FIRST LOOK: 

Exxon's Climate Predictions Increase Legal Peril: Recent revelations about the extent and precision of Exxon's understanding of the global climate crisis its product causes may have increased its legal jeopardy, with the oil and gas major facing dozens of lawsuits across the U.S. for deceiving consumers about its products' impacts, The Guardian reports. Research published last week in Science found Exxon scientists in the 1970s “pretty much nailed these predictions with incredible accuracy," as Alyssa Johl, vice-president of legal at the Center for Climate Integrity told The Guardian. The findings showing the company's scientific understanding of climate belied its public statements of doubt, "are consistent with what we alleged in our lawsuit,” New Jersey attorney general Matthew Platkin, told the Guardian. “This study only increases our resolve to hold them accountable in court.” (The Guardian)

Melting Sea Ice Could Increase Threatens Polar Bears, People: The recent deaths of a mother and her son in a polar bear attack in Wales, Alaska, are raising concerns about the impacts of climate change on polar bear populations, with melting sea ice potentially leading to more interactions with humans as the bears are forced ashore. While this was the first fatal attack in over 30 years, with just 73 documented polar bear attacks between 1870 and 2014, the disproportionate global warming in Earth's polar regions is increasingly melting the sea ice the bears rely upon for hunting. Polar bears are listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act, with sea ice loss described as their primary threat. “Animals in poor body condition are just more likely to take risks. They’re more likely to be desperate and to do things that a healthy bear typically wouldn’t do," Geoff York of Polar Bears International, told the Washington Post. "And those are the bears specifically that people have to be worried about.” (Washington Post $, Newsweek, NPR, AP; Climate Signals background: Arctic amplification, Sea ice decline)

'Wood Banks' Provide Critical Heat As Gas Prices Spike: With methane gas heating bills projected to be 28% higher than last winter, "wood banks" have become increasingly critical sources of heating fuel for people living on low- and fixed-incomes, the Guardian reports. About half of U.S. homes burn methane gas for heat, making those families especially vulnerable to price shocks driven by gas exports and geopolitical events. There are more than 100 official wood banks in the U.S. in addition to many other unofficial locations run by local charities and community groups. “I feel bad supplying firewood, when what they should be doing is going to cleaner sources of heating their homes,” Tony Aman, an arborist who co-founded Maine's Downeast Wood Bank in 2021, “But when you’re stretched for money, especially if you’re in poverty or disabled, it makes it very difficult to afford that conversion.” Maine does have a program to cover the cost of a heat pump for eligible homeowners, installing 80,000 heat pumps since 2019. (The Guardian)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Coal power stations fired up again as UK cold snap bites (The Guardian), Germany beat Putin’s energy squeeze. But for how long? (Bloomberg $), Germany publishes plans to hit 30 GW offshore wind target in 2030 (Reuters), UK's National Grid to pay people to use less power amid cold snap (Reuters)

GAS STOVES: 5 myths about gas stoves, the latest culture war clash (Vox), Legendary chef Alice Waters 'absolutely ready to go electric' on stoves (Yahoo), Gas stoves became part of the culture war in less than a week. Here's why (NPR), How gas stoves became part of America’s raging culture wars (Inside Climate News), No one is coming for your gas stove anytime soon (New York Times $), What we know about natural gas cooktops in WA (Seattle Times), Why the debate over banning gas stoves isn’t over (Wall Street Journal $), [See the Denier Roundup for more on what the industry knew, and when they knew it, below. —Ed.]

LITERAL TRASH FIRES: A noxious underground landfill fire has burned for weeks in Alabama (Gizmodo)

EPA: EPA eyes FOIA tweaks to boost environmental justice (E&E $), EPA plans enforcement push on climate, 'forever chemicals' (E&E $), Rumors swirl: Is EPA’s Regan running for governor? (E&E $), Texas environmentalists look to EPA for action on methane, saying state agencies have ‘failed US’ (Inside Climate News)

DOI: Greens sue Biden over Texas oil export project (E&E $), Haaland to promote Florida Everglades restoration work (E&E $)

TREASURY: Yellen breaks ground on rural electrification project in Senegal (Reuters)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: How vulnerable is Wall Street to climate change? The Fed wants to find out (Salon), Toxic exposure victims slam military, DOJ for delaying their pursuit of justice (The Hill)

WHITE HOUSE: White House aims to reflect the environment in economic data (New York Times $), Biden, Harris link climate inaction to Western disasters (E&E $), Kamala Harris visits L.A. stormwater project in wake of record-setting rains (LA Times $), How Biden can meet his 100% clean electricity goal (Washington Post $), AP sources: Biden to pick Zients as his next chief of staff (AP, Washington Post $, Politico Pro $)

THE HILL: Energy and environment lobbyists brace for whirlwind 2023 (E&E News), These 6 GOP leaders will shift Congress on climate (Washington Post $)

HOUSE: Faucets in McCarthy’s district are running dry after years of drought. Constituents want him to do more (CNN), House Republicans seek to roll back Biden’s solar policy (E&E News)

ELECTIONS: Tim Kaine to run for third Senate term (E&E $)

CITIES AND STATES: The unexpected barrier preventing American small towns from accessing federal climate funds (Grist), State lawmakers propose power grid protections after attacks (AP), Minnesota moves swiftly on 100% clean electricity bill (E&E $), Arizona faces an existential dilemma: Import water or end its housing boom (TIME), An Arizona community is suing Scottsdale over newly dry taps (Gizmodo), N.M. lawmakers seek expanded payments for wildfire victims (E&E $)

• TEXAS: How Texas’ electricity plan could change the grid (E&E News), Texas regulators adopt performance credit in market overhaul proceeding, teeing up battle with lawmakers (Utility Dive)
• CALIFORNIA: California slashed rooftop solar payments. Now opponents want a rehearing (LA Times $), California has a gas-price mystery: Too high, but why? (Wall Street Journal $), In soaked California, few homeowners have flood insurance (AP)

FERC: FERC acting Chairman Phillips says priorities are reliability, transmission and environmental justice (Utility Dive), FERC meeting: Staff shuffles, EJ and a cyber rule (E&E $)

WORKERS: Unions are in decline. What it means for Biden's climate goals. (E&E $), Labor unions urge president Biden to resist foreign pressure on EV tax credits (Wall Street Journal $, Reuters)

IMPACTS: ‘Super-tipping points’ could trigger cascade of climate action (The Guardian), Climate change means warmer winters — but not the end of snowstorms (Yale Climate Connections), Death toll in Buffalo's historic December blizzard rises to 47 (Axios), Microscopic dust from desert storms has been hiding the true extent of global warming, study finds (CBS), Study: Trauma from climate disaster can change brain function (The Hill), Temps in one of Earth’s coldest corners hit a 1,000-year high (E&E News), This snowplow driver just started his own service. But warmer winters threaten it (NPR)

CALIFORNIA STORMS: Storm flooding compounds misery for California farms and workers (LA Times $), 32 trillion gallons of water in 3 weeks: California storms by the numbers (Washington Post $), Before and after: see the impact of California storms from space (Washington Post $), Environmental rules stoke anger as California lets precious stormwater wash out to sea (LA Times $)

DROUGHT: Why heavy winter rain and snow won't be enough to pull the West out of a megadrought (NPR)

WATER: Colorado riverkeeper says day of reckoning is here: ‘This river can’t sustain 40 million people’ (LA Times $), The West’s snow boom could ease the water crisis. But experts worry more hot, dry weather is coming (CNN)

DEFORESTATION: Logging is one of the many industries affected by higher temperatures this winter (NPR), Brazil launches first raids against Amazon tree-cutters under Lula’s new government (Climate Home, AP)

EDUCATION: Harvard Medical School votes to embed climate change in its curriculum (Boston Globe $), 'Heat Ready Schools’ project helps schools keep students safe during extreme heat (Yale Climate Connections)

RENEWABLES: Clean energy gains a foothold in India, but coal still rules (AP), Developer claims $360M loss on N.Y. offshore wind project (E&E $), Investors plow into renewables, but projects aren’t getting built (Wall Street Journal $), Siemens energy’s troubles mount on wind turbine flaws (Bloomberg $), UK offshore wind push at risk of stalling without higher prices (Bloomberg $)

BATTERIES: GM, LG scrap plans to partner on fourth US battery factory (Wall Street Journal $), States see lithium rush for EVs as environmentalists urge caution (The Hill), US strikes at China with EV battery deal (E&E News)

OIL & GAS: Pottstown community still frightened 8 months after gas explosion, new odors (Delaware County Daily Times), The offshore oil business is gushing again (Wall Street Journal $)

PLASTICS: Are single-use coffee pods really more environmentally friendly? (NPR, NPR), Scientists search for enzymes to kill undying plastic bottles (E&E $)

COAL: WVa governor’s family coal firm agrees to reclaim mines (AP)

NUKES: NRC finalizes approval of first advanced small nuclear reactor design (Politico Pro $, Washington Examiner), Nuclear power gets another look in ‘all-of-the-above’ energy approach as climate worries mount (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: Consumers Energy OK’d to raise electric rates, must double rooftop solar (Michigan Live), California counties sue PG&E over wildfire (E&E $), Critics say Duke Energy needs to move faster on solar to hit 2030 climate target (Energy News Network), NARUC digs into commercial EV charging rates as federal government requires states to review offers (Utility Dive)

EVs: 2023 Philadelphia Auto Show features more electric vehicles and more ways to ride in cars (Philadelphia Inquirer), Hertz to help cities go electric, starting in Denver (Axios), Tesla just started an EV price war that it will likely win (Electrek), Tesla’s price cuts are good for lithium (Wall Street Journal $), While electric vehicles are all over the roads, how prevalent are they really? (Washington Examiner)

AVIATION: Hydrogen-powered aviation reaches milestone with ZeroAvia’s flight (Canary Media, Axios, TIME, CNN), UAE companies explore production of sustainable aviation fuel with BP (Reuters)

AGRICULTURE: Agricultural research funding has dropped, impacting the fight against climate change (NPR), Could curbing cow burps slow global warming? (Wall Street Journal $)

FOOD: How solar-powered refrigerators could cool down climate change (Modern Farmer), How food labels can help tackle climate change (The Independent), Climate crisis and neglect threaten Spain’s saffron crop (The Guardian)

UTENSILS: Is that fork really biodegradable? Companies may soon have to prove it. (Washington Post $)

DAVOS: 'Keep it in the ground' Greta Thunberg tells protest at end of WEF (Reuters), Big oil comes in from the cold on energy transition (Reuters), From green subsidies to chips, Davos debates reflect a world in flux (CNN), Leaders at World Economic Forum to face reality of climate change on Swiss slopes (NBC)

CARBON PRICING: Can wild carbon markets be tamed? (E&E News), New carbon offset standards ‘should bring greater scrutiny’ (The Guardian), WTO chief calls for global carbon pricing (The Hill)

CARBON REMOVAL: Diamonds are in the air (New York Times $)

TV: What zombie show ‘The Last Of Us’ gets right about fungus in a warming world (Washington Post $)

IN MEMORIAM: Climate activists and water protectors honor pipeline resister Joye Braun with a national day of action (Waging Nonviolence)

WILDLIFE: A rare plant got endangered species protection this week, but already faces threats to its habitat (Inside Climate News), Bird deaths over New Mexico possibly due to climate change (AP), Honey bees are not in peril. These bees are. (Vox), Scientists discover emperor penguin colony in Antarctica using satellite images (The Guardian)

INTERNATIONAL: Canada's energy jobs transition bill sparks discord in oil heartland (Reuters), Climate change puts Romania stability at risk, central bank says (Bloomberg $), Colombia announces halt on fossil fuel exploration for a greener economy (The Guardian), Four countries urge EU to set end date for new CO2-emitting trucks (Reuters), France’s CGT union plans strike this week in energy sector (Bloomberg $), France’s finance minister: Europe needs to invest in its own green technology (CNBC), Labour would expand windfall tax to freeze energy price cap (Bloomberg $), Labour’s Rachel Reeves aiming to be ‘Britain’s first green chancellor’ (The Guardian)

• New Democratic majority should focus on Great Lakes protection, restoration (Detroit Free Press, Michael Shriberg op-ed)
• Is it warm in this winter wonderland? Or is it just me? (Bloomberg, Brooke Sample op-ed $)
• The climate crisis threatens economic stability – why are central bankers divided? (The Guardian, Howard Davies op-ed)
• This is an era of plentiful, cheap, renewable energy, but the fossil fuel dinosaurs can’t admit it (The Guardian, Zoe Williams op-ed)
• Older voters know exactly what’s at stake, and they’ll be here for quite a while (New York Times, Bill McKibben and Akaya Windwood op-ed $)
• There’s one big climate fight that California is losing (LA Times, Michael W. Beck op-ed $)
• As flood waters rise, outdated standards make the nation unsafe (The Hill, Rob Moore op-ed)
• What will ‘weather whiplash’ mean for California? (New York Times, Farhad Manjoo column $)
• Despite ALL the warnings about fossil fuel, we're going the wrong way (MSNBC, Ali Velshi commentary)
• How will geoengineering work? Time for some game theory (Bloomberg, Tyler Cowen op-ed $)
• Britain’s battery boondoggle goes bust (Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal Editorial Board $)
• Biden’s climate policies thwart Black progress (Boston Herald, Donna Jackson op-ed)

Since 1907, The Methane Gas Industry's Known Gas Stoves Are Dangerous

In 2023, in response to a new study showing that over one in eight cases of childhood asthma can be attributed to gas stove use, the methane gas industry attacked the study as "not substantiated by sound science," invoking a phrase popularized by the tobacco industry. The American Gas Association’s statement implied that inquiries into the negative health effects of gas stoves are a new phenomenon, writing that "as concerns over emissions from gas ranges are raised and debated," the trade association would "continue to work with regulators and policymakers to help ensure they have sound data to work with." 

This could not be further from the truth. In fact, the industry should support recently-proposed regulations requiring gas stoves to be sold with ventilation hoods because it itself has recognized the vital importance of ventilating gas stoves for over a hundred years. 

Concerns about the health effects of gas stoves have existed since the 1800s. As early as 1839, "the injurious effects of an excess of nitrogen and carbonic acid gas" from gas stoves were already "too well known to require comment," according to a text on heating and ventilating public buildings and apartments.

Since at least the early 1900s, the methane gas industry has known about the dangers of exposure to gas stove emissions in unventilated rooms. In the Proceedings of the Natural Gas Association of America from 1909, on page 193, that association's President Mitchell said he believes "the association will go on record" that "no gas of any kind should go into a heating stove without a flue connection." The following day of the group's second annual meeting in 1907 opened with just that question, and debate ensued, with one person offering that they "cannot be responsible for people's carelessness." Ultimately, the group concluded that "we condemn any appliance installed in such a manner as to permit the products of combustion to enter the room."

However, these early concerns did not stop the methane gas industry from aggressively promoting its toxic product. On page 249 of the Proceedings, the group discusses the need for "constant advertising" about "the merits of gas as fuel" to gin up customers, such as the baker who "must be taught that no heat is more easily regulated: that the even temperature necessary for baking may be obtained from natural gas heat."

In 1928, a San Diego public health official cited the American Gas Association's "experimentation" on carbon monoxide poisoning, which found that "a good deal depends upon intelligent installation of the proper gas appliances." While proper installation is indeed important, the AGA’s work seemed to essentially deflect blame onto consumers of second-hand stoves, stoves "which have never been inspected or approved by the American Gas Association," and those that lack "proper ventilation." 

In the following decades, the science behind the health consequences of gas stoves has strengthened. In 1947, MIT research chemist Richard Berger wrote in "To Prevent Cancer" that " the housewife who doesn’t smoke may make most of her carcinogenic contacts with coal tars from the kitchen stove (when coal or gas fired)" and that "Measured in terms of freedom from generation of carcinogenic irritants, electric heat (because it has no combustion products) is ideal for cooking and heating." 

(Side note: by 1958, the American Petroleum Institute's Smoke and Fumes' Committee on air pollution reported spending about a quarter-million dollars a year on research—about $2.5 million in today's dollars.)

In 1977, researchers found "boys and girls from homes in which gas was used for cooking" had "more cough," chest colds and bronchitis, and "concluded that elevated levels of oxides from nitrogen arising from the combustion of gas might be the cause of the increased respiratory illness." A follow-up in 1979 concurred: "The prevalence of one or more respiratory symptoms or diseases was higher in children from homes where gas was used for cooking than in those from homes where electricity was used." 

The twin asthmatic influence of tobacco smoking and gas cooking was noted as early as 1983: "exposure of children during the first two years of life to gas cooking or cigarette smoking appears to be associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for respiratory illness."

Despite a century of "Cooking With Gas" advertisements, convincing people since 1909 that gas is great for baking and despite years of home renovation TV sponsorships, it looks like the industry conveniently forgot to let people know that it's dangerous not to ventilate your gas stove. 

The lack of public awareness about kitchen ventilation is evident in several more modern studies. In a 2007 survey, some 39% of California households never, rarely, or only sometimes used their kitchen exhaust fans while using the stovetop. A 2014 study found that while asthma rates were lower in children whose parents ventilated their gas stoves, over half of the families surveyed did not do so.

Gas stoves are the only gas appliance that isn't required to have outdoor ventilation, and many people, particularly renters in low-income urban areas already facing a disproportionate impact from climate change and industrial pollution, simply do not have any ventilation for their stoves. 

The health consequences of gas stoves have been "raised and debated" since at least 1839, and the methane gas industry admitted to the need for proper ventilation of gas stoves as early as 1909. However, in 2023, over one hundred years later, the industry is choosing to completely reject even the most basic regulations of their toxic product, while Republicans are promising that you'll have to pry their gas stoves out of their cold, dead hands. 

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