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Extreme Drought Threatens Millions In Ethiopia: Nearly eight million people face life-threatening hunger in Ethiopia as extreme drought ravages the region, the New Humanitarian reports. “We can’t call ourselves farmers anymore, because we are not farming,” Safumume Abdush, of Halo Busa, told The New Humanitarian. “Two months ago, we planted sorghum again. But without rain, we won’t harvest anything.” Climate change, mainly caused by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, increases drought risk by way of a variety of mechanisms and Ethiopia's is extreme. If forecasts are accurate and rains fail to fall in the coming months, it will be for an unprecedented fifth-straight year. Beyond those at risk of death, the drought is upending lifeways and ripping families apart as more than 286,000 — mostly women and children as the men stay behind to care for thier dwindling livestock— have been forced to leave their homes and pastoral farming to live in makeshift camps outside urban areas where they will face heightened risks for sexual violence and exploitation. (The New Humanitarian)

Louisiana Witholds NOLA Flood Funds Over Abortion: A Louisiana state commission is holding $39 milllion in New Orleans flood control funds hostage after city officials voiced opposition to the state's abortion ban, despite not having any operating abortion clinics in the city anyway. The Louisiana State Bond Commission has rejected — twice, both times at the urging of Jeff Landry, the state's GOP attorney general eyeing a run for Governor — a line of credit for a power station to operate drainage pumps that would protect 384,000 New Orleans residents from flooding. The state abortion ban, which does not include exceptions for rape or incest, is being used to prevent pregant people from obtaining medical care even when their fetus has no chance of survival. Climate change makes extreme precipitation events and major hurricanes worse and more frequent, and the pumps to be replaced were built during the Taft presidency. “The torrential rains have become much more frequent, and flooding that used to be caused by a tropical storm or a hurricane we are now seeing with just 3 to 4 inches of rain in no time whatsoever,” said Paul Rainwater, a(n aptly named) lobbyist representing New Orleans and its sewage and water board. “When a warning goes out that we have a thunderstorm going through, we could have flash flooding, and in some parts of the city, you may see 2 to 3 feet of water,” Rainwater, a self-described “pro-life, Catholic and Republican," told E&E News. (Politico and E&E News; Louisiana Law: (WION, WAFB, Axios, CNN, New York Times $, The Guardian, People; Climate Signals background: Flooding, Extreme precipitation increase, Hurricanes)

Judge Strikes Down Leasing Pause, Again: A federal judge in Louisiana doubled down on his previous ruling on the Biden administration's pause on oil and gas leasing late last week, effectively ordering the administration to resume leasing. Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee, issued the ruling just a day after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled his earlier injunction against the administration's leasing pause lacked specificity. The lawsuit against Biden's executive order was brought by 13 states, headed by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Some legal observers say the administration was unlikely to reinstate the pause on leasing anyway because of leasing requirements in the Inflation Reduction Act. (E&E News, Reuters, Politico Pro $, Courthouse News, The Hill, Truthout)

ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE: Indiana has a $100 million EV plan. Black communities say they’re being left out. (Protocol), Few rules address extreme heat problem in prisons (NPR), Federal electric bus program leaves Chicago, other school districts behind (Energy News Network), The Territory' profiles indigenous group's fight to protect rainforest (ABC), Trying to keep the roof on in Louisiana’s cancer alley (The Nation)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Europe backs Germany's 27.5 bln euro plan to aid industry with energy bills (Reuters), Europe is trying to solve its energy crisis with fossil fuel projects in Africa (Truthout), Europe struggles to control worsening energy crisis (NBC), Europe’s gas crunch will squeeze BASF (Wall Street Journal $), German economy minister rules out keeping nuclear plants running to save gas (Reuters), Italian manufacturers cut output to save energy, government official says (Reuters), Europe’s natural-gas crunch sparks global battle for tankers (Wall Street Journal $)

• NO STREAM: Russia to halt Nord Stream gas flows to Europe, citing pipeline maintenance (Wall Street Journal $, New York Times $, AP), Nord Stream closure sends European gas prices soaring (Wall Street Journal $), Asia gas prices jump after Russia pipeline maintenance sends Europe to record (Bloomberg $)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: Federal judges deal the oil industry another setback in climate litigation (NPR)

CARBON REMOVAL & OFFSETS: Carbon dioxide removal is growing. So is the need for a code of conduct. (Protocol), Carbon offsets (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), The Inflation Reduction Act incentivizes capturing carbon emissions (NPR), The mission to mend the voluntary carbon offset market (Energy Monitor)

FOSSIL EXPLOSIONS: Florida utility is fined $500,000 for 2017 explosion that killed 5 (New York Times $), Students returning, legal battle brews over Reno dorm blast (AP)

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Hot deals: A consumer’s guide to the new climate law (Politico and E&E News), These electric vehicles qualify for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (CBS), The new US climate law will reduce carbon emissions and make electricity less expensive, economists say (Inside Climate News), What the US climate law means for the world (New York Times $), Your house is due for an electrical upgrade (Bloomberg $)

DEADLY FLOODING: In a flood-ravaged Tennessee town, uncertainty hangs over the recovery (NPR), Flash flood warning issued for parts of West Virginia (AP), Flash fooding kills dozens in Afghanistan, Pakistan (AP), Floods, landslides leave 40 dead in northern India (AP), Heavy rain forces road closures, flood watches in Arizona (AP), Weather warning in Germany after Europe storms kill 12 (AP), Wildfires and severe rain turn deadly in Europe (NBC)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: NATO secretary general to focus on Arctic during Canada visit (Reuters), Newest cause for climate optimism? The US rivalry with China (Politico)

GOP vs. ESG: Republicans wage war on environmental investing rules (The Hill)

EPA: EPA proposes stronger chemical accident prevention rules (Politico Pro $)

DOE: DOE analysis: Big emissions reductions in climate bill (E&E $), Energy secretary guardedly optimistic about gas prices (Politico)

WHITE HOUSE: After signing climate bill, Biden prepares more actions to cut emissions (New York Times $)

SENATE: Mark Kelly: ‘So important that the other states step up’ in Southwest drought (Politico Pro $), Manchin dismisses critics, embraces ‘hero and villain’ role (AP)

• WE'RE IN THE WRONG LINE OF WORK: Manchin-linked company could reap millions from climate law (E&E News)

POLITICS: A coal miner’s political transformation (New York Times, The Daily $), 10 arrested at protest of fossil fuel concessions in Inflation Reduction Act (Democracy Now)

• BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE: How a top US business lobby promised climate action – but worked to block efforts (The Guardian)

ELECTIONS: Tina Kotek is running for governor of Oregon to make climate change a priority (Teen Vogue)

CALIFORNIA: California nuke extension challenged in legislative proposal (AP), California nuke extension challenged in legislative proposal (AP), Firebaugh city manager warns a megastorm could devastate his Calif. community (NPR)

FERC: DOJ raises concerns about cost of FERC grid rule (E&E $)

IMPACTS: 14 million Americans on alert as monsoon rains move east (ABC), The Amazon, the Colorado river and a price on nature (NPR, Planet Money), Asthma deaths rose during the pandemic. Climate change may make it worse. (NBC), Climate change and war are felt everywhere — including the dijon mustard industry (NPR), Migrants share lessons with US to improve climate resilience (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

HEAT: Seattle just had one of its hottest nights on record (NPR), ‘Dangerous days’: These will be the hottest California counties in 2053, study finds (The Hill), UPS drivers say ‘brutal’ heat is endangering their lives (New York Times $)

DROUGHT: Drought persists despite torrential downpours across US (CBS), Watch: western cities are in a bind as the Colorado river runs dry (Mother Jones), Photos show shockingly low water at new Mexico's largest reservoir (Gizmodo), Rivers run dry in China and Europe as climate crisis fuels record droughts (Democracy Now), Yangtze shrinks as China's drought disrupts industry (AP)

NOT SO PERMA-FROST: Thawing of arctic hillsides a major, neglected part of carbon release (Washington Post $)

FLOODING: They never knew the water could get that high (HuffPost)

WILDFIRES: As Alaska warms, fires burn over (and under) more wild land (New York Times $), ‘I lost everything’: Algeria reels from deadly wildfires (AP), Predicting where smoke blows could help fire-weary Calif. (E&E $), Western fires outpace California effort to fill inmate crews (AP), Winds drive major wildfire in Spain; Portugal goes on alert (AP)

• McKINNEY FIRE: DNA, dental records identify 4 killed by California wildfire (AP)

HURRICANES: Parts of Mexico and Texas are under a tropical storm warning (New York Times $), Tropical storm warnings for parts of Texas, Mexico as storm nears (Washington Post $), Gulf of Mexico disturbance 99L poised to bring Mexico and Texas beneficial rains (Yale Climate Connections), Potential Tropical Cyclone 4 to bring Texas major drought relief (Yale Climate Connections)

WATER: Crisis looms without big cuts to over-tapped Colorado River (AP)

RIVERS: Mapuche solstice ceremonies highlight sacred rivers (AP), On Chile rivers, Native spirituality and development clash (AP)

RENEWABLES: Chart: Which sectors will drive biggest emission cuts under climate bill? (Canary Media), US solar industry warns of pitfalls after climate law (E&E $), Patent fight threatens major offshore wind project, N.J. says (E&E $)Solar farm planned at closed Louisiana coal power plant site (AP), Solar panels: how to fix your energy bills while the sun shines (The Guardian), 

• INT'L SOLAR: Solar power helps Indian women make light work of cotton spinning (Thomson Reuters Foundation), South Africa's 'silent revolution' as those with cash go solar (Reuters), Taiwan farmers find space for solar to meet renewable energy targets (Reuters)

TRANSMISSION: Sharp views from Enel, WIRES, others on FERC’s transmission planning proposal shared at forum (Utility Dive)

METHANE: The new US climate law has a gigantic methane leak (Quartz)

OIL & GAS: Berkshire Hathaway cleared to buy up to 50% of Occidental Petroleum. (New York Times $, Wall Street Journal $), The educated roughneck: How Permian Basin's low education levels could impact oil and gas industry (Houston Chronicle), US crude output likely to see little change from rollercoaster court rulings on leasing pause (S&P Global)

• WHAT COULD GO WRONG: Canada's oil sands sector aims to release treated tailings water into river (Reuters)

ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL: Energy projects sought across the US face local hurdles (Wall Street Journal $)

PLASTICS: How Coca-Cola, Unilever, and others delay action on plastic (Gizmodo)

PIPELINES: Mountain Valley Pipeline opponents vow to keep up fight despite Manchin deal (Energy News Network), Permitting deal: Pipeline boom or ‘propaganda exercise?’ (E&E News), The US finally has a real climate law. Get ready for more pipelines. (HuffPost)

COAL: Nebraska coal-fired power plant latest to delay closure (Reuters), Supply chain slows closure of large Midwest coal plant (E&E $)

HYDROGEN: Canada says hydrogen better than LNG for German needs (Reuters)

CITY PLANNING: How roundabouts improve traffic safety and lower carbon emissions (CBS), 

EVs: How GM plans to make its ambitious EV goals reality (Protocol)

PFAS: Breakthrough research could destroy ‘forever chemicals’ (E&E News, Axios, Gizmodo)

NAMING AND SHAMING: Can shaming help mitigate the climate crisis? Experts offer mixed views (ABC)

UNELECTED MONARCHY: Prince William charity invests with bank tied to dirty fuels (AP, The Guardian)

AGRICULTURE: Cows in forests? Indigenous practice reborn as climate tool (E&E $), Dairy farmers in the Netherlands are up in arms over emission cuts (New York Times $), The rise of vertical farms: could indoor plant factories be the norm in 10 years? (The Guardian)

BEE WARNED: Want to see how climate change is stressing bees? Look at their wings. (Washington Post $)

BOOKS: Stories draw us to the hero’s journey, but individual empathy doesn’t help us see the bigger picture (The Guardian), What makes someone presidential — and will she ever be elected? (The 19th* News)

DOCs & THEATER: The Trials review – a teenage jury call their climate-ruining elders to account (The Guardian), 5 documentaries exploring Indigenous wisdom and climate justice (Greenbiz)

CARS: To fight climate change, we need to start biking like the Dutch (The Verge), What should happen to drivers who kill cyclists? (Outside), With cash and rebates, cities coax residents to swap cars for e-bikes (Axios)

PUBLIC LANDS: The ‘wildest place in Maryland’ is under threat — from biking trails (Washington Post $)

WILDLIFE: African migratory birds threatened by hot, dry weather (AP), Alaska’s snow crabs have disappeared. Where they went is a mystery. (Washington Post $), Good news: A good year for puffins and terns, despite climate change (Environmental Health News), Remote sensing helps in monitoring Arctic vegetation for climate clues (Yale Climate Connections)

INTERNATIONAL: What will the future of Kenya look like? Nanjala Nyabola on 2022 disputed election, drought & more (Democracy Now)

• Carbon capture: climate change’s 'healthy' cigarette (Harvard Public Health, Laalitha Surapaneni op-ed)
• The case for harassing the climate arsonists among us (New Republic, Aaron Regunberg commentary)
• Reparations must be more than a check (NewsOne, Amara Enyia op-ed)
• Watch out! Here comes the climate deal's other shoe. (Newsweek, Raúl Grijalva op-ed)
• Biden’s climate law is ending 40 years of hands-off government (The Atlantic, Robinson Meyer analysis)
• An equity point of view on the Inflation Reduction Act (The Hill, Tamara Toles O’Laughlin op-ed)
• The climate bill’s big incentives for clean energy aren’t enough (Texas Climate News, Daniel Cohan op-ed)
• INDOT's plan for EV charging stations continues pattern of environmental racism (Indianapolis Star, David Greene op-ed)
• Optimism in the climate change fight (Environmental Health News, Douglas Fischer op-ed)
• California should go bolder on climate, even if it’s an 11th-hour push (LA Times, Editorial Board $)
• The Guardian view on Earth-friendly diets: cooking animals is cooking the planet (The Guardian, Editorial Board)
• My job is to police energy use in my office. Here's how we got to net zero. (New York Times, Carlos Gamarra op-ed $)
• Germany's efforts to tackle energy crisis (Reuters, Factbox)
• Eliza Griswold reflects on the lessons of  ‘amity and prosperity,’ her deep dive into fracking in southwest Pennsylvania (Inside Climate News, interview)
• Banking on clean energy instead of climate chaos (The Hill, Ivan Frishberg op-ed)
• 'The Earth is telling us it’s exhausted': an interview with poet Natalie Diaz (Truthout, Natalie Diaz interview)
• Enviro myth-busting (Environmental Health News, Peter Dykstra column)
• Incomplete metamorphosis (Atmos, Willow Defebaugh commentary)
• Streamline power line permitting to achieve IRA climate goals (The Hill, Daniel Adamson and Paul Bledsoe op-ed)
• The Inflation Reduction Act’s energy winners and losers (Wall Street Journal, Editorial Board $)

ALEC, NAM and Chamber Clamp Down On Municipal Rights While Southwest Gas-lights Ariz. & Nev.

While the Infowars Investors have been focused on attacking basic risk assessments in businesses under the guise of fighting the Evil ESG-loving "Woke Capitalists", the suit-and-tie-type climate disinformation operatives have been pushing at the local level, too. 

In Arizona and Nevada, Southwest Gas got caught hiring social media influencers on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, while also trying to spend money they get from customers via rate hikes on things like $4,700 dinners with a $1,500 bar tab, and $1,600 for a 10-minute chair massage … and golf club membership. 

Oh, and in 2020 they gave out $4,500 "donations" to the politicians pushing a bill to ban Arizona cities from issuing  building codes that require cleaner, safer, climate-friendly appliances in new construction, keeping Arizonans dependent on dirty, expensive methane gas.

Unfortunately, that's not the only state where polluters are tying the hands of local municipalities, to prevent them from taking climate action. 

A new report last week from the Center for Climate Integrity, co-authored and covered by Emily Sanders at ExxonKnews, describes how "a network of corporate special interests has mounted an attack on municipalities’ right to access the courts as a way of shielding Big Oil and other industries from having to pay." 

The Chamber of Commerce published their "Mitigating Municipality Litigation" plan in 2019, that's "blatant in its goals and tactics," Sanders writes, "laying out specific bills that state legislatures can pass in order to restrict and eliminate legal avenues for local communities seeking justice from lawless corporate actors." 

There are four types of bills proposed, that would prevent municipalities from filing lawsuits against fossil fuel (or tobacco, or opioid, or asbestos or lead) companies by changing details of how and when suits can be filed, and denying state courts' authority to hear certain types of cases (involving polluters). 

The Big Business lobbying arm that is the US Chamber of Commerce is hardly alone, of course, and Sanders reports that they're "working with other national front groups such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) to attack municipal litigation on multiple fronts."

"This network of front groups," Sanders explains, "honed its playbook while protecting Big Tobacco from legal liability, and has subsequently used the same strategies to ward off legal threats to countless other industries — including pharmaceuticals, asbestos, lead paint, and guns. The Chamber, NAM, ALEC, and a network of right-wing think tanks are part of a large web of organizations that also includes smaller, hard-to-track, dark money-funded groups with names that suggest high ideals, such as the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texans for Legal Reform, the American Tort Reform Association, and the Civil Justice Reform Group." 

So far, they've gotten bills "introduced in Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and Kansas, and one passed in Texas."

There is hope though, in that elected officials who actually care about the safety and wellbeing of their constituents can prevent or repeal these efforts, and join others to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for its harms.

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