Tenn. GOP Expels Black Lawmakers: Tennessee Republicans voted to expel two Black lawmakers — but not one white representative — from the state legislature in an unprecedented act of partisan retaliation for disrupting proceedings during a protest calling for gun control measures after six people, including three children were gunned down in a Nashville school less than two weeks ago. “We called for you all to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault on democracy,” Rep. Justin Jones said on the floor before the vote to expel him. “Thank you for getting on the bus at 3 a.m. or 2:30 a.m. this morning … so that we can continue to elevate the issues in our community and those who we continue to lose,” Rep. Justin Pearson, the other expelled Black lawmaker, told the hundreds of protesters who gathered at the capital. The protesters, many of them children, teenagers, and parents, stood in drizzling weather, blowing whistles, chanting demands for gun control, and collectively screaming for more than three minutes straight. "We are losing our democracy. We need to make sure that we stomp out this march to fascism," Rep. Gloria Johnson, who was not expelled, told reporters. Asked why she was not expelled, Rep. Gloria Johnson told CNN, “I think it’s pretty clear: I’m a 60-year-old white woman. And they are two young Black men.” (Washington Post $, AP, The Tennessean, Slate, Politico, Vox, The Tennessean, CBS, The Hill, Forbes, Axios, New York Times $, Wall Street Journal $, Buzzfeed, Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN; Johnson fascism: CNN; Johnson racism: CNN, Daily Beast, Washington Post $)

Big Utilities May Sell Gas Pipelines: Efforts to electrify homes are driving Dominion Energy and National Grid, two of the country's largest utilities, to consider selling off some of the methane gas pipelines, the Wall Street Journal reports. Electrifying buildings is key to cutting climate pollution from methane gas extraction, transportation, and combustion. A growing number of municipalities are pursuing policies to electrify their building stock and awareness of the significant health hazards caused by gas stoves is growing. The Brattle Group estimates as much as $180 billion of U.S. methane gas distribution infrastructure could become stranded assets as the transition away from fossil fuels continues. (Wall Street Journal $, OilPrice)

Indigenous And Black Leaders Blocked From Royal Bank of Canada General Meeting: Indigenous leaders from Canada First Nations and Black community leaders from Louisiana were blocked from entering the Royal Bank of Canada Annual General Meeting in what is now known as Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on Wednesday as protesters gathered outside. First Nations leaders are calling on RBC to stop funding fossil fuel projects and integrate the "free, prior and informed consent" (FPIC) of Indigenous peoples into their corporate policies in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. RBC is a major funder of the controversial GasLink pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory. A resolution proffered by Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) on FPIC won 28% support from shareholders. "They smelled us coming here to Saskatoon and separated us, put us in another room," Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chief Na'Moks, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, told Quick Read today. "They're scared of elders, they're scared of moms, they're cowards," Roishetta Sibley Ozane, head of the Vessel Project in Louisiana, told Quick Read. “It's 19th century, Jim Crow law, segregation type stuff… It's kinda at the back of the bus, you-don't-belong-here, get-on-your-side-of-[the street], kind of stuff to drink from the Black water fountain only. Like, what is it even?" (Quick Read (French, via Google Translate), CBC News, Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

COP28: One of the world's biggest polluters is leading a crucial UN climate meeting. Huh? (Gizmodo)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Swedish investigators: ‘Difficult’ to confirm who blew up Nord Stream (Politico Pro $)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: How a Texas abortion law could spur N.Y. climate lawsuits (E&E News)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Who should pay to rebuild Pakistan? (FT, Behind the Money podcast $), Europe’s EV push nearly faltered over fringe fuels that are years away (Bloomberg $), G7 climate ministers consider endorsing new gas investments-draft (Reuters)

EMISSIONS: Greenhouse gas emissions rose at ‘alarming’ rate last year, US data shows (The Guardian), Methane big part of ‘alarming’ rise in planet-warming gases (AP)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Big Oil clashes with Biden in SCOTUS climate brawl (E&E $)

• NEWS YOU CAN USE: Don’t forget those new green credits on your taxes this year (Marketplace)

SCOTUS: Clarence Thomas and the billionaire (ProPublica, AP, Washington Post $, NPR, Vanity Fair, Vox, Slate, Rolling Stone, NY Mag, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, Black Wall Street Times, The Independent, Newsweek, Salon, CNBC, Forbes, Jezebel, Daily Beast, NewsOne, CNN, The Root, Axios, People, New York Daily News, NBC, Esquire, MarketWatch), Democrats express outrage over Clarence Thomas luxury travel report (The Hill, Buzzfeed, New York Times $, CBS), Ocasio-Cortez calls for Clarence Thomas to be impeached over gifts from GOP megadonor (HuffPost, The Hill)

EPA: EPA proposal takes on health risks near US chemical plants (AP, E&E News, Politico Pro $, The Hill), EPA seeks to restrict a toxic sterilizer, despite industry red flags (Washington Post $), Biden is set to propose toughest-ever rules on car pollution to spur EVs (Bloomberg $), EPA proposes strengthening mercury and air toxics standards for coal-fired power plants (Utility Dive)

DOE: DOE picks former Hill, White House aides for top positions (E&E $), Granholm talks China, Puerto Rico’s grid and DOE nominations (E&E $), Puerto Rico grid rebuilding delays ‘unacceptable,’ Granholm says (Politico Pro $)

DOI: BLM draft rule charts path for sage grouse, grazing decisions (E&E $)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: SEC might weaken emissions, climate costs rules — analysts (E&E $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden vetoes congressional bid to undo his water regulations (The Hill), Inside Biden's balancing act on ditching coal (Washington Post $)

HARRIS: Overlooked at home, Harris builds climate authority abroad (E&E News), US VP Harris takes Biden's jobs message to Marjorie Taylor Greene's district (Reuters), Harris promotes huge community solar deal in Georgia visit (AP, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, E&E $, Bloomberg $)

THE HILL: Congressional Black Caucus urges Buttigieg to address racial inequality in traffic enforcement (The Hill)

HOUSE: Grijalva calls on Biden to halt Ariz. copper mine (E&E $)

POLITICS: Writing laws to favor the climate or fossil fuels? (Indian Country Today)

ELECTIONS: RFK Jr. files paperwork to run for president (E&E $)

TRIBES: 3 Alaska Native tribes sue to block major gold mine project (AP)

CITIES AND STATES: Advocates say conditions may be improving for rooftop solar in Wisconsin (Energy News Network), Hawaii weighs tourism fee amid worsening environmental damage (Axios), RGGI speeds declines in power plant emissions and spurs economic growth: Acadia report (Utility Dive), Special pavement coating helps Los Angeles neighborhood stay cool (Yale Climate Connections), States challenge utility costs backed by ‘fleet of lawyers’ (E&E News), The [New York] climate calculation that started a political firestorm (Heatmap $)

• CALIFORNIA: California’s grid operator calls for $9.3B in transmission investments over next decade (Utility Dive), California’s race against time to build power lines (LA Times $)

IMPACTS: Watch the rebirth of California’s ‘phantom’ Tulare Lake in striking before-and-after images (LA Times $, The Guardian), ‘Shocked’ by the loss: Scientists sound the alarm on New Zealand’s melting glaciers (CNN), Lake Mead’s level jumps 3 feet — but hope may be short-lived (The Hill), Dramatic photos show how storms filled California reservoirs (AP)

• GLACIERS: Study raises fears that glaciers may retreat quickly (E&E $, The Hill)

WILDFIRES: Wildfire in southern Spain forces evacuation of 70 residents (AP), Wildfire threat grows as Florida drought gets steadily worse (AP)

DROUGHT: Years of drought force shutdown of salmon fishing season off California (Washington Post $)

WATER: A losing battle over water rights in the Nevada desert (E&E News), The promises—and perils—of ocean desalination (Gizmodo)

TREES: The future of US forests — a major carbon sink — is ‘highly uncertain’ (Grist), Why we root for small, sad trees (Heatmap $)

DEFORESTATION: In India, mangrove trees make way for booming city of Kochi (AP)

TORNADOES: Tornado deaths in 2023 are already more than double last year′s total (Washington Post $), The scene after a destructive and deadly tornado tore through southeastern Missouri (Washington Post photos $)

POLLUTION: Study: Even a small increase in pollution raises risk for dementia (Grist)

RENEWABLES: Wind and solar power generators wait in yearslong lines to put clean electricity on the grid, then face huge interconnection fees they can’t afford (CNBC, Politico Pro $), Energy transition in action at German port of Wilhelmshaven (Reuters, Reuters)

BATTERIES: China cuts lithium output after price crash (OilPrice), Intilion owner weighs rare IPO of lithium energy unit (Bloomberg $), Taiwan’s rapid renewables push has created a bustling battery market (Canary Media)

BUILDINGS: Billionaire Tom Steyer plans net zero apartment upgrades across US (Bloomberg $, The Hill) A renter’s guide to the Inflation Reduction Act (Vox) LG reveals plans for U.S. heat pump factory (PV Magazine) HeatTransformers turns up the dial on heat pumps with new funding (Tech Crunch) Gas stoves can be bad for you. Here are the best induction ranges and cooktops in 2023 (CBS News)

LNG: Why LNG’s current boom will only accelerate its ultimate demise (Energy Monitor)

OIL & GAS: Drilling activity continues to fall in the US (OilPrice), Enbridge CEO points to Permian to allay oil unit growth concerns (Bloomberg $), Exxon launches new unit at Beaumont refinery (OilPrice), Harvard professor lobbied SEC on behalf of oil firm that pays her lavishly, emails show (The Guardian), North Sea oil production could fall by 80% by 2030 (OilPrice), Rare shipments of Forties crude head to East Coast refiners (Reuters), These are the countries that will be ‘most hit’ if oil prices reach $100 (CNBC)

PIPELINES: Court throws out crucial water permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline (Grist)

COAL: Coal phaseout lags. China isn’t helping. (E&E $), Panel affirms fines against coal mines owned by WVa governor (AP), Phaseout of coal power far too slow to avoid ‘climate chaos’, report finds (The Guardian)

NUKES: Vogtle nuclear unit begins producing power (OilPrice)

UTILITIES: Owners of coal, gas plants warn PJM fines could ruin them (E&E $)

GRID: Grid monitor calls for combined regulation of power and gas (E&E $), Physical attacks on North American power grid rose more than 10% last year: NERC (Utility Dive)

EVs: Family SUVs are finally going electric (Axios), One-minute battery swaps are spurring EV adoption in Asia (Bloomberg $), Tesla's pivot away from rare earths could push other automakers to follow suit (OilPrice), This dime-sized battery is a step toward an EV with a 1,000-mile range (Inside Climate News), Walmart to add EV charging to thousands of stores by 2030 (Washington Post $, Bloomberg $, The Hill)

AVIATION: EU draws criticism as it proposes green label for some aviation investments (Reuters)

BOOKS: Book review: 'The Great Displacement' is a must-read (Yale Climate Connections)

MOVIES: In how to blow up a pipeline, the villain is the system (Atmos)

CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE TEEVEE: 'Extrapolations' is a climate change cautionary tale (Axios), Creator of 'Extrapolations' on Apple TV+ talks reimagining the future of our planet and climate change storytelling in Hollywood (CNBC)

GREEN GROUPS: Winona LaDuke resigns from Honor the Earth (Indian Country Today, AP)

BRETTON WOODS: The World Bank gets a change candidate (E&E $)

CARBON REMOVAL: The tricky plan for 'negative emissions' (Vox)

FINANCE: Activist investors seek TotalEnergies vote to curb emissions further (Bloomberg $, Reuters commentary, FT $)

WILDLIFE: Here’s some good news about the planet for a change (Bloomberg $)

INTERNATIONAL: Bangladesh's energy plan faces gas dilemma as fuel crisis bites (Context), What to know about Australia’s Indigenous ‘voice to parliament’ vote (Bloomberg $), Businesses in north of England ask ministers for help to hit net zero (The Guardian), France, China sign cooperation deals in nuclear and renewable energy (Reuters), Spain to invest $2.3 billion in South African energy transition (Bloomberg $), UK agency has backed billions’ worth of aviation deals since Paris agreement (The Guardian)

• A tale of two energy proposals: Only one prioritizes survival (The Hill, Ben Jealous op-ed)
• Expelling these Tennessee lawmakers is an outrage; Cameron Sexton should show grace | Editorial (The Tennessean Editorial)
• Lawmakers expel colleagues and put Tennessee in the spotlight for the wrong reasons (The Tennessean, David Plazas op-ed)
• Global climate coalitions need safer harbour from antitrust turbulence (Reuters analysis)
• Middle East starts cleaning up its power act with renewable push (Reuters, Gavin Maguire column)
• Can trade wars help save the climate? (New York Times, Robinson Meyer op-ed $)
• What’s at stake for climate at the World Bank’s spring meeting? (Climate Home, Joe Lo commentary)
• Europe facing costly winter without enough long-term LNG deals (Reuters, Marwa Rashad and Ron Bousso analysis)

Even Lizard-Man David Icke Is Getting In On The Ick-Factor Of Addressing Methane From Cow Burps

As much as we'd love to talk about goofballs with alien theories to explain away climate change every day, that wouldn't exactly be a good use of anyone's time, so we try to stay focused on the professionals giving cover to policymakers in the pockets of polluters. 

But it's Friday, so let's have some fun! 

Which terrible policy has trolls upset and posting about the latest "pure evil" to result from the climate "hoax" that shows the government's "lost the plot"? 

A new plan to feed cows some extra supplements so they won't belch out so much climate-warming methane, obviously. 

The disinfo-filled Daily Mail ran a surprisingly harmless story about a facet of the new UK Net Zero Growth Plan that, according to the Mail, would feed cows "seaweed, organic acids, probiotics and antimicrobials and essential oils, that reduce the amount of gas produced during digestion." 

This seems like a pretty simple climate solution, but it’s apparently not simple enough for some. "Belching & passing gas is a protective mechanism that prevents the stomach from overinflating," said one Twitter user who apparently thinks the plan is to simply cork up the cows. "Do these people actually know what they are doing by suppressing this in cows?" they worried, apparently concerned about Hindenburg-esque explosions in farms across the United Kingdom. 

User "@Duchess314" clutched her probably literal pearls and posted that the plan was "Dystopian insanity,” declaring, “We have to stop these monsters!!!" 

And speaking of monsters, David Icke, conspiracy theorist who believes that lizard people live among us, also got in on the action with a post of his own on his website, where you can also find totally real news like: "Dr. Stella Immanuel Warns Demonic Aliens Are Taking Over Humanity And The Signs Are All Around You." 

Icke’s website is also great if you're not sure about the various agendas of our evil overlord, as Icke has helpfully tagged posts so that you can compare the cosmic "Alien Agenda" with the more down-to-earth "Reptilian Agenda" content. Of course, there are always overlaps with the "Illuminati" agenda — all of which overlap with Denver Airport conspiracies — and many of Icke’s conspiracy theory posts, including the terrifying story at hand of feeding cows some seaweed to aid their digestion, fall under the "New World Order" tag. 

This just goes to show that no matter how simple and benign a climate policy is, a century of industrial disinformation has been turbocharged and monetized by Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms that prioritize engagement over accuracy. 

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