EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/14/23
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: Carbon Capture Needs Enough Pipelines to Circle Earth Four Times
North Dakota Monitor: North Dakota Supreme Court to hear pipeline survey access case
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Despite threat of lawsuit, Kossuth County supervisors approve carbon dioxide pipeline rules
KXLG: CEO of Glacial Lakes Energy responds to opposition of carbon pipeline construction project
Summerland Advocate: Commissioners learn about carbon capture pipelines alternatives, concerns about property rights
KMA: Pottawattamie County tabs Snyder and Associates for pipeline inspection services
Cascadia Daily: Skagit County gasoline leak contained; pipeline set to restart
World Oil: Texas regulators assesses over $1 million in penalties against oil, gas operators
Offshore Technology: Pembina Pipeline to acquire stakes in Enbridge’s assets for $2.3bn
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: US EPA must do more to ensure captured carbon stays underground -report
Bloomberg: Joe Manchin Says ‘Horrible’ Hydrogen Tax Credit Rules Coming Next Week
E&E News: Top Democrats on collision course with Biden on hydrogen
FOX News: GOP lawmaker wants to crack down on climate change activists who deface historical artwork
E&E News: How EPA’s methane rule is dividing state agencies
E&E News: Granholm: Oil And Gas Has A ‘History Of Innovation’
STATE UPDATES
CalNews: City Council Calls to Terminate West Pico Drill Site Operation
Colorado Sun: Feds propose 20-year ban on mining, oil and gas drilling on 225,000 acres in Thompson Divide
Associated Press: New Mexico Braces For Possible End To Cash Windfall From Oil Production
EXTRACTION
Washington Post: The world just made it clear the fossil fuel era is ending — with some wiggle room
New York Times: Oil Companies Are Fine With Call to Move Away From Fossil Fuels
Reuters: Reaction to the final COP28 climate deal
Associated Press: What is carbon capture and how much of a solution is it after COP28?
NPR: COP28 takeaways: Moving away from fossil fuels using carbon capture
Bloomberg: UK’s Hydrogen Vision Dented as Home Heating Trial Scrapped
Canadian Press: Alberta researchers call for public inquiry into program to ensure oil sands cleanup
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Enbridge: Setting the Hook: Identifying the Next Generation of Salmon Advocates
Clarington.net: Enbridge Gas Assists Clarington Emergency and Fire Services in Supporting Firefighter Training
OPINION
Los Angeles Times: Editorial: After COP28, let’s make this the ‘beginning of the end’ of fossil fuels
Guardian: Rich countries are desperate to convince us their hollow Cop28 deal is a triumph. They’re lying
The Hill: Joe Manchin And The Legal Corruption That Threatens Our Planet
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: Carbon Capture Needs Enough Pipelines to Circle Earth Four Times
Ari Natter and Dave Merrill, 12/14/23
“The world inked a historic pact at COP28 climate talks this week to move away from using fossil fuels. But it also endorsed a key technology that could give them a lifeline: carbon capture and storage,” Bloomberg reports. “...More than $83 billion in investments have poured into CCS over the past three decades, according to BloombergNEF… “But it’s not enough to capture carbon. It will also need to be stored somewhere — often in locations far from where it’s trapped. The network needed to handle CO2 captured from power plants or sucked directly from the atmosphere in the US would be staggering in scope, requiring as many as 96,000 miles of new pipelines, according to an Energy Department estimate. That's enough to encircle the Earth four times… “Building all the infrastructure needed would cost as much as $230 billion, according to a Princeton University Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment analysis… “Limited pipeline infrastructure could prove to be a bottleneck, though… “I don't believe it’s anywhere near practical to a scale in a timeframe that matters,” Kert Davies, a director with the accountability-focused nonprofit Center for Climate Integrity, told Bloomberg, calling it a “get out of jail free card” for the fossil fuel industry. “We need a different plan.” “...The Princeton plan calls for a 70,000-mile network of CO2 pipelines connecting cement plants, bio-fuel processors and other industrial sources of emissions. The Department of Energy estimates that another 26,000 miles may be needed… “Efforts are already underway to develop the carbon transport system, but so far, they’ve been stymied. Last month, a plan backed by BlackRock Inc. to build a pipeline to ship CO2 captured at ethanol plants in the Midwest was scrapped in the face of opposition from regulators and landowners. Similar projects face fierce pushback in the Midwest and Gulf Coast, providing a reality check for the Biden administration and its goal to get the US on track for net-zero emissions by 2050. While almost no one wants a pipeline running through their backyard or beloved park, many scientists say that building at least some infrastructure to move and store CO2 is crucial if the US is to meet its climate goal and help stave off the worst impacts of global warming.”
North Dakota Monitor: North Dakota Supreme Court to hear pipeline survey access case
JEFF BEACH, 12/13/23
“Howard Malloy says he’s fine with Summit Carbon Solutions putting in a pipeline in North Dakota, he just doesn’t want the pipeline – or even survey crews from the company – on his land,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “...Malloy refused to even allow Summit representatives onto his property. “I don’t support the pipeline. I don’t want it on my property. Go wherever you want, but stay away from me,” Malloy told the Monitor. “So, they sued me, and we lost in district court.” His case, along with several similar cases where Summit sued landowners over survey access, were lumped together into one proceeding. The North Dakota Supreme Court will hear an appeal of SCS Carbon Transport v. Malloy along with the other cases on Monday, Dec. 18. Malloy’s attorney is Brian Jorde with Domina Law in Nebraska, a major player in the pipeline fight in the Midwest. He told the Monitor the district court ruling puts no limits on Summit’s access to private property. “They can just come on your land 24/7, 365. No notice, no restriction, no payments,” Jorde told the Monitor. The argument from the landowners is that North Dakota law authorizes a “taking” in violation of the takings clause in the North Dakota Constitution. They say the district court’s order, including its rejection of reasonable limitations on Summit, authorizes a taking. A taking requires a court order and compensation, set by a jury, for the landowner… “Landowners have cited concerns about pipeline safety, damage to farmland and reduced property values. And in Malloy’s case, limitations on future development… “The Northwest Landowners Association supports Malloy in a court filing. “The bottom line is that the District Court misapplied the law,” the association said in its legal argument. “SCS’s playing fast and loose with the constitutional rights of the citizens of North Dakota should not be tolerated.” Filing in support of Summit were Basin Electric and the state of North Dakota… “The PSC also has set a hearing for Dec. 21 on whether county zoning rules on pipelines take precedence over state regulations.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Despite threat of lawsuit, Kossuth County supervisors approve carbon dioxide pipeline rules
Jared Strong, 12/13/23
“Kossuth County supervisors have approved new restrictions for carbon dioxide pipelines that would require them to be placed certain distances away from cities, houses and other facilities,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The board voted 4-1 on Tuesday to approve the ordinance despite the imminent threat of litigation from Summit Carbon Solutions, which has sued three other counties for imposing similar restrictions and won injunctions against two of them… “Summit has so far been successful in challenging county ordinances that might interfere with its proposed route. A federal judge granted the company permanent injunctions last week that prevent Shelby and Story counties from enforcing their ordinances, which are similar to the one approved this week by Kossuth. A Summit representative noted those injunctions last week before the Kossuth supervisors took their second of three votes to approve their ordinance… “The supervisors did not have any questions. Instead, they modified the ordinance to slightly lessen the so-called setback distances and moved it toward passage… ”Many residents who spoke at the supervisors’ meetings favored the ordinance but called for it to be stricter — even to the point it would bar the construction of carbon dioxide pipelines within 3,000 feet of the county’s borders. The supervisors have sought to draft an ordinance that will withstand a legal challenge. They anticipate one from Summit: Last week, they also voted to double the limit on spending for lawyers’ fees associated with the ordinance, to $100,000.”
KXLG: CEO of Glacial Lakes Energy responds to opposition of carbon pipeline construction project
Steve Jurrens, 12/13/23
“Jim Seurer, CEO of Glacial Lakes Energy, LLC in Watertown, SD, was present at this week’s Codington County Commissioner meeting to speak during the open public comment in response to some opposing statements made by residents regarding the potential pipeline construction,” KXLG reports. “...Seurer discusses the sustainable jet fuel market… “60% of shares owned by Glacial Lakes Shareholders are from Codington County or a County that touches Codington.”
Summerland Advocate: Commissioners learn about carbon capture pipelines alternatives, concerns about property rights
LuAnn Schindler, 12/14/23
“Antelope County Commissioners heard from two speakers, Dec. 5, about concerns with a potential carbon-capture pipeline projected to run through the northern tier of the county,” the Summerland Advocate reports. “Doyle Turner, of Moville, Iowa, and Trent Loos, a central Nebraska rancher also presented similar information at an informational forum, Dec. 4, in Neligh… “According to Turner, carbon-capture pipeline companies have duped ethanol plant owners. "These pipeline companies have essentially written the laws that gave all these subsidies. They had a heads up before anyone and were playing 3-D chess while everyone else was playing checkers," Turner said… “He suggests an alternative to the pipeline is for ethanol plants to construct a methanol plant next door and utilize the methanol for additional products… “He questioned why governors of midwestern states aren't investigating these options, noting it comes down to one issue: money… “Turner said he worked with Carbon Sink, LLC, to write a letter of intent to Woodbury County, Iowa, officials, to construct a methanol plant to process all CO2 coming out of Nebraska… “When a conditional use permit is being structured, Turner said he believes counties have the right to include property rights are being affected by any gas heavier than ambient air, above and beyond the path of that pipeline, including the plume study of the air where gas could come down to. "You have people risking their lives, risking their crops, risking their livestock and they aren't being compensated for their risk," he said. He urged commissioners to require a CUP that would include easements on all property within a certain kill zone of the pipeline. Commissioner Keith Heithoff, of Elgin, compared CO2 in fizzy drinks to the amount released from an ethanol plant smokestack… “Commissioners will need to set a public hearing date to approve or deny a conditional use permit for Summit Carbon Solutions, based on a recommendation from the county's planning and zoning board. As of the Dec. 12 commissioners' meeting, a date had not been set. Commissioner Charlie Henery said he thinks the hearing should be tabled until after a replacement for Commissioner Keith Heithoff, of Elgin, has been selected.”
KMA: Pottawattamie County tabs Snyder and Associates for pipeline inspection services
Ethan Hewett, 12/13/23
“Pottawattamie County officials are moving forward on inspection services for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline,” KMA reports. “Meeting in regular session Tuesday morning, the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved selecting Snyder and Associates of Atlantic as the engineering firm inspecting the county's portion of Summit Carbon Solutions' proposed Midwest Express CO2 pipeline, which would span nearly 700 miles across the state and run down to Green Plains' Shenandoah ethanol plant… "While we don't know what the status of the permit is or what Summit is going to end up doing, I think we need to make sure we at least have something in place in case it does begin,” said Supervisor Tim Wichman… “Supervisor Susan Miller supported selecting a firm, saying the county and its landowners need a strong inspection presence on the project.”
Cascadia Daily: Skagit County gasoline leak contained; pipeline set to restart
RALPH SCHWARTZ, 12/13/23
“BP is bringing its pipeline through Whatcom and Skagit counties back online, after it spilled 20,000 gallons of gasoline into a ditch and a creek Sunday, Dec. 10 in Conway, Skagit County,” the Cascadia Daily reports. “A fitting on a small tube, only three-eighths of an inch in diameter, failed inside a concrete vault associated with the pipeline near Conway Elementary School, officials said. The tube led from the pipeline to a pressure gauge. Crews with Olympic Pipeline, owned by BP, shut the pipeline down after receiving a leak-detection alarm, said Dennis Ritter, chief engineer for pipeline safety with the state Utilities and Transportation Commission… “Using absorbent materials and containment booms, the spill was limited to Hill Ditch and Bulson Creek. Gasoline was seen as far as 2.25 miles downstream from the spill, Ecology reported. Responders found no evidence the gasoline reached the Skagit River. No injuries were reported. Hill Ditch and Bulson Creek both support salmon, waterfowl and other wildlife. The only animal known to be affected was a beaver that died as a result of the spill. The elementary school was closed Monday, Dec. 11 but reopened on Tuesday… “The spill in Conway occurred nearly 25 years after the Olympic Pipeline disaster in Bellingham. On June 10, 1999, about 237,000 gallons of gasoline spilled into Whatcom Creek from a ruptured section of the same pipeline and then exploded, killing three people. “It’s unfortunate to hear about this type of leak, near a school and into a creek again,” Kenneth Clarkson, communications director for the Pipeline Safety Trust, told the Daily. The Bellingham nonprofit was created after the 1999 disaster.”
World Oil: Texas regulators assesses over $1 million in penalties against oil, gas operators
12/13/23
“The Railroad Commission of Texas assessed $1,388,044 in fines involving 316 enforcement dockets against operators and businesses at the Commissioners’ Conference on Wednesday,” World Oil reports .”The Commission has primary oversight and enforcement of the state’s oil and gas industry and intrastate pipeline safety. Fifty-seven dockets involved $710,678 in penalties after operators failed to appear at Commission enforcement proceedings. Master Default Orders can be found on the RRC Hearings Division webpage. Operators were ordered to come into compliance with Commission rules and assessed $139,166 for any oil and gas, LP-Gas, critical infrastructure, or pipeline safety rule violations. Pipeline operators and excavators were assessed $538,200.00 for violations of the Commission’s Pipeline Damage Prevention rules.”
Offshore Technology: Pembina Pipeline to acquire stakes in Enbridge’s assets for $2.3bn
12/14/23
“Pembina Pipeline has agreed to acquire stakes in Alliance Pipeline, Aux Sable and NRGreen JVs from Enbridge in a deal worth a total of C$3.1bn ($2.30bn),” Offshore Technology reports. “Under the deal terms, Pembina will acquire Enbridge’s stakes in the Alliance, Aux Sable and NRGreen JVs and in the related operatorship contracts, collectively known as ‘acquired business’. The deal consideration includes around C$327m of assumed debt that represents Enbridge’s proportionate share of Alliance’s total debt… “The proceeds from the sales will be used to fund a portion of the strategic gas utilities’ acquisitions in the US and for reducing debt.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: US EPA must do more to ensure captured carbon stays underground -report
Leah Douglas, 12/14/23
“The U.S. environment regulator does not sufficiently verify that carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects keep emissions trapped underground and should boost its requirements to ensure companies receiving CCS tax credits provide an actual environmental benefit, a watchdog group said on Thursday,” Reuters reports. “CCS is a pillar of U.S. President Joe Biden's climate plan, but has been criticized by environmental groups for prolonging the use of fossil fuels. Biden's cornerstone climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, includes lucrative CCS tax credits. The non-profit group Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) reviewed 21 CCS plans approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and found that the agency does not require any specific monitoring strategies or technologies, that companies wrote their own guidelines for addressing leaks, and that ambiguity within the plans makes them difficult to enforce. An EPA spokesperson told Reuters the agency is reviewing the report… "Before this flood of carbon capture and sequestration projects become operational, EPA needs to enact strong industry regulations that can protect the environment while combating climate change,” Eric Schaeffer, EIP's executive director, told Reuters.
Bloomberg: Joe Manchin Says ‘Horrible’ Hydrogen Tax Credit Rules Coming Next Week
Ari Natter, 12/13/23
“High-stakes Treasury Department guidance for claiming hydrogen production tax credits under US President Joe Biden’s climate law has drawn the ire of Senator Joe Manchin, who said the “horrible” rules will make it too hard to qualify,” Bloomberg reports. “The rules, which Manchin told Bloomberg are expected to be issued next week, have been the subject of intense lobbying and deliberations across the Biden administration amid a fight over what sources of power can fuel the energy-intensive hydrogen production process. “We are fighting it,” Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, who helped craft the hydrogen tax credit provisions of the climate law, told Bloomberg. “It doesn’t do anything the bill does. They basically made it 10 times more stringent for hydrogen.” A previously leaked draft of the rules included requirements sought by some environmentalists that would limit the $3-per-kilogram credit to hydrogen-production operations powered by wind, solar or other clean-power projects built within the last three years, according to people familiar with the plan. The guidance in the Treasury Department draft also calls for hydrogen projects to be supplied with new, clean-power sources operating on the same grid on an annual basis through 2027, then on a hourly basis starting in 2028, the people told Bloomberg.”
E&E News: Top Democrats on collision course with Biden on hydrogen
12/14/23
“Senate committee chairs are demanding the White House weaken hydrogen tax credit guidelines, breaking with environmental advocates and congressional climate hawks who want strict rules,” E&E News reports. “Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper of Delaware expressed misgivings about draft guidelines expected from the Treasury Department by the end of the month. Manchin was the most vocal Wednesday about reports that the Treasury Department is considering rules to only incentivize hydrogen using renewable energy. "What they are doing is absolutely wrong,” the conservative Democrat said. “The White House is getting involved now, and I hope we’ll fix." “...During a speech before passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year, Carper and Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) discussed how the Treasury should implement hydrogen incentives. It didn't include the so-called three pillars sought by environmentalists and climate hawks in Congress. That involves making sure hydrogen is manufactured using new renewable energy sources near the production site and that compliance happens on an hourly basis.”
FOX News: GOP lawmaker wants to crack down on climate change activists who deface historical artwork
Jamie Joseph, 12/13/23
“Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, wants to raise the stakes for climate change activists who vandalize historical artworks or damage museum property by creating harsher penalties for the crime,” FOX News reports. “The Consequences for Climate Vandals Act, introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, would also apply to the grounds or property of the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian museums and the Kennedy Center, among others, and raise the maximum prison time from five years to 10. The consequences would mirror the current maximum prison time in England, where climate activists have frequently glued themselves to artworks or thrown soup or other liquids on protective casings of museum pieces. "There should be no tolerance for the vandalization of our historic works of art," Vance said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Apparently, a maximum penalty of five years in prison isn’t enough to keep these far-left protestors from tarnishing displays of cultural significance." He added, "Let’s make it 10 years and see if they’re still so bold." “...In May, two protesters were indicted for smearing paint on the case of a famous Degas sculpture at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., just a month prior. At the time, the group of activists — known as Declare Emergency — posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they wanted to send a message about climate change.”
E&E News: How EPA’s methane rule is dividing state agencies
Shelby Webb, 12/13/23
“EPA’s methane rule is revealing a split among state environmental agencies in some of the country’s most prolific oil- and gas-producing regions,” E&E News reports. “The final rule, announced by EPA Administrator Michael Regan this month at the COP28 climate summit, leans on states to enforce new standards on hundreds of thousands of older fossil fuel wells, pipelines, casings and other pieces of infrastructure. While some states — including New Mexico, Colorado and California — have started to monitor older equipment and enforce state-level methane emissions standards, officials in other states tell E&E the plan will create a mountain of new work for their staffs. It is unclear whether states will file suit against EPA over the final rule, but the state-level response could have a major impact on the Biden administration’s efforts to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions. “We are concerned it’s a lot more paperwork, and paperwork doesn’t necessarily mean more environmental quality,” David Glatt, director of the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, told E&E. “There will be a cost not only to the state but to industry as well.” “...Only New Mexico, Colorado and California have rules that have created and track methane emissions limits on older oil and gas infrastructure, Goldstein told E&E. Others, like Utah and Wyoming, have rules in place that track and limit the emissions of volatile organic compounds in specific areas that have poorer air quality. But the nation’s largest and third-largest oil and gas producers — Texas and North Dakota — and other states that don’t have those types of rules in place for older infrastructure could struggle to implement the new standards, according to observers.”
E&E News: Granholm: Oil And Gas Has A ‘History Of Innovation’
Carlos Anchondo, 12/13/23
“Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm challenged the oil and gas sector during an event Tuesday to boost funding for projects that tackle climate change and to work more with communities affected by energy infrastructure,” E&E News reports. “Granholm, who warned that the world will keep getting warmer unless “we get our act together,” said the oil and gas industry should build on its “history of innovation” as leaders work to limit global temperature rise. “Many of you are stepping up on this — really grateful that that’s happening — but we need to just really put the pedal to the metal on investing in those innovative solutions that has you investing at the level that people will trust that you understand and can meet the moment of this crisis,” Granholm said. Later, she pointed to Exxon Mobil’s investments in lithium mining as an example. Lithium is a metal used in batteries.”
STATE UPDATES
CalNews: City Council Calls to Terminate West Pico Drill Site Operation
12/13/23
“The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion Wednesday aimed at closing a oil drilling site located in the West Pico area, and it may to look to terminate other pipeline franchise agreements in the city,” CalNews reports. “Council members voted 12-0 to move forward with the termination of the West Pico Drill Site’s franchise agreement as soon as possible, begin an investigation of any outstanding code violations at the site and conduct a citywide review of other pipeline franchise agreements to identify all pipelines operating on an interim basis as of January 2024. “I brought this motion forward because the City Council’s job isn’t done when it comes to protecting our neighborhoods, schools and places of worship from the dangers of oil extraction,” Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky said prior to the vote.”
Colorado Sun: Feds propose 20-year ban on mining, oil and gas drilling on 225,000 acres in Thompson Divide
Jason Blevins, 12/12/23
“The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management plan to remove 224,713 acres from possible mining or oil and gas drilling for the next 20 years would seem worthy of an end-zone celebration in Crested Butte, where the community has spent more than 45 years battling a plan to mine molybdenum on Mount Emmons above town,” the Colorado Sun reports. “ But they aren’t spiking the football just yet in the East River Valley, where they call the 12,392-foot peak the Red Lady and hardy skiers regularly carve their signatures in the glowing bowl above Elk Avenue. The draft decision released last week by federal land managers that suspends mining and oil and gas permits on public land inside the Thompson Divide is a first down in the red zone for Crested Butte. Twenty years is good. Crested Butte wants a forever ban. “It’s a big step toward permanent protections,” Julie Nania, the Red Lady program director for High Country Conservation Advocates, which has led the fight to block moly mining in Crested Butte since the 1970s, told the Sun… “Kathleen Sgamma, the president of the Western Energy Alliance, told the Sun none of the trade group’s more than 200 oil and gas company members would protest the Thompson Divide withdrawal plan because most energy companies have turned away from the area when the Forest Service and BLM stopped leasing.”
Associated Press: New Mexico Braces For Possible End To Cash Windfall From Oil Production
12/13/23
“A windfall in government income from petroleum production is slowing down but far from over in New Mexico as the nation’s No. 2 oil-producing state grapples with how much it can effectively spend — and how to set aside billions of dollars for the future in case the world’s thirst for oil falters,” the Associated Press reports. “The state is headed for a $3.5 billion general fund surplus for the year running through June 2025, according to a new forecast Monday. New Mexico’s annual state government income has swelled by nearly 50 percent over the past three years, driven largely by oil an natural gas production in the Permian Basin, the most prolific shale-oil producing region in the country that extends across southeastern New Mexico and portions of West Texas. The state will draw in a record-setting $13 billion — exceeding annual spending obligations by one-third, economists from four state agencies said in a presentation to a legislative panel. Monday’s forecast anticipates 2.2 percent growth in state government income, on top of 10.2 percent growth during the current budget year.”
EXTRACTION
Washington Post: The world just made it clear the fossil fuel era is ending — with some wiggle room
Chico Harlan, Maxine Joselow and Timothy Puko, 12/13/23
“Breaking a deadlock that had hindered climate talks for three decades, nations Wednesday struck a deal that calls for tackling the root cause of the climate crisis: fossil fuels,” the Washington Post reports. “The final agreement at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Dubai, known as COP28, explicitly recommends “transitioning away from fossil fuels” such as oil, gas and coal that are dangerously heating Earth. That pledge — an obvious step, given the science — is nonetheless a breakthrough for the U.N. climate talks, which require consensus on final agreement. It also comes after several major countries fought furiously to preserve their right to extract wealth from under layers of earth. Not even the landmark 2015 Paris agreement had specifically mentioned fossil fuel use, instead focusing on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More than any climate deal before it, the new pact reflects a recognition that the world is doing more harm than good by prolonging the era of coal, oil and gas — a roughly 200-year period of unprecedented development in which the life span expectancy soared and the global population grew eightfold… “But even as negotiators framed the outcome as historic, many acknowledged that it did not go as far as they wanted — and that it still left a precarious path ahead. Language calling for a more unequivocal “phaseout” did not survive rounds of contentious revisions. Island nations said they were excluded. Experts pointed out half-measures that will allow for fossil fuel use to continue, at some level, for decades to come. And the deal has no binding power, and follow-through will depend on an extraordinary range of factors — financing, vested interests, domestic politics. “Whether this is a turning point that truly marks the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era depends on the actions that come next,” former vice president Al Gore told the Post.”
New York Times: Oil Companies Are Fine With Call to Move Away From Fossil Fuels
Stanley Reed, 12/13/23
“Oil industry executives on Wednesday said they more or less backed the agreement coming out of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai, despite its language calling for “transitioning away from fossil fuels,” te New York Times reports. “We support the outcome of COP28,” a spokesman for Shell, Europe’s largest energy company, told the Times. Eni, the Italian energy giant, praised the “great pragmatism” of the meeting. Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of OPEC, which had raised objections to an early draft of the agreement, endorsed the final deal, saying it left countries free to choose their own direction in addressing climate change. “Dictating things has been buried,” said Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Saudi oil minister, in an interview with Al Arabiya television. “And so people are free in their choices,” he added. The Saudi minister also said the COP28 deal would not have an impact on the country’s ability to sell crude oil, according to the outlet. The agreement’s appeal to oil producers is probably the lack of requirements to take specific actions. As a result, countries can choose their own pathways to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The sweeping agreement, approved by diplomats from nearly 200 countries, even seems to suggest a role for natural gas, a fossil fuel that has attracted heavy investment in recent years from large oil companies, in “facilitating the energy transition.” The leaders of producing countries had worried that the meeting might come up with stricter prescriptions to curb the use of fossil fuels. That would pressure the oil and gas industries, whose revenue often sustains their governments’ budgets…”In the end, oil producers seem to have managed to ensure that language that plays to their strengths was included in the agreement. The agreement also calls for “accelerating” carbon capture and storage, a technology that has been criticized by environmental groups for having the potential to extend the use of fossil fuels.”
Reuters: Reaction to the final COP28 climate deal
12/13/23
“The COP28 climate summit adopted a final deal on Wednesday that for the first time calls on nations to transition away from fossil fuels to avert the worst impacts of climate change,” Reuters reports. “Here are some reactions to the deal: U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry: "I am in awe of the spirit of cooperation that has brought everybody together." Denmark's Minister for Climate and Energy Dan Jorgensen: "We're standing here in an oil country, surrounded by oil countries, and we made the decision saying let's move away from oil and gas." Samoa representative Anne Rasmussen on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States: "We didn't want to interrupt the standing ovation when we came into the room, but we are a little confused about what happened. It seems that you just get on with the decisions and the small island developing states were not in the room." "We have come to the conclusion that the course correction that is needed has not been secured. We have made an incremental advancement over business as usual, when what we really need is an exponential step change in our actions." “...Canadian Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault: "COP28 reached a historic agreement ... It provides opportunities for near term action and pushes for a secure, affordable, 1.5C compatible and clean transition. The text has breakthrough commitments on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the transition away from fossil fuels." “...Former U.S. vice president Al Gore: "The decision at COP28 to finally recognize that the climate crisis is, at its heart, a fossil fuel crisis is an important milestone. But it is also the bare minimum we need and is long overdue. The influence of petrostates is still evident in the half measures and loopholes included in the final agreement…Whether this is a turning point that truly marks the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era depends on the actions that come next and the mobilization of finance required to achieve them."
Associated Press: What is carbon capture and how much of a solution is it after COP28?
MICHAEL PHILLIS, 12/13/23
“An agreement at the United Nations-led climate conference to transition away from fossil fuels brought a measure of relief for climate activists, even as many said it doesn’t go far enough. They also saw something to like in what the agreement said about carbon capture,” the Associated Press reports. “Skeptics have said carbon capture has been oversold as a climate change solution so that the fossil fuel industry can keep burning lots of oil, coal and natural gas. The agreement approved at COP28 in Dubai said the technology could be helpful particularly in “hard-to-abate sectors” like steel manufacturing that are expected to have a difficult time eliminating their emissions. But it wasn’t held up as a way to eliminate the climate impact of fossil fuels. The agreement “effectively marked the death of (carbon capture and storage) as an energy sector climate solution,” Ed King, who works with governments and others seeking to speed up action on climate change, told AP. Lili Fuhr, director of the fossil economy program at the Center for International Environmental Law, told AP COP28 prevented carbon capture from being touted as a technological savior. “Carbon capture pipedreams were exposed as a massive and dangerous distraction,” she told AP… “We have to remove some of what’s in the atmosphere in addition to stopping the emissions,” Jennifer Pett-Ridge, who leads the federally supported Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s carbon initiative in the U.S., the world’s second-leading emitter of greenhouse gases, told AP… “Some environmentalists argue that fossil fuel companies are holding up carbon capture to distract from the need to quickly phase out oil, gas and coal. “The fossil fuel industry has proven itself to be dangerous and deceptive,” Shaye Wolf, climate science director at Center for Biological Diversity, told AP… “Opponents also note that carbon capture can serve to prolong the life of a polluting plant that would otherwise shut down sooner. That can especially hurt poorer, minority communities that have long lived near heavily polluting facilities.”
NPR: COP28 takeaways: Moving away from fossil fuels using carbon capture
12/13/23
“Global leaders agreed to a deal at Dubai's COP28 climate conference that would transition away from fossil fuels. Carbon capture and removal technology is one way to do that. But critics say the agreement doesn't go far enough. Grist's Naveena Sadasivam and Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd join us,” NPR reports.
Bloomberg: UK’s Hydrogen Vision Dented as Home Heating Trial Scrapped
Todd Gillespie and Elena Mazneva, 12/13/23
“The UK government canceled another trial program using hydrogen for home heating after residents pushed back because of safety concerns,” Bloomberg reports. “A proposed test in Redcar, northern England won’t go ahead, the government said Thursday, confirming an earlier report by Bloomberg News. It’s likely to be too late for any other home heating trials before a crucial policy milestone in 2026, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg earlier, asking not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter. An earlier project planned in Whitby also collapsed after local opposition. Still, the government will keep studying the possibility of blending as much as 20% hydrogen into the natural gas distribution network, the people told Bloomberg. The cancellation is another snag for one of the government’s most controversial policy challenges: how best to decarbonize heating systems.”
Canadian Press: Alberta researchers call for public inquiry into program to ensure oil sands cleanup
12/13/23
“Alberta university researchers are calling for an open public inquiry into a provincial program designed to ensure oil sands producers can pay to clean up after themselves,” the Canadian Press reports. “They say the agreement at an international climate meeting to transition away from fossil fuels makes it all the more imperative that there’s enough money left to clean up tailings ponds and other impacts when the mines complete their useful life. Co-author Martin Olszynski at the University of Calgary told CP the government’s current plan allows companies to delay paying for remediation until production starts to decline – meaning there will be less money for cleanup just as it starts to be needed. He told CP the current tailings pond plans are scientifically unproven and won’t return the land to something that can be used for other purposes. He and his colleagues are calling for an inquiry similar to the one being held into renewable energy in Alberta, especially after delegates at the COP28 meeting in Dubai agreed the world needs to move from the use of oil, gas and coal.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Enbridge: Setting the Hook: Identifying the Next Generation of Salmon Advocates
12/13/23
“With creeks and rivers spread out like veins throughout the province, British Columbians are treated each year to one of nature’s most spectacular migrations—the salmon run!,” according to Enbridge. “...Coinciding with this annual salmon run, the Powell River Salmon Society (PRSS) hosts an annual Salmon Education Expo. This five-day event at Lang Creek, Powell River, located on the northern Sunshine Coast, BC, aims to teach children about the importance of salmon and its life cycle… “Enbridge, through its Fueling Futures program, has contributed $5,000 to support the organization’s salmon education program. This is part of our commitment to support environmental stewardship and awareness in our communities.”
Clarington.net: Enbridge Gas Assists Clarington Emergency and Fire Services in Supporting Firefighter Training
12/13/23
“Enbridge Gas Inc. (Enbridge Gas) is helping Clarington Emergency and Fire Services (CEFS) purchase firefighting training materials through Safe Community Project Assist—a program with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) that supplements existing training for Ontario volunteer and composite fire departments in the communities where Enbridge Gas operates,” Clarington.net reports. “Members of Clarington Council, firefighters and an Enbridge Gas representative met at Clarington Fire Station 1 to celebrate Enbridge Gas’ funding support for firefighter training. “Thank you to Enbridge Gas for supporting our Clarington firefighters in their life-saving work. This additional training will support our dedicated composite Fire Department as they keep our community safe,” said Mayor Adrian Foster. This year’s $250,000 donation from Enbridge Gas will be shared by 50 Ontario fire departments, including Clarington Emergency and Fire Services.”
OPINION
Los Angeles Times: Editorial: After COP28, let’s make this the ‘beginning of the end’ of fossil fuels
BY THE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD, 12/13/23
“It took nearly three decades, but world leaders this week finally acknowledged the obvious: There is no way to slow climate change without winding down fossil fuels,” the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board writes. “The agreement reached Wednesday by nearly 200 nations at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai is something of a breakthrough. For the first time, world leaders called for moving away from fossil fuels in energy systems. It’s easy to criticize this deal, which followed two weeks of tough negotiations, as weak and insufficient. It is nonbinding and full of caveats and loopholes. It includes support for carbon capture technology and “transitional fuels,” code for natural gas, that would enable the continued burning of planet-warming hydrocarbons. It calls for “transitioning away” from fossil fuels, rather than phasing out, which many entities, including the United States, the European Union and vulnerable island states, were pushing for. The weaker language is the reflection of heavy influence from polluting industries, OPEC and oil-rich nations that lobbied fiercely against targeting fossil fuels. But the agreement is a milestone nonetheless. There is now a baseline global consensus on the need to move beyond fossil fuels.”
Guardian: Rich countries are desperate to convince us their hollow Cop28 deal is a triumph. They’re lying
Asad Rehman is executive director of War on Want, 12/13/23
“As Cop28 ended after 14 gruelling days, many people were clutching at straws and looking for meaning in the mere mention in the text of a transition from fossil fuels. There will be headlines talking about what huge progress it is simply to say this – even without any requirement for real action,” Asad Rehman writes for the Guardian. “This would have been very welcome 20 or even 10 years ago, but it wasn’t the gamechanger needed to prevent climate catastrophe, to end the era of deadly fossil fuels, or to save the north star of 1.5C. To claim that it is a triumph, or anything even close to that, is simply a lie. One more lie to add to all the other lies told so often that those who utter them begin to believe them: the lie that rich countries care about climate justice. The lie that human rights are separate from climate justice. The lie that the US, Canada, Australia, Norway and the UK are high in ambition, and it’s developing countries that are lacking it. Rich countries have worked hard to try to get a hollow headline on fossil fuels out of this Cop. They are like emperors with no clothes. The UK, US and the EU not only point-blank refused to discuss cutting their own emissions in line with both fairness and science, but their agreement on “fossil fuel phase-out” has more loopholes than a block of Swiss cheese. It comes without acknowledgment of historical responsibility, or redistribution, or the remaking of a financial system of debt, tax and trade that has been rigged to keep developing countries locked into exploiting resources simply to fill the coffers of rich countries. Our movements, our frontline communities, know these are lies. Scientists know they are lies, and so do many developing countries. Those already living the realities of unjust climate breakdown know that 1.5C will result in a death sentence for the poorest, yet we remain on track for 3C global heating.”
The Hill: Joe Manchin And The Legal Corruption That Threatens Our Planet
Basav Sen directs the Climate Policy Program at the Institute for Policy Studies, 12/13/23
“Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced recently that he won’t seek reelection in 2024, but he hasn’t ruled out a potential third-party presidential campaign. For climate advocates especially, Manchin’s career embodied the incredibly corrosive influence of fossil fuel money in politics,” Basav Sen writes for The Hill. “But solving that problem will take a lot more than one senator stepping down. The outgoing lawmaker reportedly received more fossil fuel industry campaign money in the last cycle than any other federal legislator — and is himself a coal millionaire. Worse still, he leveraged his perch as the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to enact policies benefiting his corporate donors and himself. Manchin was the architect of a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act requiring oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters as a condition for any renewable energy leasing. He championed provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that subsidize risky, unproven technologies such as carbon capture and storage and hydrogen energy, which greenwash continued fossil fuel production and use… This kind of pervasive corruption — in both major parties and all branches and levels of government — shouldn’t be normalized. Yet it receives very little media scrutiny apart from the coverage of particular scandals, which are often treated as isolated incidents instead of part of a wider pattern… To save our planet and its most vulnerable people, Manchin’s exit should spark a bigger conversation about the corruption that’s become a defining feature of the U.S. political system.”