Fatalistic Climate Doom Unhelpful For Action: The acceleration of climate-fueled destruction combined with the insufficiency of action to address the crisis is creating a self-fulfilling, vicious cycle of climate doom that threatens climate action, the Washington Post reports. Unlike climate deniers, a growing number of people, especially youth and young adults, believe climate change is very real — and if anything, climate scientists are downplaying the threat. The phenomenon, in addition to its obviously brutal toll on people's mental and emotional health, also threatens climate action because it can lead to feelings of paralysis. Scientists and psychologists stress the importance of clear and accurate communication of climate science — that climate action is not a binary pass or fail, every hundredth of a degree of warming avoided is key — as well as the possibility of success. For those who are struggling with fatalism and doom, Sean Youra, a former self-described climate "doomer," has some advice: “Stop engaging excessively with negative climate change content online and start engaging in your community.… You can be one of those voices showing there is support for the solutions.” (Washington Post $)

Sydney Hair Stylists Talk Cuts With Customers: The relationship with one's hairdresser can be an intimate one, putting stylists in a unique position to empower their clients to take action on climate change. That's the raison d'être of A Brush With Climate, an Australian organization founded by a Sydney hair salon owner that connects stylists with climate scientists for workshops on how to talk about the issue. During the workshops, participants learn the basics of climate science and engage in role-playing scenarios to prepare them for conversations that may arise. “We’re relationship builders,” Paloma Rose Garcia, the group's founder, told The Guardian. “We suggest some easy ways to introduce climate to the conversation and the biggest one is definitely the weather. But we encourage all the hairdressers to make it their own story.” (The Guardian)

California Deluge Impacts Linger: The Los Angeles Aqueduct has survived more than a century of earthquakes, flash floods, and even bomb attacks, but floodwaters driven by the recent rains undermined a section in Owens Valley this month. The breach in the aqueduct, which threatened water service for over 4 million users, highlights just how extreme this year's precipitation has been, as well as the difficulty of defending the infrastructure against climate-fueled disasters. The extreme rain and flooding have disrupted the lives of many, including those displaced by flooding unleashed by broken levees, like Araceli Telles and her children, who are currently living in an emergency shelter at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. “Even though people say children don’t understand, they do,” Telles told the Los Angeles Times. “If I feel badly, my older daughter feels badly, even though things feel more calm. But now there are people saying it’s going to last a long time, maybe one or two months. And then we’re going to feel worse when we go back.” Though California is not out of its drought, Gov.  Newsom eased some of the state's water use restrictions in light of the heavy precipitation across the state in recent months. (Aqueduct: LA Times $; Displacement: LA Times $; Drought restrictions: AP, Sacramento Bee $, Desert Sun, CNN, San Francisco Chronicle, LAist, The Hill, LA Times $)

ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE: Cleaner air helps everyone. It helps Black communities a lot. (New York Times $), Have European countries violated human rights through climate inaction? (Reuters explainer)

TORNADOES: At least 26 dead after tornado-spawning storms roll through Southeast. One town is ‘gone,’ mayor says (CNN, Washington Post $), How Mississippi’s tornadoes unfolded Friday night and why they were so deadly (Washington Post $), Mississippi tornado recovery tough for low-income residents (AP), Tornadoes are common in Mississippi — but not often this deadly (Washington Post $), Why the size of the Mississippi tornado was remarkable (Washington Post $)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: In Montana, it’s youth vs. the state in a landmark climate case (New York Times $)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: EU was set to ban internal combustion engine cars. Then Germany suddenly changed its mind (CNN), Germany faces EU backlash over U-turn on phasing out combustion engine (The Guardian), Germany and EU agree to exception in planned ban on combustion engines (New York Times $, Bloomberg $, AP, Wall Street Journal $), Amid conflicts and climate change, UN puts focus on ‘deep trouble’ in water worldwide (LA Times $), At the UN water conference, running to keep up with an ambitious 2030 goal for universal water rights (Inside Climate News), The IPCC says we need to phase down fossil fuels, fast. Here’s how the US could do it. (Grist), The meat industry blocked the IPCC’s attempt to recommend a plant-based diet (Quartz), Tiny island nation takes climate change to The Hague (Axios)

GOP vs. ESG: Retirement funds for teachers and firefighters are caught in ESG crossfire (NBC)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Biden reaches moment of truth for electric vehicle tax credits (Bloomberg $), Italy wants Europe to spend like the US and China on green tech (Bloomberg $), New electric-vehicle and home-energy tax incentives (Wall Street Journal $), US eyeing ways to include Europe in electric car tax breaks (Politico)

TREASURY: Can EVs unplug from China? 3 things to watch from Treasury. (E&E News)

WHITE HOUSE: Kerry: US must work with China and Russia on fighting climate change (Yahoo), Biden’s moves on Alaska drilling, TikTok test young voters (AP), Biden said he had ‘strong inclination’ not to approve Willow Project (The Hill), Biden administration seeks to mend fences over Willow Project approval (The Hill), Biden, Trudeau tout job boosts from clean energy, chips manufacturing (Wall Street Journal $)

THE HILL: As California contends with compounding crises, what’s at stake in farm bill negotiations (The Hill), Legislators, lobbyists look to Farm Bill to save American forests (The Hill)

HOUSE: Amendments could scramble House GOP energy bill (E&E News), House panel eyes R&D directives for DOE on grid security, hydrogen, pipelines (Utility Dive), House slated to take up major energy package next week (The Hill), Republicans propose nationwide offshore wind ban, citing unsubstantiated links to whale deaths (Inside Climate News)

SENATE: DOE cyber chief gets bipartisan grilling as senators question US reliance on China for grid equipment (Utility Dive), Senate’s new budget boss is also a climate hawk (Politico Pro $)

POLITICS: Power move: Stacey Abrams’ next act is the electrification of the US (The Guardian), Battery industry, automakers square off over electric vehicle tax credit (Politico Pro $), Chamber teams with labor and climate activists in rare joint permitting push (Politico Pro $)

CITIES AND STATES: As flooding increases, these cities are designed to work with – not against – the water. Here’s how they’re doing it (CNN), How Massachusetts’ new DEP commissioner will bring ‘transparency and equity’ to the agency (Boston Globe $)

• NEW YORK: City to begin community engagement for transformation of Cross Bronx Expressway (Bronx Times), NYC adopts e-bike rules with focus on fire safety and equity (Canary Media), Mayor proposes first composting mandate in New York City (New York Times $), New York poised to ban gas stoves in new buildings as part of all-electric mandate (Wall Street Journal $, Fox News, Washington Examiner)

IMPACTS: Arctic sea's low levels of ice to impact climate (Newsweek), Could this be New York City’s least snowy winter in recorded history? (New York Times $), Facing floods: What the world can learn from Bangladesh's climate solutions (NPR), Many Antarctic glaciers are never snow-free. See how remarkably different this year is. (Washington Post $), See DC's early blooming cherry blossoms after a super-warm winter (Gizmodo), Seven unexpected ways that climate change is affecting the planet (Salon), We´re on track to exceed the 1.5C climate goal: What happens then? (Context), Worry and suspicion reign as once-dry Tulare Lake drowns California farmland (LA Times $), Climate change’s hidden threat: Grief and trauma (National Geographic), Flesh-eating bacteria could be coming to a city near you (Gizmodo), This new fungus is a problem and climate change might be the reason why (Buzzfeed)

HEAT: Extreme heat waves in Europe may be linked to melting Arctic sea ice  (Yale Climate Connections)

WILDFIRES: A scorched southwestern France braces itself for fires to come (Reuters), 1500 evacuated as Spain’s fire season starts early (AP)

DROUGHT: Pray for rain: Spanish farmers hold unique Mass amid drought (AP)

WATER: Ground has been broken on Klamath River restoration, the world’s largest-ever dam-removal project (Lost Coast Outpost, Times-Standard), Egypt warns of link between climate and worldwide hydrologic stress (Prensa Latina), Millions lack reliable access to running water. Should they collect rain? (Washington Post $)

FORESTS: America’s forests are ‘present and vanishing at the same time’ (Inside Climate News)

RENEWABLES: In California’s central valley, the plan to build more solar faces a familiar constraint: The need for more power lines (Inside Climate News), Surge of clean energy manufacturing projects in Texas, US (Houston Chronicle)

BATTERIES: LG will spend $5.5 billion on a battery factory in Arizona (New York Times $)

BUILDINGS: All-electric building draws energy from 500 feet below the surface of the earth (Bloomberg $), Window AC units and air purifiers in the US are about to get more energy-efficient (The Verge)

OIL & GAS: A proposed Utah railway could quadruple oil production in the Uinta Basin, if Colorado communities don’t derail the project (Inside Climate News), ConocoPhillips CEO doubles down on Alaska oil as competitors leave Arctic (Wall Street Journal $), How options-hedging turbocharged oil volatility (Wall Street Journal $)

PIPELINES: Army Corps extends environmental review of Michigan pipeline tunnel (The Hill)

HYDROGEN: As Australia faces a ‘hydrogen tipping point’, the energy industry needs smart policies, not huge handouts (The Guardian), Test shows hydrogen blending slightly reduces gas power plant emissions (Canary Media)

NUKES: TVA, GE Hitachi, 2 others commit to $400M international small modular reactor project (Utility Dive), Nuclear plant near Minneapolis leaks radioactive water for second time in months (USA Today, AP, NBC, Washington Examiner, CBS)

UTILITIES: PG&E faces time crunch on Diablo Canyon license renewal as California weighs nuclear plant’s future (Utility Dive)

EVs: 'A game changer': Ford CEO touts new electric vehicle plant (ABC), How China plans to crush Elon Musk in electric car market (Newsweek), Rivian moves more engineers near Illinois EV factory to speed up output (Wall Street Journal $)

MINERALS: 5 things to know about the latest deep-sea mining brawl (E&E News)

CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE TEEVEE: Apple TV+'s Extrapolations is a missed opportunity (Gizmodo)

LAWYERS: Top lawyers defy bar to declare they will not prosecute peaceful climate protesters (The Guardian)

EARTH HOUR: Why people across the world are turning their lights off (CNN), The world marks Earth Hour, but are leaders doing enough to fight climate change? (CNN)

BEHAVIORAL PSYCH: How to encourage more climate-friendly habits, according to science (TIME)

SHIPPING: The feds have a low-carbon shopping list. It’s global. (E&E News)

OFFSETS: Faulty credits tarnish billion-dollar carbon offset seller (Bloomberg $)

WILDLIFE: As Antarctica’s penguins struggle with record low sea ice, one species is adapting – and it offers lessons to us all (CNN), Monarch butterflies lose sanctuary in Mexico as climate changes (Washington Post $)

INTERNATIONAL: China will implement zero tariffs on coal imports until end-2023 -state media (Reuters), German power grid firms list costs to meet zero-carbon targets (Reuters), Polish coal miners protest EU methane reduction regulations (AP), Scotland to earn £260m from floating windfarms powering North Sea rigs (The Guardian), UK energy secretary urges watchdog to probe power-trading tactic (Bloomberg $), Australia steps toward making big polluters reduce emissions (AP), Berliners vote down referendum on tighter climate goals (Reuters, AP, Bloomberg $)

• There’s no greater feminist cause than the climate fight – and saving each other (The Guardian, Fatima Bhutto op-ed)
• Forget geoengineering. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. Right now (The Guardian, Rebecca Solnit op-ed)
• I am haunted by what I have seen at Great Salt Lake (New York Times, Terry Tempest Williams op-ed $)
• Why I’m joining more than 100 lawyers in refusing to prosecute climate protesters (The Guardian, Jolyon Maugham op-ed)
• War on cow gas is stinky but necessary job in climate-change struggle (Reuters, Karen Kwok Commentary)
• California housing and the environment are often at odds. They don’t have to be (LA Times, Liz O'Donoghue and Milissa Breach op-ed $)
• The slow motion tidal wave consuming our economy (New York Times, Richard Bookstaber op-ed $)
• Gaining the social license to build clean energy infrastructure  (The Hill, Larry Selzer op-ed)
• The climate crisis is a water crisis  (The Hill, Marc Yaggi op-ed)
• Energy poverty in America: a never-ending emergency (The Hill, Mark Wolfe op-ed)
• Nuclear power takes up less space than solar or wind (Bloomberg, Matthew Yglesias op-ed $)
• New California bill could advance carbon removal while holding polluters accountable (The Hill, Dan Lashof op-ed)
• The clean energy transition needs an era of industrial statesmanship (The Hill, David Foster op-ed)
• Oliver Stone is half right regarding nuclear energy and climate change  (The Hill, Douglas MacKinnon op-ed)
• A climate for failed bank regulation (Wall Street Journal Editorial Board $)
• The House GOP moves on energy (Wall Street Journal Editorial Board $)

Tucker Carlson’s Propaganda Machine Accuses Actual News Outlets of Spreading Climate Propaganda

Last week, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson published a TV segment and opinion piece that included everything you can expect from good old Tucker and "what may be the most racist show in the history of cable news": China-bashing, antisemitism, transphobia, misogyny, anti-abortion rhetoric, Jan. 6 insurrection denial, and, of course, climate change denial.

Prompted by the IPCC's 2023 Synthesis Report release, Carlson tries to stop his viewers from realizing that climate change is a very real danger. He even claims that he and his team “spent the day” analyzing the report. Sure, Tucker.

Instead of anything serious that would suggest he actually did read the report, Carlson rants, “There are still people in this country, for example, who seem to believe that the so-called climate agenda is actually about the climate or about the environment of the earth or something, and not a coordinated effort by the government of China to hobble the US and the West and take its place as the leader of the world, which of course is exactly what's going on.”

He repeatedly calls António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, “a puppet of China” and aggressively sows doubt about climate science. And, since no Fox piece is complete without misogyny, Carlson refers to esteemed Harvard environmental researcher Naomi Oreskes as “some chick” and spreads disinformation about climate activist Greta Thunberg’s alleged deleted tweet and her upcoming honorary doctorate in theology. It looks like Carlson can’t stand seeing women who are more accomplished than he is, which must be tough for him because there are so very many.

The segment also contains the sort of antisemitic undertones you'd expect from a show where producers allegedly make antisemitic jokes. Carlson says that the point of climate action is supposedly “hurting people, specific people,” and “destroy[ing] one civilization, to be supplanted by the next civilization.” He pretends he doesn't know that this rhetoric echoes neo-Nazi “replacement” narratives.

Carlson then skirts awfully close to the Great Reset conspiracy theory but ultimately chickens out, calling it "the great global reshuffling" instead. 

Throughout the segment, Carlson attacks legitimate news outlets like CNN and the Associated Press, and he says that when it comes to climate, “the propaganda is just too thick.” It’s interesting that he would accuse mainstream sources of spreading propaganda when in fact his own propaganda network is working at full capacity to amplify his own conspiracy theories and harmful disinformation.

The Daily Caller, which Carlson founded in 2010, amplified his rant in an article that quoted him extensively and contained an embedded version of his TV segment, all under the guise of “news.” To us, that looks a lot like an orchestrated propaganda campaign!

And it doesn’t end there! Fox comedian Greg Gutfeld said a lot of the same things about climate change and Greta Thunberg in his “comedy" show as Carlson said in his so-called news segment.

When Fox’s supposed journalism and its comedy look the same, that’s probably a sign that Fox isn’t really a news organization. After all, even Fox’s own lawyers say that you shouldn’t believe all the conspiracy theories Carlson tells you.

Maybe someone should tell Fox's audience!

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