EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/22/21
PIPELINE NEWS
Indian Country Today: Line 3 opposition lives on, clean-up begins
Dakota Free Press: Iowa Developers Share CO2 Pipeline Map, Announce Public Meetings in SD Oct 26–27
Natural Gas Intelligence: Pennsylvania Court Orders Release of Emails by Energy Transfer Regarding ME Pipeline
Reuters: Texas pipeline operator Altus to combine with Blackstone-backed BCP Raptor
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico Morning Energy: GREENS, LABOR BACK WORKER BILL IN RECONCILIATION
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Calif. plans ban of new oil wells near schools, homes
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Oil and gas companies say they will lead climate change efforts in New Mexico
EXTRACTION
Press release: After two years and at a cost of $3.5 million, Alberta Inquiry finds environmental groups did nothing wrong but care about climate change
Globe and Mail: Alberta energy inquiry says no wrongdoing by anti-oil-sands activists
New York Times: Fossil Fuel Drilling Plans Undermine Climate Pledges, U.N. Report Warns
NPR: Despite climate change promises, governments plan to ramp up fossil fuel production
Press release: Oil Sands Pathways alliance outlines three-phase plan to achieve goal of net zero emissions
Financial Post: Canada's biggest oilsands firms pledge 97% cut in emissions — with government support
Reuters: Canada oil producers grapple with Trudeau's demand for faster emissions cuts
Natural Gas Intelligence: Quebec Premier Calls for Banning Hydrocarbon Production, LNG Exports
Bloomberg: Climate Pact on Methane Gathers 35 Countries After U.S., EU Push
Reuters: EU Parliament seeks legal clampdown on planet-warming methane emissions
CNBC: ‘No commercial case for green hydrogen’ yet: Siemens Energy CEO
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
WDAL: Enbridge Grant To Starbase In Duluth
OPINION
Toronto Star: Canada must explore Line 5 alternatives
Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Biden should show strong support for shutting down Line 5
OilPrice.com: Canada’s Oil Industry Is Facing Resistance On All Fronts
Los Angeles Times: Op-Ed: Create a tribal-led marine sanctuary and stop oil spills on the California coast
PIPELINE NEWS
Indian Country Today: Line 3 opposition lives on, clean-up begins
Mary Annette Pember, 10/21/21
“Line 3 is dead. Long live Line 93. Enbridge’s controversial Line 3 construction project is complete,” Indian Country Today reports. “After nearly 8 years of Indigenous and citizen opposition that saw numerous protests and arrests in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and a string of state, federal and tribal court filings, it appears that the corporate giant has won. Not so, say Indigenous and non-Native water protectors. As clean-up begins and more construction accidents come to light, water protectors are claiming victory on a number of fronts. Members of Indigenous advocacy organizations such as Honor the Earth and the Indigenous Environmental Network as well as tribal grassroots pipeline opponents say that the fight against Line 3 helped focus the world’s attention on what they describe as an untenable corporate push to build fossil fuel infrastructure projects at the expense of the environment. “Line 3 is a crime against the environment and Indigenous rights, waters and lands and it marks the end of the tar sands era — but not the resistance to it,” said Winona LaDuke, executive director of Honor the Earth… ”Leaders of the White Earth and Red Lake Bands of Ojibwe and Line 3 opponents insist that the negative fallout from pipeline construction continues. Frank Bibeau, attorney for and citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, said the pipeline construction exacerbated already low water levels and endangered the health of manoomin or wild rice. In a unique rights of nature lawsuit filed in White Earth tribal court, tribal citizens accuse the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources of failing to protect the state’s fresh water by allowing Enbridge to pump up to five million gallons of additional water from construction trenches. That case is ongoing.”
Dakota Free Press: Iowa Developers Share CO2 Pipeline Map, Announce Public Meetings in SD Oct 26–27
BY CORY ALLEN HEIDELBERGER, 10/19/21
“Last week I reported on the carbon capture pipeline that Dan Lederman is pitching to county commissions up and down East River on behalf of his rich Iowa Republican friends. An eager reader responds with a copy of the letter landowners are receiving from aspiring pipeliners Summit Carbon Solutions, the schedule of the four public meetings the Iowa company is holding here in East River, and a map of the South Dakota branches of this project: Comparing the proposed map to the most recent Dakota Access pipeline map on file with the Public Utilities Commission, we can see that the proposed Midwest Carbon Express carbon dioxide pipeline, which would carry CO2 northwest from Iowa up to underground depositories in North Dakota, appears to parallel the Bakken oil pipeline from near Canton onward through its detour around the Sioux Falls metroplex to Hartford, up to Charlie Johnson’s farm in southern Lake County, and up to southwestern Kingsbury County. But then, near Highway 14 the CO2 pipeline appears to diverge from the Dakota Access route, leaning a bit more northerly to perhaps better thread the needle among our northern ethanol plants and to reduce the distance the Minnesota–North Dakota branch has to cover to reach the main line… “Landowners and others interested in more detail about the Midwest Carbon Express CO2 pipeline get four meetings squeezed into two days to ask questions, with two meetings Oct. 26-27 held during the daytime when working people will have a hard time attending, and all four held during peak harvest time when farmers may not be able to spare any time to attend.”
Natural Gas Intelligence: Pennsylvania Court Orders Release of Emails by Energy Transfer Regarding ME Pipeline
MATTHEW VEAZEY, 10/21/21
“The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania last week ordered the public release of emails between Energy Transfer LP, which is expanding the Mariner East (ME) natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline system, and officials in a county township,” Natural Gas Intelligence reports. “...The pipeline project has faced numerous regulatory, legal and construction setbacks. The recent Delaware County court order corresponds to a request under Pennsylvania’s right-to-know law for emails between Energy Transfer/Sunoco LP and officials with Middletown Township. In late May a water main break that occurred during ME construction left residents of the Glen Riddle Station Apartments without water. The incident also prompted subsequent questions from the apartment complex owner about whether the water was safe to drink after service was restored. The township had claimed it was exempt from releasing the emails in question, but the court earlier this month ruled otherwise. “From Day One, we believed the public had a right to know what discussions and agreements took place between Energy Transfer/Sunoco and Middletown Township,” Glen Riddle Station owner spokesperson Stephen Iacobucci told NGI… “The Glen Riddle Station owner also urged Energy Transfer/Sunoco to refrain from working on ME until a criminal case lodged against it by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is resolved. “It’s time for Middletown Township to be transparent with our community, and for Energy Transfer to finally do the right thing and cease all operations until these very serious criminal charges are adjudicated,” Iacobucci told NGI.
Reuters: Texas pipeline operator Altus to combine with Blackstone-backed BCP Raptor
10/21/21
“Altus Midstream Co (ALTM.O) said on Thursday it would merge with BCP Raptor, a holding company for pipeline assets in the Permian Basin owned by investment firms, with the combined entity to be valued at $9 billion inclusive of debt,” Reuters reports. “The transaction, a so-called reverse merger which will allow privately-owned BCP to become a public company, will hand control of Altus to BCP's backers: private equity firm Blackstone Inc (BX.N) and infrastructure-focused investor I Squared Capital. In exchange, Altus gains greater scale in the Permian, the U.S. shale industry's heart. The resultant company will be the largest integrated midstream operator in the Delaware part of the formation, according to Altus' statement… ”BCP owns EagleClaw Midstream, Caprock Midstream and Pinnacle Midstream. It also holds part of the Permian Highway Pipeline, and once joined with Altus' interest, they will be the majority owner of the 430-mile (700km) natural gas pipeline.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico Morning Energy: GREENS, LABOR BACK WORKER BILL IN RECONCILIATION
Matthew Choi, 10/21/21
“A coalition of labor unions and environmental organizations is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Finance Chair Ron Wyden to include specific funding for dislocated energy workers in the budget reconciliation package,” Politico Morning Energy reports. “The groups, which include the Sierra Club, the BlueGreen Alliance and United Steelworkers, back Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown's recently introduced American Energy Worker Opportunity Act (S. 2966 (117) ), which would invest $32 billion over 10 years to assist workers laid off as the nation shifts to clean energy sources, including through a wage supplement, health care benefits, and education and training funds. "Prioritizing and targeting federal resources to workers and communities in places impacted by this shift must be a deliberate choice," the groups wrote.
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Calif. plans ban of new oil wells near schools, homes
By Anne C. Mulkern, 10/21/21
“California will seek to ban new oil wells near schools, hospitals, retirement homes and other sites, Gov. Gavin Newsom said today,” E&E News reports. “The state’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) issued a draft rule prohibiting wells within 3,200 feet of sensitive locations. The Democratic governor announced the move in Wilmington, a Los Angeles suburb with many oil drilling sites and residents with low incomes. The governor said the rule is needed for public health reasons and to fight climate change, which Newsom called "the fundamental issue of our time, the existential issue of our time." "Our planet’s running a fever," Newsom said. "We are living in a state that is burning up, in a state that is heating up, in a state where millions and millions of Californians are choking up." "Today’s announcement represents years of work by environmental justice advocates to put public health first after over a century of prioritizing oil company profits above health and safety, ” Martha Dina Argüello, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles, told E&E. “We know there is no safe distance for oil and gas drilling, but until we phase out all drilling our communities will continue to be at risk from day-to-day operations and the continuous threat of catastrophic accidents like we saw in Orange County."
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Oil and gas companies say they will lead climate change efforts in New Mexico
Adrian Hedden, 10/21/21
“Oil and gas industry leaders said they would lead efforts to mitigate their own industry’s environmental impacts, amid calls from activist groups throughout the year for stricter regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions,” the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “The comments came Thursday during the 2021 Carlsbad Mayor’s Energy Summit, in a year where newly-elected President Joe Biden had placed a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal land and pledged to enact policy intended to restrict pollution from fossil fuels… “At the state level, this year the State of New Mexico enacted tougher emission controls via its Oil Conservation Division, requiring producers capture 98 percent of produced natural gas by 2026… “The OCD also altered its rules to outlaw spills, meaning a liquid or gas spill by an operator would be a violation immediately before cleanup efforts… “Josh Viets, vice president of the Delaware Basin for ConocoPhillips told the Argus the industry faces some uncertainty amid regulatory shifts such as those in New Mexico aimed at mitigating pollution. “We’re facing regulatory pressure, especially here in New Mexico,” he told the Argus. “Not a day goes by where we don’t talk about emissions.”
EXTRACTION
Press release: After two years and at a cost of $3.5 million, Alberta Inquiry finds environmental groups did nothing wrong but care about climate change
10/21/21
“After over two years and at a cost of $3.5 million, the final report from the “Public Inquiry into Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns,” commissioned by the Alberta government, found environmental groups did nothing wrong, but simply care about climate change. The report found the word “anti-Albertan” in its own title to be neither constructive nor helpful. The organizations, individuals and foundations targeted by the Inquiry say the long, arduous and one-sided process was unconstitutional and should never be repeated in a democratic country like Canada. “The Inquiry, War Room and legislation criminalizing protest are an alarming abuse of the power of government in an attempt to intimidate and silence civil society organizations,” said Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, one of around forty organizations targeted. “Although the report shows no evidence of wrongdoing by environmental groups, the Alberta government publicly refuses to accept the report’s findings.” “This ill-conceived inquiry has not only been a colossal waste of time – these petrostate tactics threaten democracy and hold Alberta back from the important work that’s needed to transition to a cleaner economy,” said Eugene Kung of West Coast Environmental Law. “Working towards legal solutions to protect the environment, upholding Indigenous rights and ensuring communities have a voice in environmental decisions is not ‘anti-Alberta’. It’s about ensuring healthy communities and a livable future.”
Globe and Mail: Alberta energy inquiry says no wrongdoing by anti-oil-sands activists
KELLY CRYDERMAN, 10/21/21
“The final report from Alberta’s inquiry targeting foreign funding of environmental activists doesn’t find wrongdoing by any groups or individuals, and its author was unable to identify the precise amount of outside money flowing into Canada for anti-oil-sands campaigns,” the Globe and Mail reports. “In his report, formally released by the provincial government on Thursday, Commissioner Steve Allan outlines how environmental groups have worked nimbly, and together, to oppose Canadian pipeline and other oil projects, and boasted about their wins against the Alberta-based industry. Campaigns against the oil sands and related infrastructure have been funded in part by foreign sources. But the $3.5-million inquiry, a key plank of the governing United Conservative Party’s “fight back” strategy, has long been criticized for being ill-conceived, and the government is facing questions about how useful the exercise has been… “Environmental groups say the use of “anti-Alberta” terminology for the inquiry has a chilling effect on free speech and open dissent. Critics have noted that the inquiry wasn’t asked to scrutinize the foreign dollars flowing to Canadian non-profits that take positions in alignment with the Alberta government, or oil industry. Environmental groups also accused the government of twisting the report’s findings. “Although the report shows no evidence of wrongdoing by environmental groups, the Alberta government publicly refuses to accept the report’s findings,” Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, told the Globe and Mail.
New York Times: Fossil Fuel Drilling Plans Undermine Climate Pledges, U.N. Report Warns
Brad Plumer, 10/21/21
“Even as world leaders vow to take stronger action on climate change, many countries are still planning to dramatically increase their production of oil, gas and coal in the decades ahead, potentially undermining those lofty pledges, according to a United Nations-backed report released Tuesday,” the New York Times reports. “The report looked at future mining and drilling plans in 15 major fossil fuel producing countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, China, India and Norway. Taken together, those countries are currently planning to produce more than twice as much oil, gas and coal through 2030 as would be needed if governments want to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels… “But the planned global expansion of fossil fuel extraction clashes sharply with those climate goals, the report found… “By 2030, the report found, the world’s nations are planning to produce 240 percent more coal, 57 percent more oil and 71 percent more natural gas than would be needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”
NPR: Despite climate change promises, governments plan to ramp up fossil fuel production
JACLYN DIAZ, 10/20/21
“Despite lofty commitments by governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they are still planning to extract huge amounts of energy from fossil fuels in the coming years, according to a new report from the United Nations,” NPR reports. “The report published Wednesday details how the world's largest fossil fuel producers plan to carry on using coal, gas, and oil — despite promises made under the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global warming. The world's governments plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030, with just a modest decrease in coal production. That's contrary to promises to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and 45% more than what would be consistent with warming of 2 degrees, according to the report… “Specifically, the group of 20 major industrialized countries have directed nearly $300 billion in new funds toward those continued fossil fuel activities since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — far more than they have toward clean energy efforts. The U.S. specifically has shown a 17% planned increase of oil production and 12% with gas by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, according to Wednesday's report. And it again reminded the world that "global fossil fuel production must start declining immediately and steeply."
Press release: Oil Sands Pathways alliance outlines three-phase plan to achieve goal of net zero emissions
10/21/21
“The Oil Sands Pathways to Net Zero initiative, an alliance between Canada's five largest oil sands producers, has announced additional details of its plan to achieve the goal of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oil sands operations. "As a significant source of Canada's GHG emissions, we know we must also be part of the solution," says Pathways Director Al Reid. "That's why we're working together on innovative approaches to achieve our shared vision of net zero emissions." Pathways alliance members, who operate facilities accounting for 90% of Canadian oil sands output, are working collectively with the federal and Alberta governments, with a goal to achieve net zero (neutral) emissions from oil sands operations by 2050 to help Canada meet its climate goals, including its Paris Agreement commitments and 2050 net zero aspirations. Because there is no single solution to achieving net zero emissions from oil sands operations, the initiative will employ several parallel pathways and technologies. These include established and proven technologies such as carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) as well as other existing and emerging GHG reduction technologies. This includes switching to lower carbon fuels such as clean hydrogen and electricity to power oil sands operations, implementing advanced production processes and improving energy efficiency at oil sands facilities.”
Financial Post: Canada's biggest oilsands firms pledge 97% cut in emissions — with government support
Geoffrey Morgan, 10/21/21
“Canada’s five largest oilsands companies pledged Thursday to cut roughly 97 per cent of their current total emissions with the goal of reaching a net-zero emissions target by 2050, with help from both the federal and provincial governments,” the Financial Post reports. “A group called the Oil Sands Pathways — featuring Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Suncor Energy Inc., Cenovus Energy Inc., Imperial Oil Ltd. and MEG Energy Corp. — laid out oilsands emissions reduction targets on Thursday, including a plan to cut 68 megatonnes of CO2 emissions by 2040, which would amount to 97 per cent of the sector’s total 70 MT of emissions in 2020. “I think it will put some pressure on the rest of the industry to follow their lead, which is positive for the sector, for the reputation of Canada and in the capital markets,” Adam Legge, president and CEO of the Business Council of Alberta, told the Post, noting that conventional oil producers, gas producers and international competitors could also undertake similar initiatives. “I think there’s a huge potential risk in being a first mover but I think they’ve done it boldly, they’ve done it collaboratively and in a way that I think will yield some dividends for them.” “...To reach the first milestone in the oilsands, the group of companies “will focus on building out a carbon capture network in the oilsands” that will include a carbon pipeline to gather sequestered CO2 from 20 oilsands facilities and ship that carbon to a storage facility in Cold Lake, Alta. Reid called the carbon pipeline and storage facility “the fundamental or anchor project” that will enable oilsands producers to cut their emissions in the future.”
Reuters: Canada oil producers grapple with Trudeau's demand for faster emissions cuts
By Rod Nickel, 10/21/21
“Canada’s oil producers face new pressure from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reduce emissions in just three years, a sudden acceleration of their plans that at least one major company said looks unrealistic,” Reuters reports. “Suncor Energy, the second-largest Canadian crude producer, says it remains focused on cutting emissions by 2030, not 2025 as the Canadian government will require. “Honestly, 2025 is going to be tough,” Martha Hall Findlay, Suncor’s Chief Sustainability Officer, told Reuters. “That’s not a number we’ve used, it’s a number the feds have used.” “That is light speed for an oil sands company. That’s tomorrow,” Kevin Birn, chief analyst of Canadian oil markets at consultancy IHS Markit, told Reuters, of Trudeau’s demand. “They’re a very hard ship to turn because they have so much emissions.” Previously, Ottawa had a target of cutting national emissions by at least 40% by 2030, but it did not single out the oil sector. Canada’s crude industry generates some of the highest emissions per barrel worldwide… “Cenovus intends to cut emissions on an absolute and per-barrel basis, spokesman Reg Curren told Reuetrs, but he would not say if cuts would occur by 2025… “Emissions reductions are difficult for oil sands operations because of the energy they require, while conventional methane emissions are easier to tackle, Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist at Greenpeace Canada, told Reuters. “Oil sands producers are counting on expanded carbon capture and sequestration facilities to cut emissions. But the economics require government funding here, Greg McNab, a partner at the Baker McKenzie law firm, told Reuters. Using renewable power to run oil sands facilities may be the quickest way to curb emissions.”
Natural Gas Intelligence: Quebec Premier Calls for Banning Hydrocarbon Production, LNG Exports
GORDON JAREMKO, 10/21/21
“Foreshadowed for years, French Canada said it plans to ban fossil fuel production by rejecting exploration and production development and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports,” Natural Gas Intelligence reports. “The government of Quebec has taken a decision to renounce, definitively, extraction of hydrocarbons in its territory,” said Premier Fancois Legault. Legault described the planned production prohibition as a recipe for prosperity in an emerging age of international consensus on preventing drastic climate change by cutting fossil fuel carbon emissions blamed for global warming. The premier predicted energy transition to electricity would grow government-owned Hydro Quebec’s zero-emission power dams as a supplier of Canadian markets and exporter to New England states and New York. “It is necessary to bet on our trump cards in profoundly transforming our economy,” said Legault… “Legault’s cabinet recently rejected the proposed Energie Saguenay terminal and Gazoduq pipeline for LNG exports. Quebec also played a role in the 2017 demise of TC Energy Corp.’s C$16 billion ($12.8 billion) Energy East plan for a cross-country oil pipeline. Quebec has no oil or gas output. A 2018 ban on hydraulic fracturing used in unconventional production ruled that the Utica Shale formation, which extends into the province, was off limits. The announced exclusion would stop short of ending large-scale Quebec oil and gas refining, distribution and retailing. No interference was announced against top Quebec investor-owned enterprises. They include 525,000-customer gas distributor Énergir, Valero Energy Co. and Suncor Energy Co. refineries with capacity for 372,000 b/d of oil.”.
Bloomberg: Climate Pact on Methane Gathers 35 Countries After U.S., EU Push
By John Follain and Jennifer A Dlouhy, 10/21/21
“The U.S. and the European Union are set to announce at key climate talks next month that at least 35 countries have joined a global pact to cut methane emissions, according to an official,” Bloomberg reports. “The pledge to rein in output of the potent greenhouse gas is already backed by nations including the U.K., Canada and Germany. The U.S. and the EU will likely reveal additional signatories at the COP26 summit on Nov. 2, the official said, asking not to be identified discussing a confidential matter, and declining to name them. Nations in the agreement commit to support a collective goal to cut methane output by at least 30% from 2020 levels by the end of the decade -- with potential reductions coming from the oil industry, agriculture and waste, among other sources. Dozens of countries have joined the pact since it was first proposed -- representing almost a third of global methane emissions -- and efforts continue to sign up more. The U.S. is working with “development banks, bilateral aid agencies and with governments everywhere to ensure that we have the strongest possible launch of this global methane pledge at COP26,” Rick Duke, White House liaison for the special presidential envoy for climate change, told Reuters.”
Reuters: EU Parliament seeks legal clampdown on planet-warming methane emissions
By Kate Abnett, 10/21/21
“The European Parliament on Thursday asked the EU to legally require companies to fix methane leaks and impose binding targets on countries to cut emissions of the potent greenhouse gas, setting the scene for legislation Brussels will propose later this year,” Reuters reports. "We need a quick win to tackle climate change," Greek lawmaker Maria Spyraki, who authored the Parliament's resolution, told Reuters. “On Thursday the Parliament supported, by 563 votes to 122, the European Commission's plan to propose legislation in December that would force oil and gas companies to report their methane emissions and find and fix leaks. Parliament said the rules should apply to the entire oil and gas supply chain "as soon as possible" and the EU should make fossil fuel imports conditional on complying with the rules - a move that would hit producers like Russia and Algeria. Parliament's call adds to pressure on the EU to tackle methane emissions in the international supply chains of fossil fuels consumed in Europe - something the Commission has said it will consider but is not yet firmly committed to. The EU imports more than 80% of the gas and oil it consumes. Most of the methane emissions associated with those fuels occur outside of EU borders, in supply chains coming into Europe from abroad.”
CNBC: ‘No commercial case for green hydrogen’ yet: Siemens Energy CEO
Anmar Frangoul, 10/20/21
“The CEO of Siemens Energy has spoken of the challenges facing the green hydrogen sector, telling CNBC that there was “no commercial case” for it at this moment in time. In comments made during a discussion at CNBC’s Sustainable Future Forum on Tuesday, Christian Bruch outlined several areas that would need attention in order for green hydrogen to gain momentum. “We need to define boundary conditions which make this technology and these cases commercially viable,” Bruch, who was speaking to CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick, said. “And we need an environment, obviously, of cheap electricity and in this regard, abundant renewable energy available to do this.” This was not there yet, he argued. Hydrogen can be produced in a number of ways. One method includes using electrolysis, with an electric current splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. If the electricity used in this process comes from a renewable source such as wind or solar then some call it green or renewable hydrogen. While there is excitement about the potential of green hydrogen in some quarters, it’s currently expensive to produce. Indeed, National Grid describes grey hydrogen as being the “most common form of hydrogen production” today.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
WDAL: Enbridge Grant To Starbase In Duluth
By Dave Strandberg, 10/22/21
“The STEM education program from Starbase Minnesota in Duluth got a big boost this week with a 25 thousand dollar grant from Enbridge,” WDAL reports. “Starbase Minnesota is a non-profit education organization that delivers a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum to area 5th graders. The Enbridge Director of Regional Operations, Trent Westmore, told WDAL the program energizes young minds in the region to experience the opportunities that STEM learning can have on everyday life. Starbase Minnesota-Duluth Director, Charity Johnson, told WDAL they are grateful for the support of Enbridge as they invest in the STEM professionals of the future.”
OPINION
Toronto Star: Canada must explore Line 5 alternatives
Michelle Woodhouse is water program manager at Environmental Defence, 10/20/21
“In invoking the 1977 Transit Pipelines Treaty for Line 5, Canada prioritized the financial interests of a fossil fuel giant over what’s best for Canadians,” Michelle Woodhouse writes for the Toronto Star. “This pipeline poses a massive threat to the Great Lakes and the recent accident in California is a stark reminder that pipelines can and do spill. Alternatives to Line 5 exist, but the government has failed to properly consider them. When will Canada stop supporting the dangerous false solutions proposed by Enbridge and look critically at all of their options?... “The recent underwater pipeline rupture off the coast of California spilled over 470,000 litres of oil, leaving a massive oil slick and a shoreline littered with dead birds and fish. It’s suspected that this was caused by an anchor strike, which is exactly the kind of thing that could happen to Line 5. In fact, there have been three anchor incidents in the Straits of Mackinac over the last four years alone, despite it being a “no anchor” zone. If Line 5 were to rupture into the Straits of Mackinac, it could engulf up to 1,100 kms of shoreline and spill even more oil than in California. But a Line 5 rupture is really not a question of “if” — it’s a question of “when.” “...It’s time for Canada to do its research. Alternatives to Line 5 exist. We must put the health of the planet and the people before the financial interests of the fossil fuel industry.”
Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Biden should show strong support for shutting down Line 5
Peter Laing is a partner and operations manager at MAWBY Vineyards and Winery in Suttons Bay and a member of the Great Lakes Business Network, 10/22/21
“With every passing day, thousands of gallons of oil move through an outdated pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac,” Peter Laring writes for the Detroit Free Press. “Because of their reliance on the oil in the line, and the home base of the company that operates it, the Canadian government recently moved to invoke a 1977 Treaty, which would require negotiation with the US Department of State and a long drawn out legal process. Meanwhile the risk to the communities that rely on the clean water of the Great Lakes continues to grow… “Governor Gretchen Whitmer has a duty to protect the Great Lakes, a duty she upheld last November when she ordered the DNR to revoke the operating easement Michigan granted Enbridge more 70 years agoto operate the twin pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac. This bold action demonstrates the kind of exemplary leadership we need to protect 20% of the world’s fresh surface water, a resource that will only become more valuable under the emerging pressures of climate stress. It is time for President Joe Biden to step up and support Whitmer’s decision to decommission Line 5… “Decommissioning Line 5 is the best decision for our water, our industries, our region and nation. The value of the Great Lakes extends beyond Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Biden should make it clear that protecting the Great Lakes is a top priority.”
OilPrice.com: Canada’s Oil Industry Is Facing Resistance On All Fronts
Felicity Bradstock, 10/21/21
“According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Canadian oil is set to decline within the next decade. That has not stopped funding from flooring into new projects however as producers aim to milk the country’s oil reserves for all they’re worth before that,” Felicity Bradstock writes for OilPrice.com. “...Yet, the pessimistic outlook has not stopped the government and Canada’s private oil and gas companies from planning huge developments to ensure the industry remains resilient for as long as demand is high… “Unsurprisingly, the Canadian government is planning to increase its national oil production, with policies continuing to favor fossil fuels, according to the 2021 Production Gap Report. Despite enthusiasm around climate change policy, President Trudeau remains dedicated to the maintenance of an industry which continues to be lucrative and responds to regional demand, as well as contributing thousands of job opportunities. While plans for net-zero remain in place, Canada is not yet ready to give up its position as a global oil and gas leader, particularly because of so much uncertainty around OPEC+ production. The Canadian oil boom cannot last forever, and the industry is facing many more hurdles as its allies look to tackle climate change and wean themselves off fossil fuels. However, at present, Canada’s oil industry remains strong, with no sign of giving up before it must.”
Los Angeles Times: Op-Ed: Create a tribal-led marine sanctuary and stop oil spills on the California coast
Leon E. Panetta founded the Panetta Institute at Cal State Monterey Bay. He served as U.S. secretary of Defense, director of the CIA, White House chief of staff, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and as a member of Congress from California’s Central Coast for 16 years, 10/22/21
“Although I spent most of my career in Washington, D.C., my home and heart have always been along California’s beautiful Central Coast. Growing up along the shores of Monterey Bay inspired my lifelong commitment to promoting responsible stewardship of our oceans,” Leon Panetta writes for the Los Angeles Times. “...Along California’s central coastline, from Santa Barbara to Cambria, there is a prime opportunity to act right now. Led by former Northern Chumash Tribal Council Chair Fred Collins, community members in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties have fought their own multiyear campaign to create a sanctuary… “The Chumash Heritage sanctuary would protect an area, long targeted for offshore oil and gas development, that contains Chumash cultural and sacred sites as well as sensitive ocean habitats. Sanctuary designation would advance ecosystem-based planning to protect fisheries, seabirds, marine mammals, estuaries and beaches and promote appropriately sited offshore wind energy… “Designation of the Chumash Heritage sanctuary would be historic as a major federally protected ocean area led by Indigenous people and an apt complement to Biden’s recently restored protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, all supporting his commitment to protect 30% of U.S. lands and oceans by 2030. We owe it to the careful stewards of both the past and future generations to protect our coast. It is time to approve the Chumash Heritage sanctuary, transition to clean energy and do all we can to ensure the latest California oil spill is our last.”