FIRST LOOK: 

Does your organization have an upcoming report or event you think the best-looking (and best-informed) morning newsletter readers should know about? Submit it for a First Look!

Sweltering Heat Blankets India: Stifling heat has oppressed large swaths of India since early spring with far-below-average rainfall, with even higher temperatures expected this week. The intense heatwave is particularly dangerous because of the lack of air conditioning in the country, and the high overnight temperatures that rob the body of a chance to cool down, increasing heat stress. Delhi usually gets 1.14" of rain in March and April; it has received just 0.01" of rain since the beginning of March, a cycle which can become self-reinforcing. Climate change, caused mainly by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, has increased the intensity, duration and frequency of extreme heat and heat waves. March’s high temperatures were the highest in over a century, and multiple cities hit 109°F (42.8°C) or higher on Monday. Forecasts indicate temperatures could hit 120°F (49°C) later this week with the worst heat in the western and northern parts of the country near the borders of Pakistan and Nepal. (Washington Post $, The Weather Channel, Indian Express, The Independent; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves, Drought)

Increasing Human-Driven Global Disasters Risk A 'Spiral Of Self-Destruction': Human activity is driving an increase in medium- to large-scale disasters, many of which are fueled by climate change, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction warned in its global assessment report this morning. Between 1970 and 2000, there were about 90 to 100 disasters per year, a number that rose to 400 by 2015 and could reach 560 (or 1.5 per day) by 2030. Extreme heatwaves will be three times more frequent in 2030 than in 2001 with 30% more droughts. "The world needs to do more to incorporate disaster risk in how we live, build and invest, which is setting humanity on a spiral of self-destruction," Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, told reporters. "We must turn our collective complacency to action." (Reuters, AP)

Rich, White People First To Get Leaky Gas Pipes Replaced In Mass.: People of color, those with low-incomes, and renters are more exposed to the dangers of gas leaks than white, richer people, an analysis published earlier this year in Energy Policy found. Community advocates noticed white suburbanites in Massachusetts got their leak-prone gas pipes replaced by utility companies more quickly than people of color in urban areas, and raised the issue with Marcos Luna, a geography professor at Salem State University. “Exposure and wait times are overwhelmingly disparate along the lines of race and income,” Luna told E&E News. Even after gas makes it to the stove, the pollution caused by burning "natural gas," which is primarily methane, is harmful to human health. A report by the Institute for Policy Integrity calls on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to — at minimum — require gas stoves be sold with carbon monoxide poisoning warning labels similar to those on portable generators. (Disparate exposure: E&E News; Warning labels: E&E $) 

Donziger (Finally) Free: Environmental lawyer Steven Donziger was released from house arrest Monday, following a years-long battle against Chevron and the American legal system — two entities that have at times operated in tandem against him. Donziger completed a six-month sentence which followed more than two years of house arrest. “I am exhilarated to be able to live fully again, extremely excited to be able to make the normal choices people in a free society get to make,” Donziger told Gizmodo. “I’m also stunned that I just spent two years and seven months of my life in detention in retaliation for my work in the climate justice field.” Earlier this year, President Biden renominated Jennifer Rearden, a New York corporate lawyer who worked for the firm representing Chevron in its efforts to take down Donziger, to a lifetime appointment on the federal bench. (Gizmodo, Salon, Law.com, Vice, ILoveTheUpperWestSide.com)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: Elon Musk buying Twitter: 5 reasons why Black people should be wary (NewsOne), White cop [Christopher Paul Schurr:] who fatally shot Black man in head during traffic stop identified in Michigan (Daily Beast, NewsOne, Detroit Free Press, MLive, WOOD, WZZM, CNN, AP), Hearing set for NJ power plant in polluted neighborhood (AP)

WE'RE IN THE WRONG LINE OF WORK: US gas prices are over $4 a gallon. These oil CEOs took home over $20m (The Guardian)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Indigenous leaders convene at UN, push for human rights protections (Indian Country Today, High Country News, and Grist)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: Ex-DoD officials join climate litigation fray (E&E $)

FINANCE: NYC pension leaders to urge fossil fuel lending curbs, late boost for activists (Reuters), Canadian activists ask bankers to close ESG debt loopholes (Bloomberg $), Countries ramp up rules regarding ESG disclosure (Wall Street Journal $), Warren Buffett faces renewed climate change challenge by investors (New York Times $), Climate activists chain themselves to Wells Fargo wagon in downtown SF to protest fossil fuel investment (SFist)

• SHAREHOLDER MEETINGS: Climate votes fought by major oil companies get key backing (Bloomberg $), Wall Street faces key votes on new fossil fuel financing (E&E News), Credit Suisse investor rebellion over climate action grows ahead of annual meeting (Reuters), Investors crank up pressure on companies with record climate, race proxy proposals (Bloomberg $), Will Big Oil and major banks face another reckoning from investors this year? (Grist)

WILDFIRES: Two fires have joined forces in new Mexico as Southwest wildfires continue to blaze (Gizmodo), Wildfires rage across Arizona, New Mexico and Nebraska (Indian Country Today, AP), Southwest wildfire outlook grim as flames char New Mexico (AP)

SCOTUS: Supreme Court rejects World Bank coal case (E&E News)

AGENCIES: Energy, environment Cabinet leaders to defend budget plan (E&E News)

EPA: EPA, Growth Energy reach settlement on annual biofuel volumes (E&E News, Politico Pro $), Regan taps former EPA top cop Giles for air office (Politico Pro $), EPA opens civil rights investigation into Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ (Inside Climate News)

WHITE HOUSE: White House finalizes help for burn pit veterans (E&E News), Biden presses Congress on legislation to address veterans’ toxic exposures (The Hill), In fight against Biden’s conservation plan, opponents bet on NEPA (E&E News, Washington Examiner), Kerry: Industry should convince Congress on climate action (The Hill)

BUILD BACK BETTER ACT?: 4 issues to watch as Dems eye reconciliation return (E&E News)

THE HILL: Congress is back. Will it act on climate? (Washington Post $), As Congress returns, Google proposes legislative action to help it and others to achieve 24/7 clean energy (Utility Dive)

SENATE: Sen. Joe Manchin pushes for Democratic compromise on climate agenda (Wall Street Journal $), Senate inflation hearing features oil and gas booster (E&E $)

NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Senate committee takes up Energy, Interior nominees (E&E $)

CITIES AND STATES: Small-scale solar is saving New England’s climate goals (E&E News), States awash in plastic packaging want manufacturers to pay up (Bloomberg $), Coal interests sue to block Pennsylvania’s carbon policy (AP)

FERC: The US needs to build a bigger, stronger grid. FERC has a plan for that (Canary Media)

IMPACTS: The looming threat for Maine’s iconic potato industry (Bangor Daily News)

DROUGHT: Surge of desert surf parks stirs questions in dry California (AP)

SOUTH AFRICA FLOODS: South Africa’s Durban still recovering from deadly floods (Bloomberg $)

WATER: Report urges California panel to deny desalination plant (AP, Reuters)

RENEWABLES: The roots of renewable energy (Wall Street Journal $), European wind-energy sector hit in wave of hacks (Wall Street Journal $), Indonesia's Pertamina aims to double geothermal capacity -CEO (Reuters), Sunnyside moves step closer toward turning deadly landfill into nation's largest urban solar farm (Houston Chronicle), Will the Biden administration let one company kill US solar? (Canary Media), Wind power’s ‘colossal market failure’ threatens climate fight (Bloomberg $)

ALL THAT DAM METHANE: Taking stock of methane emissions from reservoirs (The Revelator)

BUILDINGS: Chicago nonprofit transforms old library into climate-friendly headquarters (Yale Climate Connections)

NUKES: Nuclear power could help Europe cut its Russia ties, but not for years (New York Times $)

OIL & GAS: South Africans are standing up to big oil (Washington Post $), Oil prices may not drop even as companies drill more (E&E News), Oil slumps 4% as Shanghai lockdowns stoke demand fears (Reuters), In Texas, thousands in fines paid by oil and gas polluters benefit the fossil fuel industry (Texas Tribune), Exxon ban on LGBTQ pride flag triggers employee backlash (Bloomberg $)

COAL: Global coal plant capacity edges up in 2021, hitting climate -report (Reuters), Six dead in Poland's second mining disaster in a week, says PM (Reuters), Russia and India in talks to restart coking coal supplies -sources (Reuters)

HYDROGEN: Texas hydrogen ‘proto-hub’ leads the US in technical potential for DOE-funded regional hubs: GTI (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: How ambitious are the climate targets of companies in the power industry? (Energy Monitor), FirstEnergy progresses on corporate culture revamp, regaining investment-grade rating, officials say (Utility Dive), TVA looks to replace its biggest coal power plant with cleaner natural gas generation (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

TRANSPORTATION: US transportation sector could cut carbon emissions 34% by 2030: analysis (Utility Dive)

• CARS: How sharing cars can make cities more livable (Protocol)
• EVs: Electric Chevrolet Corvette is officially happening (Road & Track, Car and Driver, Detroit Free Press, Jalopnik, Motor Trend, The Verge, CNN, Tech Crunch, Forbes, Wall Street Journal $, Detroit News, Popular Science, Axios, AP), Ford hurries out F-150 Lightning to grab share of electrics market (Wall Street Journal $)

CRYPTO: Cryptocurrency is an energy drain (NPR)

BUSINESS: Tech offers a way gas companies can reduce their climate impact and prove it if it’s working (Houston Chronicle), Consumer brands push for clean-energy tax credits (Wall Street Journal $)

CARBON PRICING: How carbon pricing gained momentum with the gas industry (Politico Pro $)

CARBON REMOVAL: Scientists unveil 'artificial leaf' for cheaper CO2 capture (E&E $)

INTERNATIONAL: Britain moves ahead with mandatory climate plans for companies (Reuters), Malaysia urges countries to prioritise food over fuel as Indonesia bans palm exports (Reuters), Recycling needed to meet Europe's green metals needs-study (Reuters)

• How I live car-free in Hartford, Connecticut (Vice, Kerri Provost interview)
• Droughts are ravaging the US — it’s time to get serious about water recycling (The Hill, Craig Lichty and Patricia Sinicropi op-ed)
• Banks enter AGM season wearing green bullseyes (Reuters, George Hay column)
• Biden’s solar plans run into a Chinese wall (Bloomberg, Liam Denning column $)
• Let’s get Western energy market governance right from the start (Utility Dive, Nicole Hughes op-ed)
• Democrats willing to weaponize ESG scores to punish Americans (The Hill, Rep. Ron Estes op-ed)

Denier Tony Watts: Climate Catastrophe Fake Since Soylent Green Predictions Didn’t Come True

Deniers have a history of deliberately conflating climate model projections (what could happen, given certain emissions trajectories) with weather forecasts (predicting what is likely to happen in the real world, given the actual pollution levels). They point to a model projecting some big change that hasn’t happened (yet) and compare it to the weather forecaster being wrong about rain, again. 

Anthony Watts, though, is not your average denier. He’s a burned out one, struggling to come up with new ways to fight the unfortunate reality that fossil fuels are causing a climate crisis, so his blog is mostly just reposted content from pompous self-parodies. When he actually does bring himself to post, it’s begging users for fresh ideas for projects he’s already botched, and farmed-out rants he couldn’t even entice students to produce, despite offering payment.  

But a recent post reveals just how desperate he is, how bereft of new ideas to keep earning his dirty money from Heartland, and how little he brings to the table. And no, we’re not talking about the post announcing the re- re-release of their “climate at a glance” pamphlets for busy teachers who only have time to glance at the content (because looking any longer and they’d see it’s garbage.)

No, we’re talking about a post last week where instead of the usual “models were wrong” trope, Tony went one step further and wrote a post arguing that because we’re not sweeping poor people off the street to eat them, the climate catastrophe has failed to materialize as predicted.

We’re not kidding. “Nearly Fifty Years Ago, ‘Soylent Green’ Forecast a Grim Future for the Year 2022 – Reality is far different,” proclaims the headline at Heartland’s mostly false and time, space and google-confused ClimateRealism blog, calling a fiction movie’s premise a “forecast,” something that Watts certainly knows is laughable. 

Because while not having earned any degree, Watts did spend many years as a weatherman reading the forecasts scientists had prepared for him, and he likely would have noticed if any of those forecasts included industrial cannibalism. 

“The worst of Soylent Green’s vision of the future is still far from coming to pass,” Watts notes, as we are not yet at the point where “the situation with food has gotten so bad that people are being harvested off the streets.” 

Ah, well, if that’s the bar for “bad,” then yes, we do still seem to be on safe ground. Watts then goes on to note that temperatures are only a little above the (recent) average, air pollution is trending down, and a version of Bjorn Lomborg’s false “climate change saves lives” claim. 

Of course, here in the real world, there are hundreds of millions of people who lack access to food and are being impacted by climate-related disasters. Tony knows this, because a house he once owned, along with the town of Paradise it was in, burned down in the record 2018 Camp fire.

A climate-amplified fire burned down an entire town Watts once lived in, but unless the climate crisis results in his being consumed by a pack of ravenous cannibals, don’t expect him to come up with any new material. 

Then again, maybe someone already ate his brain, and that’s why he wrote something so stupid? If we were paying him, we'd certainly be wondering why.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to receive Hot News every morning!

Send updates or feedback to nkauffman@climatenexus.org
Submit events and other items for consideration for a First Look using this form
Some articles require logins or subscriptions ($)