EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/14/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Des Moines Register: Dueling views on carbon capture pipelines play out in downtown Des Moines
Oelwein Daily Register: Rally aims to counter carbon industry
KCCI: The property rights battle is well underway as carbon capture companies plan to criss-cross Iowa
Journal Courier: Morgan commissioners sign resolution against use of eminent domain for pipeline
ANI: Study shows how turtles fared decade after oil spill
Bakersfield Californian: Pipeline repairs pressure local oil production, prices
Canadian Press: Climate activists throw maple syrup at Emily Carr painting in Vancouver Art Gallery
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: ‘I’m going to fight’: Biden vows to meet U.S. climate goals
E&E News: How EPA’s draft methane rule targets ‘super-emitters’
E&E News: Manchin FERC shake-up may stymie Biden’s clean energy plans
Reuters: U.S. year-round sales of an ethanol-gas blend wins oil group's support
STATE UPDATES
Fayetteville Observer: Amazon energizes economic development in Fayetteville, but oh what might have been
Reuters: In Colorado, oil firms fix leaky wells ahead of new rules
EXTRACTION
E&E News: The world will likely miss 1.5 C. Why isn’t anyone saying so?
Washington Post: World has nine years to avert catastrophic warming, study shows
AFP: UN climate talks enter home stretch split over money
AFP: Fort McKay: Where Canada's Boreal Forest Gave Way To Oil Sands
Canadian Press: 'How a fox would design a henhouse': Alberta rural leaders on oil well cleanup plan
Press release: Pathways Alliance focuses on suite of technologies to advance net zero plan
Press release: Enbridge Gas partners with EQT Corporation to purchase and deliver responsibly sourced natural gas
OPINION
Toronto Star: Canada’s support of Line 5 violates Indigenous treaty rights and harms the natural world
New York Times: Paying for Climate Damages Isn’t Charity
The Hill: Natural gas: A wellspring for the US and global energy future
PIPELINE NEWS
Des Moines Register: Dueling views on carbon capture pipelines play out in downtown Des Moines
Donnelle Eller, 11/11/22
“The U.S. must ramp up carbon-capture efforts 200-fold to reach its net-zero emissions goal by 2050, work that's slated to get big boost from billions of dollars in federal support, experts at the National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo said this week in Des Moines,” the Des Moines Register reports. “...But the projects have been controversial in Iowa, with opponents concerned about pipeline safety, the impact on farmland the pipelines would cross and the likelihood developers will be granted eminent domain powers to force property owners to sell access to their land. Protesters blowing whistles and shouting obscenities interrupted the event Tuesday. And pipeline opponents held panels and workshops Wednesday, concluding with a rally that started at Cowles Commons in downtown Des Moines and ended at the Iowa Events Center, where the conference was held. Pointing to a carbon dioxide pipeline breach in Satartia, Mississippi that sickened dozens of people, protesters including members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement said they wanted to take action while they could still make a difference. "We need to be directing public resources into proven measures to combat the climate crisis, such as an expedited, just transition to 100% carbon-free energy, a climate conservation corps for rematriating native prairie, wetlands and forests, and regenerative agricultural practices," the protesters said in a statement after leaving the conference… "There are numerous reasons for this, but a primary reason is ... new, game changing policies," including the richer tax incentives, Schecht told the Register.”
Oelwein Daily Register: Rally aims to counter carbon industry
MIRA SCHMITT-CASH, 11/13/22
“Jeff and Lou Ann Milks of Oelwein attended a workshop and rally on Wednesday, Nov. 9 to counter the carbon capture and storage industry’s national conference in Des Moines,” the Oelwein Daily Register reports. “The two-day-long National Carbon Capture Conference and Expo at the Iowa Events Center ended on Wednesday. More than 150 people attended the rally, by the count of attendee Jeff Milks. They marched from Cowles Commons about 2 p.m. Wednesday, per a Sierra Club schedule, to Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines where the conference was concluding about 2:30 p.m., per an online schedule. Protesters blocked the street at Third and Center for about 15 minutes Wednesday afternoon, Des Moines-based KCCI-TV reported, showing a car driving around the protests on the sidewalk and honking… “Earlier that day at the Unitarian Church in Des Moines, attendees heard from a panel, consisting of a reporter at the Climate Investigation Network and directors of the Pipeline Safety Trust and the BOLD Alliance, which was moderated by a professor of geographical and sustainability science. Workshops covered dangers of carbon pipelines, strategies from past fights, and reasons to fight. An afternoon workshop, for instance, was titled “Capturing and Storing Public Tax Dollars.” Attendees that day included landowners with impacted property from Iowa and other pipeline-impacted Midwest states. And from impacted counties, like the Milks… “Milks told the Register he wanted to counter the sentiment that the the carbon pipeline was confined in impact to farmers. “Everybody has a responsibility to get involved in this,” Milks told the Register… “It’s a real violation of people’s rights in regards to eminent domain and a violation of our environment… It’s not a climate solution, in no way. But it’s being sold that way.”
KCCI: The property rights battle is well underway as carbon capture companies plan to criss-cross Iowa
James Stratton, 11/13/22
“Kathy Stockdale's kitchen may as well be mission control in a plan to keep two carbon capture pipelines from running through her Hardin County century farm,” KCCI reports. “Our house is right here," she says as she points at a corkboard dotted with tacks marking homes and lines marking where she believes the Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator carbon capture pipelines plan to go… “Summit, Navigator and Wolf Carbon Solutions all plan to build carbon capture pipelines in Iowa. If both Summit and Navigator are approved, both will run through Stockdale's farm. "Where are our property rights that we've been guaranteed by our constitution and by our state?" she told KCCI, standing in her driveway with her son and husband. "They're being taken away. I think that's what I'm fighting for is our property rights." Take a pen and draw it about 30 miles northwest of Kathy Stockdale's farm, and you hit Bob Ritter's first-generation farm near Dows. "I'm sparring with them right now," Ritter told KCCI. Ritter hasn't signed an easement, because he says he doesn't believe carbon capture pipelines are public utilities to use eminent domain… "No gain for private companies; this is not a public utility," Ritter told KCCI. "That's the first thing here. It really shouldn't go much further." “...But, without every landowner's cooperation, eminent domain may need to be used. Summit has notified the Iowa Utilities Board where it may need to take that controversial step. Roughly two dozen county boards of supervisors have objected to the use of eminent domain and expressed their concerns with the project to the IUB.”
Journal Courier: Morgan commissioners sign resolution against use of eminent domain for pipeline
Ben Singson, 11/14/22
“Morgan County commissioners have unanimously approved a resolution against eminent domain being used to acquire any property for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline,” the Journal Courier reports. “...Commissioners voted on the resolution at the Nov. 7 board meeting. Commission Vice Chairman Ginny Fanning said it will go to the Illinois Commerce Commission, from which Navigator CO2 Ventures is seeking a permit to build the Heartland Greenway. "There are different things people are bringing up as far as concerns regarding the pipeline and this is the one that has come to the surface with the board and something that we feel strongly about, that eminent domain should not come into practice with the pipeline," she told the Courier… “Fanning said commissioners would continue to monitor and educate themselves on the pipeline. Two members of the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines previously asked the commission to consider the consequences of building the pipeline in the county.”
ANI: Study shows how turtles fared decade after oil spill
11/13/22
“Twelve years after an oil spill coated nearly 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River, new research confirms that turtles rehabilitated in the aftermath of the disaster had high long-term survival rates,” ANI reports. “Turtles were the most commonly captured oiled animals following a ruptured Enbridge pipeline near Marshall, Mich., in July 2010 that spilled 843,000 gallons of oil into a tributary creek of the river, one of the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history. Immediately following the spill, nearly 8% of recovered northern map turtles died. One of the first environmental responders on the scene was biologist Josh Otten, lead author of the new study published in the journal Environmental Pollution who graduated in May from UToledo with a Ph.D. in biology. Otten helped lead efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and release thousands of affected turtles in 2010 and 2011, returning eight to 11 years after the oil spill to assess the status of the turtle population as a doctoral student in the laboratory of Dr. Jeanine Refsnider, associate professor in the UToledo Department of Environmental Sciences. He found the rehabilitation process significantly increased the monthly survival probability of northern map turtles in the 14 months following the spill, showing the importance and effectiveness of removing oil from turtles. And the success is maintained in the long term. Up to 11 years post-spill the differences in monthly survival probability between turtles impacted by the spill and those that were not had become nearly imperceptible. "The time, effort and money spent in the rehabilitation process of turtles is important in increasing their survival following a large oil spill disaster," Otten said. "The Kalamazoo River northern map turtle population appears to be healthy and stable 8 to 11 years after the oil spill."
Bakersfield Californian: Pipeline repairs pressure local oil production, prices
JOHN COX, 11/13/22
“The temporary closure of a major pipeline carrying Central Valley crude to refineries in the Los Angeles Basin has forced Kern County oil producers to reroute shipments, find new customers for their barrels and, in some cases, accept significant price discounts,” the Bakersfield Californian reports. “Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline LP has offered no timetable for when it will be able to reopen its Line 2000 after shutting down the 120-mile, 110,000-barrel-per-day conveyance as a precautionary measure in July for repairs along multiple segments, followed by inspections and testing. The disruption, an indirect result of pipeline insulation concerns originating with the 2015 Refugio oil spill, is giving some local producers headaches as they decide between costly workarounds like trucking and rushed service contracts — or actually shutting in their wells, which can present other problems.”
Canadian Press: Climate activists throw maple syrup at Emily Carr painting in Vancouver Art Gallery
11/13/22
“Climate activists calling for an end to the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline in northern B.C. threw maple syrup on an Emily Carr painting and glued themselves to the wall on Saturday at the Vancouver Art Gallery,” the Canadian Press reports. “A spokesman for the environmental group Stop Fracking Around told CP two activists splashed maple syrup on Carr’s painting “Stumps and Sky,” which is on display at the gallery. Don Marshall, speaking for the environmental group, told CP the protest at the museum intended to focus public attention on the global climate emergency. He told CP the protesters are demanding an end to pipeline under construction from Dawson Creek to Kitimat. In a statement, the Vancouver Art Gallery told CP staff do not believe there will be permanent damage to the artwork… “Protesters are targeting works of art around the world because too little is being done to stop the deadly progress of human-caused climate change, Marshall told CP. “It’s just a question of trying to get the public and especially our leaders to actually respond to the climate emergency which Canada has declared,” Marshall told CP. “That’s the logic behind it.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: ‘I’m going to fight’: Biden vows to meet U.S. climate goals
Zack Colman, Sara Schonhardt, 11/11/22
“The U.S. will meet its own climate goals while supplying other nations with money they need to combat the hazards of a warming planet, President Joe Biden told the U.N. climate summit Friday — and he challenged other countries to step up, as well,” E&E News reports. “We can longer plead ignorance to the consequences of our actions,” said Biden, speaking in Sharm el-Sheikh at the start of a series of appearances through North Africa and Asia… “But the outlook on sweeping climate action for the rest of Biden’s term is looking bleaker. Republicans are expected to take control of the House, barring an upset in the midterm vote-counting, a development that endangers Biden’s vow to send billions in climate finance to low-income countries. That outcome would upset nations that say U.S. frugality jeopardizes their communities and livelihoods, which has become a central theme at the two-week talks… “Biden and special climate envoy John Kerry have signaled more openness to considering compensation for countries suffering from climate damage caused by nearly two centuries of wealthy nations’ industrialization. But the U.S., which has contributed more to the globe’s warming than any other country, has not made clear how it intends to contribute. Developing nations say the U.S. has not put forward its fair share of finance to help them transition to greener energy sources and adapt to the harm climate change is already causing. Biden pledged $11.4 billion in international climate finance by 2024, but Democrats approved only $1 billion in March.”
E&E News: How EPA’s draft methane rule targets ‘super-emitters’
Mike Lee, Carlos Anchondo, 11/14/22
“A new “super-emitter” provision in EPA’s proposal to regulate methane emissions would empower third parties to identify large leaks of the greenhouse gas, putting more pressure on oil and gas operators to quickly fix any problems,” E&E News reports. “EPA released the updated proposal on Friday, coinciding with President Joe Biden’s remarks at the U.N. climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The new proposal, which updates the methane draft rule unveiled at last year’s U.N. talks, includes a program that would require oil and gas operators to respond to large-emission events identified by EPA-approved third parties. The result would be a wider circle of leak investigators — and potentially a rise in communities partnering with nonprofits and others to investigate nearby oil and gas infrastructure… “Under EPA’s draft rule, approved third parties would make such complaints directly to owners and operators, triggering federal requirements. Companies would be required to analyze a leak within five days of being notified, according to an EPA fact sheet. In cases where a leak was caused by a malfunction, the operators would have 10 days to fix the problem. If mitigation would take longer than that, operators would have to develop a corrective action plan and schedule.”
E&E News: Manchin FERC shake-up may stymie Biden’s clean energy plans
Miranda Willson, Nico Portuondo, 11/11/22
“The prospect of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Richard Glick losing his job by year’s end could derail policies critical for President Joe Biden’s clean energy and climate agenda,” E&E News reports. “Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin is “not comfortable” holding a hearing for Glick, Manchin spokesperson Sam Runyon said Thursday, effectively killing the chairman’s chances of staying on the regulatory panel. Glick, a Democrat who joined FERC in 2017, had been nominated by Biden to lead the agency for another four years, pending approval by the Senate. His departure would mean that Democrats lose their majority on the five-person commission. Glick has advanced a slew of regulatory changes seen as key for adding more solar, wind and batteries to the nation’s power grid. But his efforts to establish a more climate-focused process for reviewing natural gas pipeline projects had been criticized by Republicans and Manchin, a moderate Democrat from natural gas-rich West Virginia. “It’s disappointing,” Gregory Wetstone, CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy, told E&E. “Certainly our hope is that Chairman Manchin will reconsider.” While Glick’s term at FERC expired in June, he is allowed by law to stay at the helm of the commission through the end of this year. In an interview, he told E&E he had spoken to Manchin’s team Wednesday evening and was told “nothing different” from what has been reported already… “A White House official told E&E the administration will “still hope to move forward” on Glick’s nomination. “We understand that the Committee needs more time, and we hope to move forward as we continue to work collaboratively with both the Committee and Chairman Manchin,” the White House official told E&E. Manchin has criticized Glick’s decisions pertaining to natural gas pipelines. Yet he had recently said that Glick was making “better decisions.” Two sources had also told E&E last month that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee was considering holding a hearing for Glick on Nov. 15.”
Reuters: U.S. year-round sales of an ethanol-gas blend wins oil group's support
Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw, 11/10/22
“A Republican U.S. senator plans to submit federal legislation with the support of a major oil industry trade group that would expand national sales of E15, a higher ethanol-gasoline blend,” Reuters reports. “Senator Deb Fischer, of Nebraska, the third-largest U.S. corn-producing state, told Reuters on Thursday she believes there is a path forward for year-round sales of E15, which has been opposed in the past by some oil and environmental groups… “One of the oil industry's top trade groups, the American Petroleum Institute (API), and the Renewable Fuels Association earlier this year began discussions to seek a nationwide expansion of E15, according to an industry source familiar with the matter. The API began cooperating with the biofuels trade group after governors from major corn-producing Midwestern states requested the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) effectively lift restrictions on E15 sales in their states, the source told Reuters. The governors' proposal raised oil industry concerns about fuel supplies. "A state-by-state approach would create a boutique fuel market in the Midwest and may negatively impact the reliability of gasoline supply to the region," Will Hupman, API's vice president of downstream policy, told Reuters.
STATE UPDATES
Fayetteville Observer: Amazon energizes economic development in Fayetteville, but oh what might have been
Andrew Craft, 11/13/22
"Amazon’s decision to build two facilities in Fayetteville got the attention of other companies looking for a place to expand their businesses, the head of economic development said. But even bigger projects evaporated after a major natural gas pipeline project was scuttled, Robert Van Geons, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, told the Fayetteville Observer. “...But before the world’s largest retailer had finalized its decisions for Fayetteville, more massive projects were in the works. Those deals were derailed when Dominion Energy and Duke Energy announced in July 2020 that they were not going to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline because of delays and “increasing cost uncertainty.” “On the day the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was canceled we lost $2 billion in ready-to-sign projects,” Van Geons told the Observer… “Van Geons told the Observer the projects likely would have resulted in more than $100 million in added tax revenue for the city and county… “Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin told the Observer losing potential projects because of the pipeline cancellation is unfortunate. He said some companies might decide to locate in other areas of the state because of the situation. “In the end, we have to have natural gas to be competitive,” he told the Observer.
Reuters: In Colorado, oil firms fix leaky wells ahead of new rules
Liz Hampton, 11/14/22
“Northern Colorado's biggest oil producing region is emerging as a test case for energy companies hoping to tackle the industry's most pressing regulatory and environmental problems: capping old wells that leak climate-warming methane and other emissions,” Reuters reports. “In this farming community, oil giant Chevron Corp is sending crews as part of a state-wide push to seal leaks. Once wells are plugged with cement and equipment is removed, workers restore the land to its original state. Colorado, the fifth largest U.S. oil-producing state, has been in the forefront of anti-drilling sentiment spreading across the country. Voters have set limits to operations near homes and schools, banned routine burning of unwanted gas, and imposed restrictions on fracking chemicals. Energy companies are being urged to reduce emissions by cities, investors and governments. Federal rules that will require them to monitor and report on climate-warming methane emissions from larger wells are expected early next year. Last week, U.S. officials pledged to expand those rules to require firms to find and plug leaks from every well no matter how small, and to respond to any complaints of high-volume leaks… “Since 2016, Chevron has removed 3,400 wells in the state and aims to do another 2,200 over the coming years, part of its effort to make oilfields more green. Companies are also employing electric- instead of diesel-powered rigs, eliminating routine flaring and piping production instead of using heavy trucks.”
EXTRACTION
E&E News: The world will likely miss 1.5 C. Why isn’t anyone saying so?
Chelsea Harvey, 11/11/22
“Nearly 200 nations shaped their climate plans around this number: 1.5 degrees Celsius. But that target, set seven years ago when there was less carbon in the sky, will almost certainly be overshot,” E&E News reports. “Many climate experts believe that outcome is inevitable. Global temperatures will climb higher than 1.5 degrees compared with 150 years ago, they say, though often only in private. Such assertions stand to rupture a pillar of climate planning embraced by countries around the world. Efforts to reduce greenhouse gases are measured against that temperature target, as are estimates for adapting to the dangers of rising seas, wildfires and other perils. It’s also the central message at the U.N. climate conference in Egypt this week, where ramping up efforts to meet the target is a priority. That number — 1.5 C — promises to be the focus of next year’s climate talks too, even as it slips further away. “Individually, in private, I don’t think I know of many climate scientists that think 1.5 C is possible (I could count them on a hand),” Glen Peters, a climate policy expert and research director at the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research in Norway, said in an email to E&E News. Some scientists now suggest that public optimism about 1.5 C gives the world false hope and could even contribute to further delays in zeroing out global carbon emissions. But that’s not a consensus viewpoint. Other experts warn that prematurely killing the target could have a chilling effect on global climate action — and cause confusion about what target the world is supposed to focus on next. That opens up a thorny debate about when, exactly, it’s appropriate to declare the target dead — and what happens next.”
Washington Post: World has nine years to avert catastrophic warming, study shows
Sarah Kaplan, 11/11/22
“Nations will likely burn through their remaining carbon budget in less than a decade if they do not significantly reduce greenhouse gas pollution, a new study shows, causing the world to blow past a critical warming threshold and triggering catastrophic climate impacts,” the Washington Post reports. “But new gas projects — launched in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting global energy crunch — would consume 10 percent of that remaining carbon budget, making it all but impossible for nations to meet the Paris agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, according to another report released Wednesday… “Yet even as scientists warn of the world’s dangerous trajectory, leaders here at the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, have advocated for natural gas as a “transition fuel” that would ease the world’s switch from fossil energy to renewables. At least four new gas projects have been reported or announced in the past 10 days, with several African countries pledging to expand export capacity and supply more fuel to Europe. Representatives from both Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, the host of next year’s climate conference, have made clear they view COP27 as an opportunity to promote gas. This rhetoric has alarmed scientists and activists who say expanding natural gas production could harm vulnerable communities and push the planet toward a hotter, hellish future. “Gas is not a low carbon energy source,” Julia Pongratz, a climate scientist at the University of Munich and an author of the Global Carbon Budget report released Friday, told the Post. Pongratz told the Post it is still technically possible for the world to avoid temperature rise beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius — which scientists say is needed to avoid disastrous extreme weather, rampant hunger and disease and the collapse of ecosystems on which humanity depends. But if fossil fuel use does not dramatically decline, “in a few years we will no longer be able to say it’s possible,” Pongraz told the Post. “And then we would need to look back and say we could have done it and we didn’t. How do we explain that to our kids?”
AFP: UN climate talks enter home stretch split over money
11/14/22
“COP27 entered its final week Monday with countries that grew rich burning fossil fuels and developing nations reeling from climate impacts at loggerheads over how to speed and fund reductions in carbon pollution,” AFP reports. “Somewhere in the middle, China — accounting for 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, by far the largest share — is feeling pressure from both sides, not only to enhance its carbon cutting goals but to step up as a donor nation, negotiators and analysts say. At last year's UN climate summit in Glasgow, nearly 200 countries vowed to "keep alive" the Paris Agreement's aspirational goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Nearly 1.2C of warming so far has seen a cascade of increasingly severe climate disasters, such as the flooding that left a third of Pakistan under water this summer, claiming at least 1,700 lives and inflicting $30 to $40 billion in damage. The Glasgow Pact urged nations to ramp up their emissions reduction commitments ahead of this year's critical summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. But with the exception of Australia and Mexico, only a handful of smaller economies heeded the call, leaving the world on track to hot up by about 2.5C — enough, scientists say, to trigger dangerous tipping points in Earth's climate system. At the COP27's midpoint, little has changed. "Parties are basically staring each other down, thinking they have done their part and waiting for the other side to move," the head of WWF France, Pierre Canet, told AFP.”
AFP: Fort McKay: Where Canada's Boreal Forest Gave Way To Oil Sands
Marion Thibaut, 11/13/22
“The acrid stench of gasoline permeates the air. And the soot coats everything in sight: the trees, the bushes, even the snow in winter. And all day long, explosions send the birds soaring to safety,” AFP reports. “At Fort McKay near Fort McMurray in western Canada, in the heart of the country's boreal forest, the pines and the people were long ago cleared out to make way for huge open-pit mines dedicated to excavation of oil sands. It's one of the biggest industrial projects in the world: as seen from above, the zone is in stark contrast to the vast expanse of green surrounding it. Huge black holes are gouged in the brown earth -- they are giant pools of water. Then there is the network of roads on which hundreds of trucks drive every day, and the immense factories, with smoke spewing from wide chimneys. On the ground, the noise is deafening. And it's quite a scene for the uninitiated: in the middle of the huge basins dug to capture the polluted waters stand huge metal scarecrows clad in helmets and security vests… “The mines have made the people left in Fort McKay -- many of them Indigenous Canadians -- very rich. But the installations have also profoundly altered and damaged the land on which their ancestors relied for centuries. Margie Lacorde, who belongs to the Metis people, told AFP the oil sands of Canada have forever altered ancestral lands. The talkative Lacorde, who belongs to the Metis people, is sad to see the parched, yellowing leaves due to drought, and wishes she could still swim in the rivers and gather berries in the forest like she did in her youth. The hunting grounds are long gone -- the land was sold for industrial use. "The pollution is killing our nature," Lacorde tells AFP, though she herself worked in the oil industry for years to provide for her family.”
Canadian Press: 'How a fox would design a henhouse': Alberta rural leaders on oil well cleanup plan
Dean Bennett, 11/10/22
“The head of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta says an oil and gas industry proposal to grant the industry royalty credits to clean up abandoned wells is like having the fox design the henhouse,” the Canadian Press reports. “Paul McLauchlin also told CP the proposed RStar program would have such profound implications for future revenues that it deserves to be a ballot issue. “Is (RStar) for Albertans or is it for the industry?” McLauchlin told CP. “When I look at it, it is exactly how a fox would design a henhouse.” “...From our members, you heard a real pushback saying, `You're (proposing) using public money to actually promote something that you're obligated to (do) just by operating these facilities.' “...Earlier this week, Energy Minister Peter Guthrie confirmed his department is studying RStar, which would encourage the cleanup of old wells and drilling of new ones by granting royalty credits on new production based on remediation spending… “Estimates suggest that if RStar grants the $20 billion in credits industry is seeking, Alberta taxpayers would forgo $5 billion in revenue. RStar has been widely criticized by energy economists, who say it would transfer money to companies who don't need it to do work that most are doing anyway. They say energy companies are already legally obliged to clean up their mess… “Proponents say the program would encourage new drilling, help clean up Alberta's 170,000 abandoned wells and create jobs.”
Press release: Pathways Alliance focuses on suite of technologies to advance net zero plan
11/10/22
“The Pathways Alliance, representing Canada’s largest oil sands producers, has released additional details on plans to progress innovative technologies to reduce emissions, as part of its unprecedented multi-phased plan to achieve the goal of net zero by 2050… “Oil sands companies are advancing new and existing technologies with a range of leading national and international research and development organizations, unlocking new approaches to significantly reduce CO2 emissions,” said Kendall Dilling, president of the Pathways Alliance… “Technologies prioritized for Pathways Alliance collaboration and acceleration are: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Pathways is currently advancing several CCS technology development projects, including: Piloting next generation technologies, such as those developed by Svante and the use of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells. Continuous improvement of capture plants to improve energy and cost efficiency. Identifying and developing plans to reduce costs of next generation capture technologies. Evaluating the feasibility of CO2 sequestration in depleted gas fields… “With anticipated co-funding support from Canadian governments, Pathways Alliance recently announced plans to invest $24.1 billion before 2030 in the first phase of its plan. Approximately $16.5 billion will support a proposed carbon capture and storage network in northeastern Alberta that, when constructed, will be among the largest facilities in the world.”
Press release: Enbridge Gas partners with EQT Corporation to purchase and deliver responsibly sourced natural gas
11/10/22
“Enbridge Gas Inc. (Enbridge Gas) is pleased to announce a partnership with EQT Corporation (EQT) that will bring responsibly sourced gas (RSG) to Canada's largest natural gas distribution company. From November 2022 until October 2023, Enbridge Gas will purchase 15 petajoules (PJ) of RSG from EQT to be delivered and blended into its distribution system. That is approximately three percent of its total annual natural gas purchases. Enbridge Gas is committed to a sustainable energy future and is equally committed to getting there in the most responsible way possible. The natural gas currently purchased by Enbridge Gas, must meet strict industry-wide criteria for quality, and the addition of RSG exceeds the current standards to ensure sustainability across the entire value chain. The RSG process includes independent, third-party certification, and the natural gas is produced under specified best practices that aim to minimize environmental and community impacts. EQT, the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. has certified 66 percent of its natural gas under both the EO100™ Standard for Responsible Energy Development, which focuses on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, and the MiQ methane standard. The certification standards developed by MiQ and EO100™ aim to bring transparency to an opaque market, drive demand for certified natural gas and help operators differentiate themselves through methane-emissions performance and overall responsible energy production. EQT's certified natural gas production now comprises more than four percent of all the natural gas produced in the U.S., making it the nation's largest producer of certified natural gas. Enbridge Gas has committed to reducing emissions in its own operations by 35 percent by 2030 with an overall goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Through this RSG purchase, Enbridge Gas is also focusing on the full spectrum of how the products it delivers are produced, without adding to end-user costs.”
OPINION
Toronto Star: Canada’s support of Line 5 violates Indigenous treaty rights and harms the natural world
Michelle Woodhouse is water program manager at Environmental Defence and Métis water protector and Reg Niganobe is grand council chief of the Anishinabek Nation, 11/10/22
“Indigenous Nations are awaiting the ruling of the Bad River Band v. Enbridge trial, which will be critical in determining the fate of Enbridge’s dangerous and decaying pipeline — Line 5. Line 5 is a 70-year-old, ill-maintained crude oil pipeline that the Canadian government continues to support despite the significant threat it poses to Indigenous rights, Canada’s freshwater supply, and the environment,” Michelle Woodhouse and Reg Niganobe write for the Toronto Star. “In two separate court cases — Bad River Band v. Enbridge and the State of Michigan v. Enbridge — Canada has supported Enbridge by invoking a 1977 pipeline treaty as a means to keep the pipeline open. In supporting the ongoing operation of Line 5 and by invoking this treaty, Enbridge and Canada are working to circumvent tribal rights within the U.S. legal system for a pipeline that we do not need and have alternatives for. Tribal nations within Michigan and Wisconsin signed treaties with the U.S. government in 1836, 1837, 1842 and 1854. These treaties guarantee that tribes retain the right to hunt, fish and gather in their traditional territories. Line 5 is a direct threat to these rights and the ecosystems that sustain them… “But Enbridge and Canada continue to violate the tribe’s inherent rights… “Bad River Band and tribes within Michigan do not want to see the continued operation of Line 5. Nor do they wish to see a tunnel or reroute by Enbridge go forward. All 12 tribes within Michigan passed resolutions calling for the decommissioning of Line 5. Additionally, the Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations communities in Ontario, supports the protection of the Great Lakes and wants to find solutions for a Line 5 closure… “Sadly, it is in Enbridge’s best interest to dismiss Indigenous treaty rights for a pipeline, regardless of moral or ethical implications. However, there is no excuse for the government of Canada to continue to put the fossil fuel economy ahead of inherent Indigenous treaty rights and the Great Lakes.”
New York Times: Paying for Climate Damages Isn’t Charity
Ani Dasgupta is president and C.E.O. of the World Resources Institute, 11/11/22
“The climate crisis has reached new levels of devastation this year for millions of people in vulnerable countries that didn’t cause the problem. Floods in Pakistan, drought in the Horn of Africa and hurricanes in the Dominican Republic — all intensified by climate change — have ruined people’s livelihoods, causing losses so immense that it is hard for many in richer countries to even fathom,” Ani Dasgupta writes for the New York Times. “For nearly three decades, the countries most vulnerable to climate disasters have asked wealthy countries to help them pay for the damage, only to be stonewalled. At the annual United Nations climate conference this week, the issue is formally on the agenda, a breakthrough in itself. Encouragingly a smattering of wealthy countries, including Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Ireland, Belgium and Denmark, have started to pledge money — albeit small amounts. These contributions are welcome, although some of the pledges reallocate funds from other pots of climate finance, or are putting money toward insurance, or early warning systems — not the kind of funding that poorer countries seek. What these countries have been calling for, and urgently need, is a collective funding stream within the United Nations that helps them recover from devastating losses from disasters, rising seas and other climate impacts… “It’s not a matter of charity. Taking action is firmly in rich countries’ own interests. As climate change bears down, more factories and ports around the world — the ones that wealthy nations rely on for their phones, car parts, fast fashion and even food — will close, devastating global supply chains. Food prices will rise. More people will be displaced, leading to additional migration crises. Conflict will grow more likely as people fight over land and water. The repercussions will destabilize even the most robust economies. Preventing that outcome now, by financing recovery from climate damages, will ensure a more stable future for everyone.”
The Hill: Natural gas: A wellspring for the US and global energy future
Jason Hayes is the director of environmental policy for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy; Timothy Nash is vice president emeritus and director of the McNair Center for the Advancement of Free-Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Northwood University in Midland, Mich., 11/12/22
“Flawed energy policies are harming our ability to meet everyday needs. That is the conclusion of a soon-to-be-released paper focusing on the value of fuels such as natural gas with regard to maintaining and improving human health and welfare. Natural gas, explains the report from the McNair Center at Northwood University and Michigan’s Mackinac Center, is a wellspring for America and the world’s energy future,” Jason Hayes and Timothy Nash write for The Hill. “...While some green campaigners reluctantly accept natural gas as a temporary transition fuel, others, such as the Sierra Club, continue to demand that we move beyond both coal and natural gas. But as reliable plants shut down, electricity and energy systems across the nation are showing signs of growing instability… “The increased use of gas has reduced the overall cost of energy and increased energy reliability, both of which led to direct improvements in human health and well-being. For example, as increasingly strict government regulation has targeted the use of coal for electricity generation, low-cost natural gas — a result of the shale revolution — has been available to pick up much of that lost energy production capacity… “A secure supply of affordable, reliable energy is essential to America’s and the global economy. If state, local and federal officials ignore these benefits, America’s standard of living will decline, global economic and political freedom will be harmed, and environmental impacts associated with energy development will expand in the decades to come.”