FIRST LOOK: 

California Rains Bring Death, Power Outages: Two weeks of unrelenting rains in California have killed more people than have died directly from wildfires in the last two years — and the deluge is not over. At least 19 people have died across 10 counties. While officials expect that number to rise, it will also be incomplete. “Those living in our streets may be living on cardboard, they may be living in a tent that can’t withstand the kind of weather we’re having — it’s cold,” Georgia Berkovich, director of public affairs at the Midnight Mission, a long-running human services organization in Los Angeles’s Skid Row, told the Washington Post. At least two of the Midnight Mission community members died after being exposed to the rain, Berkovich said, but their deaths were not officially attributed to the extreme weather and are thus not included in official death counts. The storms have also wreaked havoc on the Golden State's power grid, illustrating yet again, the grid's vulnerability to the stresses of climate change. Hundreds of thousands of California electricity customers have lost power (some multiple times) since New Year's Eve. (Deaths: Washington Post $; Grid: LA Times $, NPR; Climate Signals background:  Atmospheric river change, Rain instead of snow, Drought)

Commuters And Mooners Call For Better Cycling Across The World: More commuters are choosing e-bikes, saving time, stress and money in the process, NPR reports. "I just really hate driving. The sitting and the being stuck and the waiting is just really not for me," Lelac Almagor, a Washington DC mom of three, told NPR. "I'm not that spandex cyclist type of person, that's not me. I really hate biking up hills," she added, saying once she had kids, "if there hadn't been a way to [avoid driving] that was convenient and joyful, we would probably still be driving and feeling guilty about it." While cities, like Denver, Colorado, are offering e-bike incentives, advocates argue officials should be thinking more broadly about how cities and communities are designed so as not to force people to drive. Meanwhile, in Australia, a different group of advocates is calling on the first major race of the pro cycling season, the Tour Down Under, to drop oil and gas company Santos as its title sponsor. “We got rid of Big Tobacco, we’ll get rid of Santos too,” elderly women along the roadside chanted after mooning the riders as they raced past in Adelaide. Professional cycling is both vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and has been a forum for sportswashing with numerous top teams sponsored by fossil fuel companies. (E-bikes: NPR; Pro cycling: Bloomberg $)

Last Protesters Removed From Doomed German Village: Police forcibly removed the protesters desperately trying to block the demolition of Luetzerath, Germany to make way for a coal mine, including prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg on Saturday.  The last two activists, known as "Pinky" and "The Brain," who had persisted in self-dug tunnels under the North Rhine-Westphalia hamlet left on Monday. "How is this possible? In the year 2023?” Greta Thunberg asked the 15,000-35,000 protesters. "Germany is really embarrassing itself right now." The anger over the destruction of a village to make way for coal extraction as the devastating impacts of climate change mount is heightened by the fact that it was part of a deal agreed to by the Green Party. (Protests: The Guardian, AP, Reuters, AP, Axios, Reuters, Business Insider, HuffPost, The Hill, New York Times $, Climate Home, Bloomberg $, Fox News; Green politics: Politico EU; Pinky and The Brain: AP)

COP28: UAE names oil chief to lead COP28 talks (Axios, CNN, Gizmodo, BBC, NPR, New York Times $), John Kerry tells AP he backs UAE oil chief overseeing COP28 (AP, The Hill), UAE’s COP28 president will keep role as head of national oil company (The Guardian), UAE's Jaber says COP28 should be practical, leave no one behind (Reuters), World ‘way off track’ with climate goals, says UAE COP president (Bloomberg $), African activists cast doubt over climate talks’ credibility (AP)

EAST AFRICA: In Somalia, climate change and conflict are driving mothers to risk it all for their starving children (CBS)

GAS STOVES' CULTURAL MOMENT: ‘God. Guns. Gas stoves.’ The culture wars range into the kitchen. (Boston Globe $), What the right’s gas stove freakout was really about (Politico, Washington Post $), 4 things to know about the gas stove frenzy (E&E News, Politico), The dumbest reactions to the non-existent gas stove ban (Gizmodo), Will your gas range make you sick? Here’s what the science says (LA Times $), Will gas stoves be banned? ‘Hidden hazard’ comment ignites debate (Today Show)

• INDUCTIVE ALTERNATIVES: Are gas stoves unsafe? Here's what to know about the gas vs. induction debate (bon appétit), Can induction stoves convince home cooks to give up gas? (Yale Climate Connections), What to know about gas stove alternatives (New York Times $), Induction cooktops and ranges are so good you may not miss your gas appliance (Consumer Reports)

CALIFORNIA STORMS: ‘Not out of the woods yet’: Latest California storm brings fresh dangers and worry (LA Times $, Washington Post $, New York Times $, Axios), A perilous paradise: In Montecito, fires, floods and mudflows leave wealthy town in fear (LA Times $, New York Times $), California's atmospheric river onslaught is not over yet (Axios, NPR), Flooding in California: What are 'atmospheric rivers?' (Reuters), Tackling threat of mudslides in soaked California (AP), Getting inside California’s wild weather 8 miles over the Pacific (New York Times $)

• DROUGHT: Atmospheric rivers won’t end California’s drought (Washington Post $), California gets more rain and snow, but dry days are ahead (AP), Storms force California to look harder at capturing rainfall to ease drought (Politico Pro $), Rainstorms helped California's drought conditions, but there's further to go (NPR)
• WATER: California has lots of catching up to do on flood management — with or without climate change (LA Times $), Storms in the bay area have unleashed millions of gallons of untreated sewage water (NPR)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: A united Europe weathers crises, but deeper challenges remain (New York Times $), Biden advisor says oil price cap is working as Russia takes economic hit (CNBC), Europe’s energy crisis isn’t over yet for Iberdrola (Bloomberg $), Europe’s mild winter cushions economic blow of Ukraine war (Wall Street Journal $, CNN), The war in Ukraine upended energy markets. What does that mean for the climate? (New York Times $)

NEWS YOU CAN USE: How to bust idlers, bike lane blockers and water wasters - and maybe get paid (Washington Post $)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Cooperation on climate is emerging in the Middle East (New York Times $)

DENIAL & FAKE NEWS: Exxon’s own models predicted global warming. It ignored them. (E&E News), False claim video shows the Weather Channel debunk climate change (USA Today Fact Check), NOACA meetings hijacked by climate change deniers (Axios)

GOP vs. ESG: State anti-ESG laws could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions (The Hill)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: EU seeking to offset Biden’s green plans with own subsidies (AP), Europe can learn from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, Spain’s PM says (CNBC), EU must support clean tech to compete with US -Commission head (Reuters), Why the world is protesting America's climate plan (TIME)

AGENCIES: White House updates science plan to limit political meddling (E&E $)

EPA: Biden’s Clean Air Act agenda faces time crunch (E&E News), Environmental advocates push for stringent federal methane regulations during public hearing (New Mexico Political Report), EPA chief Regan speaks at North Carolina King Day observance (AP), EPA moves away from Permian air pollution crackdown (Inside Climate News), Suit aims to toss EPA verdict on 'Cancer Alley' pollutant (E&E $)

DOE: Feds offer $700M to lithium project at heart of ESA dispute (E&E News, AP, Canary Media, CNBC, Politico Pro $, Reuters)

DOI: US renames 5 places that used racist slur for a Native woman (AP)

WHITE HOUSE: VP Kamala Harris gets real about environmental racism (The Root)

THE HILL: A new bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers wants to highlight the state’s fragile water infrastructure (Texas Tribune), Chamber of Commerce urges Congress to pass permitting bill (E&E $), 

HOUSE: House GOP tempts fall government shutdown with impossible spending demands (Politico Pro $), Bipartisan support for China oil ban could be harbinger (E&E News), Hundreds of new bills reveal Republican energy goals (E&E $)

SENATE: Will Ricketts take fight against conservation to Capitol Hill? (E&E News)

CITIES AND STATES: How dark money groups led Ohio to redefine gas as ‘green energy’ (Washington Post $), How to get solar to low-income families? Rhode Island has a new plan (Canary Media), Multi-state group prepares Great Lakes basin for effects of climate change (Michigan Radio), Texas PUC nears market redesign decision amid criticism performance credit will not spur new generation (Utility Dive), Wyoming GOP considers declaring war on electric vehicles to protect fossil fuels (Rolling Stone), Harris County adopts climate action plan with eye to ‘climate justice’ (The Texan), As insurers flee Louisiana or fold, Legislature could hold special session to launch incentives (NOLA.com), Wyoming GOP lawmaker pushes electric-car ban, then says he didn’t mean it (Washington Post $), Denver still considering a natural gas appliance ban of its own (Denver Post), California PUC launches rulemaking to consider extension of Diablo Canyon nuclear plant (Utility Dive)

FERC: FERC approves Transco gas pipeline expansion despite New Jersey BPU study finding no need (Utility Dive), FERC to consider new cybersecurity rule at January meeting (Politico Pro $)

IMPACTS: In graying Puerto Rico, the elderly face climate disasters alone (Washington Post $), How climate change is driving up food prices (Texas Public Radio), Coastal residents fear ‘hideous’ seawalls will block waterfront views (The Guardian), Dwindling snow leaves swiss alpine villages staring at an identity crisis (New York Times $), Global warming is about to accelerate (Axios), Heat, drought and floods: 2022’s extreme weather and climate impact (Washington Post $), The costs of climate disasters (CNN), Smartphone apps help rural Alaskans monitor effects of warming climate (Yale Climate Connections), Study: Climate change boosting some Wisconsin trout, hurting others (WPR),, The deadly link between diarrheal disease and climate change (Grist), What are the causes of climate change? Why scientists say humans are to blame. (USA Today), Newfoundlanders identify with the ocean. now some are moving inland. (Washington Post $)

• LOST FOR WORDS: Fears of ‘catastrophic’ language loss due to rising seas (The Guardian)
• TORNADOES: Survivors emerge from wreckage after US storms kill 9 people (AP), What came together to make deadly Alabama tornado (AP explainer), Unrelenting rain in the West and nearly 100 tornado reports in the South: Experts say it’s all linked (CNN), 

OCEANS: Ocean heat shatters record with warming equal to 5 atomic bombs exploding 'every second' for a year. Researchers say it's 'getting worse.' (CBS), New Zealand's southern waters experiencing marine heatwave (Reuters), The world’s oceans broke a heat record … again (Grist)

HEAT: Warning of unprecedented heatwaves as El Niño set to return in 2023 (The Guardian)

WILDFIRES: Wildfire smoke getting into your home? Build a DIY Corsi-Rosenthal air filter. (Yale Climate Connections)

HURRICANES: Climate gentrification is coming to hurricane-wrecked Florida (Gizmodo)

DROUGHT: The Colorado River is drying up. Climate change and drought have taken a major toll. (LA Times $)

WATER: Arizona city cuts off a neighborhood’s water supply amid drought (Washington Post $)

RENEWABLES: Europe failing on renewables as cost fears bite, Vestas CEO says (Bloomberg $), Germany’s offshore wind slump to challenge 2030 target, report says (Bloomberg $), Household solar boom back on track after severe weather and supply disruptions lead to 14% drop in capacity (The Guardian), US crackdown on Chinese forced labor hits solar industry (Axios), Inside Scotland's hydroelectric marvel (CBS)

MINERALS: Sweden says it has uncovered a rare earth bonanza (New York Times $, The Hill, CBS)

BATTERIES: Houston startup selected for federal program to develop better battery technology for electric vehicles (Houston Public Media)

BUILDINGS: Which states could gain the most from energy-saving building codes? (Canary Media), UK private renters ‘could save £570 a year if ministers act on energy efficiency’ (The Guardian)

OIL & GAS: Ecuador tried to curb drilling and protect the Amazon. The opposite happened. (New York Times $), What the end of the US shale revolution would mean for the world (FT $), Where oil and gas is headed in 2023 (E&E $)

PLASTICS: UK government bans single-use plastic plates and cutlery (CNN, The Verge)

PIPELINES: Explosion in gas pipeline in Lithuania, no injuries reported (AP)

HYDROGEN: Washington bets on green hydrogen and companies line up to cash in (Wall Street Journal $)

NUKES: Georgia Power delays Vogtle 3 start after discovering vibrations in plant’s cooling system (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: 2023 Outlook: US power sector trends to watch (Utility Dive), Southern Co. asks EPA for carbon trading (E&E $)

EVs: Even electric self-driving cars may have a climate change problem (Washington Post $), EVs made up 10% of all new cars sold last year (Wall Street Journal $), Chinese EV maker BYD to build Vietnam component plant - sources (Reuters), Toyota says it plans to transform older cars into eco-friendly models to reduce carbon emissions, as the carmaker faces increased criticism for EV hesitancy (Business Insider), US official warns of risks posed by heavy electric vehicles (AP)

• TESLA: Tesla cuts prices sharply as it moves to bolster demand (New York Times $, Axios, Wall Street Journal $, Reuters, Wall Street Journal $, Austin-American Statesman, The Hill), What's behind Tesla's drastic price cuts (Axios), Tesla’s price cuts accelerate the EV market’s first real recession stress test (CNBC), Elon Musk, Tesla poised for trial over 2018 tweets proposing to take car maker private (Wall Street Journal $), What if Tesla is…just a car company? (Wall Street Journal $)

ACTIVISM: Climate activists vow to take to the streets to stop fossil fuel extraction (The Guardian)

DAVOS: Davos starts today with a focus on climate change (Barron's), Davos draws record crowds, but its relevance is fading (CNN), Economic woes, war, climate change on tap for Davos meeting (AP), In Davos, activists warn against climate inaction and greenwashing (Climate Home), Davos 2023 Brazil to reinforce fiscal, democratic and environmental commitments, says Haddad (Reuters), Big Oil in sights of climate activist protests (Reuters), Climate change leads to more malaria, tuberculosis up in a recession (Reuters), India's ReNew Power exploring Egypt green hydrogen project (Reuters), As leaders fly to Davos, how do private jets affect the climate? (Context), Private jet emissions sky-high at Davos, group says (The Hill), South Africa's president to skip WEF to deal with crippling power cuts at home (Reuters)

AGRICULTURE: Crop of the future? More climate-hit Kenyans count on fish farming (Context), Agriculture companies push carbon-capture farming; growers are skeptical (Wall Street Journal $)

CEMENT: Start-up hopes to eliminate carbon emissions from global cement market (CBS)

CARBON REMOVAL: A Swiss company says it has pulled CO2 out of the atmosphere and stored it underground (The Verge)

FINANCE: BlackRock profit slips but inflows rise amid Q4 market rebound (Reuters), ECB can cut carbon footprint by shedding bonds of biggest polluters (Reuters)

PERSONAL ACTION: 5 new year's resolutions to reduce your carbon footprint (NPR), 3 tips to save money on your energy bills this winter (Good Morning America)

RICH GUYS: Bill Gates: We will overshoot 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, nuclear can be ‘super safe’ and fake meat will eventually be ‘very good’ (CNBC)

INTERNATIONAL: Scientists inch closer to learning origins of mysterious ‘fairy circles’ (Washington Post $), Centrica cuts heat pump cost in grab for UK green-market share (Bloomberg $), Higher UK energy bills here to stay, warns oil company boss (The Guardian), India sets targets for green hydrogen use by some industries (Reuters), India, UAE close to deal on renewable electricity grid link, Indian minister says (Reuters), Japan eyes delay of Fukushima plant water release (AP), Sinking Himalayan town puts spotlight on India's hydropower rush (Context), Socked in by smog, Indian officials invest heavily — in public relations (Washington Post $)

• I’m not gaslighting you. I really am a safe stove. (Washington Post, Alexandra Petri column $)
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s other dreams (New York Times, Jamelle Bouie Column $)
• No, the feds aren’t coming for your gas stove. But these unhealthful appliances still need to go (Los Angeles Times Editorial Board $)
• A deal to help South Africa is a breakthrough for the world (New York Times, New York Times Editorial Board $)
• Republicans have found their new dumb culture war (MSNBC, James Downie op-ed)
• Great power competition goes green (The Hill, Ashwin Telang op-ed)
• Finally, good news that inspires some hope for climate change (CNN, Don Lincoln op-ed)
• Your gas stove may be killing you. How much should you worry? (New York Times, Farhad Manjoo op-ed $)
• Central banks have varying roles in climate change (FT, Financial Times Editorial Board $)
• Oil CEO Sultan Al Jaber is the ideal person to lead the UN climate conference this year (CNBC, Frederick Kempe op-ed)
• Today, California is hammered by extreme weather. Tomorrow, it could be your area (The Guardian, Julia Scheeres op-ed)
• Why so many humanitarian crises are ‘forgotten’, and 5 ideas to change that (The New Humanitarian, Kate Wright, Mel Bunce, and Martin Scott op-ed)
• Carbon offsets should also make communities more resilient to climate change (Casper Star-Tribune, Lingxi Chenyang op-ed)
• The defenders of the Amazon never wanted to be martyrs (New York Times, Heriberto Araujo op-ed $)
• This is how red states silence blue cities. And democracy. (New York Times, Margaret Renkl column $)
• Can California buy its way out of climate disasters? (Bloomberg, Mark Gongloff op-ed $)
• Exxon made shockingly accurate climate forecasts decades ago (Bloomberg, Mark Gongloff op-ed $)
• Regulatory rush job will be a disaster for advanced nuclear energy (The Hill, Ted Nordhaus and Adam Stein op-ed)
• A solution is in sight for the ESG controversy (Wall Street Journal, Vivek Ramaswamy op-ed $)
• The coming gas stove culture war (Wall Street Journal Editorial Board $)

The Denier Roundup will return tomorrow.

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