The Environmental and Energy Study Institute will hold a congressional briefing on catalyzing climate action in K-12 schools on Wednesday, September 28, at 3:00 pm.

Frontline Activists Demand Rejection Of Manchin Permitting Side Deal: Black, Indigenous, and people of color from across the country rallied in what is now Washington D.C. on Thursday, demanding Congress and President Biden reject an energy permitting overhaul that would expedite fossil fuel infrastructure, including pipelines like the beleaguered Mountain Valley Pipeline. “For so long … these industries have been placed in BIPOC communities that are too often targeted by these projects. It’s time for them to stop. We can no longer be made sacrifices for oil and gas,” said Roishetta Ozane, an organizer for Healthy Gulf whose Southwest Louisiana home is surrounded by refineries and petrochemical plants. She challenged lawmakers to “breathe the air we breathe. Drink the water we drink. And feel everything we feel in a community where everywhere we look we see industry.” In negotiations to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer promised coal millionaire and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin III he would support the side deal, which would undermine foundational environmental protections under NEPA that are critical for communities to challenge projects that harm them. The changes are "something the Republican Party has wanted for the last five to seven years," Manchin told West Virginia Metro News. The Schumer-Manchin side deal faces stiff opposition from House Democrats, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, but Senate Democratic leadership say they will attach it to an upcoming "must pass" government funding bill. (BIPOC Opposition: Washington Post $; Hill fight: E&E News; Sanders opposition: Bloomberg $, Truthout, The Hill)

Emissions Cut Failures On Pace To Trigger Multiple Climate Tipping Points: The continued failure to sufficiently slash greenhouse gas pollution will set off irreversible "tipping point" events including four — the irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, thawing of permafrost in the high northern hemisphere, and the relatively immediate loss of tropical coral reefs — that could all be set off at just 1.5°C (2.7°F) of warming above pre-industrial levels, according to research published Thursday in Science. The study assessed 16 tipping point events estimated to be set off by up more than 7°C of warming. (See this graphic from The Guardian.) Current policies will heat the Earth by a projected 2.7°C (4.9°F). “When you start tipping over backwards [in a folding chair] you have in that case a very simple kind of feedback on the forces of gravity operating on propelling you backwards until SPLAT,” Tim Lenton, an Earth systems scientist at the University of Exeter and co-author of the paper, analogized to the AP. “Let’s hope we’re not right.” While some tipping points, like permafrost melt, can incite further warning, that warming can still be limited by action to dramatically cut fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas pollution. “The study really underpins why the Paris agreement goal of 1.5°C is so important and must be fought for," lead author David Armstrong McKay, also of the University of Exeter, told The Guardian. “There are grounds for grief, but there are also still grounds for hope. (AP, The Guardian, NPR, The Hill, Reuters, New York Times $, Bloomberg $)

Extreme Temps Linked To Hate Speech Online: Researchers used artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze more than 4 billion geolocated tweets over six years and found that, of the tweets containing hate speech, the critical variable was temperatures outside of a 54°F to 70°F comfort zone, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health. On days with temperatures between 21°F to 27°F, hate tweets increased by 12.5% and on hot days between 108°F and 113°F hate tweets rose by 22%. The findings were consistent across income, including in high-income areas where people can afford air conditioning. The findings mean "hate expressed online could increase under future global warming,” the authors found, and what happens online doesn't stay there. “Being the target of online hate speech is a serious threat to people’s mental health,” co-author Annika Stechemesser said in a statement. “The psychological literature tells us that online hate can aggravate mental health conditions especially for young people and marginalized groups.” (TIME)

NVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE: As heatwave smothers California, not everyone can cool down (Al Jazeera), A $1 billion environmental justice wake-up call in Jackson (Business Insider), The night the greyhounds came (High Country News)

CALIFORNIA BURNING & SWELTERING & BRACING FOR MORE: Mosquito fire rages west of Lake Tahoe, threatening homes and hydropower (LA Times $) Hemet wildfire burns nearly 19,000 acres, growing half the size of San Francisco in one day (LA Times $) In photos: Dozens of large wildfires ravage western US (Axios) The heat wave scorching California may be the worst in its history and now an offshore hurricane threatens to fan already raging wildfires (CNN) (AP) (New York Times $) California fires destroy structures, force residents to flee (AP) (AP) As wildfires grow, millions of homes are being built in harm’s way (New York Times $) US firefighters battling 71 large fires face "critical" conditions (Axios), California asked to conserve energy for even longer on 9th day of Flex Alerts (LA Times $, AP, Reuters) Sweating through the heat wave in California’s hottest county (LA Times $) No September on record in the West has seen a heat wave like this (Washington Post $)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Putin threatens to let Europe ‘freeze’ over winter, raising risk of energy rationing (CNBC), Europe mulls drastic moves to control prices as Russia energy war heats up (Washington Post $, E&E News), The days of energy deregulation are over in Europe (New York Times $), The US can't solve Europe's energy crisis (Axios), Europe’s challenge to survive without Russian gas in five charts (Bloomberg $)

• UK: Liz Truss’s government denies abandoning climate targets despite plan to legalize fracking (The Independent), ‘We will oppose this’: Truss fracking plans met with anger and dismay in Lancashire (The Guardian, BBC), Lifting of fracking ban not miracle solution, minister admits (The Guardian, Reuters, The Guardian, AP, Bloomberg $, Wall Street Journal $, Fox News, CNBC, Washington Examiner), Britain's new oil and gas push no salve for short-term pain (Reuters), UK energy plan puts investors, banks in tough net-zero spot (Reuters)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Africa needs investment to stave off disproportionate climate threats: WMO (Reuters), Pakistani PM: World should ramp up climate change fight (AP)

DENIAL & DISINFO: It wasn’t just oil companies spreading climate denial (The Atlantic), America’s electric utilities spent decades spreading climate misinformation (Grist), The word ‘greenwashing’ is now in the dictionary (Boston Globe $), Big oil companies are spending millions to appear ‘green.’ Their investments tell a different story, report shows (CNN)

• "OFFSETS": Companies are buying large numbers of carbon offsets that don’t cut emissions (Wall Street Journal $)

GOP vs. ESG: BlackRock strikes back at ESG critics (Axios, New York Times $)

AUSTRALIA: Australia enshrines in law 43% greenhouse gas reduction aim (AP, Reuters, Climate Home), Australian carbon credit transactions jump fivefold to record (Bloomberg $)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: The clean hydrogen energy economy was a dream. The climate bill could make it a reality this decade (CNBC), The climate bill finally passed. The climate battle has just begun (Rolling Stone), US solar installs to get 40% boost on climate law, industry says (Bloomberg $)

PAKISTAN: Villagers near Pakistan's largest lake flee homes as 12 more die in floods (Reuters)

AGENCIES: FAA will switch Okla. facility to solar power for $4 million (AP)

DOE: To decarbonize industry, DOE road map focuses on efficiency, electrification and low-carbon fuels (Utility Dive)

DOI: BLM details plans for HQ move (E&E News), US resumes prescribed fires at national forests after review (AP)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden administration aims to make geothermal energy ‘widespread’ (The Hill), Gina McCarthy wants to go out on a ‘high note’ (E&E News)

• CRYPTO: White House calls for action on crypto climate pollution (E&E News, Bloomberg $, CNBC), Here’s how much energy crypto mining gobbles up in the US (The Verge)

THE HILL: Lawmakers eye new spending on Jackson water crisis (E&E News)

POLITICS: Sanders blasts permitting reform as Democrats’ divide grows (E&E News) Sanders leads progressive revolt over Manchin-backed 'side deal' for government funding bill (ABC) DNC weighs Manchin's permitting reform deal (Washington Post $) The civilian climate corps was dropped from the climate bill. Now what? (Washington Post $)

ELECTIONS: Is election denial a big deal? Judging by some obits, not really (Politico)

CITIES AND STATES: ‘This is the future’: rural Virginia pivots from coal to green jobs (The Guardian), Against federal guidance, states plan to expand highways (Grist), Sparking change? Why activists in New York, Maine and elsewhere are pushing for public power. (USA Today), Temperatures across the country are rising. Heat officers might be able to help. (USA Today), California aims to lower fire insurance costs for homeowners (AP), How California officials are trying to keep the lights on (New York Times $)

IMPACTS: Climate change could worsen supply chain turmoil (New York Times $), Climate change is costing Americans as insurance rates headed for a spike (Newsweek), Climate Migration: Kenyan woman loses nearly all to lake (AP), NY to Maine hit by rare drought killing crops, sparking fires (Bloomberg $), World's loneliest tree' could answer climate change questions (BBC) With drought, ‘Spanish Stonehenge’ emerges once again (New York Times $)

EAST KENTUCKY FLOODING: Local activism drives eastern Kentucky flood relief (Prism Reports)

HEAT: Philadelphia hit heat records this summer, due in part to climate change (Philadelphia Inquirer), How Qatar's new cool-tech gear helps workers in extreme heat (TIME), How to keep cool when there’s no power (LA Times $)

• EUROPE: Europe just had its hottest summer on record (Washington Post $, Bloomberg $, CBS), Summer of ’22 brought record heat, solar power to Europe (AP)

SEA LEVEL RISE: Rising seas could swallow millions of US acres within decades (Washington Post $), Rising seas fueled by climate change to swamp $34b in US real estate in just 30 years, analysis finds (USA Today)

WILDFIRES: High winds to pose severe wildfire risk in Pacific Northwest (AP), Why Arctic wildfires are releasing more carbon than ever (Reuters)

HURRICANES: Hurricane Kay lashes Baja, headed very close to Southern California (Yale Climate Connections, AP, New York Times $)

(DE)FORESTATION: How to save a forest by burning it (New York Times $)

SOCIAL COSTS: New study more than triples estimated costs of climate change damages (Yale Climate Connections)

RENEWABLES: Report: Clean energy jobs grow, but wages lag fossil sector (AP), California is finally unlocking community solar for the masses (Canary Media), In Venezuelan oil town, solar-powered car offers escape from fuel lines (Reuters), Supply constraints delaying US solar sector's boom from new climate law -market report (Reuters), This Danish musician powered his outdoor concerts with batteries and wind (TIME)

"RENEWABLES": How US ethanol plants are allowed to pollute more than oil refineries (Reuters)

BUILDINGS: Heat pump vs. furnace: Which heat source is right for your home? (CNET)

LNG: Greenpeace blocks unloading of Russian LNG at Swedish port (Reuters)

METHANE: Mexico’s oil company acknowledges releasing methane plume (AP)

OIL & GAS: Oil company pleads guilty in Southern California spill (AP), These remote Australian islands could determine the future of offshore drilling (Wall Street Journal $)

COAL: Global coal-fired power generation falls as prices soar and China slows (Wall Street Journal $, Inside Climate News), China to add more coal plants than thought to ease energy crunch (Bloomberg $)

HYDROGEN: Green hydrogen needs policy push to reach required scale -report (Reuters)

UTILITIES: D.C. Circuit weighs dispute that could limit PURPA’s reach (E&E News), [National] Grid natural gas customers may see 29% hike in bills this winter (Newsday), US power sector emissions rose 7% in 2021 amid economic recovery, reversing pandemic-led drop: Ceres (Utility Dive)

GRID: How power grids can be more resilient to climate change’s effects (Marketplace)

EVs: Why you should buy an e-bike instead of an electric vehicle (Outside), EVs aren't straining the electric grid — and they just might save it (Axios), Cheaper electric vehicles coming despite high battery costs (AP), GM courts mainstream buyers with $30,000 electric Chevy Equinox (Wall Street Journal $, Bloomberg $), Is California jump-starting the electric vehicle revolution? (New York Times $), Jeep unveils its 1st electric SUVs for North America, Europe (AP), Rivian, Mercedes to partner on electric-van factory (Wall Street Journal $), Tesla deliveries from China factory jump, but BYD races ahead in country (Wall Street Journal $)

RICH BOYS AND THEIR TOYS: The climate cost of space tourism (Yale Climate Connections)

AVIATION: United Airlines investing millions in electric air taxis (The Hill)

AGRICULTURE: FarmVille for agrivoltaics? Illinois team aims to teach solar concept with game (Energy News Network)

BUSINESS: Why clean energy’s corporate patrons are buying less this year (Bloomberg $)

CARBON CAPTURE: Can New Mexico build world’s largest coal CCS project? (E&E News), Why so many LNG terminals are adopting carbon capture (E&E News)

DAC: New law helps US firm launch Wyoming direct air carbon capture project (Reuters)

IN MEMORIAM: Bernard Shaw, legendary CNN anchor and pioneering Black journalist, dies at 82 (NewsOne, Black Wall Street Times, CNN, AP, MarketWatch, NPR, New York Times $)

INTERNATIONAL: Portugal approves energy-saving plan, may beat EU target (Reuters) UN chief asks world to ‘massively’ help flood-hit Pakistan (AP) 

• Detroit’s water affordability plan is a good start, but more is needed4 min read (Planet Detroit, Amy Schulz op-ed)
• Droughts don’t have to be this painful (Bloomberg, Bloomberg Editorial Board $)
• What Antarctica's disintegration asks of us (New York Times, Elizabeth Rush op-ed $)
• The coming global crisis of climate policy (Wall Street Journal, Joseph C. Sternberg op-ed $)
• California is finally confronting the fossil fuel industry (New Republic, Kate Aronoff analysis)
• Mourn the queen, not her empire (New York Times, Maya Jasanoff op-ed $)
• As our state melts and burns, Murkowski is gung-ho on fossil fuels (Anchorage Daily News, Zachary Brown op-ed)
• To boost clean energy, incentivize innovation in existing natural gas infrastructure (Utility Dive, Dave Schryver op-ed)
• China’s heat wave was a frightening vision of Earth’s future (New York Times, Matthew Bossons op-ed $) 

Greenwashing is Officially in the Dictionary as 12% of Big Oil Investment Goes To Green Tech, While 60% of Ads Greenwash

If you looked up "greenwashing" in the dictionary, you'd find a picture of Big Oil ads claiming their environmentally destructive company is actually a green hero. 

Okay, not really, but at least as of this week, Merriam Webster has added "greenwashing," defining it as "the act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is." 

For a slightly more robust look at the concept, there's a new report from InfluenceMap comparing the public messaging, business operations, and policy engagement of the big 5 "supermajor" oil companies of BP, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies.   

They estimate the companies spend some $750 million a year on advertisements and other climate-related communications like social media posts. And across some 3,421 pieces of public communications from the five companies in 2021, 60% contained a green claim, but only 23% talked about oil and gas.

On the business side, we see the opposite: Just 12% of the 5 companies' capital expenditure is forecast to go into low-carbon investments. None of the companies are on track to meet the IEA's net zero by 2050 recommendations, and none are in line with the Paris Agreement goals. 

Faye Holder, program manager at InfluenceMap, told The Guardian, “Essentially, we found that big oil is spending millions of dollars on this green PR, and it is a really systematic campaign to portray themselves as pro-climate. But at the same time, they are still lobbying to lock in fossil fuels and investing in a really unsustainable energy future with high levels of oil and gas, and very low spend on low-carbon activities.”

The industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars telling the public that it's green, while tossing peanuts to their actual green business ventures. And while that isn't the official definition of "greenwashing", it's certainly a clear example of it!

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