EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/10/21
PIPELINE NEWS
The Hill: Biden administration clarifies it's not weighing Line 5 shutdown
Bloomberg: White House Dispels Oil Pipeline Shutdown Fears, Pledges Talks
Canadian Press: MEG Energy CEO doesn't expect Line 5 dispute to hurt ability to move heavy oil
Cleveland.com: Republican Ohio Congress members fear shutdown of oil and gas pipeline from Canada
KSDK: Are Spire customers really in danger of losing service?
Greenville News: Piedmont Natural Gas chooses route for pipeline, but environmentalists still don’t want it
GCaptain: NTSB Board Meeting to Consider Fatal Pipeline Strike and Fire Aboard Dredger Waymon Boyd
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WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: EPA Rules May Spark Legal War Over Social Cost Of Methane
Politico: DON’T FORGET THOSE WHO WERE LEFT OUT
Press release: 150 parliamentarians from over 30 countries call on colleagues to work towards a fossil fuel free future at COP26
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: Oil spill cleanup improves, fisheries to stay closed longer
The Hill: Hawaii governor urges bolder climate action: Net zero is 'not good enough'
Bismarck Tribune: Incident at Mandan Refinery prompts significant flaring, causes social media stir
Associated Press: Southern California enacts new smog rules on refineries
WDSU: Phillips 66 refinery's closure sparks concerns over oil's future in Plaquemines Parish
Alaska Journal of Commerce: Alaska North Slope oil and gas lease sale nets state six bids for $467,000
EXTRACTION
Bloomberg: U.S. projects oversupplied global oil markets by early 2022
CBC: Movement to keep fossil fuels in the ground gaining momentum in Canada and abroad
Bloomberg: U.K. Rejects Alliance Seeking Fixed Date to End Oil and Gas
CBC: Transitioning oil and gas workers into new industries will require a 'hands-on approach’: researcher
The Independent: Cop26: Carbon offsetting ‘a new form of colonialism,’ says Indigenous leader
Journal of Petroleum Technology: Alliance Outlines Three-Phase Plan To Achieve Goal of Net Zero Emissions
The Conversation: Ditching fossil fuels will have immediate health benefits for millions – world leaders must seize the chance
New York Times: The World Needs to Quit Oil and Gas. Africa Has an Idea: Rich Countries First.
CLIMATE FINANCE
Bloomberg: Cost of Capital Spikes for Fossil-Fuel Producers
Bloomberg: BlackRock, Brookfield Pipeline Bids Underscore an ESG Dilemma
Hartford Courant: The Hartford to quit tar-sands investments ahead of schedule
Common Dreams: World's Biggest PR Firm Urged to Stop Enabling 'Ecosystem Destruction’
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Guardian: Fossil fuel advertising in sport ‘the new cigarette sponsorship’, ex-Wallabies captain David Pocock says
Press release: Astros partner Energy Transfer makes $25,000 donation to Astros Foundation
OPINION
CBC: Are climate activists heroes? Or are they terrorists?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Messenger: Email from Spire leaves out key context in natural gas pipeline dispute
Washington Examiner: How shutting down a key pipeline could worsen Biden's fuel crisis
Financial Post: What comes after the oilsands? Alberta may have another ace up its sleeve
Esquire: Here's a Plan for the Extraction Industries: Clean Up Your Own Mess
PIPELINE NEWS
The Hill: Biden administration clarifies it's not weighing Line 5 shutdown
BY RACHEL FRAZIN, 11/9/21
“The White House on Tuesday clarified that the Biden administration is not considering a shutdown of the Line 5 pipeline in Michigan despite a push from the state to do so,” The Hill reports. “Asked Monday about the pipeline, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the administration was studying the impact of shutting down the pipeline, but during her Tuesday comments, she appeared to walk back her assertion. Jean-Pierre noted that amid a dispute with the state over the pipeline, Canada invoked a treaty involving the U.S. government. But she said that these negotiations should not be viewed as an attempt to stop the vessel’s operations. “These negotiations and discussions between the two countries shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than that — and certainly not an indicator that the U.S. government is considering shutdown. That is something that we’re not going to do,” Jean-Pierre said. Jean-Pierre noted that part of the line could be replaced and that the U.S. Army Corps will study that potential replacement.”
Bloomberg: White House Dispels Oil Pipeline Shutdown Fears, Pledges Talks
11/9/21
“The White House pledged to discuss a key pipeline that carries Canadian crude through Michigan with the northern neighbor, stressing the U.S. isn’t considering a shutdown of the conduit the state’s governor wants shuttered,” Bloomberg reports. “The Canadian and U.S. governments will “engage constructively” on the future of Enbridge Inc.’s Line 5 pipeline, the White House principle deputy press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said at a briefing Tuesday. “These negotiations and discussions between the two countries shouldn’t be viewed as as anything more than that, and certainly not an indicator that the U.S. government is considering shutdown,” she said. .
Canadian Press: MEG Energy CEO doesn't expect Line 5 dispute to hurt ability to move heavy oil
Amanda Stephenson, 11/9/21
“The chief executive of MEG Energy said Tuesday he doesn't expect the ongoing dispute between Canada and the U.S. over the Line 5 cross-border pipeline to hurt his company's ability to move heavy oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast,” the Canadian Press reports. “On a conference call with analysts, Derek Evans — the head of the Calgary-based energy company — said that now that Enbridge Inc.'s Line 3 replacement project is operational, MEG is less concerned about the outcome of bilateral talks over Line 5. "Line 5 does not carry a huge amount of volume. And I think it's about 330,000 barrels a day. It tends to be light product," said Evans, whose company produces heavy oil from the Athabasca oilsands region of Alberta. "With Line 3 now up and running, there actually appears to be incremental space on the light system that heavies can utilize with the way that line is now configured. So we're even more comfortable today that the shutdown of Line 5 won't, wouldn't negatively impact our long-haul capacity." “...A proposed motion filed last week in U.S. District Court in Michigan says the first formal negotiating session between the two countries will happen "shortly." “...Evans added the company expects to also have additional take-away capacity when the federally owned Trans Mountain expansion project is completed, expected to be sometime in mid to late 2022.”
Cleveland.com: Republican Ohio Congress members fear shutdown of oil and gas pipeline from Canada
Sabrina Eaton, 11/9/21
“Republican members of Congress from Ohio are warning President Joe Biden that shutting down a pipeline that brings oil and gas from Canada into the upper Midwest could cost tens of thousands of jobs, cause fuel price shocks and jeopardize billions of dollars in economic activity,” Cleveland.com reports. “Environmental groups like the Sierra Club have urged decommissioning the aging Enbridge Line 5 pipeline that traverses Wisconsin and Michigan on its way to a refinery in Sarnia, Ontario… “Last week, Republican U.S. House of Representatives members Bob Latta of Bowling Green, Troy Balderson of Zanesville and Bill Johnson of Marietta wrote a letter to Biden to caution against shutting down the pipeline, which opened in 1953. They said that “absent any credible data showing that there is a real safety hazard to continuing Line 5 operations, the intrastate, interstate, and international commerce implications of a possible shutdown should be overwhelming evidence that this path should not be followed.” They also said doing so would worsen shortages and price increases in home heating fuels like natural gas and propane.”
KSDK: Are Spire customers really in danger of losing service?
Casey Nolen, 11/9/21
“You may have received an e-mail from the gas company Spire warning your gas might have to be shut off this winter if the company is forced to close a major pipeline,” KSDK reports. “The e-mail is not a fake, but some say it still seems like an unnecessary alarm… “But Tuesday night the St. Louis County Council had some questions about that when a representative from the company came before the council. “This feels a little bit like a manufactured catastrophe,” Councilwoman Lisa Clancy (D) District 5, told David Yonce a project manager for Spire. “Is this about putting pressure on FERC?” asked Councilman Tim Fitch (R) District 3… “The environmental group questions whether the pipeline was really necessary or if customers are just paying more so Spire can make more money and takes issue with how EDF said the pipeline cuts through farmland. But even the environmental group said the pipeline should be allowed to operate through the winter so that no one will lose service… “For it’s part, Spire said alarm was not its intent. “We don't want to alarm people, but we had to be transparent to say that this [loss of service] was a possibility given that December 13th was only a few weeks away,” Spire spokesman Jason Merrill told KSDK… “Asked about allegations that the company is trying to leverage public support with the email about the possible loss of service Merrill told KSDK, “This is to be transparent with our customers and make sure they understand this is the situation.”
Greenville News: Piedmont Natural Gas chooses route for pipeline, but environmentalists still don’t want it
Genna Contino, 11/9/21
“Piedmont Natural Gas has chosen a route for a high-pressure pipeline along State 290 after months of deliberation,” the Greenville News reports. “The route, described as the "blue route" by the company as it considered three options, is 12 miles long and will begin near the Post Office in Taylors and end off U.S. 25. Piedmont Natural Gas, which is owned by Duke Energy, said this route emerged as the “preferred” route after receiving community feedback and analyzing environmental impact. Environmentalists and some local residents have questioned whether any pipeline is needed. Frank Holleman, an attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the environment and people's health, told the News the move to build a new pipeline has been driven by the pursuit of profit. "They're still pushing a line through northern Greenville County that will encourage sprawl and unwanted dense development in an area of the county that the public wants to remain rural, natural and beautiful," Holleman said… “Pipeline construction is still more than a year away, and land surveys are set to begin in early 2022, according to the company's news release. The company says it will communicate directly with landowners and businesses along the route before land surveys begin, and communication is to continue throughout the process until the project is complete.”
GCaptain: NTSB Board Meeting to Consider Fatal Pipeline Strike and Fire Aboard Dredger Waymon Boyd
Mike Schuler, 11/9/21
“The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will hold a virtual public board meeting next month to consider the draft final report for the pipeline strike and subsequent deadly explosion and fire aboard the dredging vessel Waymon Boyd,” GCaptain reports. “The Waymon Boyd struck a submerged 16-inch hazardous liquid propane pipeline during dredging operations in Corpus Christi, Texas on August 21, 2020. A geyser of propane gas and water erupted adjacent to the vessel. Shortly after, propane gas engulfed the dredge and an explosion occurred, resulting in a fire that damaged the vessel and surrounding shoreline. A total of 18 personnel employed by Orion Marine Group were working or resting on the dredge and assist boats on the day of the accident. Three crewmembers aboard the Waymon Boyd and one on an adjacent anchor barge died in the explosion and fire. Six crewmembers aboard the dredge were injured, one of whom later died from his injuries. The Waymon Boyd, valued at $9.48 million, was a total loss. The cost of pipeline damage was $2.09 million.”
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11/8/21
“The Army Corps of Engineers could soon issue or deny a key permit that would allow the dangerous Mountain Valley Pipeline to continue construction -- even though its construction has already harmed clean water sources across Appalachia and racked up hundreds of water quality-related violations. If you'd like to learn more about what we're doing to stop this destructive and unnecessary pipeline and what you can do to help stop it, please sign up for a webinar we're hosting next week at 6pm EST on Tuesday, 11/16.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: EPA Rules May Spark Legal War Over Social Cost Of Methane
11/9/21
“EPA's proposed methane rules could be the next target for legal opponents of the Biden administration’s approach to estimating the value of curbing greenhouse gases,” E&E News reports. “The proposal would place limits on methane emissions from new and existing sources in the oil and gas sector, as part of a multiagency rule package targeting the potent greenhouse gas. The rules are among the first to use the Biden team’s interim social cost of methane calculation, which puts a dollar value on the emissions of a metric ton of the heat-trapping gas. Republican-led states have already attempted to challenge the Biden administration’s decision to ditch the Trump-era social cost of carbon, a closely related metric, but Judge Audrey Fleissig of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri this summer rebuffed their lawsuit as premature. A new lawsuit opposing EPA’s methane rules is ‘certainly something that we will look into as we move forward with our appeal on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases case,’ Chris Nuelle, a spokesperson for Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R), told E&E.
Politico: DON’T FORGET THOSE WHO WERE LEFT OUT
Matthew Choi, 11/9/21
“Shortly after his arrival in Scotland, Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva pilloried the U.N. for the lack of Indigenous representation at COP26, saying Indigenous peoples around the world have a disproportionately higher success rate at conservation but are being shut out of the conference by a lack of vaccine access and high travel costs,” Politico reports. “Climate change is the direct result of industrialized nations exploiting our world’s natural resources and violently stealing land from Indigenous and poor peoples,” Grijalva said in a statement Monday. “It’s difficult to clean up the mess we created while the global vaccine apartheid and the high cost of travel prevent the full participation of those same Indigenous and poor communities.”
Press release: 150 parliamentarians from over 30 countries call on colleagues to work towards a fossil fuel free future at COP26
11/10/21
“Parliamentarians from the Global South recently initiated a Parliamentarians’ Call for a Fossil Fuel Free Future and are inviting their colleagues from all over the world to join them. The initiative, released today at COP26 in Glasgow, is already supported by more than 150 nationally-elected legislators from more than 30 countries around the world. The initiators of the call are Members of Parliament from Bangladesh, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Kiribati, Palau, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa and Timor Leste. Speaking at a press conference at the COP26 in Glasgow, lead initiator Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian parliament said: “As parliamentarians, we have a unique and important role to play to facilitate a swift and just transition out of fossil fuels, not just in our countries but globally. This initiative is meant to harness the power of many parliamentarians speaking as one to urge governments to take more decisive actions for a rapid, just and equitable phase out of fossil fuels.” The Parliamentarians Call for a Fossil Fuel Free Future is urging governments to do more and go the full distance to: End new expansion of oil, gas and coal production in line with the best available science as outlined by the IPCC and United Nations Environment Program; Phase out existing oil, gas and coal in a manner that is fair and equitable, taking into account the responsibilities of countries for climate change and their respective capacity to transition...”
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: Oil spill cleanup improves, fisheries to stay closed longer
11/5/21
“Five weeks after a ruptured underwater pipeline spilled crude in the waters off Southern California, cleanup crews have cleared about a third of the shoreline and the amount of oily waste collected is tapering, an official said Friday,” the Associated Press reports. “Fisheries remain closed and aren’t likely to reopen before the final week of the month, Lt. Christian Corbo of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife told AP. Crews have removed upward of 500,000 pounds (227,000 kilograms) of tar balls, as well as oil-tainted sand, seaweed and driftwood. The amount of oily debris collected each day has tapered off, and more than a third of the shoreline is nearing final cleanup approval… “While beaches and harbors opened soon after the spill, fisheries remain closed to protect public health while testing is underway of fish collected in the area. A lab testing for trace levels of hydrocarbons received samples of 350 fish this week, Corbo told AP. The testing will take almost three weeks. If no sign of contamination is found, it could take a few additional days for officials to sign off on reopening the fisheries.”
The Hill: Hawaii governor urges bolder climate action: Net zero is 'not good enough'
BY SHARON UDASIN, 11/8/21
“Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) called on Monday for global emission reduction goals that aspire beyond "net-zero," as island communities continue to bear the disproportionate effects of climate change,” The Hill reports. “The Biden administration has pushed for a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions within the next few decades, under which the U.S. would seek to eliminate or offset climate pollution entirely. But Hawaii has gone further, with Ige telling other governors gathered at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow that his state is "committed to a net-negative goal by 2045, or as soon as practicable, because we know that zero is not good enough." “...While Hawaii was the first state to commit to 100 percent renewable energy — and plans to fulfill this pledge by 2035 — state officials now recognize that net-zero goals would be insufficient, according to the governor.”
Bismarck Tribune: Incident at Mandan Refinery prompts significant flaring, causes social media stir
AMY R. SISK, 11/8/21
“A Sunday evening incident at the Mandan Refinery prompted a significant amount of flaring that lit up the night sky,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “The refinery appeared to have lost its cooling water from the Missouri River, possibly due to an electrical issue or a problem with a pump, said Jim Semerad, director of the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Air Quality. The facility's flares burned off gases as refinery units shut down, he said. The event was the result of a "brief operational upset" at the refinery, Marathon Petroleum spokesperson Melissa Ory told the Tribune in an emailed statement… “Flaring still produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. It's not uncommon to see flares at the refinery, but Sunday's flaring appeared to be greater than normal and prompted concerns on social media as Bismarck and Mandan residents wondered what had happened. Semerad told the Tribune Marathon notified state officials immediately about the incident. He expects the company will soon provide the state with a more detailed report on what happened, the emissions produced during the incident and steps the company is taking to prevent a similar situation in the future.”
Associated Press: Southern California enacts new smog rules on refineries
By ROBERT JABLON, 11/5/21
“Southern California air regulators on Friday approved new restrictions on area oil refineries and other factories that could remove tons of smog-forming pollutants from the air,” the Associated Press reports. “The board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District adopted rule changes requiring emissions limits on oxides of nitrogen that will affect nine refineries and seven plants that produce asphalt, biofuel plants, hydrogen and sulfuric acid. Oxides of nitrogen, collectively known as NOx, form when fuel is burned at high temperatures. The gases can be produced by cars and industrial sources such as refineries and power plants. They are a key ingredient in producing ozone pollution. The new rules will reduce NOx emissions by around eight tons per day over the next 14 years, with nearly half of the reductions expected by 2023 and will go a long way to helping the region meet some federal air quality standards by 2031, the AQMD said… “The rules apply to some 300 pieces of combustion equipment at the facilities such as boilers and gas turbines. The rules, which will be implemented over a decade, provide two ways of meeting the new requirements and also ban refineries from purchasing credits to offset pollution they produce. The total cost of implementing the new rules is projected at about $2.3 billion but the reduction in health costs from pollution is expected to be about $2.6 billion, according to a September AQMD study session.”
WDSU: Phillips 66 refinery's closure sparks concerns over oil's future in Plaquemines Parish
Harrison Golden, 11/10/21
“The upcoming closure of a Plaquemines Parish oil refinery is leaving the surrounding community concerned for its future,” WDSU reports. “Phillips 66 announced Monday afternoon it would turn its Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse to a storage terminal next year. The conversion comes after Hurricane Ida's storm surge caused the property $1.3 billion in damage, and it leaves some 900 jobs in limbo… “The Alliance Refinery was built in 1971 and has refined light crude oil into gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels. It also produced feedstocks for other petrochemical products, home heating oil and petroleum. Its conversion into a storage base comes as Phillips 66 furthers its shift toward lower-carbon fuels. The refinery will be Louisiana's second to shutter within a year. In November 2020, Shell closed a facility in St. James Parish, taking 1,100 jobs with it. The recent closures leave Plaquemines Parish Councilman Beau Black concerned that longtime oil workers will find jobs in other states — and leave Louisiana behind. "This is one of the things that keeps me up at night," Black told WDSU. "My thoughts and prayers go to the families involved."
Alaska Journal of Commerce: Alaska North Slope oil and gas lease sale nets state six bids for $467,000
By Elwood Brehmer, 11/9/21
“Alaska’s second North Slope lease sale of the year was a quiet one, garnering just six bids totaling $467,609 for state coffers,” the Alaska Journal of Commerce reports. “Division of Oil and Gas officials announced bids Nov. 3 in the fall 2021 North Slope oil and gas lease sale, in which independent explorer Lagniappe Alaska collected five new state leases covering approximately 12,800 acres. Savant Alaska, a subsidiary of Denver-based Savant Resources and operator of the Badami Unit, submitted the other bid of $38,476 for 1,280 acres… “No bids were submitted for the North Slope foothills and Beaufort Sea areas.”
EXTRACTION
Bloomberg: U.S. projects oversupplied global oil markets by early 2022
By SHEELA TOBBEN AND DEVIKA KRISHNA KUMAR, 11/9/21
“The U.S. government projected that the global oil market will become oversupplied and prices will fall by early next year, cooling expectations that the White House may tap the nation’s emergency reserves,” Bloomberg reports. “Supply increases next year from OPEC nations as well as U.S. drillers will ultimately pressure prices lower. The U.S. benchmark crude will fall below $80 a barrel by December and reach as low as $62 by the end of next year and its global counterpart Brent will average $72 a barrel in 2022, the Energy Information Administration said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook on Tuesday. U.S. pump prices will drop below $3 a gallon by February, the data show… “The Biden administration has been under pressure to act to suppress rising gasoline prices that are now at the highest levels since 2014. But the report may weaken the argument for a release of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a move that had been seen as the most direct action U.S. President Biden could take to drive down prices, especially after OPEC and its allies resisted Biden’s calls to bring more crude supplies into the global market… “Meanwhile, U.S. crude production is expected to rise to average 11.9 million barrels a day in 2022 as drillers make a comeback.”
CBC: Movement to keep fossil fuels in the ground gaining momentum in Canada and abroad
Inayat Singh, Alice Hopton, 11/6/21
“The movement to keep oil and gas in the ground has reached Canada, as Quebec joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance this week — becoming the first North American member of a new group being launched at the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow that wants to phase out the production of oil and gas,” the CBC reports. “It comes after the Quebec government committed to permanently ban all oil and gas exploration and extraction within the province, closing the door on the future exploitation of a significant amount of natural gas reserves that could supply the province with its own energy for decades — and providing a model for other provinces to follow. "We see provinces move first. This is what happened in terms of our public health system. It's also what happened quite significantly for carbon pricing, with Quebec and British Columbia moving first and then the federal government adopting this minimum standard across the country," Caroline Brouillette, a Montreal-based policy expert at Climate Action Network Canada, told CBC. "So it totally makes sense that this is the way it would go forward in terms of putting an end to fossil fuel expansion in Canada." Quebec does not currently produce any oil and gas, but it has 182 active exploration permits that cover 32,000 square kilometres of land, Brouillette told the CBC.”
Bloomberg: U.K. Rejects Alliance Seeking Fixed Date to End Oil and Gas
By Jess Shankleman and Jennifer A Dlouhy, 11/9/21
“The U.K. won’t join an alliance of countries fixing a date to phase out oil and gas production, in a move that calls into question the COP26 host nation’s climate leadership,” Bloomberg reports. “The Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance is being spearheaded by the governments of Denmark and Costa Rica and is expected to announce as many as 10 to 15 new members on Wednesday at the climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. California, the seventh-largest U.S. oil-producing state, also is on track to join the coalition, further cementing its aim to shift away from fossil fuels despite its long history producing crude, two people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg… “But the U.K. -- which recently had to contend with record-high natural gas prices -- says it won’t back the alliance because ending fossil fuel production could cause a cliff edge in energy supply. “No other significant oil- and gas-producing nation has gone as far as the U.K. in supporting sector’s gradual transition to a low-carbon future,” a spokesperson told Bloomberg. “While the U.K.’s reliance on fossil fuels continues to fall, there will continue to be ongoing but diminishing need for oil and gas over the coming years while we ramp up renewable energy capacity.”
CBC: Transitioning oil and gas workers into new industries will require a 'hands-on approach’: researcher
11/7/21
“Transitioning from oil and gas to more renewable energy sources is expected in Canada — but how we approach it will have a significant impact on the industry's workers, says an environmental researcher,” the CBC reports. “So we can either manage that transition and do it in a way that is just for the workers in that industry, and the communities that are impacted," Emily Eaton, an associate professor at University of Regina, told the CBC. "Or we can do it in a completely chaotic and unmanaged way, in which case the fallout is going to be severe, especially for the jurisdictions that are digging in their heels in and trying to deny the reality." Advocates have been calling for Canada to move away from oil and gas production for years, and are pushing for a just transition that would support affected workers. They argue that while transitioning away from a fossil fuel-based economy, subsidies should be made available to oil and gas workers to help them transition to jobs in other industries… “Oilfields jobs are desirable for many workers because of the relatively high wages they offer — and policies that work toward moving the industry away from fossil fuels must acknowledge that, according to Eaton who researches natural resource economies. "There's a suite of policies that we can look at to deal with fossil fuel workers, but ultimately we need to have a pretty hands-on approach that connects fossil fuel workers ... to work that is equally as good.”
The Independent: Cop26: Carbon offsetting ‘a new form of colonialism,’ says Indigenous leader
Louise Boyle, 11/5/21
“The leader of an Indigenous grassroots movement has denounced carbon offsetting, dubbing it “part of a system that privatizes the air that we breathe”, The Independent reports. “It allows polluters to buy and sell permits to pollute instead of cutting emissions at the source,” Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, told The Independent at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow. “It lets governments and corporations pretend they are doing something about climate change, when they are not.” “We need real reduction, and to keep fossil fuels in the ground,” Mr Goldtooth told the Independent. “Carbon offsetting perpetuates the theft of Indigenous people’s land and our territories. Our brothers and sisters have been protecting their lands and forests for thousands of years. Carbon offsets are a new form of colonialism.” Indigenous groups are not alone in these concerns. On Wednesday, activist Greta Thunberg and members of Greenpeace interrupted a finance panel on carbon offsets at Cop26, calling it “greenwashing”. Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International, also wrote in theThe Guardianthat “Cop26’s worst outcome would be giving the green light to carbon offsetting” adding that it would “blow a huge hole in the Paris agreement”. Mr Goldtooth said that the focus on net-zero emissions was “false and clearly dangerous” compared to absolute zero emissions.
Journal of Petroleum Technology: Alliance Outlines Three-Phase Plan To Achieve Goal of Net Zero Emissions
11/9/21
“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,” the Journal of Petroleum Technology reports. “...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 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 use several parallel pathways and technologies. These include established and proven technologies such as carbon capture, use, and storage 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. The Pathways initiative also will work to accelerate the development of potential emerging emissions-reducing technologies such as direct air capture of carbon dioxide (CO2), more-efficient next-generation oil sands production technologies, and small modular nuclear reactors. The initiative will help preserve jobs in the oil sands sector, which is one of Canada’s largest employers, while also creating thousands of new construction and permanent jobs in the oil and gas and clean technology industries.”
The Conversation: Ditching fossil fuels will have immediate health benefits for millions – world leaders must seize the chance
Eloise Marais & Karn Vohra, 11/9/21
“The costs of mitigating climate change outweigh the immediate benefits to the climate,” The Conversation reports. “Politicians seeking recognition for their actions at climate change conferences like COP26 in Glasgow have little motive to deliver policies which slash emissions quickly. But there is a large, short-term benefit to eradicating fossil fuels for global health. In a study we published earlier in 2021 in collaboration with researchers at Harvard University, we estimated that exposure to air pollution from using fossil fuels globally accounts for one in five premature deaths. Our results suggest that at least 8.7 million early adult deaths could have been avoided in a single year if countries had already abandoned fossil fuels. This is equivalent to the population of Greater London.”
New York Times: The World Needs to Quit Oil and Gas. Africa Has an Idea: Rich Countries First.
By Shola Lawal, 11/9/21
“...When they say cut in Africa, what do they want to cut?” Titus Gwemende, Zimbabwe-based climate director at the Open Society Foundation, a grants organization,” asked the New York Times. “There’s nothing to cut here. African countries are the ones on the receiving end of this problem. It’s the bigger emitters that should have the responsibility to cut,” he said. “We should be sensitive to history.” A swift transition is crucial in the global fight against climate change. But not only would that be particularly costly in poorer nations, many African countries have an abundance of natural gas or other fossil fuels, and they argue forcefully that the rest of the world doesn’t have a right to tell them not to use it. Proven crude oil reserves on the African continent total more than one hundred billion barrels spanning eleven countries, with Libya and Nigeria among the 10 biggest producers globally. The region is rich in gas, too: Combined, Nigeria, Algeria and Mozambique hold about 6 percent of the world’s natural gas reserves. As world leaders meet at COP26 in Glasgow, some African leaders and activists are, for the first time, vocally opposing a speedier pivot to renewables for their countries. Instead, they are pressing for a slower transition, one that would embrace a continued reliance on fossil fuels — particularly natural gas, which burns more cleanly than coal or oil, but which still pumps planet-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Bloomberg: Cost of Capital Spikes for Fossil-Fuel Producers
Tim Quinson, 11/9/21
“Ten years ago, the “cost of capital” for developing oil and gas as compared to renewable projects was pretty much the same, falling consistently between 8% and 10%. But not anymore,” Bloomberg reports. “The threshold of projected return that can financially justify a new oil project is now at 20% for long-cycle developments, while for renewables it’s dropped to somewhere between 3% and 5%, Michele Della Vigna, a London-based analyst at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., told Bloomberg. “That's an extraordinary divergence, which is leading to an unprecedented shift in capital allocation. This year will mark the first time in history that renewable power will be the largest area of energy investment.” Will Hares, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said pressure from ESG investors is the best explanation for the widening difference between dirty and clean. “Oil companies are finding it increasingly difficult to raise financing amid rising ESG and sustainability concerns, while banks are under pressure from their own investors to reduce or eliminate fossil-fuel financing.” “...Goldman Sachs estimates that about $56 trillion, or $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion a year, will be invested in renewable energy, bioenergy and other clean-energy infrastructure projects between now and 2050… “It’s likely that given this backdrop, the spread between oil, gas and coal and renewable energy will continue to diverge as banks change their financing habits. Indeed, markets may end up killing off fossil fuels before governments do.”
Bloomberg: BlackRock, Brookfield Pipeline Bids Underscore an ESG Dilemma
By Silla Brush and Layan Odeh, 11/9/21
“Larry Fink is among Wall Street’s most outspoken leaders when it comes to climate change. He also just placed a bid on a major fossil-fuel asset,” Bloomberg reports. “BlackRock Inc., which he built into the world’s largest money manager, was among finalists to acquire a stake in Saudi Aramco’s natural-gas pipeline network -- a deal that on its face raises questions about Fink’s ambitions to de-carbonize the planet. But the move shows how hard it is for even the most climate-progressive firms to completely ditch polluting industries at a time when countries are still years away from clean energy. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. -- which hired former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney to strengthen the firm’s environmental, social and governance, or ESG, investing -- also placed a bid on the pipeline network. Whoever wins will probably realize considerable returns on an investment that may top $15 billion. As well as an obligation to investors, the firms are acknowledging that oil and gas companies will have a role to play in energy production for the foreseeable future. “It really highlights the challenge for the world about how we’re going to get through this next 10 to 20 years while we still need conventional energy,” Tensie Whelan, director of the Center for Sustainable Business at New York University’s Stern School of Business, told Bloomberg.
Hartford Courant: The Hartford to quit tar-sands investments ahead of schedule
11/9/21
“The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. announced Tuesday it anticipates exiting all tar-sands investments by Dec. 31, two years ahead of its commitment announced in 2019,” the Hartford Courant reports. “The insurance and financial services giant, detailing updated environmental policies on several fronts, also said it does not expect to exit coal investment holdings earlier than the end of 2023 as previously announced. It’s joining scores of financial institutions with assets under management or loans outstanding larger than $10 billion that are restricting fossil fuel business with oil, liquefied natural gas, oil sands and arctic drilling, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The Hartford also said it will spend $2.5 billion over five years on technologies, companies and funds to advance efforts moving away from carbon-based power. And it will join other companies as a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, a corporate initiative to promote sustainable energy.” “...The Rainforest Action Network, which is pressuring insurers to drop coverage of fossil fuel power plants, said at the time The Hartford was the “first mainstream U.S. insurer” to restrict coverage for tar sands oil and coal.”
Common Dreams: World's Biggest PR Firm Urged to Stop Enabling 'Ecosystem Destruction’
ANDREA GERMANOS, 11/8/21
“A group of over 100 climate justice advocates and creators on Monday publicly called on the world's largest public relations firm—Edelman—to drop ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel companies as clients,” Common Dreams reports. "Edelman's fancy ads are giving ExxonMobil social license to operate, and to thereby destroy our climate," Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a marine biologist and co-founder of the All We Can Save Project, said in a statement. "With this campaign," said Johnson, "culture-makers are using their own social clout to say 'not on my watch.'" Johnson is one of the organizers of a new letter that says Edelman often invites "people like us to join sustainability campaigns on behalf of their clients." While the values of some of those clients line up with those of the signatories, that's far from the case with ExxonMobil and Shell, companies the letter says Edelman works with extensively. "In fact," the letter states, "Edelman does more work for fossil fuel interests than any PR agency on earth." That's a massive problem, the letter argues, because "advertising for fossil fuel companies obstructs urgently needed government action on climate change and impedes climate justice solutions. 'Greenwashing' is too mild a term: Edelman is in fact actively contributing to fossil fuel emissions through its marketing activities." Signatories to the letter include well-known voices in the climate movement such as Mustafa Santiago Ali, May Boeve, Tara Houska, and youth activists Vanessa Nakate and Luisa Neubauer. Additional signatories include authors Ta-Nehisi Coates and Naomi Klein, and other public figures like Michael Cain, Philippe Cousteau, and Baratunde Thurston.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Guardian: Fossil fuel advertising in sport ‘the new cigarette sponsorship’, ex-Wallabies captain David Pocock says
Royce Kurmelovs, 11/9/21
“Days after flying into Glasgow to catch the opening of the Cop26 climate summit, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher headed over to Edinburgh to watch the Wallabies play Scotland from a corporate box,” the Guardian reports. “The oil and gas company’s logo may have stood pride of place at the Australian pavilion at the summit, but it was the company’s sponsorship of the Wallabies that would prove a public relations coup. The deal with Rugby Australia will see the team sport the Santos logo on the top-back of their jersey at every game. Former Wallabies captain David Pocock, a strong voice within sport calling for meaningful action on climate told the Guardian “it’s hard to stomach”. “I was always proud to represent my country. As a rugby player, that’s what you dream of. It’s been difficult to watch a partnership emerge with Santos...I really think fossil fuel sponsorship is the new cigarette sponsorship, where they are advertising a product that we now know is destroying our home planet and our futures.” “...Campaigns director for climate activist group 350 Australia, Kelly Albion, has been tracking fossil fuel companies as they work up sponsorship deals, advertising arrangements and official partnerships with the arts, community groups and sports clubs… “A count of these arrangements for which there is publicly available information reveals at least 12 fossil fuel companies, industry associations and energy retailers have 24 deals with sports clubs, stadiums or events at all levels.”
Press release: Astros partner Energy Transfer makes $25,000 donation to Astros Foundation
11/9/21
“Astros partner Energy Transfer has donated $25,000 to the Astros Foundation as part of their season-long initiative that pledged $25 for every strikeout recorded by an Astros pitcher at home in 2021. The initiative and the final donation total of $25,000 is in recognition of Energy Transfer’s celebration of 25 years as the U.S. midstream energy leader. “We are proud to support the Astros Foundation and thrilled to provide this $25,000 donation to address critical needs in our community,” said Chris Curia, Chief Human Resource Officer for Energy Transfer. “Giving back to the communities in which we live and work has been important to us throughout our 25-year history, and doing this alongside the Astros Foundation is very meaningful for us.” “We are grateful for Energy Transfer’s continued commitment to the Astros Foundation,” said Twila Carter of the Astros Foundation. “Their generous contribution will provide great support to our efforts to assist those in need.” Energy Transfer has been a partner with the Astros since 2017.”
OPINION
CBC: Are climate activists heroes? Or are they terrorists?
Mark Simmons is a member of Toronto350, a non-profit organization committed to ending the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels through collective non-partisan, grassroots action and non-violent civil disobedience, 11/9/21
“On Aug. 11, 2021, Jessica Reznicek self-reported to a U.S. federal prison to begin her eight-year sentence. Her crime? One count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility (to which Jessica had pleaded guilty), plus a domestic terrorism charge added by the judge during Jessica's sentencing to deter others from taking similar actions,” Mark Simmons writes for the CBC. “You may not have heard of Jessica. I hadn't, until I saw a petition asking President Joe Biden and the U.S. Congress to repeal her terrorism charge... “So why was Jessica charged with domestic terrorism? Jessica is a land and water defender, someone who takes non-violent action to protect the environment against exploitative or destructive practices. Her crime was sabotaging construction equipment being used to build an oil pipeline, the Dakota Access Pipeline, in lowa. No one was injured by Jessica's actions, and she took them only after her numerous other attempts — including commenting at public hearings, leading calls for an environmental impact assessment, and participating in marches and rallies, boycotts and even hunger strikes — failed to stop the pipeline. Her actions resulted in a four-month delay in construction and millions of dollars in damage, and were considered violent enough for the court to deem her a terrorist… “To be clear, what Jessica Reznicek did was a crime. One that she freely admitted to doing, publicly and in the courtroom. No one is denying that. But is Jessica Reznicek a terrorist? Well, as NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus put it, "Jessica was sentenced to eight years for protecting all of us from climate and ecological breakdown. She acted from necessity and from love. She is a hero, not a terrorist."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Messenger: Email from Spire leaves out key context in natural gas pipeline dispute
Tony Messenger, 11/9/21
“My wife came home from work with a concerned look on her face. “What’s the deal with the gas company?” she asked. It seems most of her co-workers had received the email from Spire Missouri warning of potential natural gas outages this winter because the regulated monopoly that provides gas service in the St. Louis region was on the losing end of a federal court ruling recently,” Tony Messenger writes for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The email blamed a lawsuit filed by “a New York based environmental group” that overturned a “rigorous” regulatory approval. The email did the job it appeared intended to do: It created a panic. My wife wondered if the potential shutdown would delay our winter plans to convert our wood-burning fireplace into a gas-burning one. Yes, we are Spire customers, too. One colleague told her of plans to buy a generator. Another thought about converting gas appliances to electric… “Ed Smith, who is very much a Missouri-based environmentalist — he works for the Sierra Club — responded to the Spire email with a series of tweets putting the issue in a more complete context: “Spire omitted its illegal self-dealing in its email to customers,” he wrote. “The utility should be held accountable for self-dealing, but it doesn’t want that, so it’s telling people they will freeze this winter.” “...Emails meant to turn the tide on a public relations disaster that instead send customers into a panic, should be equally rare.”
Washington Examiner: How shutting down a key pipeline could worsen Biden's fuel crisis
Sarah Westwood, 11/10/21
“Facing increasing political pressure over the rising cost of fuels, the Biden administration is still considering shutting down a key pipeline in Michigan — a move that has drawn further scrutiny of its energy policies,” Sarah Westwood writes for the Washington Examine. “The White House this week defended its decision earlier this year to conduct an environmental review on a pipeline, known as Line 5, that runs through Michigan and into Canada. Although the administration began the review in June, the decision has received renewed attention in light of skyrocketing gas prices and the administration’s ineffective attempts to mitigate them… “But environmental activists are putting pressure on President Joe Biden to deny permits Enbridge is seeking to revitalize a key portion of Line 5, which is now 68 years old… “Confronting higher prices at the pump, which are now the most expensive in seven years, Biden has demanded that oil-producing countries increase supply to meet the increased demand that has driven shortages. However, OPEC countries have rebuffed Biden, and his administration has done little to indicate it will step up domestic production to relieve pressure on people amid the supply issues.”
Financial Post: What comes after the oilsands? Alberta may have another ace up its sleeve
Chris Varcoe, 11/10/21
“If you want to know how big the potential prize is for Alberta to grow its hydrogen industry, Associate Natural Gas Minister Dale Nally is quick to provide the answer,” Chris Varcoe writes for the Financial Post. “Think of the oilsands, he says. Nally’s new Alberta Hydrogen Roadmap, released last week, details a number of ways to measure success in the province for the emerging sector under a “transformative” future outlook. It projects tens of thousands of jobs created during the construction of new projects, Alberta’s GHG emissions falling by five per cent and more than $30 billion in capital investment being attracted by 2030. “For me, that is the minimum. I think we could do well more than that,” Nally told the Post. “This is an opportunity for Alberta to create generational wealth for the province. We have an opportunity to be a leader in clean, affordable energy.” “...Nally compares the potential for Alberta’s hydrogen sector to the opportunity presented to the Lougheed government in the 1970s by the oilsands industry. “It will not replace the oilsands, but I absolutely believe it could be as impactful as the oilsands, in terms of investment, in terms of jobs, in terms of royalties,” Nally told the Post.
Esquire: Here's a Plan for the Extraction Industries: Clean Up Your Own Mess
By Charles P. Pierce, 11/9/21
“One of the most easily understood, but almost never enacted, concepts in environmental protection is that you should clean up your own mess,” Charles Pierce writes for Esquire. “Your oil company poisons the groundwater, or your pipeline bursts in someone else’s pasture, you pay to make the folks whole again. How is this not the simplest form of justice short of a punch in the nose? Yet, the extraction industries have spent millions of dollars, and thousands of billable hours, devising ways to stick the American taxpayer with the bill for their malfeasance—or, at the very least, tennis-shoe’ing their own responsibility by ducking into bankruptcy, or into a maze of shell corporations and offshore holding companies. Down in North Carolina, however, the company responsible for a massive gasoline leak—kids on ATVs discovered it because gasoline was bubbling out of the ground—has found an even simpler way around its responsibility. Apparently, it has decided that it’s cheaper to buy all the land that its gasoline wrecked than to immediately clean it up… “The company claims that it’s buying the land to clean it up, and it can pretty much money-whip most of the current landowners into selling off their property. But these transactions also mean that the company can take its own sweet time about it. And the state authorities are already looking on the cleanup activities with a decidedly skeptical squint… “Meanwhile, down in the eternal environmental catastrophe that is Louisiana, some oil executives had themselves a golf outing on Monday. There to greet them were some protestors demanding answers to the problem of abandoned oil wells… “Clean up your own mess. Seriously, did none of these people go to kindergarten?”