Administration Weighs Multiple Oil & Gas Issues: Advocates and lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to block a massive Arctic oil drilling operation and ban transporting liquified methane gas by train, all while the administration is considering creating a "climate responsible" label for some types of methane gas. A final administrative decision on ConocoPhillips' controversial Willow Project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is expected this week, and Indigenous and environmental advocates are pushing the Biden administration to reject it. Meanwhile, seven members of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation are calling on the Department of Transportation to permanently ban transport of liquified methane gas by rail as a decision from the Biden administration on the issue is expected this month. All of this comes as the Biden administration is meeting with oil and gas companies and foreign officials about setting emission reduction and carbon offset standards for what a DOE official described as potentially "climate responsible" methane gas. Methane, the main component in what the industry describes as "natural" gas, traps more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere than CO2 over a 20-year timespan. The U.S. oil and gas industry is a major source of methane pollution and a growing body of research warns the EPA is significantly underestimating methane pollution levels. (Willow: Inside Climate News; LNG Trains: Inside Climate News; Gas Newspeak: Reuters)

Oil Shareholders Want, And Get, Cash Now: Oil investors are skeptical over the long-term viability of the industry, so they are demanding — and getting — massive payouts from the superlative-defying profits the industry reaped by exploiting the Russian war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. Shareholders of 26 U.S. oil companies raked in a $128 billion windfall in 2022 via stock buybacks and dividends. This represents the "first time in at least a decade, US drillers last year spent more on share buybacks and dividends than on capital projects," according to Boomberg's analysis. The change reflects growing investor unease about the long-term health of an industry that makes its billions selling the products mainly to blame for the global climate crisis, and a desire to cash in now instead of rewarding companies for long-term investments in future extraction that will become stranded assets in a carbon-constrained future. (Bloomberg $)

190+ Countries Reach Oceans Agreement: Diplomats representing more than 190 countries reached a landmark agreement on marine biodiversity protection Saturday night. The deal, 20 years in the making and which must still be ratified by the UN, will create an international body to manage marine life and establish protected areas in the international waters that cover nearly half Earth's surface. “We only really have two major global commons — the atmosphere and the oceans,” Georgetown marine biologist Rebecca Helm told the AP. “Protecting this half of earth’s surface is absolutely critical to the health of our planet.” Climate change, plastics pollution, and the fossil fuel industry that drives both problems, as well as deep sea mining operations and industrial agriculture and fishing activity, all compound to pose a stark threat to marine life. "The ocean is also — physically — our biggest ally in the fight against climate change," Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, told the Washington Post. “Without an ocean full of marine life, it cannot continue to sequester and store carbon.” (Washington Post $, AP, Al Jazeera, CNN, The Guardian, The Independent, New York Times, Reuters, BBC, Reuters, Bloomberg $)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: America’s great home heating divide, visualized (Washington Post $) [Bookmark this! — Ed.]

GAS KNEW IN '72: The hazards of gas stoves were flagged by the industry — and hidden — 50 years ago (Grist)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: How gas from Texas becomes cooking fuel in France (Wall Street Journal $), The Russia-Ukraine war remapped the world’s energy supplies, putting the US at the top for years to come (CNBC)

9:37 🚂 TO THE PETROCHEMICAL DYSTOPIA: Fallout from toxic Ohio spill lingers a month later (The Hill), East Palestine derailment triggers ‘an uneasy feeling’ in a growing petrochemical hub (Gizmodo), What to expect at Senate hearing on Ohio derailment (E&E $), East Palestine residents erupt at town hall with Norfolk Southern official (The Hill), As EPA begins work on East Palestine cleanup, some states feel blindsided by waste disposal (The Hill), EPA orders Norfolk Southern to test for toxic chemicals in wake of fiery derailment (HuffPost, Washington Post $), Here's why it's hard to clean up toxic waste from the East Palestine train derailment (NPR), Colo. Dems point to Ohio crash in bid to halt oil project (E&E $)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: Climate change lawsuits take aim at French bank BNP Paribas (Mongabay)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Biden’s World Bank pick looks to link climate and development goals (New York Times $)

GOP vs. ESG: On Wall St., ‘socially responsible’ is common sense. In Congress, It’s political. (New York Times $), Texas anti-ESG push is coming for insurers and pensions in new bills (Bloomberg $), The week in business: the escalating battle over E.S.G. (New York Times $)

MEDIA: Cycling journalists form Escape Collective following layoffs, exodus from Outside (The Colorado Sun), Inside the panic at Fox News after the 2020 election (New York Times $)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Biden’s green subsidies kill planned Canadian biofuel refinery (Bloomberg $)

• HYDROGEN: How a tax break meant to curb climate change could make it worse (Washington Post $), Inside the fierce debate over clean hydrogen, with $100 billion in federal subsidies on the line (CNBC)

SCOTUS: The curious rise of a Supreme Court doctrine that threatens Biden’s agenda (New York Times $)

AGENCIES: Employment commission sues ExxonMobil, alleging discrimination after nooses found at facility (The Hill), Kentucky residents angered by US Forest Service logging plan that targets mature trees (Inside Climate News)

EPA: EPA mandates states report on cyber threats to water systems (AP, The Hill)

DOE: Biden admin offers $1.2 bln for distressed, shut nuclear plants (Reuters, Power)

THE HILL:  Republicans use arcane political tactic to thwart Democrats (New York Times $)

SENATE: Democrat trying to tax 'Big Oil' fundraises alongside consultant for fossil fuel companies (Washington Examiner)

ELECTIONS: Election deniers take aim at group that helps states maintain voter rolls (Washington Post $), Larry Hogan, former maryland governor and Trump critic, won’t run for president (Washington Post $)

NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Manchin indicates opposition to Biden lands nominee over internal memo (The Hill)

CITIES AND STATES: As momentum for new climate change legislation stalls in Washington, states look to pick up the slack (Yahoo), As more Americans struggle to pay power bills, states must be ‘deliberate’ in equity efforts: report (Utility Dive), Officials ready to let urban runoff swallow a cherished Virginia lake (Washington Post $), Oklahoma looking for natural gas price rigging after Kansas suit (Bloomberg $)

• MISSISSIPPI: Mississippi passes bill restricting electric car dealerships (AP, USA Today)

FERC: FERC orders PJM to revise plan for DER aggregations; Enel ‘encouraged’ that single-node limit may be lifted (Utility Dive)

IMPACTS: An unexpected reason it'll be harder to breathe as Earth warms (Gizmodo), $52.6 billion is needed to protect the NYC area from coastal storms, according to a new plan proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers (CNBC), At least 12 dead after storms sweep the South (New York Times $), For first time in more than 50 years, no ice skating on Ottawa's canal (Wall Street Journal $), Health experts say warmer Northeast winters contribute to more active deer ticks (NPR), How Alaska’s coastal communities are racing against erosion (Grist), Ski resorts are spending big on snow-making to keep ahead of climate change (Wall Street Journal $), This Ohio island has a problem: There’s no ice (New York Times $), This winter’s weird weather goes beyond climate change (Slate), Winter storms wreak havoc for millions across Midwest, South (Washington Post $)

• ART HISTORY: An early climate warning lies in the paintings of JMW Turner and Claude Monet, new research shows (Boston Globe $)
• METAPHORS: Climate change is raising flight turbulence risks. Here’s what to know. (Washington Post $), How dangerous is turbulence on airplanes? Here's what you need to know (NPR)

HEAT: Snow has been a no-show for some traditionally wintry US cities (AP), The Iditarod changes alongside Alaska’s climate (High Country News)

CALIFORNIA SNOW: California’s snowpack is approaching an all-time record, with more on the way (LA Times $) (The Guardian, The Hill), California was hit with 12 feet of snow. Is it enough to ease the drought? (Washington Post $), Yosemite National Park, blanketed by snow, is closed temporarily (NPR)

WATER: California regulators reject San Joaquin Valley groundwater management plans (LA Times $)

SOLUTIONS: 6 scholars explain what a real climate solution is (NPR)

WETLANDS: What is a ‘blue carbon’ ecosystem? (Yale Climate Connections)

EMISSIONS: Global carbon dioxide emissions reached new highs in 2022: report (The Hill)

SCIENCE: Two volcanologists on the edge of the abyss, searching for the secrets of the Earth (Inside Climate News), What we can learn from cooling past about heat-inspired climate change (WFAE)

TRANSITION POSTER CHILDREN: A New York town once thrived on fossil fuels. Now, wind energy is giving a lift. (Wall Street Journal $)

RENEWABLES: Ecuador signs deal with Solarpack for solar power project (Reuters), ‘My new solar panels and batteries should save me £1,600 this year’ (The Guardian), In big power producer Norway, plans for greener industry meet resistance (Reuters)

BATTERIES: Construction begins on controversial lithium mine in Nevada (Grist, Gizmodo), Global race to boost electric vehicle range in cold weather (AP), Houston battery recycling startup partners with Chinese company to develop plant outside Houston (Houston Chronicle), US electric vehicle batteries poised for new lithium iron age (FT $)

BUILDINGS: Massachusetts heat pump installer network has momentum in second year (Energy News Network), What is a heat pump and why does Elon Musk want to put one in your home? (Bloomberg $)

OIL & GAS: Philippines oil tanker spill prompts fears for protected marine areas (The Guardian), BP denies slowing green transition to cash in on high oil prices (FT $), [Oil & gas] Energy industry wrestles over going green too fast (Wall Street Journal $), Persistent underinvestment in the oil sector will keep global supply tight, Aramco CEO says (CNBC), Saudi Aramco CEO will not attend Houston energy conference (Reuters), Shell CEO says cutting oil and gas production is not healthy (Bloomberg $)

• OPEC?:  Oil prices turn positive after falling by $2 a barrel on a report UAE is considering leaving OPEC (CNBC), UAE officials deny report they’re considering quitting OPEC (Bloomberg $)

COAL: Alabama mining strike ends without a deal after nearly 2 years (New York Times $), China gives new backing to coal even as clean energy accelerates (Bloomberg $, Reuters), Vietnam 2023 coal imports seen falling 58% to 13.2 million tonnes - media (Reuters)

HYDROGEN: Houston hydrogen hub projects advance in race for $7B from DOE (Houston Chronicle), The hydrogen buzz ramps up (Houston Chronicle)

NUKES: Will the feds approve any of the new small modular nuclear reactors? (Canary Media)

UTILITIES: Xcel's plans for big EV charging network in Minnesota spark strong opposition (Star Tribune $)

GRID: Man arrested for blowing up PG&E transformers in San Jose, police say (ABC-7 KGO News)

EVs: Electric vehicles are shattering the barrier to adoption that could matter most (Wall Street Journal $), Honda’s CEO bets on new battery technology to catch up in EV race (Bloomberg $), In Chicago, adapting electric buses to winter’s challenges (AP), That shiny new electric car you bought will cost more to insure — here's why (Business Insider), The knives are out in China’s EV industry (Wall Street Journal $), VW to build $2bn electric vehicle plant in South Carolina (FT $), Why the New York area is seeing an explosive growth in electric cars (New York Times $)

• TESLA: Tesla China sales rise as executives dismiss demand, trade concerns (Bloomberg $), Tesla could start making cars in Mexico next year, governor says (New York Times $, Bloomberg $), Tesla recalls 3,470 Model Y vehicles over loose bolts (Reuters)

THE KIDS THESE DAYS: Miami kids eager to tackle climate change (Axios), Students learn lessons on climate change, pollution through raising salmon (NPR)

BUSINESSES: Environmental auditors approve green labels for products linked to deforestation and authoritarian regimes (Inside Climate News)

FINANCE: ESG funds hit by ‘staggering’ inflows head for issuance freeze (Bloomberg $)

OZONE: Thousands of satellites are launched into low orbit. It could harm the ozone layer. (Washington Post $)

PLANTS & SEEDS: Climate change is launching a mutant seed space race (Bloomberg $), Svalbard’s mysterious ‘doomsday’ seed vault offers first glimpse inside with virtual tour (The Guardian), Warmer UK weather adding to spread of fruit tree diseases (The Guardian)

WILDLIFE: California's brutal storms may have killed over half its monarch butterflies (Gizmodo), The missing 24-limbed animals that could help rescue the ocean’s forest (New York Times $), The race to stop starfish from melting into goo (Washington Post $), Utah wants people to eat invasive bullfrogs. Here’s how to catch them. (Washington Post $)

INTERNATIONAL: Climate activists protest Germany’s transportation policies (AP), Climate activists target art work near German parliament (AP), EU draft fast-tracks five clean sectors for shift to net zero (Bloomberg $, Reuters), European industrialists question focus of energy subsidies (FT $), Germany and EU pursue talks on deal to ban combustion engines (Bloomberg $), Japan pledges financial support to help ASEAN's decarbonisation (Reuters), NSW government called out on net zero goal as own data projects coal and gas emissions until 2050 (The Guardian), Queenslanders to be banned from dumping solar panels in landfill under new recycling program (The Guardian), Revealed: Cabinet ministers warned of legal action over UK’s failure to tackle climate crisis (The Guardian), UK’s offshore wind push at risk without more government support (Bloomberg $)

• The Cop City battle is a climate fight (Drilled Podcast, commentary)
• Willow project: Joe Biden has an opportunity to demonstrate commitment to climate action (Indian Country Today, Jade Begay op-ed $)
• Why SUVs are still a huge environmental problem (The New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert commentary $)
• The unique free rein US rail companies enjoy has led to disastrous accidents. Now they’re preparing to ship even more hazardous materials through our communities (Fortune, Maya Van Rossum op-ed)
• Automakers rush in where miners fear to tread (Reuters, Andy Home column)
• Venture capitalists swap Paris Hilton for Al Gore (Reuters, Anita Ramaswamy commentary)
• One surprising source of hope for climate change? Fiction (LA Times, Daniel Vitale op-ed $)
• Your local solar panel plant may be holding back net zero (Bloomberg, David Fickling op-ed $)
• Bay Area making climate change history by phasing out sales of gas furnaces and water heaters (LA Times Editorial Board $)
• Utah wants to disable the law that led to the creation of four of its magnificent national parks (New York Times, John Leshy op-ed $)
• Push partisan politics to the side to create bipartisan solutions to climate change (Indianapolis Star, Makenzie Binford and Christopher Bove op-ed)
• Want to save the climate? Buy a coal mine (The Hill, Scott Brown op-ed)
• Is environmental justice momentum slowing? (The Hill, Shanna Edberg op-ed)
• A bipartisan energy policy designed to take on China  (The Hill, Xan Fishman op-ed)
• Why permitting reform really is key to our clean energy future (The Hill, Christopher Barnard op-ed)
• Why Joe Biden’s ‘green new world’ is an expensive mess (The Hill, Liz Peek op-ed)

GOP's Greenwashers Aren't Reducing Emissions, but Might Be Radicalizing Mass Murderers

February is the shortest month of the year, but that doesn't mean there wasn't time for the Republican self-greenwash campaign to land an op-ed in the Washington Examiner claiming that "conservatives can lead on conservation and climate solutions." Sure they can, but is there any evidence that they have, or ever will? 

No, and no honest evidence to the contrary is offered in this op-ed co-authored by Benji "how can I make tea?" Backer, someone from Koch/Exxon/etc-funded climate denial front group PERC, someone from C3Solutions (which is sending denier Nicolas Loris to be the GOP's witness for Wednesday's congressional budget hearing on wildfires), and the president of ConservAmerica, one of the oldest groups to pretend the GOP will protect the people over polluters.  

As we've tracked, the mostly Faison-funded GOP greenwashing effort has been successful in changing how some Republicans talk about climate, kicking things into high gear to mobilize against the Green New Deal. They have admittedly made some progress in getting the GOP's hardline pro-fossil-fuel agenda to appear more moderate to voters who would prefer not to burn alive in a fiery hellscape sponsored by ExxonMobil. But they haven't actually gotten any elected Republicans anywhere to support any policy that would actually address the primary cause of climate change: burning fossil fuels. 

That's not to say they haven't been influential. It's just that their target audience of environmentally-minded conservatives would rather murder people of color than support real climate policy, which is why we shouldn't militarize climate change.  

Case in point is a recent Federalist story, complaining about an Anti-Defamation League report showing that 25 out of 25 of American extremism-related murders in 2022 were committed by right-wing extremists. The Federalist’s John Lott Jr. considered the report "fatally flawed" because "it assumes that every racist is automatically a 'right-winger.'" To prove his contention, he points to the fact that the mass murderer who targeted Black people in Buffalo was "anything buy a 'right-winger'" because he was "motivated by environmentalism." 

Lott then quotes the "eco-fascist national socialist" killer's manifesto (ew) as though "fascist national socialist" wasn't a giveaway that the killer was, in fact, right wing. 

Lott's other example was the Colorado Springs killer, who attacked an LGBTQ+ bar. Despite the murderer hosting a "white supremacist" website, Lott said he's not a right-winger because the killer claimed to use they/them pronouns, "hardly something done by most conservatives," unless they're trolling. 

Then Lott has to dip into past years, and again comes up with an eco-fascist who was rabidly anti-immigrant and voraciously consumed right-wing anti-immigrant media, but totally was left-wing because his racism was supposedly rooted in "a crazy environmentalist determination to reduce the human population by whatever means necessary" which "echoes politicians on the left, not the right." 

Does it though? Or does it just take the left-bashing environmental messaging of supposedly climate-concerned conservative groups, and fit it squarely within the racist right-wing ideology of white supremacy, something that the aforementioned groups also play into?  

We certainly have thoughts, but this seems like a question for the people regularly writing about how conservatives should care about the climate but not enough to reduce emissions. They should probably figure this out before someone in their target audience goes on another racist shooting spree. 

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