FIRST LOOK(s): 

Over a million Puerto Ricans remain without electricity following Hurricane Fiona. For a timely conversation, join a Twitter space — hosted by Climate Nexus and the Energy Democracy Project — for Reflections on Hurricanes Maria + Harvey & the Road to Recovery. TODAY at 1:00 pm ET.

Casa Pueblo is a community self-management project committed to appreciating and protecting natural, cultural, and human resources based in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. Please join Climate Nexus staff in supporting their work and mission. 

Please join Climate Nexus staff in supporting the Western Alaska Recovery Fund, providing frontline support to families in the communities hit by the recent typhoon.

Millions Without Water, Electricity In Fiona's Wake: Hurricane Fiona's destruction across the Caribbean continues to mount as the now-Category 3 hurricane barrels toward the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas after pummeling the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Outlets reported deaths across the region, including in the French territory of Guadeloupe, with the full toll still unknown. On the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria's landfall, About 85% of Puerto Rican customers were without electricity Tuesday morning, and more than 837,000 customers of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority were without running water. In the Dominican Republic, more than 1 million people had no access to running water. (Track, deaths, general coverage: AP, Washington Post $, New York Times $, Yale Climate Connections, Washington Post $; Puerto Rico electricity: El Dia Nueva (es), NPR, Utility Dive, Gizmodo, Black Wall Street Times; Puerto Rico water: NPR, El Dia Nueva (es); Dominican Republic water: CNN; Maria Anniversary: New York Times $, Gizmodo; Climate Signals background: Hurricanes, Hurricane Maria) [More coverage below. — Ed.]

DOI Says IRA Trumps NEPA On Gulf Drilling: The Interior Department said in a court filing on Friday NEPA requirements do not apply to reinstated oil and gas leases across 1.7 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico because they were supplanted by the Inflation Reduction Act. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said the IRA's 30-day deadline to reinstate Lease Sale 257 made compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act "inconceivable" and requested that the court drop litigation challenging the lease sale. (E&E News)

Massive, Public Fossil Fuels Database Released: Burning the known fossil fuels still underground would produce more greenhouse gas pollution than has been produced since the beginning of the industrial revolution, a new, first-of-its-kind, public database of global fossil fuel reserves shows. The Global Registry of Fossil Fuels, released Monday by Carbon Tracker and Global Energy Monitor, accounts for 75% of global oil, gas, and coal reserves, extraction, and emissions across 50,000 fields in 89 countries. While much, if not all, of the information is available through various means, its aggregation and precision in one, free, publicly available location is novel. The database will also enable civil society groups to hold governments accountable for permitting decisions. “Countries like to talk about emissions, they don’t want to talk about fossil fuels,” said Mark Campanale, founder of Carbon Tracker Initiative. “Emissions are from the use of fossil fuels and you can’t do anything about emissions until you’ve actually come to a conclusion about what you’re going to do about fossil fuels." (The Guardian, AP, Al Jazeera)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: Locked Up: The prison labor that built business empires (AP), "Qualified immunity" saves another cop (who killed a Black person) from accountability (The Root), Racists bused Black mothers with many children to Cape Cod decades ago. Sound familiar? (The Grio)

• JACKSON WATER CRISIS: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves makes fun of Jackson as water crisis continues (The Root), Lawsuit seeks repairs to troubled Mississippi water system (AP, E&E $)

HURRICANE FIONA: Fiona dumps more rain on Puerto Rico; troops rescue hundreds (AP, CBS, ABC, NBC), Fiona slams Dominican Republic after pounding Puerto Rico (AP, Al Jazeera, Reuters, BBC), Hurricane Fiona to be season's first major hurricane in Atlantic (Axios, NBC), What made Hurricane Fiona so dangerous in Puerto Rico (Vox), Where Fiona goes from here as it keeps getting stronger (CNN)

• PUERTO RICAN GRID: Even before Fiona, Puerto Rico’s power grid was poised for failure (Washington Post $), Three reasons Puerto Rico is in the dark (New York Times $), Puerto Rico faces 'man-made disaster' in Fiona's wake (E&E $)
• PHOTOS/VIDEO: See the destruction left in Hurricane Fiona's wake (New York Times $), Puerto Rico bridge built in the wake of Hurricane Maria is swept away by Fiona floodwaters (NBC)
• HELP: How to help people in Puerto Rico recover from hurricane fiona (NPR)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Europe races to prepare for energy crunch this winter (Reuters), Russia's attempt to use energy to pressure Europe could backfire (NPR), Energy crisis sparks air pollution fears (Politico Pro $), Nuclear plant leak pressures German government to decide extension (AP), Energy crisis key to Italy’s election — but not conservation (AP), Ukraine war thrusts German climate action into spotlight (AP)

FLOOD. RETREAT. REPEAT: Torn apart: In Houston, a generations-deep community is being dismantled by mandatory buyouts (Grist)

VANESSA: ‘Africa is on the frontlines but not the front pages’: Vanessa Nakate on her climate fight (The Guardian)

UNGA/CLIMATE WEEK: From aid double standards to the climate emergency: What we’re watching at the UNGA (The New Humanitarian), Vulnerable countries demand global tax to pay for climate-led loss and damage (The Guardian), Climate week opens in New York as world leaders gather for UN General Assembly (Democracy Now), Poet Amanda Gorman, K-pop's Blackpink push global goals at U.N. (Reuters)

COP27: Egypt's environmental defenders need solidarity (Atmos), 

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Who gets to use gas? (New York Times $), EU plans to upgrade its Paris Agreement climate target - document (Reuters)

• EU FINANCE: ECB to buy fewer bonds from polluting companies (Reuters, AP), Environment groups attack EU’s green label for gas, nuclear (AP, Reuters)

ALL THE CRISES: Russia war, virus and climate hurting world’s poorest (AP)

EACOP: European Parliament condemns east Africa pipeline, putting pressure on banks to abandon project (Yale Environment 360)

PRIVATE EQUITY: Movement to defund fossil fuels is coming for the private equity industry (CBS)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: Judge tosses Virginia 'kids climate' lawsuit (E&E $)

GOP vs. ESG: Another culture war front: are companies too ‘woke’ when it comes to climate? (New York Times $)

ALTERED FUTURES: ‘Too afraid to have kids’ – how BirthStrike for Climate lost control of its political message (The Conversation)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Billions in climate deal funding could help protect US coastal cities (New York Times $), Climate law may spur higher methane fees than estimated (E&E $)

• SIDE DEALS: Permitting overhaul in peril as funding deadline looms (E&E News), Revenge? Republicans weigh tanking Manchin's permitting plan (Politico), Tensions rise amid frustration over mystery Manchin deal (The Hill)

UNELECTED MONARCHY: Queen's death shines spotlight on wrongs suffered by indigenous people (Reuters)

AGENCIES: DOE, EPA back deal to boost EVs, decarbonize transportation (E&E $)

EPA: EPA fights back over 'forever chemicals' lawsuit (E&E $), 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: ‘There’s so much to do’: Greens want more rules, faster (E&E News), GAO: Government must boost climate resilience (E&E $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden's big bet on electric cars. As confusion reigns, will Inflation Reduction Act pay off? (Houston Chronicle)

HOUSE: Panel to review climate limits on fossil fuel development (E&E $), Bedbugs, sh*t shows and algae hype: 5 reveals from Big Oil emails (Climate Home), Alaska Democrat’s arrival signals change in fisheries debate (E&E News)

SENATE: Manchin sets hearing on energy storage innovations (E&E $)

CITIES AND STATES: [Delaware River basin] fracking ban still in effect as appeals court axes challenge (E&E $), Climate policies threatened as GOP fortunes rise in Oregon (E&E $), Fla. insurance crisis deepens as rates soar, companies fall (E&E News), New York public library honors Toni Morrison's work during banned books week (Ebony), Ohio county looks to microgrids to attract and retain business by boosting resilience (Energy News Network)

• CALIFORNIA: Calif. heeds ‘wake-up call’ and enacts spate of climate laws (E&E News), California has provided incentives for methane capture at dairies, but the program may have ‘unintended consequences’ (Inside Climate News)

IMPACTS: In the Pacific Northwest, salmon declines upend a way of life (Statesman-Journal), Climate change threatens up to 100% of trees in Australian cities, and most urban species worldwide (The Conversation), Millions are displaced each year by climate change. José Andrés, Leon Panetta and others are teaming up to try to help (CBS), New Orleans group helps families feed infants during weather emergencies (Yale Climate Connections), Stronger & wetter: Michael Mann on how climate change makes storms worse & why we must cut emissions (Democracy Now), Nigeria battles worst floods in years; 300 killed in 2022 (AP), Three massive storms slam U.S. and Japan, each with climate change ties (Axios), Historic and disastrous storms hit opposite corners of North America (Washington Post $), Damage assessments begin in flooded remote Alaska villages (AP), Typhoon Nanmadol slams into Japan, killing at least two (Washington Post $, AP), The u.s. safety net was built for cold winters. hot summers threaten it. (Washington Post $)

HEAT: How muggy is it? Check the dew point! (NPR)

DROUGHT: 1,000-year-old stalagmites from a cave in India show the monsoon isn’t so reliable – their rings reveal a history of long, deadly droughts (The Conversation), Rhine water above crisis levels in Germany, approaching normal depths (Reuters), Western reservoirs could run dry in 3 years, top official warns (E&E News)

WILDFIRES: The East Coast will not escape fire (The Atlantic), Rain helps increase containment of huge California wildfire (AP)

HURRICANES: A guide to the types of advisories issued during hurricane season (NPR)

RENEWABLES: A 19th-century discovery may power the future of solar (E&E $), Mercedes-Benz to build wind farm in northwestern Germany, examining solar options (Reuters)

BATTERIES: Why the rush to mine lithium could dry up the high Andes (Yale Environment 360)

OIL & GAS: Australia's Origin Energy quits shale gas exploration (Reuters), Private oil drillers are hitting their limits (Wall Street Journal $)

NUKES: Central WA is eyeing nuclear power again — but on a smaller scale (Crosscut)

HYDROGEN: Midwestern partnership backs hydrogen as clean energy source (AP, Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: Why does Duke Energy’s carbon plan shortchange solar? (Canary Media), FirstEnergy CEO Strah retires suddenly as the company eyes asset sales (Utility Dive)

EVs: China’s EV startups suffer widening losses despite sales boom (Wall Street Journal $), Electric vehicle ‘range wars’ could boost V2G potential, say Rivian and other automakers (Utility Dive), Why EVs won’t break the grid (E&E News)

MINING: Mining giant Fortescue to spend billions in bid to eliminate fossil fuels by 2030 (Wall Street Journal $)

DUST TO HUMUS: Human composting offers green alternative to burial and cremation (NBC), California’s dead will have a new burial option: Human composting (LA Times $)

AVIATION: Electric planes are coming: Short-hop regional flights could be running on batteries in a few years (The Conversation)

PHILANTHROPY: “Don’t Look Up” director McKay gives to climate activists (AP)

FOOD: Is insect protein a climate solution? (Canary Media)

BOOKS: These climate actions make the biggest difference, book says (Washington Post $)

BUSINESSES: Uber has a new tool to help companies clean up their transportation carbon footprint (Protocol)

CARBON CAPTURE: Climate law spurs CCS at new West Virginia gas plant (E&E News)

WILDLIFE: Scientists have calculated how many ants are on earth. The number is so big it’s ‘unimaginable.’ (Washington Post $)

INTERNATIONAL: ‘Near persistent’ natural disasters placing intense pressure on Australian defence force (The Guardian), Cyprus, Israel pledge quick deal in gas field dispute (AP), Labor urged to axe $1.9bn in ‘zombie’ fossil fuel subsidies promised by the Coalition (The Guardian), New Zealand central bank governor says they are working with other banks to understand climate change (Reuters)

• Australia is pushing to host a COP meeting – if successful it would be forced to ramp up climate action (The Guardian, Adam Morton op-ed)
• Beyond Meat is beyond hope (Wall Street Journal, Andrew Boucher op-ed $)
• The federal building electrification cavalry is here: It’s time for American cities and states to act (The Hill, Ben Furnas and Luis Aguirre-Torres op-ed)
• Environmental racism from Jackson to Flint (The Real News, Vangela Wade interview)
• Progressive Dems, environmentalists are about to blow Biden's progress on climate change (Houston Chronicle, Chris Tomlinson column)
• Germany energy transition needs faster CO2 cuts from autos, industry: Maguire (Reuters, Gavin Maguire column)
• From migrant busing to climate change, fake virtue abounds (Wall Street Journal, Gerard Baker op-ed $)
• Does climate action need a king? (Environmental Health News, Peter Dykstra column)
• What’s needed to Make It In America? Public-private partnerships that cultivate a highly skilled workforce (The Hill, Rep. Steny Hoyer and Randy Altschuler op-ed)
• How clean energy kept California’s lights on during a historically extreme heat wave (Forbes, Silvio Marcacci op-ed)
• Busing migrants to sanctuary cities looks a lot like human trafficking (The Hill, Tom Mockaitis op-ed)
• Where’s the permitting bill, Senator Manchin? (Wall Street Journal, Editorial Board $)

'Freedom of Movement' Catching On As The Latest Euphemism For Polluting Cars And Drunk Drivers

In May of this year, when Koch-y disinfo spreaders were fearmongering about the government supposedly mandating a "kill switch" in new cars, we noticed that one was using a new phrase, "freedom of movement." Appropriated from the real world where the phrase describes the right to enter or exit a country, Koch-sponsored, University of Kansas assistant teaching professor Levi Russell used it as a political tool to attack President Biden and the general need for electric vehicles by suggesting that they're really a conspiracy to enable DC elite to control your driving. 

Despite the total debunking of the "kill switch" lie, premised on technology to save lives from drunk drivers, Russell stuck with the approach. In late August he published another RealClearEnergy piece attacking electric vehicles and then reiterating his propaganda that "the ultimate goal of the so-called 'transition' to EVs is to eliminate our freedom of movement."

Similarly, in response to the California decision to move towards electric vehicles and eventually stop selling new gasoline-powered cars, Fox's Laura Ingraham called it an attack on "the freedom of the open road, our freedom to travel as far as we want, whenever we want… a clear assault on its residents' basic freedom of movement." 

Pretty ironic, coming from rabidly anti-immigrant, "Build The Wall" Fox News — especially in light of the GOP's efforts to aid states trying to criminalize interstate travel for medical care — , to be suddenly championing the right of people "to travel as far as we want, whenever we want!"

And then there was Katie Pavlich's oped in The Hill, where, like Russell, she ran through the litany of bad faith criticisms of EVs before concluding the "push for electric vehicles isn’t about saving or cleaning up the environment for future generations, it’s about controlling how people travel and their freedom of movement." 

But without the "kill switch" concept, these pieces are really stretching to fearmonger about Democratic dreams of somehow controlling everyone's cars like playing Hot Wheels. 

EVs — the argument goes — are simultaneously not going to be powerful enough for long trips, despite significant public and private investments in charging stations, but also vulnerable to a faceless government bureaucrat surveilling your movement (which your phone does already anyway) and shutting down your road trip even though you wouldn't be able to charge up anyway, because a renewable-powered and fossil-free grid won't be able to supply enough electricity. 

Or something. 

And this is the problem conspiracists run into. EVs are supposedly both somehow advanced secret surveillance tools of the Democratic deep state, and not advanced enough to actually work, meaning people will continue to use old gas-powered cars anyway instead of buying new EVs, rendering the monitoring scheme ineffective. 

But hey, as long as you have a whole pseudo-media ecosystem to broadcast your EV disinfo, from RealClear to Fox News, it doesn't matter how stupid it is, your propaganda will have plenty of "freedom of movement."

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