FIRST LOOK:

Dash For Gas Catastrophic For Climate: Global policies and action put the planet on track for temperatures to rise 2.4°C above pre-industrial levels, with the scramble to build new gas infrastructure in the wake of Russia's war and atrocities in Ukraine exacerbating the crisis, a newly-updated report from Climate Action Tracker warns. “If this were only about replacing the Russian gas, we are totally overdoing it,” Niklas Höhne, a climate policy scientist at Germany’s New Climate Institute and contributor to Climate Action Tracker, told Bloomberg. “And that is not good news.” Russia has sought to leverage Europe's dependence upon it for methane gas as those countries have driven global gas prices prohibitively high in their efforts to shore up their own supplies for the coming winter. “This is not only dangerous for the climate but economically reckless," Lisa Fischer of E3G said in a statement. "Renewables are cheaper, and major importers such as Europe are reducing their gas consumption much faster, the EU intending a 50% cut by 2030. A lot of this infrastructure might produce, but will struggle to sell.” (Bloomberg $, AP, Reuters, The Guardian)

Under Pressure For More Money At COP Biden To Announce Federal Contractor Emissions Rule: The Biden administration will propose a new rule requiring federal contractors to set emissions reductions consistent with the Paris Agreement, the Washington Post reports. The rule would apply to suppliers of the world's biggest purchaser of goods and services and if adopted would have substantial ripple effects across the U.S. supply chain. The administration will formally announce the rule today and will tout it on Friday when Biden attends COP27. Buoyed by Democrats' better-than-expected results in the midterm elections earlier this week, Biden is expected to tout U.S. climate action, especially the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. He will also likely face pressure from developing and wealthy nations to increase U.S. climate aid and fulfill its fair share of the overdue annual global $100 billion climate-finance pledge. President Macron of France called on the U.S. (though not explicitly by name) to "pay your fair share" in helping aid poorer countries earlier this week. An analysis published Monday by Carbon Brief found the U.S. is contributing just 19% of its "fair share" of climate aid relative to its historic greenhouse gas pollution — the lowest of any major historical polluter, all of which are also giving far below their fair share. “To be frank, we are not expecting anything from President Biden,” lead negotiator for an African bloc of nations Richard Sherman told the New York Times. “[The United States] tend to promise a lot, pledge a lot, but deliver very little.” The proposed rule would apply to firms with between $7.5 million and $50 million, covering about 85% of federal supply chain emissions, in annual contracts and would require public disclosure of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. (Federal contractor rule: Washington Post $, Washington Post $; Biden at COP: New York Times $; Carbon Brief analysis: TIME) [This story corrects an earlier version on the timing of the administration's announcement of the proposed rule. — Ed.]

NYC Marathon Hottest Ever: As negotiators in Sharm el-Sheikh began their figurative marathon on Sunday, about 50,000 people in New York City ran (or tried to) 26.2 miles on the hottest November 6 on record. Sunday's 75°F at the finish line was also the hottest since moving the race from October to November in 1986. Climate change, mainly caused by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, is intensifying heat waves, and warmer air also holds more moisture, increasing humidity. Despite having fewer entrants than the last full-capacity race in 2019, more than double the number of runners did not finish before the cutoff time, including Olympians like Brazil's Daniel Do Nascimento who collapsed while leading the race at mile 21. High relative humidity, which reduces the body's ability to dissipate heat through sweating, also likely contributed to the high number of DNFs. “The main complaint was nausea and I guarantee you that was related to the heat,” NYU physician and professor Lipi Roy, who volunteered in a medical tent near the finish line, told Bloomberg. “Every single runner said, ‘This is the hottest race I've ever done.’ But it wasn’t just the heat, it was the humidity.” (Bloomberg $, Gizmodo, Let'sRun, Reuters, AP; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves)

COP27 INTRODUCTIONS: What happened on the third day of COP27 in Egypt? (The Guardian), COP27 jargon guide - from Paris Agreement to Glasgow Pact (Reuters), How likely is progress on climate at COP27? (The Guardian)

LOSS & DAMAGE: ‘Significant’ moves on climate disaster funds lift COP27 hopes (The Guardian), African insurers take up climate change fight with $14B pledge (Reuters), As wealthy nations take heat for warming planet, coalition unveils lofty plan (Washington Post $), Polluters must pay for climate change, poor nations tell rich (Reuters), Pakistan FM seeks compensation for damages caused by floods (AP), UK to offer loans for countries most vulnerable to climate change effects (Reuters), Vulnerable nations: Tax fossil fuels to rebuild after climate destruction (Climate Home)

BRETTON WOODS, REDUX: Poor countries need climate funding. These plans could unlock trillions. (New York Times $), Could Barbados blueprint be a Marshall Plan for the climate crisis? (The Guardian)

METHANE: US, EU plan new pledge targeting oil and gas methane emissions - document (Reuters)

CLIMATE FINANCE: At COP27, protesters within UN venue demand climate finance (Reuters), Climate action is 'good business', UN climate chief says at COP27 (Context), Regulators plan closer scrutiny of carbon markets (Reuters), Credibility questions dog World Bank president at climate summit (New York Times $), Investors have trillions to fight climate change. developing nations get little of it (NPR), Show us the money: Developing world at COP27 seeks financing details (Reuters), Why the financial odds are stacked against developing countries (Energy Monitor), US plan to ramp up carbon credits faces doubts at COP27 (Wall Street Journal $), US introduces new carbon trading scheme to boost investment in developing countries (The Guardian), US plan to tap businesses for green finance meets resistance (AP), Investments of 125 billionaires have the same carbon footprint as France, study finds (NPR)

FOSSIL FUEL NONPROLIFERATION: The Paris agreement is working … for now (The Atlantic), Nakate warns against new fossil fuel projects in Africa (Africa News)

USA: Pelosi leading delegation to Egypt climate talks (E&E News), Top environment committee Democrat tests positive for COVID-19, cancels trip to climate summit (The Hill)

CARBON TRACE: Gore announces fossil fuel emissions inventory at UN summit (AP, The Hill, Axios, Protocol), Who’s driving climate change? new data catalogs 72,000 polluters and counting (New York Times $), Oil and gas greenhouse emissions ‘three times higher’ than producers claim (The Guardian)

KERRY PLAN: US climate envoy john Kerry rekindles contact with China at COP27 (Wall Street Journal $), John Kerry just announced a new carbon credit plan at COP27 (Protocol), John Kerry makes his move on private climate finance (Axios), John Kerry’s offsets plan sets early test for UN net zero standards (Climate Home), Kerry announces proposal for public-private carbon market for developing countries (The Hill), Kerry pitches climate finance plan. Other countries say it’s ‘not enough’ (E&E News and Politico)

CHINA: After months of silence, Chinese and US climate envoys briefly speak (New York Times $), China announces plan to curb rising methane emissions but challenges await (Reuters), China resists climate pressure from west, but makes gains on its own (Wall Street Journal $), China’s top climate official urges US to ‘clear barriers’ to talks (The Guardian)

EGYPT: Climate talks host Egypt gets green energy, transport deals (AP), Gaza date farmers struggle as bad weather hits harvest (Reuters), Egypt puts activist on hunger strike on medical treatment (AP), Drinks at Egypt climate talks now free, jailed activist not (AP)

BRAZIL: Brazil's Lula at COP27 will offer to host future climate summit (Reuters),

WAR IN UKRAINE: Ukraine war, Russian energy attacks loom over COP27 climate conference (Washington Post $)

DEFORESTATION: Tree-counting NGO offers data to tackle deforestation (Reuters), Deforestation is pushing Amazon to ‘point of no return’: WWF report (Mongabay)

CONSTRUCTION: UN: CO2 emissions from buildings, construction hit new high (The Hill)

NUCLEAR: At COP27, nuclear power industry vies for bigger role in decarbonizing planet (Reuters)

PROTESTS: Fed up young climate activists: ‘Adults aren’t listening’ (AP)

IF YOU'RE GOING: Burst sewage pipe adds to infrastructure woes at COP27 (AP)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: Historic Black cemeteries threatened by extreme weather (Yale Climate Connections)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Czech government caps power firm revenues in $4 bln windfall plan (Reuters), EU gas stocks could fall short next year, Commission president warns (Reuters)

WINTER HOME HEATING: Feds: Heating oil costs to be much higher than expected (E&E $)

(CLIMATE) LITIGATION: Lawyers press international court to investigate a ‘network’ committing crimes against humanity in Brazil’s Amazon (Inside Climate News)

MEDIA: Hertfordshire police promise inquiry into arrest of journalists at Just Stop Oil protests (The Guardian)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Democrats to step up permitting push, but GOP may run out the clock (Politico Pro $)

ELECTIONS: Education culture wars didn’t stop midterms climate wins (Atmos), Congress is too close to call. Here’s what’s at stake. (E&E News), GOP points fingers after red wave fails to materialize (The Hill), Republican dreams of ‘red wave’ fizzle (E&E News, Wall Street Journal $, E&E $), Midterm nail-biter clouds Biden’s clean energy plans (E&E News), Ten candidates who made history Tuesday night (The Hill), What happened in the midterms? Key takeaways from election night (Essence), What the midterm elections mean for the climate — so far (Grist), What’s next for climate politics? 7 results offer clues. (E&E News), For Biden, beating the odds but facing a new challenge (New York Times $)

• CONGRESS: Boebert trails by 62 votes in razor-tight Colorado race (The Hill), ‘Tenacious’ Dem leads Boebert in Colo. upset bid (E&E News), 'Life is wild!': First Generation Z member elected to US Congress (Reuters), Senate control may hinge on Ga. runoff — again (E&E News), Alaska's Senate and House races still up in the air (E&E $)
• STATES & COUNTIES: With control of Congress unknown, clean energy advocates cheer state wins and press for climate action (Utility Dive), For Midwest governors, climate leadership proves a ‘political winner’ (Grist), Climate, water advocates ‘dream big’ after Dems sweep Mich. (E&E $), Californians reject tax on millionaires intended to raise up to $4B a year for vehicle electrification (Utility Dive, Politico Pro $, Wall Street Journal $), Democrats win swing-state gubernatorial races (E&E $), Dems ahead in key attorney general races, lose in Iowa (E&E $), GOP climate denier who stoked antisemitism wins key Texas oil and gas regulator race (HuffPost), S.D. county votes to declare uranium mining a 'nuisance' (E&E $), Four states ban slavery, Louisiana votes to keep it (Black Wall Street Times)
• ABORTION: Democrats went all-in on abortion. For many, it worked. (The 19th* News), Kentucky becomes second conservative state to reject anti-abortion amendment this year (The 19th* News)

CITIES AND STATES: How 'chief heat officers' keep cities cool as the world warms (Context)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Canada readies new Indo-Pacific strategy amid tense China ties (Reuters), Natural disaster-hit countries get automatic debt freeze option (Reuters), US allies plead with Biden to relax new EV rules (E&E News)

IMPACTS: Mexican village blames climate change as sea swallows its homes (Reuters), Michael Strahan's journey to see polar bears amid climate crisis (Good Morning America), Climate Migration: Açai growers flee salty Amazon water (AP)

HURRICANES: Hurricane Nicole forms; Florida awaits rare November storm (AP), Hurricane nicole downgraded to tropical storm after landfall in Florida (Washington Post $)

DROUGHT: Jordan is running out of water, a grim glimpse of the future (New York Times $)

DEFORESTATION: With Lula back, can Brazil turn the tide on Amazon destruction? (Yale Environment 360)

RENEWABLES: France to require all large car parks to be covered by solar panels (The Guardian), More lower-income US households are adopting solar (Canary Media), Oregon company borrows concept from iconic bridges for elevated solar arrays (Energy News Network), Spain's Iberdrola to invest $47 bln in energy transition in 2023-25 (Reuters)

BATTERIES: California funds 60 MWh tribal long-duration storage project with nation’s largest vanadium redox flow battery (Utility Dive)

BUILDINGS: A post-pandemic construction rebound put building emissions at an all-time high (Grist), Gas ban roundup: UN warning and new Wash. rules (E&E $)

LNG: Cheniere seeks 18 months to upgrade LNG turbines that failed pollution tests-document (Reuters), Russia LNG discount disappears in asia as sanction fears subside (Bloomberg $)

OIL & GAS: Chart to buy industrial tool maker Howden for $4.4 bln in clean energy bet (Reuters), Occidental Petroleum reports $2.5 billion in third quarter profits (Houston Chronicle), Oil’s other strategic reserve is running low, too (Wall Street Journal $), Europe still can’t live without this Russian energy export (CNN)

BIG PROFITS, BIG LAYOFFS: Staff cuts at Houston-based Phillips 66 to reach 1,100 by year end (Houston Chronicle)

MINERALS: Chinese copper companies say more mining is needed to boost supply (Reuters)

PLASTICS: 'Plastic Man' in Senegal on mission against trash (AP PHOTOS)

COAL: EU auditors say aid for coal regions failed to spur climate transition (Reuters), Former coal plant near Pittsburgh is poisoning groundwater: Report (Environmental Health News)

HYDROGEN: E.ON says Germany needs legal framework to hit hydrogen goal (Reuters)

UTILITIES: NiSource to sell minority share of NIPSCO subsidiary to fund $15B 5-year growth plan, 2040 net-zero goal (Utility Dive)

EVs: Carmaker SEAT to build Spain’s 1st electric battery plant (AP), Porn and Putin-focused hacks of charging stations drive new cybersecurity steps for an EV boom (Utility Dive)

CRYPTO: The fate of crypto mining is back on the table in New York (The Verge)

BUSINESSES: Ahold turns to solar panels, lowers thermostats to save energy (Reuters), Amazon rolls out Rivian EVs in new cities for holiday deliveries (Utility Dive)

WILDLIFE: The return of the American bison is an environmental boon — and a logistical mess (Grist)

INTERNATIONAL: India says will need coal until 2040 and beyond (Reuters), India's first green bonds to fund new climate finance projects (Reuters), 'Virgin islands’ $150 million propane fight clouds solar plans (Wall Street Journal $)

• Climate loss and damage must be addressed now (Islamic Horizons, The ISNA Green Initiative Team op-ed)
• How not to talk with Africa about climate change (Washington Post, Muhammadu Buhari op-ed $)
• ESG investing is consistent with fiduciary duty (Wall Street Journal, Al Gore and David Blood op-ed $)
• UN climate negotiations need to talk about climate migration (Context, Chukwumerije Okereke op-ed)
• How can a world population of 8 billion be more sustainable? (Context, explainer)
• A global methane agreement can prevent climate catastrophe (The Hill, Gabrielle Dreyfus, Durwood Zaelke, and Paul Bledsoe op-ed)
• Key companies to track on the CO2 emissions radar (Reuters, Gavin Maguire column)
• There’s one big subject our leaders at COP27 won’t touch: livestock farming (The Guardian, George Monbiot column)
• Biden embarrassed himself by amplifying misinformation about the oil and gas industry (Houston Chronicle, Chris Tomlinson column)
• Youth voter turnout in the 2022 midterms delivered key wins for Democrats (Teen Vogue, Rachel Janfaza op-ed)

Climate Disinfo Is Coming From Creationists Too, Because They Have No Real Experts

Tomorrow we'll pick up with more of the COP27 disinfo action, but today we're taking a break with something a little silly to break the tension for a minute. 

As we were reminded last week, one of the most effective ways of reducing resistance to climate policy is telling people that 97% of climate scientists have come to the conclusion that fossil fuels are causing the climate crisis. 

With numbers like that, it's no surprise that those left opposing the consensus are often not climate scientists at all. Instead, we see that they turn to others, like multiple different Big Tobacco stooges, hair care professionals, industry PR flacks, and failed state-level politicians.

As some deniers attack an alarmist "climate religion," we see that the creationists are also taking up climate disinformation. 

Over at the Heritage Foundation's Daily Signal, Guillermo Gonzalez presents what he believes are some "critical facts ignored in the climate change debate." They aren't facts, and they're not ignored, but it's a great basic list of disinfo talking points. Gonzalez concludes with the 90s disinfo classic of "global greening," that since carbon dioxide is plant food, any increase is actually a good thing. 

"For believers," he writes, "this is a sign of God's providence in creating a world that provides for our needs even as the population grows." 

And sure enough, Gonzalez is not a climate scientist. Or an energy systems expert. Or a meteorologist, or anything remotely related to climate. Per his byline, "Gonzalez is an astronomer and research scientist who writes in the areas of astrobiology, intelligent design, and stellar spectroscopy. He also co-authored "The Privileged Planet: How our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery."" 

For those who don't recall the naughty-aughties, for a period in the early 2000s George W. Bush's administration buoyed hopes of religious extremists and anti-public-school conservatives, suggesting perhaps their decades-long campaign to pretend to be mad that science classes taught science, instead of theology, would result in federal education standards changing. They came up with a fake theory of the origin of the Universe and of evolution, essentially rewriting the first lines of the Bible into pseudo-science lingo and presenting it as though it were a legitimate hypothesis, calling it "creationism" or "intelligent design" and claiming that empirical evidence supported their religious beliefs that Darwin was a dummy. 

Is any of this immediately relevant to what Gonzalez has to say about climate science? Not particularly. But it proves that he has a history of advancing disinformation based on ideologically-biased pseudoscience, which is what he's doing here, and It also proves that the number of actual qualified scientists who reject the consensus is so small they're having to bring in the losers of another failed conservative war on science to help.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to receive Hot News every morning!

Send updates or feedback to nkauffman@climatenexus.org
Submit events and other items for consideration for a First Look using this form
Some articles require logins or subscriptions ($)