UN Synthesis Report A 'Survival Guide For Humanity': The world's nations can prevent the worst of the already-mounting impacts of the climate crisis by taking aggressive action to cut fossil fuel use in the next decade, UN scientists warn. “The climate time-bomb is ticking,” UN Secretary General António Guterres told reporters Monday. “But today’s IPCC report is a how-to guide to defuse the climate time-bomb. It is a survival guide for humanity.” The aptly named Synthesis Report, or SYR, is the final report of the IPCC's sixth report cycle and will be the last such report for several years. Humanity can prevent the most severe impacts of climate change — which are worst for those least responsible for the crisis — by slashing fossil fuel use and cutting overall greenhouse gas pollution 60% by 2035. Doing so is technically and economically feasible thanks to dramatic improvements in renewable energy and energy storage technologies. “There’s clear evidence that 1.5[°C, 2.7°F] is better than 1.6[°C, 2.9°F], which is better than 1.7[°C, 3.1°F], and so on,” said Joeri Rogelj, director of research at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, told the New York Times. “The point is we need to do everything we can to keep warming as low as possible.” The report warns the obstacles to action are entrenched, and fossil fuel-funded, political opposition. It “is quite clear that whatever future we end up with is within our control,” Piers Forster, who helped write one of the panel’s earlier reports, told the Times. “It is up to humanity … to determine what we end up with.” (New York Times $, AP, Washington Post $, E&E News, Gizmodo, Atmos, The Guardian, Vox, ABC, The Guardian, CNN, Reuters, Grist, Climate Home, Heatmap, Inside Climate News, NBC, E&E $, Politico EU, Axios, PBS NewsHour, Climate Home, The Hill, Bloomberg $, CNBC, Context, FT $, OilPrice, Context; IPCC explainers: Inside Climate News, The Guardian explainer, Heatmap; Timeline of IPCC reports: The Guardian)

43,000 Dead In Somalia From Drought, Food Shortages: Approximately 43,000 people died in Somalia last year — about half of whom were children under 5 years old — as the region endured its sixth straight failed rainy season. As many as 34,000 more people are expected to die in the first six months of this year. The deaths are caused mostly by outright starvation, in addition to malnutrition combined with diseases like cholera. Droughts, like the one currently parching the Horn of Africa and are made worse and more frequent by climate change. The current, dire food shortage caused by that drought is exacerbated by disruptions to global food supplies set off by the Russian war in Ukraine. “From the very beginning of this drought, the W.H.O. has clearly stated that the drought is a health crisis as much as it is a food and climate crisis,” Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik, the Somalia representative for the World Health Organization, said in a statement. Somalia, responsible for a negligible amount of global climate pollution and among the most vulnerable to climate-fueled disasters, is essentially shut out from international climate assistance because it has no fossil fuels to burn. (AP, New York Times $, Al Jazeera, Axios, PBS NewsHour, Wall Street Journal $, BBC, CBS, Washington Post $; Climate Signals background: Drought)

With Veto, Biden Protects ESG Consideration For Retirement Investing: Pres. Biden vetoed a bill on Monday, that would prohibit investment managers from considering environmental, social, or corporate governance factors from their risk analyses when making investment decisions. The bill would have undone a Dept. of Labor rule protecting the consideration of ESG factors in investing. “There is extensive evidence showing that environmental, social, and governance factors can have a material impact on markets, industries, and businesses," Biden said. “Retirement plan fiduciaries should be able to consider any factor that maximizes financial returns for retirees across the country. That is not controversial — that is common sense." (Bloomberg $, New York Times $, Politico Pro $, The Hill, CNN, Reuters, The Hill, Bloomberg $)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: ‘They keep coming back’: A Black community in Arizona battles power expansion plans again (The Guardian), As NY town grew, Black residents wondered what they were breathing. Air quality data offers clues (USA Today)

SACRIFICE ZONES: ‘Ukraine is a false justification’: America’s destructive new rush for natural gas (The Guardian, The Lens, Louisiana Illuminator)

WILLOW OIL: With the Willow project on the horizon, some Alaska Natives worry about traditional foods (Grist), Willow oil project approval intensifies Alaska Natives’ rift (AP)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: China-Russia gas talks to show how much Xi is embracing Putin (Bloomberg $, Reuters, Factbox), How China benefits from Western sanctions on Russia's energy exports (Reuters, Factbox), Plummeting Russian oil receipts herald the fall of a petrostate (Energy Monitor), Two companies, one trade: The switch that keeps Putin’s oil flowing (FT $)

• NEXT WINTER: EU proposes extending energy crisis measure to curb gas demand (Reuters, OilPrice, Bloomberg $), German energy regulator cannot rule out gas emergency for 2023/24 winter (Reuters)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: ‘Climate homicide’: Could Big Oil be sued for disaster deaths? (E&E News)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: US scopes projects for carbon credit scheme under heavyweight committee (FT $)

GOP vs. ESG: Texas adds HSBC to energy-boycotters Blacklist in ESG crackdown (Bloomberg $)

CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS: A translation problem (New York Times $)

SCOTUS: Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Navajo Nation water rights (The Hill), Biden administration urges Supreme Court to leave climate lawsuits to states (Grist), Biden may prevail against Navajo in SCOTUS water battle (E&E $)

AGENCIES: Agencies warn of dire consequences from GOP budget cuts (E&E $)

EPA: Biden will let California lead on electric trucks, despite industry protest (Washington Post $), Judge freezes Biden WOTUS rule in 2 states (E&E News, The Hill, Politico Pro $, E&E $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden looks to undo Reagan policy on mass transit funds (E&E News), Biden warns that climate change could upend federal spending programs (New York Times $), 

THE HILL: Five fights brewing in the crucial $1.4 trillion farm bill (The Hill), Republicans’ pro-energy push leaves industry unimpressed (Politico)

CITIES AND STATES: Marylanders overpaid $1 billion in excessive utility bills. Some lawmakers and advocates are demanding answers (Inside Climate News), Ban hydrogen in homes? Mass. debate mirrors national quandary. (E&E News), Conn. AG sues solar energy company for ‘unethical’ actions (E&E $), Minnesota agency retools to ‘meet the moment’ on climate, clean energy (Energy News Network), New York must chart new course for gas utilities to hit climate targets (Canary Media), Rhode Island is struggling to realize its offshore wind potential (OilPrice)

• CALIFORNIA: Bay Area regulators opt to phase out NOx emissions from furnaces, water heaters, prepare for grid impacts (Utility Dive, Grist), Calif. utility regulators scrutinize automated blackouts (E&E $)

FERC: Transmission link between Puerto Rico, US mainland wouldn’t trigger FERC jurisdiction, agency declares (Utility Dive)

IMPACTS: Heavy rain, snow and high winds expected to bombard storm-weary California (Washington Post $), Millions of dead fish clog Australian river (Washington Post $, AP), Ski resorts are embracing a new role: Climate activist (AP), Warmer autumn than usual forecast after scorching weekend smashes Australian weather records (The Guardian), Wet winter eases California drought, giving way to spring flood risks (Reuters)

WILDFIRES: Wildfire smoke brings breathtaking sunsets — and asthma attacks (Yale Climate Connections)

CYCLONIC STORMS: A week on, brutal Cyclone Freddy still taxes southern Africa (AP), Cyclone Freddy teaches deadly lessons on storm warnings, city sprawl (Reuters), Malawi president declares half of country damaged by cyclone (The Guardian)

RENEWABLES: Offshore wind isn’t to blame for whale deaths. Developers plan to keep it that way (Energy News Network), Here’s video proof that solar panels can be recycled (Canary Media), Michigan woman helps neighbors go solar (Yale Climate Connections)

BUILDINGS: The gas stove wars are far from over (Vox) House GOP introduces more bills targeting gas stove rules (Politico Pro $) House Republicans introduce new legislation to protect gas stoves (Washington Examiner) GOP looks to rescue gas stoves from Biden’s ‘extreme’ ban (Fox News) Cartoon: Now the war on gas stoves is getting serious (Las Vegas Review Journal) Gas stoves may be harmful (Village-News.com) Broken furnace? In the Bay Area, soon you’ll have to replace it with a heat pump (Grist) ‘I left teaching to train as a heat pump engineer’ (BBC) Adding up the benefits of geothermal (CleanTechnica) 

OIL & GAS: Brent oil prices slip under $72 per barrel amid banking turmoil (CNBC), Key oil gauge collapses as bank turmoil shatters bullish nerve (Bloomberg $), Kuwait oil company declares state of emergency after onshore oil spill (OilPrice), OPEC secretary general calls for coordination between oil exporting countries (OilPrice), UK strikes to cause a 'tsunami' of unrest for North Sea oil and gas (OilPrice)

PIPELINES: A different kind of pipeline project scrambles Midwest politics (New York Times $)

HYDROGEN: Hydrogen trucks may have advantages over EVs — report (E&E $)

UTILITIES: Texas set power prices too high during 2021 storm, court says (E&E News, Utility Dive, Politico Pro $), US utility firms spent big preparing power grid for storms – and still failed (The Guardian)

GRID: ISO-NE overvalues fossil fuel plants, reducing grid reliability, Sierra Club says, citing Synapse report (Utility Dive)

EVs: Curbside EV charging startup wins urban infrastructure award at SXSW (Utility Dive), Elon Musk’s cost-cutting targets put pressure on EV rivals (Wall Street Journal $), Falling lithium prices are making electric cars more affordable (New York Times $)

AVIATION: Rising airline emissions could trigger global caps as early as 2024 -trade group (Reuters)

CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE TEEVEE: ‘Extrapolations’ looks at where we’re headed (CNN)

BOOKS: Notable new books on climate and the environment (FT $)

BUSINESSES: Mercuria launches nature business as demand grows for voluntary carbon offsets (FT $)

FINANCE: Activist fund Enkraft presses renewables firm ABO Wind for clearer strategy (Reuters), Goldman call on ESG debt paves way for fund’s short (Bloomberg $)

OLYMPICS: Paris aims to keep Olympians cool without air conditioners (AP)

REPARATIONS: Climate reparations in the US? Yes, say Brookings experts. (E&E $)

GREEN GROUPS: Evergreen’s new leader calls for an ‘era of saying yes’ (E&E $)

INTERNATIONAL: Canada to make 'serious investment' in clean tech in budget (Reuters)

VERY LEGAL AND VERY COOL: A four-decade secret: One man’s story of sabotaging Carter’s re-election (New York Times $, NY Mag, Axios, The Guardian)

• As Pacific islanders, we bear the brunt of the climate crisis. The time to end fossil fuel dependence is now (The Guardian, Ralph Regenvanu and Seve Paeniu op-ed)
• Humanity at the climate crossroads: Highway to hell or a livable future? (The Guardian, Damian Carrington commentary)
• The Guardian view on the IPCC warning: A last chance to save the planet (The Guardian Editorial Board)
• They freak out over natural gas stoves and drag queens. So are the Leprechauns next? (Kansas City Star, Maria A. Kunstadter Letter)
• Utility lobbying violates ratepayers' free speech (Star Tribune, John Farrell op-ed $)
• The Colorado River is running dry, but nobody wants to talk about the mud (New York Times, Dale Maharidge essay $)
• California's terrible deluge hides a silver lining (Bloomberg, Liam Denning column $)
• From oil to offshore wind, Ørsted transformed (AP, Mads Nipper interview)
• From new jobs to cheap power, community renewables show a better future is possible (Context, May Boeve op-ed)
• Can sewers provide the low-carbon heat we need? (Context, Michael Shank op-ed)
• When it comes to climate action, faster could be cheaper (New York Times, Peter Coy column $)

Deniers Claim Climate Alarmism Is The Real Colonialism, Suggest Google Scholar Backs Them Up (It Does Not) 

In 2021, it became clear that Big Oil was ramping up its “wokewashing” efforts, co-opting the language of social justice to shore up its social license to operate. This is just a fancy way to say that the oil industry wants to look like it cares about the people it pollutes so people won’t hate them for that whole polluting thing. In the years (before and) since, we've noted wokewashing in California, Canada, and conservative media, and the latest example comes from the CO2 Coalition's Vijay Jayaraj and the Heritage Foundation's Daily Signal. 

As we've explained before, Jayaraj, who is from India, is a compelling spokesperson to deliver the 'energy poverty' narrative that Peabody Coal got caught pushing and that we're used to hearing from white American fossil fools like Alex Epstein. Basically, the argument says that fossil fuels are good for the developing world. (Nevermind that they're dirty, expensive, and unreliable.) 

In a podcast recorded at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Jayaraj gave an oddly liberal-aimed critique of climate policy. 

Echoing a recent post from fellow disinfo-spreader Bjørn Lomborg, Jayaraj said, "There is a growing sentiment among the leaders in the developing world about imperialism and reemergence of colonialism." He claimed that world leaders consider "climate alarmism" as "infringing upon the rights of the poor people" and their "hopes about having a future where they can have reliable energy access." 

Now, given that CPAC attendees weren't sure what woke was last year and still aren't this year, but just know they're against it, it's a bit jarring that Jayaraj was there to give a decidedly woke pitch that American conservatives should care about the well-being of people in countries that their de facto leader considers a "shithole." 

This is not to say that Jarayaj doesn't otherwise toss some red-meat-denial to the industry-funded Heritage Foundation's Daily Signal audience. He claims that there isn’t more pushback on the climate consensus from the academic community because doing so could cost people their jobs. Actually, the opposite seems to be true, as evidenced by climate denier Matthew Wielicki, who like Jordan Peterson, wasn't pushed out of academia but instead opted to leave his professor job and instead pursue the disinfluencer path. 

Then Jayaraj contradicted himself, claiming that people would lose funding or their job if they questioned the climate consensus but also saying that "we do have a lot of peer-reviewed scientific journals that are not talked about in the mainstream media." 

Which is it? Do researchers have to accept the consensus or lose their jobs, or are they questioning it frequently in the scientific literature and merely being misrepresented by mainstream media? 

Jayaraj says that it's the latter, and "all people have to do is access Google Scholar and search for the terms that they're interested in, their [sic.] wide range of articles and scientific publications that do not agree with the current dominant climate narrative." 

So we took his advice, went to Google Scholar, and put in a search term we're interested in: climate consensus. It turns out there are lots of studies confirming that scientists agree on climate change! 

Then we tried another Google Scholar search: Vijay Jayaraj. No results! 

It seems that even by his own metric of relying on science and not biased media, no one should bother taking Jayaraj's wokewashing seriously. 

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