FIRST LOOK(s):

Join the virtual launch event for of the 2022 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, TODAY at noon ET, featuring keynotes, panel discussions, and a Q&A with lead authors.

Fossil Fuels Kill Millions Every Year, Doctors Report: The air pollution from burning fossil fuels and biomass kills 1.2 million people a year, and the fossil fuel industry's relentless pursuit of profits without regard for human costs is to blame, the newest Lancet Countdown, released Tuesday, concludes. The report, authored by nearly 100 medical doctors from more than 50 collaborating organizations, said the world's "fossil fuel addiction" and the climate change it causes hurts public health. “The burning of fossil fuels is creating a health crisis that I can’t fix by the time I see patients in my emergency department,” said Dr. Renee Salas, an ER physician at Mass. General and Harvard medical school professor. “Fossil fuel companies are making record profits while my patients suffer from their downstream health harms.” The Lancet report coincides with a separate UNICEF report, also released Tuesday, finding virtually every child in every part of the globe will face more frequent heatwaves by 2050, increasing the risk of death, disease, hunger, and forced migration. “Unless world leaders at COP27 take action to correct the course we are on," climate activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Vanessa Nakate told reporters, "heatwaves will become even harsher than they are already destined to be.”(Lancet: NBC, AP, Barron's, The Guardian, USA Today, ABC, Politico Pro $, The Verge; UNICEF: CBS, The Guardian, Washington Post $)

Cyclone Sitrang Kills Dozens In Bangladesh: Parts of Bangladesh are devastated after cyclone Sitrang dropped as much as 17 inches of rain in 48 hours. The Times of India reports at least 35 people are dead, but the true number of people killed by the storm is still unknown as communications networks are down and as many as 20,000 people are cut off by flooding set off by tidal surge in the southern Bhola District and 10 million people were without power on Tuesday. "It was terrible. It looked like the sea was coming to grab us," Mizanur Rahman, a Bhola district resident, told Reuters. Government officials said the storm damaged approximately 10,000 homes and destroyed more than 15,000 acres of farmland as well as thousands of fishing projects. Camps housing ethnic Rohingya refugees were largely spared by the storm. (Reuters, AP, Times of India, Deutsche Welle, AFP; Rainfall totals: AccuWeather; Climate Signals background: Hurricanes, Typhoons and Cyclones)

Renewables Savings Are Bigger In Texas: Since 2010, wind and solar energy have saved Texans an average of $925 million per month — almost $28 billion in total — according to a new report from IdeaSmiths. Those savings are on track to skyrocket to $11 billion this year alone as more renewables come online and fossil fuel prices continue to rise. In addition to providing stability when the state's gas system collapsed in during "Winter Storm Uri" in 2021, the report found the increased renewables use cut carbon, SO2 and NOx pollution — especially in low-income communities and communities of color overburdened by air pollution — to the tune of tens of billions of dollars in avoided healthcare and environmental costs. Additionally, because fossil fuel plants consume massive amounts of water, over the past dozen years, renewables have saved 244 billion gallons of water in the drought-stricken region. (Dallas Morning News, Utility Dive)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: Future of pipelines, Black school hinge on court NEPA fight (E&E News), Mississippi struggles to keep clean water flowing in Jackson (CBS), Parents are pissed that NYC private schools want to teach them how not to be racist (The Root), Brittney Griner's nine-year prison sentence upheld by Russian appeals court (Ebony)

PUBLIC OPINION: Most in US want more action on climate change: AP-NORC poll (AP), Climate change among top concerns for Latinos ahead of midterms, poll finds (Axios), 2 in 3 say not enough is being done to fight climate change in US: survey (The Hill), Climate change seen as top global threat by public, experts (E&E $)

COWBOYS AND INDIANS RIDE AGAIN: 'Our horses are ready': Native Americans and white farmers form an unlikely alliance to oppose a pipeline in the Dakotas (NBC)

BUT THEY'RE SO WELL-DRESSED!: Climate change threatens emperor penguins with extinction, officials say (Washington Post $, The Guardian, E&E $, Reuters, Axios, New York Times $, The Hill)

COP27: Kerry speech lays out COP27 agenda, talks 'loss and damage' (Axios), 5 things to know about climate reparations (E&E News) 

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Climate pledges are falling short, and a chaotic future looks more like reality (New York Times $), Rich countries keep funding our demise (Gizmodo), EU ministers delay for a month decision on more energy unity (AP), European exodus from Energy Charter Treaty raises climate questions (Climate Home), Which countries are already at net zero? (Energy Monitor)

• US & CHINA: ‘We need to get China’: John Kerry calls for return to bilateral climate talks (The Guardian, The Hill), US, China climate talks in 'limbo' ahead of UN conference, Kerry says (Politico Pro $)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: Judge reluctantly sends San Francisco-Oakland climate lawsuit back to California courts (Politico Pro $)

GOP vs. ESG: BlackRock is getting used to being in the ESG crossfire (Bloomberg $)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: China's thirst for US natural gas triggers new fears (Politico), Europe now has too much gas. here’s how the continent dodged Putin’s energy squeeze so far (Fortune)

• UKRAINE: As Ukraine plans its recovery, a climate group has a seat at the table (NBC)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Climate law prods Postal Service as EV feud continues (E&E News), Pipelines gain new purpose and profit under climate law (E&E News)

EPA: Regan touts climate funds as 'a game changer' for EPA (E&E $)

DOE: Hydropower from a ditch? DOE sees energy potential (E&E News)

DOI: Interior seeks SCOTUS help in Navajo Colorado River clash (E&E $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden admin backs contested Alaska LNG project (E&E News)

THE HILL: US lawmakers call for more measures to protect against toxic lead in tap water (The Guardian)

ELECTIONS: Oil companies helping fund Republican takeover plans (E&E News), A Republican leads in the Oregon governor’s race, taking aim at the state’s progressive climate policies (Inside Climate News), Eye on Utilities: Will HB 6 impact the 2022 election? (Energy News Network), Greens look to boost Democrats as Election Day nears (E&E $), Voters to decide on largest environmental bond act in New York's history (Politico Pro $), Where top abortion-focused super PACs are spending in the fight to control Congress (The 19th* News)

CITIES AND STATES: A guide to environmental health in southwestern Pennsylvania (Environmental Health News)

• CALIFORNIA: Delivery trucks in Calif. face fossil fuel phaseout (E&E $), Sunnova urges California PUC to dismiss PG&E, SCE ‘sky is falling’ concerns, review microgrid proposal (Utility Dive)

IMPACTS: Brain-eating amoeba-linked death highlights new climate risk (E&E News), More than 70 percent of Florida homeowners pay to protect homes from climate threats: survey (The Hill), Switzerland’s glaciers disappearing faster than ever (ABC)

• NIGERIA: Desperate flight, then misery in a camp for Nigerians displaced by floods (Reuters)

WILDFIRES: A timber mill below Mount Shasta gave rise to a historic Black community, and likely sparked the wildfire that destroyed it (Inside Climate News)

HURRICANES: Hurricane season isn’t over yet. Here are three new systems to watch. (Washington Post $), Ian’s damage to Florida agriculture as high as $1.8 billion (AP)

WATER: The Cochise County groundwater wars (Grist), Recycled water may prove crucial for northern California amid ongoing droughts, climate change (KQED)

(DE)FORESTATION: The world made a big pledge to end deforestation. It immediately fell off track. (HuffPost), Why forests are key to the climate - and not just to absorb carbon (Context, explainer)

RENEWABLES: GE cuts full-year earnings forecast on troubles at renewable energy business (Reuters, Wall Street Journal $), Some good news on energy (New York Times $)

• THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT: Georgia Power has overcharged customers nearly $1.9B since 2011, solar groups allege (Utility Dive)

BATTERIES: Britain's Lightsource BP races to hook solar farms to batteries (Reuters), Idaho cobalt mine is a harbinger of what’s to come (High Country News)

OIL & GAS: Oil-field services drill down on pricing power (Wall Street Journal $), Permian natural gas prices plunge (Bloomberg $)

PLASTICS: Just 5% of plastics were recycled in the US last year, and things are only getting worse (HuffPost), Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse (NPR), US only recycled 5 percent of plastic waste in 2021: Greenpeace report (The Hill)

EVs: Renters face charging dilemma as US cities move toward EVs (AP), Toyota scrambles for EV reboot with eye on Tesla (Reuters), 5 charts that shed new light on how people charge EVs at home (Canary Media), Electric vehicle fires in Florida caused by Hurricane Ian fuel safety questions (Utility Dive), GM dials back EV sales target, following upbeat earnings report (Wall Street Journal $), Tesla is no longer alone in the electric vehicle race (TIME), This startup offers affordable EV leases to people with long commutes (Canary Media)

GAS STOVES: Natural gas ban threats spark fear for restaurants (The Hill)

ACTIVISM: Is 'all press good press' when it comes to climate activists’ latest tactics? (MSNBC), Why climate protesters are throwing food at art (TIME)

TOLD YOU SO, DAD: Why experts say you shouldn't bag your leaves this fall (NPR)

AGRICULTURE: Cool tomatoes? Agrivoltaics could help California crop, if the economics pan out (Energy News Network)

FOOD: Tough times for plant-based meat (Axios)

BUSINESSES: 5 Walmart suppliers team up on renewable energy buy (Utility Dive), Apple announces new clean energy investments, asks suppliers to decarbonize (Reuters, Washington Examiner), Honeywell created a new environmental report. Some findings are surprising. (Barron's)

CARBON PRICING: Why it's so hard to put a price on carbon (TIME)

CARBON REMOVAL: Carbon Direct just hired its first head of climate justice. Here’s why that matters. (Protocol)

IN MEMORIAM: Neema Roshania Patel, Post editor who cultivated younger audiences, dies at 35 (Washington Post $, New York Post)

WILDLIFE: Narwhals adapting to climate crisis by delaying migration, study finds (The Guardian)

INTERNATIONAL: Climate inaction risks damaging Philippines growth - World Bank (Reuters), The fight to save Ecuador’s sacred river (TIME)

• Environmental justice delayed for Gulf Coast does not have to be environmental justice denied (Louisiana Illuminator, Roishetta Ozane and John Beard op-ed)
• The Guardian view on climate diplomacy: it’s crunch time – again (The Guardian, Editorial board)
• There's plenty of environmental content on TV — if you like misleading ads (Environmental Health News, Peter Dykstra column)
• Why green banks should be able to finance upgrades to old buildings (Canary Media, Patrice Frey, Calvin Gladney op-ed)
• Cristina Mittermeier reflects on her life underwater (Atmos interview)
• Disasters are age-blind: Preparation shouldn’t be (The Hill, Peter Kaldes op-ed)
• Inaction on climate change is holding women back (Context, Sophie Rigg op-ed)
• The case against deep-sea mining (TIME, Sylvia Earle and Daniel Kammen op-ed)
• We must wake up to the world’s water crisis (The Hill, Tara Sonenshine op-ed)
• As winter nears, the West may save Putin (Wall Street Journal, William Galston op-ed $)
• Keep all carbon removal approaches on the table at COP27 (The Hill, Ben Rubin op-ed)

Putin Advisor Calls For Climate Diplomacy; Ignores Reason Russia Is International Pariah. (Invading Ukraine) 

Did you know that in the depths of the Cold War, the US and USSR found common ground in the importance of protecting the environment? It's true! And it's the first thing that Ruslan Edelgeriev wants you to know in his op-ed at the Washington Times headlined "Future of Climate Cooperation." 

It's the first of many true facts in the piece, like that the IPCC reports "are warning of catastrophic consequences of a global temperature rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius" and that "every month gives us a glimpse into the future: unbearable heat in Europe, devastating wildfires in Russia, agriculture-threatening droughts in the USA, storms and rising ocean levels that jeopardize the very existence of small island States." 

But there's also a lot of true facts left out of the piece, that curious readers might have questions about. For example, who's Ruslan Edelgeriev? 

According to his byline, he's "Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation on Climate Change," which sounds official and credible enough — to the extent that anything connected to Vladimir Putin is credible, at least. But we also found out that he's the Chair of the Board of OJSC Grozneftegaz, Rosneft's enterprise in Chechen Russia. So… a rather Trumpian environmentalist.

The Washington Times ran an op-ed by Putin's climate advisor/oil guy, and given that the annual UN climate negotiations are coming up in just a couple weeks, this is essentially their diplomatic talking points in action, showcasing the party line they'll use. 

While it makes clear that they're pushing for friendlier relations, concluding "Russia and the United States, as great powers and emitters, are bound to work together in order to save our planet," it also deftly avoids any indication of why a dialogue between the countries "has faded away." 

Edelgeriev's use of passive voice (to avoid acknowledging that Russia's war and humanitarian atrocities in Ukraine and related energy blackmail of Europe has only further soured its international reputation) is so skillful that it makes newspaper headlines about "officer involved shootings" look accusatory by comparison. 

After introducing the piece with the Cold War-era cooperation, Edelgeriev writes, "In the current environment of global instability, when the geopolitical picture of the world is undergoing radical transformations, and climate change is recognized as one of the main challenges facing the mankind, it is especially important to look for common ground, starting from the work already done, and not try to build new sanction barriers for short-term political ends." 

What "global instability" do you think he's talking about? What sort of "radical transformations" in the "geopolitical picture of the world" are taking place? Why oh why might some countries be trying "to build new sanction barriers" and what "short-term political ends" might they be trying to reach?

Who could know! But for sure Edelgeriev and Putin are trying to find the guy who did this!

Instead, he moves to the "record increase in energy prices caused by artificial restrictions," using the same climate disinformation line blaming climate policy for fossil fuel prices that fossil fuel-beholden politicians and media use. What a coincidence! 

He goes on to note that "real life has drastically changed" since last year's climate negotiations, and without even so much as hinting at why, but something has forced "Germany and Great Britain [to] re-open their coal power stations." What could that be!? 

"Oddly enough," he writes, "in 2022, we shall not get closer to, but even farther from achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement." 

Oddly enough! Yes! How so very, very odd, why, whatever could be pushing those particular countries back to coal? Must be those "unilateral restrictions" those countries apparently imposed on themselves… 

Couldn't be Russia, because it's just following "a coherent policy by acting as a diligent participant of the international climate cooperation" and a "tremendous job has been done to announce an intention to reach carbon neutrality by 2060." 

See! They've announced intentions to offset their pollution by 2060, so they're totally acting in good faith. The ensuing conclusion calling for renewed U.S.-Russia partnership on the environment definitely isn't a plea for the international community to let them continue to brutalize Ukraine without any consequences. 

Though to be fair, it's not like Putin's climate advisor was going to write anything that might cause him to mysteriously fall out of a window.

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