FIRST LOOK: 

The Climate Adaptation Forum will host an event on the negative impacts of climate change on the U.S. housing market, potential opportunities, and the need for affordable, climate-resilient housing. September 30, at 9:00 am ET.

Solar Keeps Some Lights On In Puerto Rico: Hurricane Fiona, now a Category 4 storm and the first Major Hurricane of the 2022 Altantic season, continues to churn across the Caribbean as those in its wake confront the destruction. The storm lashed Turks and Caicos Tuesday, but as of Tuesday evening no major damage had been reported other than outages in the islands' telecommunications. At least two people have been reported killed in the Dominican Republic, and more than 1.15 million households were without potable water and more than 700,000 were without electricity Monday evening. In Puerto Rico, at least four people have been reported dead and more than 75% of electricity customers were without power Wednesday morning. A growing number of individuals across the disenfranchised colonial territory, however, have electricity thanks to privately installed solar systems. Arturo Massol-Deyá, of Adjuntas, told Inside Climate News his solar panels and battery backup system emerged unscathed and even kept running as the storm hit. “Personally, me and my family, we’re good,” Eddie Ramirez, who installed solar panels and battery storage at his San Juan bed and breakfast in 2013, told ICN. “Puerto Rico, I can say, is not.” Anger is growing over the repeated failure of Luma, the island's private electrical utility, to prevent widespread blackouts as climate change makes major rain-dumping hurricanes like Fiona and Maria more likely. “It is an old system and it’s undermaintained. In [the] five years [since Hurricane Maria], there has been no significant investment to speak of,” Tom Sanzillo, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, told E&E News. Julio López Varona, of the Center for Popular Democracy, essentially agreed. “The sad part is that we knew a lot of this would happen,” he told Politico Pro. New York Attorney General Letitia James, called for a federal investigation of Luma's failures in light of the billions of dollars it has received in aid. Hurricane Fiona is forecast to hit Bermuda early Friday morning and Canada's maritime provinces over the weekend. (AP, CNN; Turks and Caicos: (AP, Washington Post $, Yale Climate Connections; Dominican Republic: AP, Washington Post $; Puerto Rico: Washington Post $, AP, Gizmodo, Washington Post $; Puerto Rico solar: Inside Climate News, Canary Media, Canary Media (es), TIME; Puerto Rico grid: E&E News, Politico Pro $; NY AG: Bloomberg $, Politico Pro $; Projected path: Weather Channel; PHOTOS: Washington Post $) [More coverage below. — Ed.]

Senate Set To Ratify Kigali Amendment On HFCs: A measure ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on hydrofluorocarbons passed a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday, clearing the way for final passage as soon as today. The international treaty (requiring two-thirds of the Senate for ratification) sets the parameters for phasing down the use of this extremely potent class of greenhouse gases, also known as HFCs, which are used in refrigerators and air conditioners. The treaty's requirement of cutting HFC use by 85% over 15 years could prevent one-half degree Celsius of warming by 2100. A majority of Republicans voted against the measure, which Democrats argue will strengthen American companies' standing in both domestic and export markets. (E&E News, NPR, Politico Pro $, Washington Post $)

Guterres Calls For Windfall Taxes On Fossil Fuel Industry: Polluting energy companies must be taxed on windfall profits to offset the damage caused by climate change and rising prices, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the UN General Assembly Tuesday. The fossil fuel industry is "feasting on hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and windfall profits while household budgets shrink and our planet burns,” Guterres said. "It is high time to put fossil fuel producers, investors and enablers on notice. Polluters must pay." Amid growing geopolitical division, Guterres cast the industry primarily responsible for climate change as a common enemy and urged wealthy nations to direct windfall tax revenues to “countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis." President Biden will not attend a roundtable conversation today, hosted by Guterres and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. (Guterres: AP, The Guardian, CNN, Climate Home, CNBC, OilPrice; Biden: Bloomberg $)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: Abortion restrictions worsen with climate change (Prism Reports), Nearly 25% of Flint may have depression or PTSD after water crisis (Black Wall Street Times, The Hill), Bexar County sheriff launches investigation into Florida flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard (Texas Tribune, The Guardian, Politico, NPR, CNN, NBC, Axios, Black Wall Street Times), Migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard have filed a lawsuit against Gov. DeSantis (NPR, The Guardian, Politico, The Hill, Axios, NBC)

• JACKSON WATER CRISIS: Jackson water crisis spurs calls to bring the federal hammer down on Mississippi (Politico)

PAKISTAN: Pakistan flood-borne diseases could get 'out of control' as deaths rise (Reuters), Angelina Jolie to visit flood-ravaged Pakistan as government warns of humanitarian disaster (CNN, AP)

ALASKA: Damage assessments begin in flooded remote Alaska villages (AP)

PUERTO RICO: How a Category 1 hurricane did so much damage in Puerto Rico (Vox), Hurricane fiona threatens Puerto Rico’s fragile recovery (Grist), Five years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans face the nightmare all over again (Gizmodo), Rep. Jennifer González-Colón on Puerto Rico's fiona damage, 5 years after Maria (NPR)

• MAINLAND RESPONSE: Democrats urge more assistance for Puerto Rico as most remain without power (Forbes), New York scrambles to send aid to Caribbean battered by hurricane Fiona (New York Times $), White House surges aid to hurricane-hit Puerto Rico on a haunting five-year anniversary (CNN), FEMA leader, hundreds of staffers head to Puerto Rico (E&E $)

UNGA & CLIMATE WEEK: World leaders gather at UN General Assembly (CNN, Democracy Now), UN chief, speaking to leaders, doesn’t mince words (AP analysis), Al Gore calls the world bank chief a ‘climate denier.’ (New York Times $), If you give a crown prince a cricket cookie ... (AP), Marshall Islands head: We must tame ‘climate change monster’ (AP), Philippines leader: Rich countries have put poorest at risk (AP)

• NORWAY: Norway’s $1.2 trillion investment fund sets 2050 climate target (New York Times $, FT $, Reuters, CNN), Norway's oil fund tells Republicans to leave ESG alone (E&E $)
• DENMARK: Denmark becomes first UN member to pay for ‘loss and damage’ from climate change (Washington Post $, Reuters, Politico Pro $, Climate Home)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Britain blames Brussels for driving up UK energy bills in explosive new Brexit row (Politico Pro $), EU countries want option to claw back coal plants' revenues - draft (Reuters), EU willing to pay up for Russian diesel ahead of ban (OilPrice), Russia weaponisation of gas spurs clean energy push to secure supply (FT $), How a looming oil ban could devastate a small Italian city (New York Times $)

• NATIONALIZATION: Germany nationalizes country’s biggest gas importer Uniper (AP, Reuters, OilPrice), France prepares to nationalize its struggling nuclear industry (OilPrice)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: US could dodge EU carbon border levy, bloc's climate chief says (Reuters)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: Judge rebuffs Shell's effort to scrap climate lawsuit (E&E $)

FEDERATED HERMES: Under-fire US fund manager pulls controversial sponsorship of climate sceptics (FT $)

MEDIA: Climate publisher Grist elevates its EIC to CEO as it eyes expansion (AdWeek), Time launches platform to help companies tackle climate change (Axios)

WORKERS: Support urged for oil and gas workers wanting green reskilling (FT $), This 'draft' aims to turn tech workers into climate warriors (Protocol), Why a good climate plan can be a recruiting tactic (Protocol)

CARBON BUDGETS: US fossil reserves could torch global climate targets (E&E $)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: GOP fumes over climate law. Is there a will for repeal? (E&E News)

• SIDE DEALS: Manchin vows permitting bill text tomorrow; GOP shrugs (E&E News), Manchin rails against ‘revenge politics’ on permit plan (AP, Wall Street Journal $, Bloomberg $, The Hill), US Senator Manchin to unveil energy permitting measure on Wednesday (Reuters)

AGENCIES: Biden administration picks former Chicago, DC transportation leader to head EV charging program (CNN, E&E $), DOE, federal agencies to draft plan for slashing transportation carbon emissions (Utility Dive)

EPA: Regan meets with progressive Democrats on Capitol Hill (E&E $)

DOE: Biden admin to fund community education on nuclear waste (Reuters), DOE falling short on oversight of advanced nuclear — report (E&E News), Who's in Granholm's agenda-setting 'AM Huddle' (E&E $)

DOI: Interior agencies must improve body camera policies — audit (E&E $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden urges Congress to limit 'dark money' in politics (E&E $)

THE HILL: Climate bill’s passage could spark Hill staff exodus (E&E News), Va. lawmakers push pipeline bill amid Mountain Valley drama (E&E $)

HOUSE: Oil companies still misleading the public to keep polluting, document dump reveals (EcoWatch)

SENATE: Senators push bipartisan framework to expand Russian oil sanctions (Politico Pro $)

ELECTIONS: Drought in Western US heats up as a Senate campaign issue (AP)

NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Senate advances D.C. Circuit nominee, eyes science pick (E&E $), Panel scraps vote for EPA air chief 3 days after announcing it (E&E $)

TRIBES: Navajo Nation’s largest school district gets first electric buses (KTAR), The new Black Hills gold rush (Atmos)

CITIES AND STATES: Enviros push for federal action on Denver smog plan (E&E $), How an effort to reduce fossil fuel use led to another environmental problem: light pollution (LA Times $), In a New Orleans ward ravaged by climate change, leaders nurture the next generation (Washington Post $)

• CALIFORNIA: California could ban new gas heaters after 2030. The goal: healthier air (Canary Media) 

FERC: Republican AGs blast FERC transmission planning proposal, citing ‘major questions doctrine’ (Utility Dive)

COMPOUND IMPACTS: Rain quiets Mosquito Fire in Northern California but adds risk of flash flooding (Sacramento Bee $, New York Times $, CBS, CBS)

FLOOD. RETREAT. REPEAT: Higher ground (Grist)

DROUGHT: Rare September rains bring respite to drought-stricken inland California (Washington Post $)

WILDFIRES: How Indigenous knowledge reconnects us all to fire (Yes Magazine)

HURRICANES: How climate change is fueling hurricanes (Reuters, explainer), Tracking the path of Tropical Storm Gaston (Washington Post $, New York Times $)

(DE)FORESTATION: Deforestation is accelerating in Brazil as Bolsonaro’s first term ends, experts say (CNN), Community forest project brings together people who have been excluded from environmentalism (Yale Climate Connections)

BOOZE: Droughts, heat and fire: the future of wine in the climate crisis (The Guardian)

RENEWABLES: Advocates say new mining claim near Mogollon threatens ecosystem and sacred sites (New Mexico Political Report), Global climate goals threatened by lack of clean tech collaboration – IEA (Reuters), Home solar firm Sunnova Energy pushes into commercial sector (Bloomberg $), How sunlight could turn seawater into freshwater for coastal communities (CNN), Schools are harnessing solar power in record numbers (Grist) 

"RENEWABLES": Just two development companies drive one of California’s most controversial climate programs: manure digesters (Inside Climate News)

BATTERIES: How a Quebec lithium mine may help make electric cars affordable (New York Times $), Tesla megapack battery caught fire at PG&E substation in California (CNBC, Bloomberg $)

STORAGE: Texas drives record growth in US energy storage market in Q2, despite challenges: report (Utility Dive)

OIL & GAS: Gas, a ‘bridge fuel,’ dominates US power at any price (E&E News), US refiners may soon purchase more Canadian crude (OilPrice), World’s fossil fuel reserves hold 3.5 trillion tons of potential greenhouse gases (Democracy Now), Oil leak from ship off Gibraltar affects fishing, beaches (AP)

PLASTICS: Plastics recycling plan draws warning to lawmakers (E&E $)

COAL: Coal rush! Energy crisis fires global hunt for polluting fuel (Reuters), How Puerto Rico’s banned coal ash winds up in rural Georgia (Energy News Network)

HYDROGEN: ‘World-first’ hydrogen project raises questions about its role in fuelling future homes (The Guardian)

UTILITIES: How human rights and immigration advocates are challenging discriminatory utility policies in the South (Prism Reports), SoCalGas, SDG&E outline plan for hydrogen blending demonstration projects in California (Utility Dive)

GRID: Blackstone preps $6 billion for Canada-to-NYC power line (Bloomberg $), How playing whack-a-mole with dirty power can help the world reach net zero (Bloomberg $)

EVs: Hertz to order up tO 175K GM electric vehicles over 5 years (AP), Hertz to buy up to 175,000 EVs from GM (Wall Street Journal $)

AGRICULTURE: As war, drought hit global crops, Argentina gambles on GM wheat (Reuters), Experts call for overhaul of aviation industry’s response to climate change (The Hill), Farm and food investors face $150 billion loss on climate change, report says (Reuters), In Oregon, farmers are revamping century-old irrigation canals to stem water loss (Grist)

PHILANTHROPY: Two ways to think about Patagonia’s $3 billion climate donation (Grist)

BOOKS & FILM: 'What We Owe the Future' by William MacAskill — our obligation to the unborn billions (FT $), 'The Ants and the Grasshopper' review – from Malawi to the US to fight climate crisis (The Guardian)

DUST TO HUMUS: Human composting now legal in California (Gizmodo)

BUSINESSES: Amazon-backed firm to help power its trucking fleet with electrofuels (Reuters)

CARBON PRICING: Carbon credits face scrutiny as a corporate path to ‘net zero’ (FT $)

CARBON REMOVAL: Global emissions targets spell growth for CO2 tech sector (E&E News)

FINANCE: ‘Green’ funds warned of hazardous grey areas (FT $), ESG activists see executive pay as tool for raising standards (FT $)

INTERNATIONAL: ‘Massive missed opportunity’: NSW could make $23bn with tiered tax on record coal profits (The Guardian), Dutch climate policies not enough to meet 2030 goals, policy adviser says (Reuters)

• As world leaders gather for climate week, they are running out of time (The Hill, Angela Churie Kallhauge op-ed)
• ‘Magic numbers’ are clouding the climate debate (FT, Anjana Ahuja op-ed $)
• Después de María, el sol nos trajo la luz de vuelta (El Nuevo Dia (es), Arturo Massol Deyá op-ed)
• I write from Puerto Rico. Here’s how we kept power on during Hurricane Maria, and Fiona (Houston Chronicle, Arturo Massol-Deyá op-ed)
• The gas industry is trying to sway critical NY climate policy. Here's why (Rockland/Westchester Journal News, Anshul Gupta op-ed)
• We’re losing the luxury of a summer spent outdoors (New York Times, Emma Pattee commentary $)
• Are there better places to put large solar farms than these forests? (New York Times, Gabriel Popkin op-ed $)
• The big fix: seven ways 'climate citizens' can help reach America’s climate goals (Forbes, Hal Harvey and Justin Gillis op-ed)
• You can be a powerful catalyst for climate action — you just need to know where to look                Don't miss out (Energy News Network, Hal Harvey and Justin Gillis op-ed)
• Patagonia’s radical business move is great – but governments, not billionaires, should be saving the planet (The Guardian, Carl Rhodes op-ed)
• California’s car culture isn’t ready for net zero (FT, Christopher Grimes op-ed $)
• The Guardian view on Pakistan’s floods: life in the aftermath (The Guardian, Editorial Board)
• Will China’s plan for a ‘green silk road’ live up to environmental promises? (The Guardian, John Vidal analysis)
• Secretive committee of utility insiders could undermine Texas energy leadership and affordability (Utility Dive, Landon Stevens op-ed)
• Samsung climate inertia is by-product of Seoul's (Reuters, Robyn Mak column)
• Puerto Rico’s hurricane déjà vu: How did we get here? (The Hill, Terry Jarrett op-ed)

How Do Oil and Gas Employees Rationalize Their Role In Climate Change? Denial, Distraction, And Disinformation

"How do these people sleep at night?" 

It's the one question we can never answer about professional climate deniers. The best answer to date, which we seem to remember, but now absolutely can not find, is a clip where Bill Nye asked Marc Morano how he sleeps at night, and Morano didn't miss a beat in replying "Ambien”. 

Fortunately, now there's a slightly better answer, thanks to a new study in Energy Research & Social Science that did the academic version of asking oil industry professionals how they sleep at night, knowing their job is causing climate change. 

Seriously. As lead author Krista Halttuen said, they sought to understand how "oil and gas professionals with an understanding of climate change reconcile their job and the growing urgency of the climate crisis?" 

The study reports on the results of their interviews with "12 people working in the intersection of climate change and the oil industry," an admittedly "relatively small sample size" that allowed them to get "an in-depth understanding of the specific participants' attitudes" but also "obtain a range of different perspectives while also identifying some similarities between interviewees." 

Eight of the subjects are currently employed in the industry, two were retired, and two "left the industry to pursue careers in climate change mitigation." 

Overall, the responses fell into two main categories, characterized by the researchers as "strategic" and "defensive" responses, each of which has different manifestations. The strategic responses accept, confront, or transcend the issue. So for example, respondents that accepted the reality of the climate crisis, and said they "don't want to be the bad guys" but it's just that they are "enabling people to better their lives," echoing the industry's propaganda, or that change is necessary and oil companies are leading it, i.e. greenwashing. 

The other set of response were defensive, more explicitly rejecting the need for timely action on this side of 2050, avoiding their responsibility for profiting off of polluting the atmosphere by shifting responsibility to other companies, blaming the government for not regulating them or public for not buying low-carbon products — "But how willing is Joe Bloggs down the street to give up petrol cars, or have a heat pump?" (Actual quote!) 

And it's pretty convenient for an oil executive to blame policymakers for not regulating them, when the industry spends billions on fighting exactly those regulations! 

Five were European, three were from other parts of the world, and the findings were "in line with academic literature on cultures in different oil companies: there is a Trans-Atlantic divide in which European [international oil companies] are more up-front about the issue of climate change and the need to change, while American ones are found to more actively downplay the importance of climate considerations." Indeed, "nearly all of the defensive responses were the most strongly expressed by" those not interacting with the EU's climate regulations. 

More interestingly, although the researchers  were "not aware of literature on the attitudes of people who have left the oil industry," their "results suggest that this group is more critical of the industry than those still employed by it." 

Those that had left it were more likely to "call on the oil industry to change."

So to answer, how do these people sleep at night? 

Sounds like they tell themselves the industry's fairy tales, in which they're the heroes saving the world (from the problem they're causing) until they can't take it any more, wake up, and quit.

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