FIRST LOOK: 

Join Melanie Nakagawa, departing Spec. Asst. to the President and NSC Senior Director for Climate and Energy, along with Overture co-founders Shomik Dutta and Brandon Hurlbut to discuss her time in the administration and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act. Wednesday at 3:00 pm EDT/12:00 pm PDT.

Kentucky Schools, Children Hit Hard By Flooding 'Will Never, Ever be the Same Again': The flooding that killed at least 39 people in eastern Kentucky this summer also rampaged through Robinson Elementary School, collapsing the roof and destroying three decades' worth of Robin Combs' math curriculum materials, the New York Times reports. As they mourn the deaths in their community, including some children and staff, students and teachers from two schools in hard-hit Perry County are preparing to go back to school — in one building. Despite only having running water in her own home for one day in more than three weeks, Ms. Combs has been working overtime to get lesson plans and facilities ready for students, while also hosting morale-boosting events to provide essentials like toothbrushes and toothpaste. Others, like Tara Boggs, who teaches at Fleming Neon Middle School, are doing all this in the dark, as a flooded basement has kept power off throughout the rest of the school. “We’ll teach out of anywhere,” Chasity Short, who will be teaching her third-graders in a refurbished locker room at Robinson Elementary School, told the Times, displaying a dedication that is expected of teachers but rarely, if ever, compensated. Climate change, mainly caused by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, is making extreme rain events and the flooding they set off worse and more frequent. While physical damage can be repaired, the long-term impacts of the floods will remain. “I just hate it," Ms. Boggs told the Times. "I hate that some of these kids will never, ever be the same again." (New York Times $; Climate Signals background: Extreme precipitation increase, Flooding)

Mass., Virginia Set To Follow California ICE-Car Ban: Two commonwealths are legally bound to follow the state of California in banning the sale of new internal combustion-powered vehicles by 2035, with additional states likely to follow suit. A major Massachusetts climate law signed earlier this month by Republican Gov. Baker includes a provision requiring all new vehicles sold in the Bay State to be EVs or hydrogen-powered by 2035 — if California adopted such a measure. Similarly, a 2021 Virginia law adopted California EV sales targets, and the Old Dominion's Republican assistant Attorney General has concluded it is “statutorily and regulatorily aligned with California” and is "bound" by the new targets. Virginia Republicans tried to repeal the 2021 law last year, despite its support from the powerful Virginia Automobile Dealers Association. While the new California standards have been generally well-received by the automotive industry, unlike last year, Virginia now has a Republican governor and a Republican-controlled lower chamber eyeing legislation in 2023 to decouple Virginia from California's standards. (Massachusetts: Boston Globe $, NBC Boston, WWBT; Virginia: (Virginia Mercury, AP, Fox Business, 13 News Now; Auto Industry: New York Times $) [More coverage of the new California measures is below. — Ed.]

Wildfires Especially Lethal For Elderly: Elderly people are especially vulnerable to wildfires both because of decreased mobility and geographic location, the LA Times reports. Most of the 85 deaths in the 2018 Camp Fire were people over 65. Rural areas most likely to be burned by wildfires supercharged by climate change tend to attract older people, in part because of generally lower living expenses. “Whether you’re looking at wildfire frequency, or you’re looking at the area burned by wildfires, the proportion of elderly people increases in a fairly linear way as you get into census tracts of higher risk,” Shahir Masri, an environmental health scientist at UC Irvine, told the Times. More than one-quarter of the residents of Siskiyou County, California, where the McKinney Fire has burned over 60,000 acres, are over 65, compared to about 15% across the state. Beyond the acute risks of the flames themselves, wildfire smoke also poses especially high respiratory risks for seniors. (LA Times $; Climate Signals background: Wildfires)

ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE: Surrounded by fossil fuels, they fear climate bill leaves them behind (Washington Post $), The movement for Black lives is amplifying the climate conversation (The Root), Women are furious, frightened and voting - on abortion, democracy and climate - equality day (Forbes), In a sweltering Texas jail, cool towels but no air-conditioners (New York Times $)

• HURRICANE HARVEY: First-of-its-kind study finds hurricane harvey hit latinos the hardest (Washington Post $), 50,000 Houston homes might not have flooded in Hurricane Harvey, if not for climate change (Gizmodo), HUD, Texas at odds over flood relief discrimination claim (AP)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Compromises in Democrats' climate bill will hit communities facing most pollution hardest, critics say (USA Today)

• MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE: ‘It’s a deal with the devil’: Outrage in Appalachia over Manchin’s ‘vile’ pipeline plan (The Guardian)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Goodbye hot showers and street lights. Here’s how Europe is slashing energy use (Bloomberg $), In Poland, where coal is king, homeowners queue for days to buy fuel (Reuters), Russia a strategic challenge for NATO in arctic, Stoltenberg says (Reuters), Russian energy plant is reportedly burning away $10 million of natural gas daily (Gizmodo, CNN, BBC), 

• GERMANY: Funds from electricity levy could help German households, says renewables association (Reuters), Germany to rethink gas levy after outcry over energy profits (Bloomberg $)
• UK: ‘I’m scared when anyone says winter’: shocking tales from UK energy crisis frontline (The Guardian), Bills in Britain will soar 80% as energy crisis crashes into Europe (New York Times $, Axios), Closure of coal power station set to be delayed to prevent UK blackouts (The Guardian), How British energy prices are set. (New York Times $), UK energy bills to rise by 80% in October as regulator announces hike (CNBC)
• US: As price of natural gas surges, so do household energy bills (PBS NewsHour), Consumers face much higher natural gas prices this winter (Consumer Affairs)

GULF COAST: ‘The most vulnerable state’: Louisiana’s climatologist on hurricanes and climate change (NOLA.com)

• MISSISSIPPI: Mississippi residents prepare for possible river flooding (AP), Mississippi governor declares state of emergency ahead of massive flooding (The Guardian), As Mississippi braces for floods, Jackson mayor urges people to evacuate (Washington Post $)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: A melting glacier, an imperiled city and one farmer’s fight for climate justice (Washington Post $)

CHINA HEAT & DROUGHT: China’s record drought is drying rivers and feeding its coal habit (New York Times $), China’s scorching heat and hydropower missteps test nation’s power grid (Wall Street Journal $), China’s worst heat wave on record is crippling power supplies. How it reacts will impact us all (CNN), Nothing in history compares to China's brutal heat wave, weather historian says (HuffPost)

PAKISTAN FLOODING: Hundreds of children among 1,000 people killed by Pakistan monsoon rains and floods (CNN), Pakistan declares floods a ‘climate catastrophe’ as death toll tops 1,000 (The Guardian, AP, Axios, CBS, New York Times $, NPR, Washington Post $, ABC, NBC, HuffPost), Pakistan floods force tens of thousands from homes overnight (Reuters), Pakistan floods hit 33 million people in worst disaster in a decade, minister says (CNN, BBC), Pakistan floods: Desperation and displacement in Sindh province (BBC), Pakistan foreign minister says help needed after 'overwhelming' floods (Reuters, Bloomberg $), Highest rainfall in 30 years threatens Pakistan’s recovery (Bloomberg $)

CLOUD WARS: Mideast rivalries rise along a new front (New York Times $)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: US to appoint Arctic ambassador in sign of region's growing importance (Axios, Reuters, BBC, The Guardian), US upgrades Arctic engagement with new ambassadorial post (AP), Meet the U.N.'s new climate chief (E&E $), Nations fail to reach deal on UN treaty to protect sea life (AP), Poor countries are suffering the worst climate woes but getting the least help (Truthout)

FOSSIL VOLATILITY: US says had constructive talks with India on Russian oil price cap plan (Reuters)

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Packing a hurricane go bag? Don’t forget your birth control. (E&E News)

GOP vs. ESG: Texas releases list of the big, bad banks that are bullying fossil fuels (Gizmodo), GOP targets powerhouse Wall Street firms over investments meant to fight climate change (The Hill)

CALIFORNIA EV SALES RULES: California sets road map to complete ban on gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035 (Utility Dive), California wants to end sales of new gas cars by 2035. Here are 4 key roadblocks (NPR), California's phasing out of gas-powered cars will require infrastructure changes (NPR), Here are the challenges ahead for California’s ban on gas cars (New York Times $)

EPA: EPA expands PFAS crackdown with Superfund proposal (E&E News, New York Times $, Axios), EPA waives fuel rule in 4 states after Indiana refinery fire (AP)

DOE: Energy secretary calls on US refiners to limit exports ahead of hurricane season (The Hill), DOE announces $425M boost for state clean energy projects (E&E $), DOE awarding $540 million to ramp up clean energy research (The Hill)

DOI: Interior docs show preference to OK major Arctic oil project (E&E $), BLM's top communications official heads for the exit (E&E $)

DOT: Department of Transportation declares regional emergency following BP refinery fire in Indiana (The Hill)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden still weighing climate emergency, top aide says (E&E $), Colo. leaders call on Biden to protect public lands via drilling ban, new monument (HuffPost), FDR built a ‘Great Wall of Trees.’ Could Biden do the same? (E&E News)

HOUSE: Joe Manchin’s regulatory rollback faces new obstacle from House progressives (HuffPost)

POLITICS: In fast-warming Nevada, climate bill may not lift Democrats (Washington Post $), Inflation Reduction Act was made possible thanks to young people (Teen Vogue)

ELECTIONS: Dr. Oz aims to defend the energy industry, which has boosted his nonprofit and Pennsylvania Senate campaign (CNBC), Environmental advocates call Liss-Riordan ad ‘deceptive’ (Boston Globe $), Maine Voices: Youth vote will be critical to our climate response (Portland Press Herald)

TRIBES: ‘We’re dwindling like the salmon’: the Indigenous nations fighting for water rights (The Guardian)

CITIES AND STATES: 30 people died when Ida hit New Jersey a year ago, yet state has not installed emergency flood rules (NJ.com), Public school teachers in New Jersey add climate change to curriculum (NPR), With COP27 approaching, cities like Philadelphia are ‘powerful tools’ for climate adaptation (Inside Climate News), Coal ash near Illinois water wells to stay, despite residents’ concerns (Energy News Network), In Portsmouth, a superfund site pollutes a creek, threatens a neighborhood and defies a quick fix (Inside Climate News), Some cities could be left behind on lead pipe replacements (AP), Texas opens efficiency and demand response docket as NGO pushes for tougher utility targets, lower rewards (Utility Dive), Two MD lawmakers demand answers from environmental regulators.The Hogan administration says they’ll have to wait (Inside Climate News)

• CALIFORNIA: Atmospheric rivers could unleash billions in damages. One part of the Bay Area is especially at risk (San Francisco Chronicle), Some automakers didn't take climate change seriously. California's new gasoline car ban is making them face reality (TIME), Why California's bold electric-vehicle targets are so important for drivers — and the climate (CBS)

IMPACTS: 'Weather whiplash' withers then drowns areas worldwide (E&E $), Flash droughts' and weather 'whiplash.' Welcome to New England’s climate future (WBUR), Friday night fish frys define Wisconsin. What happens when climate change adjusts the menu? (Grist), The greening of the arctic tundra (National Geographic)

HEAT: Climate change is fueling extreme heat. Who's looking out for the most vulnerable Americans? (USA Today), How ‘heat officers’ plan to help cities survive ever-hotter summers (Washington Post $), These US locations saw the most extreme temperatures in the past decade (Washington Post $)

DROUGHT: The world’s rivers, canals and reservoirs are turning to dust (Bloomberg $), As drought persists in northeast, farmers face uncertain future (NPR), Drought is exposing world relics — from dinosaur tracks to nazi ships (Washington Post $), Drought threatens coal plant operations — and electricity — across the west (NPR), Midwest drought adds to pain in grain markets (Wall Street Journal $), Seen from space: Extreme drought dries up rivers across the globe (Climate Home), Swedish island holds ‘ugliest lawn’ contest to help conserve water (Washington Post $), Low water levels disrupt European river cruises, a favorite of US tourists (New York Times $)

WILDFIRES: Wildfire near Spokane prompts mandatory evacuations (AP), Oregon fire quadruples in size; governor declares emergency (AP), Sister of 73-year-old lookout killed in McKinney fire, dozens of others sue utility company (LA Times $), Why suppressing wildfires may be making the western fire crisis worse (NPR)

HURRICANES: How hurricanes wreck baby names (Axios), Hurricane Katrina revisited (ABC), What's missing from hurricane season? Hurricanes (Axios)

WATER: Americans keep moving to where the water isn’t (Vox), Amid drought, Tijuana is paying California for Colorado river water (Voice of San Diego), As the Colorado river recedes, states which rely on it, struggle to curb demand (NPR), Federal report boosts plan to remove 4 dams on Calif river (AP)

BOOZE: Drought forces earliest harvest ever in French wine country (AP)

RENEWABLES: A Utah startup is making a ‘treasure map’ for geothermal energy (Bloomberg $), Lunar Energy enters solar+battery field with $300M investment (Canary Media), What the climate law means for US solar manufacturing (E&E $)

BATTERIES: The trouble with comparing next-gen car batteries (Bloomberg $), Britain bets on futuristic batteries to cut dependence on gas (Bloomberg $), Taking apart an EV battery illustrates why ‘made in America’ will be tough (Wall Street Journal $)

BUILDINGS: Colorado's climate-friendly homes: A model for the nation? (E&E $)

OIL & GAS: Oklahoma natural gas plant explosion still under investigation (KFOR), Pipeline operators agree to plead guilty in Orange County oil spill and pay nearly $13 million (LA Times $, AP)

COAL: West Virginia’s coal dependence drives up consumer electric bills (Wall Street Journal $), Rising waters, sinking feeling: From the Great Lakes to the Ohio River, climate change puts coal ash impoundments at risk (Energy News Network)

NUKES: A decade after Fukushima disaster, foes of nuclear power reconsider (Washington Post $), Western countries breathe new life into old nuclear plants (Wall Street Journal $)

UTILITIES: Calif. utilities: Climate law justifies solar clampdown (E&E $)

EVs: Electric vehicles are essential in limiting global warming. Experts say they need a clean power grid to maximize their potential. (CBS), EV smart charging: a golden opportunity for distribution system operators (Energy Monitor)

ART: New Colorado Springs exhibit explores Indigenous perspectives on ecology, climate change (The Gazette)

DIRECT ACTION: Just Stop Oil: 137 activists arrested during week of protests at terminals (The Independent, The Guardian)

AVIATION: Boeing and Airbus want to get greener. Why aren’t they building new planes? (Wall Street Journal $)

DIRECT AIR CAPTURE: Occidental to start construction on world's largest CO2 trap (E&E $)

THE SCIENCE GUY: Bill Nye shares thoughts on 'painfully' accurate 'don't Look Up' (HuffPost)

SHIPPING: Climate change could bring back wind as the future power source for ocean cargo ships (CNBC)

BOOKS: New book makes argument for addressing climate migration (ABC)

CARS: Soon electric vehicles could charge faster than your iphone (Washington Post $), States, EV groups want flexibility for charger network (E&E $), This new incentive helps pay for your next electric vehicle. Here’s the catch (PBS NewsHour)

FINANCE: Bank of America upgrades First Solar, says Street is underappreciating climate bill benefits (CNBC)

INFRASTRUCTURE: Starwood Energy, TS Conductor launch JV to triple power line capacity, avoid new transmission obstacles (Utility Dive)

PUBLIC LANDS: Rewilding the west with wolves and beavers will curb climate change (Register-Guard)

WILDLIFE: Climate change threatens the survival of iconic saguaro cactus in the Southwest (PBS NewsHour)

INTERNATIONAL: ‘She has no choice’: Liz Truss faces U-turn on energy if she enters No 10, MPs say (The Guardian), Mexico’s president revived dangerous form of coal mining (AP), Public transit for nine bucks a month? Germany tried it. (Vox)

• Your glass of wine may depend on this California winery (Bloomberg, Amanda Little op-ed $)
• Removing friction in climate finance (The Hill, Bruce Usher op-ed)
• Water crisis in the West has forced federal government intervention (The Hill, Carolyn Kissane and Lisa Craig op-ed)
• The sale of a product responsible for bloodshed and fear is still tied to our wildlife (New York Times, Christopher Ketcham op-ed $)
• Congress tries to protect the planet from an overreaching court (Washington Post, E.J. Dionne Jr. column $)
• You want an electric car with a 300-mile range? When was the last time you drove 300 miles? (New York Times, Edward Niedermeyer op-ed $)
• The Colorado river is in crisis. There are no painless solutions. (Washington Post, Washington Post Editorial Board $)
• Women are furious, frightened and voting - on abortion, democracy and climate - equality day (Forbes, Joan Michelson column)
• Successfully fighting climate change requires the support of both parties (The Hill, Former Senator Jeff Bingaman op-ed)
• The future of the American west is in central Oregon (Bloomberg, Francis Wilkinson op-ed $)
• Republicans must come to the table on common-sense climate policy (The Hill, Gary Rappeport op-ed)
• Wind and solar power aren’t enough to combat climate change. We need to incentivize firm renewables, too. (Utility Dive, George Sakellaris op-ed)
• What we lose when California bans gas-powered cars (LA Times, Gustavo Arellano op-ed $)
• The pro-Biden media’s false narrative about green subsidies (Wall Street Journal, Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. op-ed $)
• Trees are the Secret weapon of America's historic climate bill (TIME, Jad Daley op-ed)
• Why the energy transition will fail (Wall Street Journal, James Freeman op-ed $)
• New York is beating Texas in carbon-free electricity, but maybe not for long (Bloomberg, Justin Fox op-ed $)
• The way to slow climate change is as close as your city hall or school board (New York Times, Justin Gillis and Hal Harvey op-ed $)
• Would public ownership of Pacific Gas & Electric reduce the risk of wildfire? (LA Times, Katherine Blunt op-ed $)
• The only electric car worth buying right now is used (Bloomberg, Kyle Stock analysis $)
• Yes! California just banned the sale of new gas cars. This is a big deal (LA Times, Los Angeles Times Editorial Board $)
• Keeping the lights on in Europe will be very hard this winter (Bloomberg, Mark Gilbert op-ed $)
• Here’s how corporations can leverage the Inflation Reduction Act to address climate change (The Hill, Paul Shrivastava op-ed)
• We got fooled again: As big oil and gas cash in, Britons crippled by energy bills (Climate Home, Richard Black op-ed)
• The Inflation Reduction Act is a disappointing act of federal greenwashing (Truthout, Sophie Shepherd op-ed)
• We’re days away from a Diablo Canyon decision. Here’s why one side has a better argument (LA Times, Steve Lopez op-ed $)
• New climate law has bipartisan roots — we need leadership from both parties to realize its potential (The Hill, Tom Carlson op-ed)
• Reliance on fossil fuels contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, climate change (Indianapolis Star, Tom Probasco and Greg Kempf op-ed)
• Net-zero emissions policy bankrupts britain (Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal Editorial Board $)
• Want to fight climate change? Do it yourself. (Newsweek, Ashley Nunes op-ed)
• ‘The US could lose the right to vote within months’: Top official warns on threat to democracy (The Guardian, Jena Griswold interview)

Daily Caller Doesn't Know The Difference Between Natural Gas and Gasoline. Or They Do, And Are Liars. (Or Both!) 

No one should expect the Daily Caller to be accurate, given that its managing editor Michael Bastasch is a career Koch operative who's injecting even more climate disinformation into its stories, but given that he was trained with Koch money, you might expect the outlet to at least know the difference between different types of fossil fuels. 

Because it's one thing for them to be stupid about legal matters they "report" on, like we noticed a couple weeks ago, but now they're showing they don't even know the difference between “natural” (methane) gas, and gasoline. Or maybe they do, and they're just being deliberately misleading. We report, you decide! 

On August 24th, "energy and environment reporter" Jack McEvoy wrote about how "Attorney generals [sic] (AGs) from California, Oregon and Washington are calling for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to stop the expansion of a crucial gas transmission project, arguing that it will violate climate laws; despite the states facing some of the highest gas prices in the country as well as the prospect of blackouts." 

Impressively, McEvoy made a mistake in literally the very first word of the story, because it's actually "attorneys general", not "attorney generals." But that's a tricky one. One that only competent political reporters and editors should be expected to know, and clearly that's asking too much of the Daily Caller.

In the next paragraph, McEvoy again proves that Managing Editor Bastasch, and the rest of the Daily Caller's editors, are just objectively bad at their job, writing that the Attorneys General "filed a motion on Monday asking the FERC to deny the proposed capacity expansion of TC PipeLines’ Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) XPress pipeline project (GTN), according to a press release." 

Apparently no one noticed that McEvoy repeated the "(GTN)" twice, where the second one should be "GTNXP" to describe the company's pipeline, per a GTN spokesperson's comment McEvoy updated the story to include (though the note at the end saying they didn't respond to a request for comment remains.)

Even that isn't the biggest and funniest error though. And to be fair, it's not like we're perfect and never make any typos or other simple mistakes in the copy here. (If you'd like to help make us more perfect though, we're hiring!) 

But immediately after writing about the states objecting to the pipeline, McEvoy notes that "the three western states currently hold some of the highest gas prices in the nation and may be at risk of suffering blackouts." Then, the next paragraph was about the average gasoline prices in California, Oregon and Washington. 

Then McEvoy writes that "The GTN pipeline delivers natural gas from the Rocky Mountains and western Canada to the Pacific Northwest and its expansion would upgrade existing natural gas compressor stations in Oregon, Washington and Idaho…" 

So this is a natural gas pipeline! Which is not gasoline! And isn't used to make gasoline! And has essentially zero bearing on gasoline prices! 

Clearly undeterred by things like facts and reality, the story continues with a statement from TC Energy's spokesperson, who explicitly says that the GTNXP will provide natural gas, illustrated by a photo showing "gasoline fuel prices" in Los Angeles.

Why? Who knows! Maybe McEvoy and the Caller's editorial team genuinely don't know the difference between what the industry calls “natural” gas and gasoline. Never ascribe to malice what can be explained by incompetence, after all, and the multiple other errors in the piece certainly support the theory that they're just stupid and bad at journalism, and not intentionally spreading disinformation.

But obviously lots of people who are dependent on their cars in this auto-centered American society have a visceral reaction to gasoline prices, because it's a regular part of their lives and a potentially significant portion of their budget. Natural gas prices, on the other hand, are not something they "feel" quite so directly, aren't plastered on big signs along roadways, and are paid only through utility bills, so there isn't the same first-hand relationship between prices and feelings and pocketbooks. 

So if you wanted to attack politicians for taking climate action by blocking natural (methane) gas, and rile up your ignorant readers, and you have no particular desire to be accurate because your job isn't to inform but misinform, then it would make total sense to gaslight on gas. 

Which makes it the latest of many reasons why the Daily Caller being included in Facebook's fact-checking program makes it clear the company has zero intention of actually addressing disinformation. 

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