FIRST LOOK: 

'Band-Aid On A Bullet Hole': Texans Not Buying New LNG Plant's CCS Greenwash: The proposed Rio Grande LNG export facility near Port Isabel, Texas, would pollute their community and local environment, hurt the local shrimping and tourism industries, and exacerbate climate change, community advocates say. “This is a poor community, yes. We’re not saying we don’t need jobs,” said Dina Nuñez, of Vecinos para el Bienestar de la Comunidad Costera (VBCC). “But we don’t need work that affects the environment, and ultimately, the health of the community.” Local activists like Bekah Hinojosa, a Brownsville artist, community organizer, and Gulf Coast campaign representative for the Sierra Club, also decry the company's claims it would capture the facility's carbon pollution as little more than "trying to put a Band-Aid on a bullet hole." The plans to capture the facility's carbon pollution would only address 6-7% of the facility's overall climate pollution, which would be as much as 163 million tons per year (about as much as 44 coal plants, or more than 35 million cars). “CCS was always greenwash for oil and gas production," Australia Institute carbon market expert Polly Hemming said. "Carbon credits for CCS for oil and gas production is greenwash on top of the greenwash." (The Guardian)

Record Heat Fuels Extreme Fires In Chile: At least 24 people are dead and nearly 1,000 are injured as over 260 wildfires rage across Chile, fueled by a heatwave with record-breaking temperatures. The 104°F (40°C) heat is hampering efforts to battle the fires, which have burned more acres in the last week than what usually burns in a year, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá told reporters. “The evolution of climate change shows us again and again that this has a centrality and a capacity to cause an impact that we have to internalize much more,” Tohá said. “Chile is one of the countries with the highest vulnerability to climate change, and this isn’t theory but rather practical experience.” (Reuters, The Guardian, AP, Washington Post $, CNN, New York Times $)

Oil & Gas-Backed Disinfo Campaign Gets Setback Referendum On 2024 Ballot, Delays Implementation: Last August, California passed Senate Bill 1137, which banned new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, day and health care facilities, jails, parks, and businesses open to the public. Oil and gas companies began working, and spending, immediately to file a referendum to overturn the law. That effort, to allow drilling near homes and schools, included asking voters to sign a petition to prevent oil companies from drilling near homes and schools. It has now gathered the required number of signatures to put a referendum on the November 2024 ballot, and delay enforcement of the legislation for more than 18 months. The Western States Petroleum Association spent $7.3 million on California lobbying last year, more than any other entity, and a coalition of oil firms spent more than $18 million on the referendum between when the law was signed on September 16 and November 24 of last year. Even if the November 2024 referendum ultimately upholds the law, its enforcement is now barred until then. (AP, Politico Pro $; State Lobbying: Politico Pro $)

ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE: California farmworkers cope with wildfire smoke, pesticides, roaches and rodents, survey says (CAL Matters, Fresno Bee), Climate disasters hit poor people hardest. There’s an obvious solution to that. (Vox), These Black women are changing TV weather, a field long dominated by white men (Washington Post $)

COP28: UAE oil company employees given roles in office hosting COP28 (The Guardian)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: G-7, EU reach agreement on Russian oil products price cap (Politico Pro $, TIME), Europe is set to ramp up its oil war against Russia — and markets are bracing for more disruption (CNBC), Europe hopes its latest Russian energy purge is another nonevent (Wall Street Journal $), How Putin’s plans to blackmail Europe over gas supply failed (The Guardian), Russia sanctions challenge tight US diesel market (Wall Street Journal $), Western sanctions push Russian oil and energy revenue to lowest point since 2020 (Washington Examiner)

FREEPORT LNG: Freeport to restart liquefaction train at Texas LNG export plant this week (Reuters)

STOVES: Gas stove makers have a pollution solution. They're just not using it (NPR), Gas stoves: Igniting a new range war (CBS), The forgotten gas stove wars (Vox), DC bill would offer incentives to switch from gas stoves to electric (Washington Post $), Amid gas-stove debate, some makers bet on induction (Wall Street Journal $), Worried about having a gas stove? Here’s how to limit risks. (Washington Post $)

PETROCHEM TRAINS: Officials urge evacuation near derailment, fearing explosion (AP, CNN, NBC)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: India’s G-20 energy meet to balance renewables, fossil fuels (AP), US companies say EU climate goals are deterring new gas deals (FT $)

DENIAL: Energy CEO fights climate science. And LinkedIn. North Face, too. (Wall Street Journal $)

GOP vs. ESG: Republicans seek quick rollback of water, ESG rules (E&E News, The Hill), Freshman Schmitt [R-MO] brings anti-ESG campaign to Senate (Washington Examiner), The right’s anti-ESG crusader (Axios)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Not to be outdone, the EU commits $270 billion to its own Green New Deal (Grist), Paris, Berlin to call for subsidy transparency during US trip (Politico Pro $), French, German ministers to tell US not to poach EU investments (Reuters),

SCOTUS: How the Supreme Court could finally force big oil to face trial (Grist)

AGENCIES: Environmental equity report card for agencies gets final touches (Bloomberg Law), What is permitting reform? Here’s a primer on the drive to fast track energy projects—both clean and fossil fuel (Inside Climate News)

DOE: DOE grant to China-linked firm draws bipartisan scrutiny (E&E $), The man in charge of how the US spends $400bn to shift away from fossil fuels (The Guardian)

DOI: 10th Circuit cites NEPA to reject Chaco oil leases (E&E $)

TREASURY: Treasury makes more electric SUVs eligible for tax credits (AP, Wall Street Journal $, Politico Pro $, E&E $)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: A climate scientist is evaluating America’s spy programs (E&E News), SEC considers easing climate-disclosure rules after investor pushback (Wall Street Journal $, Politico Pro $, Washington Examiner)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden unveiled $500 million for Philly lead pipe replacement as he aims to show how his infrastructure bill has worked (Philadelphia Inquirer), Shrinking Colorado River hands Biden his first climate brawl (Politico)

THE HILL: Lawmakers pressure Biden on mining, EV strategy (E&E $)

HOUSE: Republicans erase ‘environmental justice’ from documents (E&E News), Oversight chair blasts Kerry for US-China climate talks (E&E $), US Rep. Huizenga to lead Republicans against SEC's climate change rule (Detroit Free Press), Republicans unveil Inflation Reduction Act repeal bill (E&E), 

SENATE: Manchin pushes DOE to invest in coal that earned him millions (E&E News), 4 takeaways from Manchin energy hearing (E&E News), Schumer mocks GOP: ‘Nobody is taking away your gas stove’ (The Hill)

ELECTIONS: Dianne Feinstein's extremely awkward, very uncomfortable exit from the political stage (Politico)

CITIES AND STATES: Minnesota to require 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 (Grist), A hidden challenge for Minneapolis climate goals: Shoddy insulation (Energy News Network), Gov. Moore commits funding for 67 hires in Maryland's embattled environment department, hoping to fix wastewater treatment woes (Inside Climate News), Louisiana's climate action plan sees billions pledged to reduce emissions after first year (NOLA.com), Pennsylvania advocates issue intent to sue Shell’s new petrochemical plant outside Pittsburgh for emissions violations (Inside Climate News), 

• TEXAS: Texas cities debate costly infrastructure investments in age of extreme weather (Texas Tribune), Texas leaders' plan to fight power outages ignores clean tech (TIME)
• CALIFORNIA: California healthy soil initiatives must recognize historical racial injustice (Prism Reports), California town wonders if restored floodplain prevented disaster (Reuters), 'Shockingly high' California natural gas bills face scrutiny (E&E $), Three ambitious climate bills to watch in California (Washington Post $)

FERC: FERC grants Great River transmission incentives as commissioner decries consumer impacts (Utility Dive)

DEEP FREEZE: Arctic chill brings record low temperatures to the northeast (NPR), Extreme cold snaps: Why temperatures still plummet to dangerous levels even as the planet warms (CNN, NPR), Wholesale power prices spike in US Northeast as arctic blast arrives (Reuters)

• TEXAS: Hundreds of thousands without power in Texas after deadly ice storm (Axios), Gov. Greg Abbott issues disaster declaration for Texas ice storm (Texas Tribune), 'Hunting for warm places to go': Austinites cope as outages linger (Texas Tribune)

IMPACTS: In Louisiana, climate change threatens the preservation of history (Inside Climate News), California communities are recovering from the storm, and hoping for a long-term plan (NPR), Climate change and a population boom could dry up the Great Salt Lake in 5 years (NPR), A fisherman died in 1952. Could climate change be to blame? (The Atlantic), Clue to rising sea levels lies in DNA of 4m-year-old octopus, scientists say (The Guardian), Fungal infections are spreading and climate change is to blame (Newsweek), January was the warmest on record for millions (Axios), Should we start preparing for the evacuation of Miami? (The Nation), Utility workers are seeing the consequences of increasingly extreme weather firsthand (Yale Climate Connections), Winter storms in California will become more intense as climate change accelerates, study finds (Capital Public Radio)

WILDFIRES: A double whammy: Wildfire debris pollutes drinking water (Yale Climate Connections)

WATER: States have proposals, but no consensus, on curbing water shortages in Colorado river basin (Inside Climate News), The Colorado river drought crisis: How did this happen? Can it be fixed? (Washington Post $)

RENEWABLES: $2.5B transmission line could 'unlock' shared renewables (E&E $), Sunrun partners with startup Lunar Energy to operate nationwide portfolio of virtual power plants (Utility Dive), The hidden hydropower potential in man-made waterways (Wall Street Journal $)

OIL & GAS: China’s Mideast buildup stirs security worries for US (Politico), Oil industry’s windfall fails to excite Wall Street (Wall Street Journal $), Shell rakes in $40B profit. What’s next for low-carbon work? (E&E $), There are signs a stronger China rebound will boost oil: IEA (Bloomberg $)

PIPELINES: Illinois county offered payments to back Navigator carbon dioxide pipeline (Energy News Network)

COAL: Coal ash along the shores of the Great Lakes threatens water quality as residents rally for change (Inside Climate News), Despite billions to get off coal, why is Indonesia still building new coal plants? (NPR)

HYDROGEN: France leads push for EU to boost nuclear-produced hydrogen (Reuters), There’s a buzz about green hydrogen. But pink, produced using nuclear, may have a huge role to play too (CNBC)

EVs: Can the power grid handle a wave of new electric vehicles? (Wall Street Journal $), Carmaker BMW to invest around $870 million in Mexico in EV push (Reuters)

AGRICULTURE: Americans want farm subsidies to go to human food, not animal feed: survey (The Hill)

BUSINESSES: Ryan Gellert wants Patagonia to be part of the environmental solution (Wall Street Journal $)

ART HISTORY: Did Claude Monet chronicle 19th-century air pollution? (E&E News)

NUKES: Small modular nuclear reactors: The race is on to actually build them (Canary Media)

WEEEEEE!: US skiers to don climate change-themed race suits at worlds (AP)

CARS: BMW wants to hitch a hydrogen ride at future truck stations (Bloomberg $)

FOOD: Fake meat fad hits the chopping block (Axios)

FINANCE: Billionaire investor Křetínský and trader Vitol eye fortune in British power plant subsidies (The Guardian), Can voluntary net-zero initiatives save us from a fossil fuel financial crash? (Energy Monitor), World’s biggest investment fund warns directors to tackle climate crisis or face sack (The Guardian)

CEMENT: Concrete traps CO2 soaked from air in climate-friendly test (Reuters)

GRETA: No, Greta Thunberg did not say climate change is a hoax (USA Today Fact Check)

WILDLIFE: Experts explain why humpback whales are washing up on the east coast (NPR), UK butterflies vanish from nearly half of the places they once flew – study (The Guardian)

INTERNATIONAL: Bolivia will take action against climate crisis (Prensa Latina), Brazil says it’s started sinking an old warship, hazardous material and all (New York Times $), Colombia gets $70m from new global renewable integration fund (Climate Home), India, France, UAE to work on climate change, biodiversity (AP), Italy gets cold feet over EU greener buildings plan (Reuters), Malaysia lags on renewable energy, threatening climate goals (Context), Essential insects in East Asia have declined massively, study finds (Washington Post $)

• In the global race to dominate green technology, Britain is still tying its shoelaces (The Guardian, Andrew Rawnsley op-ed)
• How does climate change threaten global food production? (Context, Corey Lesk and Kai Kornhuber op-ed)
• How policymakers can tackle power shutoffs, utility greed and the climate emergency  (The Hill, Selah Goodson Bell, Shelby Gree, and Christopher Kuveke op-ed)
• Strong pollution standards can ensure decarbonization of the power sector (The Hill, Dan Lashof op-ed)
• They were proud Houston homeowners. Then it all fell apart. (New York Times, Jake Bittle op-ed $)
• Cities would literally be much cooler with more trees (Bloomberg, Lara Williams op-ed $)
• ‘Last Of Us’ keeping you up? Here’s the true danger of killer fungi. (Bloomberg, Lisa Jarvis op-ed $)
• Get the most from federal energy and infrastructure dollars (The Hill, William S. Becker op-ed)
• China ban would slow, not halt, Western solar push (Reuters, Lisa Jucca op-ed)
• Europe’s big players should copy Joe Biden’s green deal – not revert to old ways (The Guardian, Lorenzo Marsili op-ed)
• Are California school kids drinking water tainted with lead? We don’t know, and that’s the problem (LA Times Editorial Board $)
• The Colorado river is disappearing. Here’s how to replenish it. (Bloomberg, Mark Gongloff op-ed $)
• New England policymakers have the tech and funds for energy security. They just need to act. (Utility Dive, Mike Judge op-ed)
• Fight climate threats with change, adaptability (NOLA.com Editorial Board)
• The Great Salt Lake is disappearing. Utah has 45 days to save it (LA Times, Stephen Trimble op-ed $)
• Gaslighting over gas stoves (The Hill, Jason Hayes op-ed)
• Banning gas stoves by regulation (Wall Street Journal Editorial Board $)

GOP Demands Climate Action From China, Gets Mad at John Kerry for Facilitating Exactly That

One of the growing themes we unfortunately expect to continue to grow this year is the classic "but what about China!" excuse, which contends that the US shouldn't have to clean up its emissions if China isn't cleaning up theirs. 

While there are certainly legitimate criticisms to be made regarding the Chinese government's human rights abuses of the Uyghur people, arguing that we should pollute more if China pollutes doesn't even make sense! If China's polluting more, then the US would have to cut emissions even faster to protect the climate! One could even imagine that if the GOP were working in the interest of the US and not the fossil fuel industry, they would promote renewables specifically to "beat" China in the race to dominate 21st century energy. 

Instead, what we have is a Republican party that says that China's continued coal and oil use is a reason for the US to continue burning fossil fuels, thereby denying the impacts of climate change and/or accepting that if we're all going to burn, we might as well burn with American Freedom Gas.

Meanwhile, politicians who act like adults (and not spoiled children mad that their sick sibling gets to stay home all day and watch cartoons while they have to go to school) are actually doing the hard work of trying to find ways to get China to reduce emissions more quickly. 

John Kerry, specifically, is continuing work started during the Obama administration to coax China to cut carbon pollution further and faster. And instead of recognizing this progress and adjusting their perspective accordingly, Republicans who were just lamenting that China wasn't reducing its emissions are now attacking Kerry and the Biden administration for working with China to reduce their emissions. 

Newly empowered with the House Oversight Committee, Congressional Republicans are using their investigative authority to look into “Kerry's negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party.” 

And in case you were wondering if this were a serious inquiry with legitimate target documents or an unwarranted fishing trip by Republicans who have nothing to do but try and re-run the "but her emails" play, consider the specificity of their request. 

They're not asking for Kerry's emails with a particular person or branch of the Chinese government because they have some circumstantial evidence of wrongdoing or even a rumor that someone may be up to something shady.  

Instead, they're casting the net as wide as possible in hopes of finding something useful and  asking for every single email Kerry's Special Presidential Envoy for Climate office has sent or received from anyone outside the office. They want "all documents and communications between any individual or individuals" in his office and "any third party, including but not limited to any environmental advocacy group or foreign government official.”

Kerry's office has until February 16 to turn over their entire email archive to the Oversight Committee. At that point, the Committee could consider subpoenas, and while it'd be quite a stretch for them to demand every email, one wonders if they'd stop there. Why not ask for Kerry's used napkins next—maybe someone slipped him a note written in ketchup? 

Seriously though, if it wasn't obvious, Republicans aren't mad that Kerry may be working with China to reduce its emissions. 

They're mad because if he's successful in doing so, Kerry will rob them of one of their last best excuses for their continued loyalty to fossil fuels. 

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 ($)