wildfires and making droughts more frequent and intense. The conditions fueling what New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham described as "dangerously early" wildfires are, according to Scott Overpeck, with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, "not typical" and "pretty much on steroids." Meanwhile, a different part of the same storm whipping up winds driving the wildfires dumped as much as 20 inches of snow on the western Dakotas and northern Rockies, where temperatures plummeted 60°F in two days, as 15,000 people struggled with power outages due to the heavy snow. (The Guardian, New York Times $, Washington Post $, Axios, Reuters, Today Show, Reuters; Lujan Grisham: AP; Weather whiplash: Washington Post $)

Twitter Bans Climate Disinformation In Ads: Twitter will no longer allow "misleading advertisements" that "contradict the scientific consensus on climate change," on its platform, the company announced Friday. Earlier this month, the Climate Disinformation Coalition called on Big Tech to confront climate denial, particularly Twitter, which performed the worst on its scorecard. Days later, Pinterest announced robust new community standards to protect users from climate misinformation, and former President Obama praised the company for doing so. That was perhaps the final push Twitter needed to announce, on Earth Day, that it has formalized rules prohibiting climate disinformation in advertising. While existing policies against misleading advertisements already prevent climate denial ads in theory, Axios reported, Twitter is following in Google’s footsteps and heeding activist calls to formally address climate disinformation, earning it additional points on the Big Tech Disinfo scorecard. Michael Khoo, co-chair of the Climate Disinformation Coalition, called it “a welcome step forward in the fight against disinformation,” adding that now “companies like Meta must now take stronger action and stop being the last bastions of climate denial.” (Axios, Protocol, The Guardian, CNN, Washington Post $, AP, The Verge, Fox Business)

Record-Setting 2021 European Weather Preconditioned By Climate Change: Europe's catastrophic floods and devastating wildfires last year coincided with its hottest summer on record, according to the fifth European State of the Climate report, published Friday. Average temperatures in the continent are a full 2°C (3.6°F) higher than preindustrial averages, the report said, and summer 2021 was a full 1°C (1.8°F) hotter than the average summer from the previous 30 years. It was the hottest European summer on record, as an August heatwave in Sicily broke records at 48.8°C (119.8° F). "With the changing climate, temperatures are getting warmer and warmer in the Mediterranean region, so it's not unexpected to get these even higher temperatures," Freja Vamborg, a Copernicus senior scientist, who led and edited the report, told CNN. "There is preconditioning due to climate change." (CNN, AP, Reuters, Bloomberg $; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves, Flooding, Wildfires)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: For Black communities, climate activism isn’t for sale (Essence), How climate change is affecting marginalized communities in Nevada (NPR), People of color more likely to be harmed by pesticides, study shows (The Hill), Justice Department probes environmental racism of wastewater crisis in rural Alabama (NBC)

FOSSIL FUELED WAR: As Europe seeks to move away from Russian gas, which renewables will benefit? (Wall Street Journal $), Cyber agencies renew warnings of Russia-linked threats against industrial targets (Utility Dive), Despite US sanctions, oil traders help Russian oil reach global markets (NPR), EU prepares to hit Putin with new sanctions plan next week (Politico EU, The Hill), European electric car makers have a Russian nickel problem (Grist), Germany’s economy is expected to contract under a Russian gas embargo (New York Times $), US, EU are looking at ways to slash Putin's oil money (Bloomberg $), Velshi: Banning Russian oil & gas won’t solve the climate crisis until there’s an alternative to fossil fuels (MSNBC)

• MAKING THINGS WORSE: How US gas exports to Europe could lock in future emissions (Yale Environment 360), John Kerry is trying to convince the world to act on climate change. Russia's war made it that much harder (CNN), Russia’s war in Ukraine could have environmental impact that lasts decades (Wall Street Journal $), Scientists fear Ukraine war will worsen Siberian wildfires (Axios), US rig count continued its climb this week as Ukraine war drives demand (Houston Chronicle), How climate is a casualty of the war in Ukraine (ABC)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: Youth-led climate change lawsuits are increasing across the country (ABC), Going to court for the climate: lawsuits aimed at greenhouse-gas emissions are a growing trend (Economist)

THE KIDS THESE DAYS: How young people are taking action against climate change (NPR), Kids are freaked out about climate doom. Can bedtime stories help? (Mother Jones), Students open up about eco-anxiety (ABC), Summer camps endangered by wildfires, smoke and heat waves (Bloomberg $), Youth climate activists say community helps with mental health strain (Teen Vogue)

DENIAL, DISINFORMATION, AND DELAY: How 'Big Oil' lobbying stymied the fight against climate change (CNN)

• WOOD PELLETS: Wood pellet industry may be falsely marketing itself as a green renewable energy source, critics say (CBS)

PUBLIC OPINION: Extreme weather experiences impact views on climate change - CBS News poll (CBS), Fewer Americans see climate change as a priority than they did a year ago - CBS News poll (CBS)

EARTH DAY: Make Earth Day great again (Gizmodo), Leah Thomas and Isra Hirsi are transforming climate justice into a true fight for everyone (Cultured), This Earth Day, one book presents global warming and climate justice as inseparable (NPR), ‘GMA’ takes a look at some of the country’s majestic forests for Earth Day (ABC), 7 eco-friendly Black beauty products for Earth Day and every day (The Root), 5 good news stories about climate change (Mic), Environmental groups commit $14 million to advocacy workshops, press Biden on Justice40 (The Grio), ‘Plant Kween’ Christopher Griffin breaks down botany for beginners (Ebony), UN warns ‘now or never’ on climate change action (NBC), On this 52nd Earth Day, the US reveals it’s lagging behind on critical climate pledges (The Hill), Where your recycling actually goes – and what you can do about it this Earth Day (USA Today), You asked, we answered: some burning climate questions (New York Times $), US has warmed by 2.6 degrees F since first Earth Day (Yale Environment 360, Axios), Need some Earth Day inspiration? Check out these climate heroes (Canary Media), On Earth Day, a call for cities to coexist with animals (Bloomberg $), On Earth Day, UMass Amherst unveils major renewable energy overhaul (Boston Globe $)

• CORPORATE (IN)ACTION: Man behind Earth Day says there’s too much greenwashing (Wall Street Journal $), 7 bonkers corporate Earth Day campaigns (Gizmodo), Companies say they're going green. Here's how to tell if they measure up. (CBS), Design leaders at Microsoft, General Mills, and PepsiCo announce ambitious plan to fight climate change (Fast Company), Greenwashed advertising falsely promises we can buy our way out of the climate crisis (Prism Reports), Google marks Earth Day with doodle showing stark impacts of the climate crisis (CNN, The Verge)
• PROTESTS: At Atlanta rally, activists call for national climate action (WABE), Climate activists protest in DC: ‘Our futures are at stake’ (Washington Post $), Climate change protesters disrupt distribution of the New York Times, other papers on Earth Day (CBS), 'Mother Earth is in deep trouble:' Rally at MidAmerican headquarters demands end to fossil fuels (Des Moines Register), On Earth Day, climate activists call for ban on buying Russian oil (Reuters), Protesters amass at White House, demanding action on climate (New York Times $), Thirteen climate activists arrested outside New York Times paper distribution hub in Queens (Gothamist), Thousands protest plan to raze German village for coal mine (AP), Vets push “no war, no warming” climate campaign amid Russian invasion of Ukraine (Truthout), Climate activist dies after setting himself on fire at Supreme Court (New York Times $, Washington Post $, Denver Post)
• GET OUTSIDE: Seeds of hope: how nature inspires scientists to confront climate change (Washington Post $)

STATE OF THE AIR: Pregnant people are at ‘greater risk’ in states hit hard by wildfire smoke, air pollution, new report shows (The 19th* News), The best and worst US cities for air quality (The Hill), Western wildfires reverse US clean air gains — study (E&E $)

AGENCIES: US environmental and health rules pay for themselves—and then some (Bloomberg $) 

DOE: DOE under fire over efficiency rule delays (E&E $)

DOI: Alaskan locals call Haaland visit on Izembek road a success (E&E News)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden admin asks health industry to slash GHG emissions (E&E News), Biden adviser optimistic Manchin will help on climate (Axios), 'We are not backing down,' White House climate advisor says (Yahoo), In an effort to make schools greener, the White House is offering billions of dollars (NPR) 

• EARTH DAY: Biden touts green cred, hammers GOP on Earth Day (E&E News, The Hill), How Biden can help the climate on Earth Day—without Congress (New Republic), Climate progress remains elusive for Biden on Earth Day (AP), White House advisor says progress toward Biden's GHG emissions reduction targets is ‘going really well’ (Power)

• DRILLING: Biden promised no new drilling on public lands. Here's why he broke that promise. (Grist), Fmr. Secy. John Kerry: ‘Temporary’ drilling will bring ‘economic stability’ necessary for transition to ‘clean energy economy’ (MSNBC),  Rising gas prices bring Biden to a political crossroads over climate policy (CNN), Soaring gas prices test Biden on climate change (NBC), Five actions Biden has taken in response to high gas prices (The Hill)

• OLD GROWTH FORESTS: Biden Earth Day action targets protecting old-growth forests from wildfires, climate change (USA Today, NPR, Seattle Times, Axios, Grist, Bloomberg $, The Hill, ABC, Reuters, NBC, Mongabay, E&E $) (Gizmodo, National Geographic, Mother Jones)

THE HILL: Are EV tax credits back on the table? Maybe (E&E News), Legislative setbacks plague Biden’s climate goals (The Hill)

HOUSE: Key Republican [Garret Graves] lashes out at API over 'crappy' carbon tax (E&E $)

POLITICS: Climate change issues are motivating young Wisconsinites to get involved in elections (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), ‘We are facing the biggest threat to security in history’: Jane Fonda on why she started a climate PAC (The 19th* News), Cabinet officials spend earth week with vulnerable Democrats (Washington Post $)

• CARBON PRICING: How carbon pricing gained momentum with the gas industry (Politico Pro $), Can climate change be solved by pricing carbon? (AP, explainer)

CITIES AND STATES AND DISENFRANCHISED COLONIAL TERRITORIES: ‘The fact is we’re behind’: Minn. climate plan calls for swift, strong action (MPR), Big greenhouse gas state taking biggest climate step yet (AP), Climate change ripple effects include migration, gentrification and more, new report suggests (SmartCities Dive), [Wisc. Gov.] Evers creates new office of environmental justice (AP), Inside Puerto Rico’s push for eco-friendly power (Today Show), New grants will help 75 Maine communities prepare for climate change (Maine Public Radio), Texas regulators look to distributed resources, additional coal reserves, to boost reliability (Utility Dive)

• WU-HOO!: Boston mayor releases climate plan to address extreme heat (AP), Wu announces plan to prepare Boston for extreme heat (Boston Globe $)

• CALIFORNIA: California town leads the electric car revolution (NBC), California regulators banned fracking wastewater for irrigation, but allow wastewater from oil drilling. Scientists say there’s little difference (Inside Climate News)

FERC: FERC proposes expanded state role in effort to spur transmission development (Utility Dive), FERC unveils transmission plan seen as key for renewables (E&E News), Lawmakers, some renewable advocates urge FERC to reject ISO-NE plan to delay MOPR elimination (Utility Dive)

IMPACTS: Climate change threatens the Nile River Delta (Prensa Latina), 7 TV meteorologists discuss their coverage of climate change and weather (Yale Climate Connections), Record melt on Alaska’s glaciers as climate warms (CNBC), Rising sea levels and extreme rainfall: Annual report tells New Jersey planners to brace for climate change impacts (WHYY)

… AND HOUSING: Despite mounting danger, Americans keep moving to the counties at highest risk for wildfires, floods, and droughts (Business Insider), New York City's Central Park a 'lab' to study climate change (Reuters)

SOUTH AFRICA: After the relentless rain, South Africa sounds the alarm on the climate crisis (The Guardian), South Africa searches for the missing as flood damage comes into focus (Washington Post $), South Africa’s Durban still recovering from deadly floods (AP)

VALLEY FEVER: Climate change is spreading a debilitating fungal disease throughout the West (Inside Climate News)

WATER: Drought boon or boondoggle? Critics blast Poseidon desalination plan as crucial vote looms (LA Times $), Drought prompts Nebraska to divert water from river it shares with Colorado (NBC), From pollution to dams: here’s what is plaguing America’s 10 most endangered rivers (Popular Science), In Oregon, Klamath Tribes oppose water release for farmers (Modern Farmer)

REAL ESTATE: Hawaii home sellers must disclose sea-level rise threat (E&E $)

NEW GROWTH FORESTS: Cities plant trees to combat extreme heat in urban areas (Today Show), Her job? Planting thousands of trees every year in New York City. (New York Times $)

RENEWABLES: The sound of money': Wind energy is booming in deep-red Republican states (CNN), A different kind of solar power attracts attention (Wall Street Journal $), Could Anglesey’s tidal energy project drive a new energy revolution? (The Guardian), Houston gets the green light for nation’s largest urban solar farm (Bloomberg $), NextEra CEO blasts 'outrageous' solar panel anti-dumping investigation, says some projects may be delayed (Utility Dive, E&E News), Researchers down under testing solar panels for electric vehicle charging (Gizmodo), This 33-year-old raised $40 million to give rural farmers solar power and help fight climate change (CNBC), Volvo C40 recharge: fast off the line and quick to charge (Wall Street Journal $)

BATTERIES: 'Do you like minting money?': Musk urges entrepreneurs to enter lithium space as Tesla's supply woes persist (Utility Dive), Electric vehicle demand spurs ‘white gold’ rush at California's largest lake (Yahoo)

BUILDINGS: Phasing out furnaces? Washington board to vote on major restrictions for new commercial buildings, including apartments (The Spokesman-Review)

METHANE: Climate graphic of the week: record methane level adds to warming fears (FT $)

OIL & GAS: Exxon ban on LGBTQ pride flag triggers employee backlash (Bloomberg $), Guyana gets $106 million from Exxon for oil from newest offshore platform (Reuters)

TRANSIT: Free public transit is not a climate policy (Bloomberg $)

COAL: Two US electrical grid operators claim that new rules for coal ash could make electricity supplies less reliable (Inside Climate News), 4 Polish miners declared dead; search goes on for 6 missing (AP)

NUKES: Finland is on the brink of a nuclear power ‘game changer’ (HuffPost)

UTILITIES: Midwest utility raises PURPA challenge (E&E $)

GRID: Energy capital partners raises $3 billion so far to back energy infrastructure (Wall Street Journal $)

EVs: Electric car cost advantage over petrol grows amid energy market turmoil (The Guardian), Driver sets Guinness World Record in a GM electric commercial van (Detroit Free Press), Ginger Zee shares what she’s learned from her spring break electric road trip (ABC), GM reportedly stops providing battery pack replacements for the Chevy Spark EV (The Verge), High gas prices boost electric vehicle buying sentiment (Yahoo), High gas prices pump up demand for electric vehicles — but a looming battery shortage could pump the brakes (CBS), New York City MTA deploying 60 zero emission buses by end of year (The Hill), The future of electric vehicle charging? Tech company tests roads for wireless charging (NBC), The NYPD's fleet has its first electric vehicle (Popular Science), To get more Americans to drive electric vehicles, more charging stations are needed (NPR)

CRYPTO: Crusoe raises $350 million for flared gas Bitcoin mining (Axios), Energy-hungry bitcoin moves into sights of US environmental movement (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

FOOD: The difference you make when you eat less meat (Vox), What climate change could mean for what goes on your plate (NPR)

AVIATION: Planes fueled by trash could be the future of green aviation (ABC)

CARBON REMOVAL: New technology may store captured carbon dioxide in concrete (NBC)

CARS: European carmakers should wean off fossil fuels by 2040, Audi chief says (Reuters)

FINANCE: How Goldman Sachs is encouraging companies to disclose emissions data (Wall Street Journal $), Investor group to flag concern over Glencore's climate efforts (Reuters), Mark Carney questions the critics of bankers' climate record (Bloomberg $), These are the 10 greenest large companies of 2022, according to just capital (CNBC), Warren buffett faces renewed climate change challenge by investors (New York Times $)

WILDLIFE: How the ocean's most mysterious deep-sea creatures are helping combat climate change (CBS, CBS), These whales are on the brink. Now comes climate change — and wind power. (Washington Post $)

INTERNATIONAL: China must raise air quality standards as smog persists, task force says (Reuters), China promotes coal in setback for efforts to cut emissions (AP), Japan aims for 20% share of global battery market by 2030 (Reuters), She advised Chile's parliament on its climate change law. Now she's in charge of implementing it (CNN), Taiwan to invest in green energy, smart grids to reach net-zero emissions goal (Reuters), The rich, Black soil that fed a growing China is washing away (Bloomberg $), Bahrain to ban single-use plastic bags from September (AP)

• For young activists like me, Earth Day means not giving up hope – or action. Here’s what we’ve got planned (The Independent, Scarlett Westbrook op-ed)
• How Earth Day can be a call for action in the Black community (Blavity, Naomi Davis op-ed)
• All my environmental heroes are Black women (Vogue, Leah Thomas op-ed)
• The best stories our climate journalists covered this past year (Washington Post, Editorial Board $)
• How communities of color were left out of the Earth Day movement (Elle, Leah Thomas op-ed)
• Don’t pretend we’re ‘back to normal.’ Fight for cleaner air to prevent COVID (LA Times, Abraar Karan, Devabhaktuni Srikrishna, and Ranu Dhillon op-ed $)
• To my son, born during the climate crisis: Get mad and get ready (CNN, Bill Weir op-ed)
• Climate change is killing our economy — clean energy and climate action can save it (The Hill, Bob Keefe op-ed)
• The Paris Agreement is failing; we need a new approach (The Hill, Carter Dillard op-ed)
• California’s lessons for Justice40 — implementation matters (The Hill, Dillon Delvo op-ed)
• Energy pragmatism: United States style (The Hill, Dr. Carolyn Kissane op-ed)
• A kitchen-table solution to climate change (The Hill, Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes op-ed)
• It’s not just high oil prices. It’s a full-blown energy crisis. (New York Times, Dr. Helen Thompson op-ed $)
• Why our hope for the planet is not yet extinct (New York Times, Margaret Renkl column $)
• This eminent scientist says climate activists need to get real (New York Times, Vaclav Smil interview $)
• Get ready to see more climate terrorism (The Hill, Elizabeth L. Chalecki op-ed)
• Climate change became politicized in the 1990s. it didn't have to be that way. (TIME, Eugene Linden op-ed)
• When is green not all that green? Earth Day clean energy revelations (The Hill, Jason Hayes op-ed)
• It’s time to see nuclear power in a different light (Boston Globe, Jeff Howe op-ed $)
• What my great-great-grandfather, Theodore Roosevelt, got wrong about climate justice (CNN, John Palfrey op-ed)
• The Earth is dying, and the people in power are looking on' (WBUR, Josephine Almond Commentary)
• If we want to solve climate change, businesses need to invest in our planet (CNN, Kathleen Rogers op-ed)
• What’s needed to fight climate crisis is clear. The powerful are preventing it. (Truthout, William Rivers Pitt op-ed)
• Could we save earth if we treated it like a child? We are in crisis and need to heal the planet. (USA Today, Kealoha Fox, Maya Soetoro-Ng and Zelda Keller op-ed)
• Earth Day is a chance to win the messaging war against polluters (Washington Post, Laura J. Martin Perspective $)
• Religion is crucial to combatting the climate crisis in Africa (The Independent, Muhammed Magassy op-ed)
• On Earth Day, a few of our favorite books, movies and art installations (NPR, NPR Editorial Board)
• Mapping environmental injustice (Boston Globe, Renée Loth op-ed $)
• Time is running out to protect our planet’s biodiversity (The Hill, Rep. Joe Neguse and Jamie Rappaport Clark op-ed)
• China Inc has little to celebrate on Earth Day (Reuters, Robyn Mak Commentary)
• John Kerry says the darndest things (Wall Street Journal, Editorial Board $)
• Fossil fuels’ forthright defender (Wall Street Journal, Allysia Finley op-ed $)
• This Earth Day, there are reasons to be optimistic (The Hill, Benji Backer op-ed)

Earth Day Reactions: Deniers Phone In Anti-Earth Day Messaging

As the official holiday of being protected from the deadly void of space, Earth Day is a chance for the general public to be reminded that companies are destroying the planet and ruining public health for the sake of their profits. 

Those disinformation agents tasked with distracting the public from said damages are, understandably, none too eager to engage with the holiday, so their offerings on Friday were pretty predictably subpar. 

Best FoxNews or Marc Morano&John Stossel could do was the “but you live in a society” gotcha noting the private flights and mansions of various climate-concerned celebrities and politicians who have yet to abandon their corporeal form to exist in the pure energy state required to avoid such hypocrisy charges while calling for systemic change to how everyone consumes. 

The WashingtonExaminer ran an op-ed lamenting all the roads that were never built because of environmental policies, a sentiment echoed by the WSJ, both framed by President Biden’s move to shore up the National Environmental Policy Act after Trump tried to gut it. 

At the New York Post, Bjorn Lomborg once again polished up the “everything’s fine” op-ed deniers pass around, though did change it enough to not have directly plagiarized his CityAM oped plagiarizing his NYPost oped ripping off paid propagandists and conspiracy theorists last year. (One of whom also wrote his own version of the take for the Daily Caller.) 

CEI didn’t even pretend to come up with anything new, they just linked to a YouTube video from Earth Day 2012, put out by some now-defunct free market front group, with the message that if you wanted America to fail you’d do climate alarmism. 

Over at the dirty energy propaganda hub RealClearEnergy, tobacco/energy funded AEI schmuck Ben Zycher was about the only denier to actually bother doing anything specific to this Earth Day, ranting about this year’s theme of “Invest In Our Planet” and suggesting some sinister coercion in the promotional copy about needing to “change it all” with “a partnership for the planet.” 

Zycher warns “that word ‘partnership’ is vastly more mendacious than the proponents of Invest In Our Planet™ might care to concede.” For example, he asks to whom are people going to be held accountable, and then, “will we imprison energy executives?” he wonders, nervously tugging at his collar.   

One can hope, Ben. One can hope.

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