EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 5/6/25
PIPELINE NEWS
WOI: Iowa landowners vow to continue fighting eminent domain amid stalled carbon pipeline legislation
Grist: ‘Keystone Light’: These Wyoming oil tycoons are reviving the controversial pipeline
E&E News: Jane Fonda asks New Jersey’s governor to reject pipeline
High Country News: Controversial gas pipeline across Navajo Nation to begin
WDRB: Shelby County residents raise concerns over proposed high-pressure gas pipeline
iPolitics.ca: Feds stand firm as oil sands producers ramp up resistance to carbon policy
Lakeland Today: Group opposed to carbon capture pipeline makes stop in Mallaig
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Enviros say Supreme Court decision boosts states’ ‘climate superfunds’
E&E News: Diesel price spike raises stakes for Trump, GOP ahead of midterms
E&E News: Trump wants big boost to DOJ environment division
E&E News: White House demolition sent contaminated dirt to golf course
E&E News: Democrats ask to join suit opposing Trump’s face on park passes
Reuters: Trump broke OPEC. He may regret it
Bloomberg: SEC Rule to End Biden-Era Climate Policy Sent to White House
STATE UPDATES
Reuters: Sentinel Midstream to begin construction of Texas deepwater oil export port
Press release: Colorado and Wyoming Announce Agreement to Coordinate Carbon Storage Efforts
Marshall County Post: County Commissioners approve ordinances restricting solar farms and prohibiting carbon capture
The Barbed Wire: She Thought Her Daughter Was Faking Sick. Then She Found Out Her Elementary School Was Built on a Drilling Waste Site.
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Chevron CEO says physical shortages in oil supply to begin appearing
Associated Press: Nations preserve a plan to adopt a global fee on shipping emissions, but keep their options open
Bloomberg: Heat-Trapping Microplastics Found to Play Role in Climate Change
Gizmodo: Forget Expensive Carbon Capture—Renewables Are the Cheaper Climate Fix
Gasworld: CCS is low-carbon technology of choice
New York Times: These Countries Embrace E.V.s to Avoid Oil Price Shocks
OPINION
Western Standard: The Pathways CCS Project illusion — is net zero policy quietly killing Alberta’s oil sands future?
Globe and Mail: The Iran war, the Saudis’ bold bet and why Canada needs a new pipeline
PipelineOnline.ca: Alex Filstein: Open Letter to CEOs: Request to Reevaluate, Postpone or Reconsider the Canada Pathways CCUS Project
PIPELINE NEWS
WOI: Iowa landowners vow to continue fighting eminent domain amid stalled carbon pipeline legislation
JD Snover, 5/5/26
“After Iowa lawmakers adjourned the 2026 legislative session, some landowners along the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline said they are walking away frustrated but not giving up,” WOI reports. “Property owners spent months lobbying state lawmakers to restrict or ban the use of eminent domain for the project. Despite early momentum in the Iowa House, those efforts ultimately stalled, leaving many landowners with unanswered questions and renewed focus on the upcoming election cycle. “There’s obviously that disappointment and defeat and frustration,” Peg Rasmussen, who owns land in Montgomery County that sits along the planned second phase of the pipeline, told WOI. Rasmussen inherited the land from her father and said the possibility of eminent domain has weighed heavily on her for the past two years. She has repeatedly traveled to the State Capitol to argue that carbon pipelines should not have the authority to take private land without an owner’s consent. “Let me decide,” Rasmussen told WOI. “I want to be able to say no, and not have the heavy hand or black cloud of eminent domain over my head in any negotiation. Just like somebody else wants to be able to say yes.” “...Do you want to give up your property rights for energy dominance?” she told WOI. “Is that why you live here? Is that what you want to support? I think that’s a very good question you need to ask anybody that is going to represent you.”
Grist: ‘Keystone Light’: These Wyoming oil tycoons are reviving the controversial pipeline
Jake Bittle & Naveena Sadasivam, 5/6/26
“On the first day of his presidency back in 2021, Joe Biden revoked a key permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have brought oil from Canada’s tar sands into the U.S. The decision to kill Keystone XL was perhaps Biden’s clearest gift to the environmental movement,” Grist reports. “...Even though the new proposed pipeline is similar to Keystone XL in length and size, it will only cost $2 billion, far less than Keystone’s $8 billion price tag. That’s because its route will largely follow existing infrastructure and rights-of-way established by True Companies pipelines. Salvin told Grist that the company has held a dozen landowner meetings and has secured surveying easements, or allowances to scout the land for construction, from 374 of the 376 private landowners along the pipeline route… “Second, the pipeline would only carry oil to central Wyoming, not all the way to the Nebraska refinery hub targeted by the original Keystone XL pipeline. Another company would need to build another pipeline across Nebraska in order for the crude to reach the major oil refineries on the Gulf Coast. (Salvin told Grist Bridger is “exploring options” for that segment.) Third, it’s unclear if those refiners will even want as much of the heavy Canadian crude oil that the pipeline would offer, since imports of similar oil from Venezuela have started to tick up following Trump’s kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and subsequent negotiations with the country’s new leadership. “To call this plan half-baked would be an insult to baking,” wrote energy lawyer and anti-pipeline advocate Paul Blackburn in a blog post last month. Blackburn is an advisor to Bold Alliance, the activist network that opposed the last Keystone XL proposal. Many of the same activist groups that opposed the prior pipeline are getting ready to oppose this one as well. The Bold Alliance, which organized tribes and rural landowners against Keystone, has said it will litigate any attempt to extend a pipeline into Nebraska.”
E&E News: Jane Fonda asks New Jersey’s governor to reject pipeline
Mona Zhang, 5/5/26
“The actor and activist Jane Fonda is weighing in on the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline project,” E&E News reports. “Fonda, known for her award-winning film career and outspoken political advocacy, penned a letter to Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Monday asking her to block the pipeline project from moving forward. “You have the opportunity to exercise leadership on this issue that will resonate all over the United States,” Fonda wrote in the letter. “If the pipeline is rejected by the Tidelands Resource Council, that rejection will be a giant victory for New Jersey’s environment and the world’s climate.” Fonda founded the Jane Fonda Climate PAC in 2022 to help elect state and local candidates who support strong climate policies.”
High Country News: Controversial gas pipeline across Navajo Nation to begin
Jerry Redfern, 5/5/26
“A 234-mile stretch of pipeline that could carry natural gas or natural gas-hydrogen blends across the Navajo Nation is a step closer to reality,” High Country News reports. “The Resources and Development Committee of the Navajo Nation Council passed a resolution at the end of March to conditionally allow Tallgrass Energy — through its subsidiary GreenView Resources — to begin work on a section of a natural gas pipeline that will traverse the Navajo Nation, running from a spot near Farmington, New Mexico, to another spot roughly 40 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona. It is the only vote the Nation will take on this measure. It is also the only segment of the pipeline to be publicly announced… “Committee member and resolution co-sponsor Danny Simpson said, “Any type of energy development we propose on the Navajo Nation we will definitely have opposition. … And it stops projects.” But, he continued, “If we don’t have any revenues … how can we help our communities?” “...Carolyn Raffensperger, the executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, worked alongside tribes in the years-long fight against the controversial 1,172-mile-long Dakota Access Pipeline, reviewing state and federal permits as well as construction of that project… “Raffensperger told HCN that companies have used early permits “to sort of ask forgiveness rather than permission for various phases … especially if they’ve got a major permit to construct the pipeline.” She told HCN companies use the early work as a bargaining chip for later work, arguing, “How could you possibly cause the state [or tribe] to lose so much money when we’ve already invested?” She added, “We know a lot about natural gas in the Southwest. There’s a lot of it. But hydrogen [is] really different. Hydrogen is pretty explosive. … Are they prepared for the kinds of big problems that these pipelines can pose?”
WDRB: Shelby County residents raise concerns over proposed high-pressure gas pipeline
5/5/26
“Emotions ran high in Shelby County, Kentucky Tuesday night as neighbors demanded answers about a proposed high-pressure natural gas pipeline that could cut through their land,” WDRB reports. “Dozens of residents packed a fiscal court meeting to hear from Texas Gas about its Borealis pipeline project, a 260-mile line planned to run through parts of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana… “Neighbors raised concerns about safety risks, declining property values and rising insurance costs. Others worry the pipeline could limit how they use their land or that they could be forced to give it up altogether through eminent domain. Texas Gas representatives told the crowd they understand the concerns and plan to work with landowners… “But for many in the room, that reassurance didn’t go far. “We’re not interested,” said homeowner Jerry Vandevelde. “We’re retired and this is where we want to spend the rest of our lives, and we don’t want to be impaired or endangered by this high-pressure pipeline.” Local leaders made it clear they don’t have the power to stop the project... “If approved, construction could begin in 2028, with the pipeline operational by 2030.”
iPolitics.ca: Feds stand firm as oil sands producers ramp up resistance to carbon policy
Aya Dufour, 5/5/26
“Former Suncor executive Martha Hall Findlay helped build the pitch and sell the vision for the massive Pathways carbon capture project – but she’s now among the first publicly calling for it to be shelved,” iPolitics.ca reports. “In an op-ed late last week, she argued Canada should back away from carbon capture and storage and focus on infrastructure like pipelines… “She now argues the project is the wrong solution at the wrong time, citing global political and energy uncertainty. She also says it’s too small a lever to move the needle on global emissions. “When we started the project, all around the world countries were working on how to reduce emissions,” she told iPolitics. “It was a moment in time, a global consensus of sorts, that we all needed to do our part.” “But in a world where most countries are not focused on that, it doesn’t make sense to me for Canada to be out there alone.” “...A written statement from Charlotte Power, spokesperson for Energy Minister Tim Hodgson, suggests the federal government isn’t willing to budge on Pathways. “Canada has been clear that reducing carbon emissions is not just a moral imperative, but a massive economic opportunity,” it reads. “Carbon capture and storage is a key pillar of Canada’s energy agreement with Alberta and a critical tool for cutting emissions in our oil and gas sector.” “...It also states that the federal government will work with the Oil Sands Alliance to move Pathways forward as a precondition to a new bitumen pipeline.”
Lakeland Today: Group opposed to carbon capture pipeline makes stop in Mallaig
Mario Cabradilla, 5/2/26
“About 100 people attended an information session at the Mallaig Legion, where members of the No CO2 Pipelines Alberta spoke about their campaign to block Oil Sands Alliance’s proposed 600-kilometre high-pressure carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline and underground sequestration system in northern Alberta,” Lakeland Today reports. “...They distributed a mailer featuring a developing map of the proposed pipeline route and associated “hazard and kill zones” based on CO2 plume modelling… “No CO2 representatives claimed they are not opposing oil and gas development but are fighting to protect the health and safety of families, the region’s water supply, and agricultural land from what they said is an unassessed, experimental project with disproportionate local risks… “If that waterway gets contaminated, everybody from Mallaig to Cold Lake has contaminated water,” he said, explaining pressurized CO2 mixture, which includes chemical amines used to keep it liquid, could contaminate wells, livestock water sources and surface water if a pipeline rupture, leak or seismic event occurs… “During the event, Fox, Shapka, and Robinson repeatedly cited the 2020 rupture of a CO2 pipeline in Satartia, Mississippi, where residents collapsed, struggled to breathe, and emergency vehicles were immobilized by the dense CO2 plume… “Both Keepers of the Water and the No CO2 Pipelines Alberta are pushing for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment before any approvals move forward. According to Robinson, the Alliance’s CCS project is advancing without one, so seven First Nations, including Cold Lake First Nations, have already formally requested a review… “No CO2 Pipelines Alberta encourages residents to attend upcoming town halls in Edmonton on May 13, as well as contact regulators to demand a “proper” environmental impact assessment.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Enviros say Supreme Court decision boosts states’ ‘climate superfunds’
Lesley Clark, 5/6/26
“A recent Supreme Court decision allowing a soldier to sue a military contractor in state court undercuts the Trump administration’s efforts to erase state climate laws, New York state and a coalition of environmental groups contend,” E&E News reports. “The Department of Justice last spring sued New York and Vermont in an effort to invalidate the states’ “climate superfund” laws that seek payment from energy producers for greenhouse gas emissions. But in notices filed Tuesday and last week in two federal courts, groups supporting the states say the Supreme Court’s recent ruling suggests the states have the edge… “The Conservation Law Foundation and other groups intervening in DOJ’s lawsuit against Vermont say the Supreme Court’s decision underscores that federal law does not always override state law. The Trump administration’s claims against Vermont “fail for the same reasons as the preemption defense in Hencely,” the groups wrote… “The groups noted the Supreme Court held that a state law is not preempted “merely because there is an alleged ‘indirect burden on federal activities’ such as increased costs to the federal government… “Environmental attorneys have also suggested the Supreme Court’s ruling in Hencely could affect the justices’ handling of an attempt by the oil and gas industry to quash lawsuits from local governments seeking compensation for the costs of climate change… “Arguments based merely on the inappropriateness of state regulation or the strength of the national interest involved in an issue are not going to be enough,” Farber told E&E.”
E&E News: Diesel price spike raises stakes for Trump, GOP ahead of midterms
Scott Waldman, Ben Lefebvre, 5/6/26
“Most Americans are focused on the cost of gasoline at the station up the street — but diesel fuel costs are also poised to set an all-time high in the U.S., which in turn is expected to drive up prices for everything from groceries to postage,” E&E News reports. “A spike in diesel fuel affects a wide array of commodities that need to move across the country – including for home building, manufacturing and much more. And it couldn’t come at a worse time for President Donald Trump and Republicans, just months ahead of the contentious midterm election season in which Democrats are expected to take back the House and possibly the Senate amid intensifying voter anger over the rising cost of living and the unpopular war in Iran.. “High diesel fuel prices will start trickling down to the every day consumer in the coming weeks, he said. That is when it could start raising the costs on clothing, appliances, home prices and more for consumers who have already shouldered price increases tied Trump’s to tariffs.”
E&E News: Trump wants big boost to DOJ environment division
Pamela King, 5/5/26
“The Trump administration has proposed a $25 million increase for the corner of the Justice Department that defends and executes the nation’s environmental laws,” E&E News reports. “Under the White House’s recent fiscal 2027 request, DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division would receive $115 million, a 27.8 percent boost over its enacted fiscal 2026 level. The Trump administration said the money would help ramp up defense of the president’s environmental actions, including his declaration of a national energy emergency and withdrawal of U.S. waters for offshore wind leasing. “These cases are non-discretionary — the federal government must respond to lawsuits filed against it. ENRD’s defensive caseload has increased significantly in recent years and is expected to continue to increase in FY 2027,” the Justice Department wrote in budget documents. “This defensive work is a specialized litigation docket that cannot be referred to the United States Attorneys’ offices.”
E&E News: White House demolition sent contaminated dirt to golf course
Heather Richards, Ellie Borst, 5/5/26
“Dirt that the Trump administration dumped on a Washington golf course after removing it from the White House’s East Wing demolition site tested positive for toxic elements like lead, chromium and arsenic, according to new data commissioned by the National Park Service,” E&E News reports. “...Dozens of chemicals were detected above background levels, according to soil sampling data by Jacobs Engineering Group taken from the stockpile of dirt. The company had the soil analyzed for a suite of potential public health concerns, including volatile organic compounds, asbestos, pesticides and select heavy metals. A handful of compounds, including arsenic and lead, were detected at levels that could pose a risk to human health. The data sheds light on the composition of a pile of dirt that’s become an unexpected sticking point in a larger dispute over the Trump administration decision last year to tear down the East Wing to make room for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Last year, the administration dumped excavated soil from the White House grounds at the East Potomac Golf Links, which is owned by the National Park Service.”
E&E News: Democrats ask to join suit opposing Trump’s face on park passes
Heather Richards, 5/4/26
“Fifteen House Democrats told a federal judge last week that the administration’s use of President Donald Trump’s image on national park passes poses a direct threat to congressional power,” E&E News reports. “Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the Natural Resources Committee’s top Democrat, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) filed a proposed amicus brief last Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The filing comes as an environmental group seeks to have Trump’s image removed from ‘America the Beautiful’ passes, which grant entry to fee-based national parks and other public lands… “The lawmakers argue that the administration has flouted the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which requires a yearly contest to determine the image on park passes, prompting “profound constitutional implications.” They argue that the spat over the images is no ‘trivial matter’ but touches on a “core ideal of our democratic compact.”
Reuters: Trump broke OPEC. He may regret it
Ron Bousso, 5/5/26
“U.S. President Donald Trump’s military forays in Venezuela and Iran have weakened OPEC more than anyone thought possible just months ago. The White House may view this as a major win, but it may ultimately leave both the U.S. and energy markets worse off,” Reuters reports. “...Trump – a long-time critic of OPEC – hailed the UAE’s departure as “great,” arguing it would help push oil prices lower. That may prove true – and the U.S. president’s muscular foreign policy may ultimately prove to be the producer group’s undoing. But a weaker OPEC is not necessarily good news for consumers or producers – including the U.S… “The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered a far more dramatic cascade, leaving OPEC fractured and largely powerless… “This, in turn, created an opening for the vast U.S. oil and gas industry – now the world’s largest in terms of production – to rapidly ramp up exports to Asia and Europe, further eroding OPEC’s market share and influence. America’s position is strengthened, but the U.S. oil industry is driven by market forces. It has no equivalent of OPEC’s spare capacity to balance the market. In the absence of a strong OPEC, Trump may find this new environment far less manageable than he bargained for.”
Bloomberg: SEC Rule to End Biden-Era Climate Policy Sent to White House
Lydia Beyoud, 5/5/26
“The White House is reviewing a proposal from the Securities and Exchange Commission to formally end Biden-era climate disclosure rules for publicly-traded companies,” Bloomberg reports. “...The old corporate disclosure regulations, issued under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, had never been implemented amid a spate of legal challenges. The Trump administration had effectively set the rules aside a year ago when the regulator told a judge that it would no longer to defend the policy in court. “The Commission is focused on returning the agency to its core mandate — in line with its legal authority — restoring a materiality-focused approach to securities regulation,” a spokesman for the SEC told Bloomberg. The policy was one of the signature efforts of Gensler’s leadership of the SEC. It required companies to report material risks to their business due to a changing climate, as well as carbon emissions for some firms.”
STATE UPDATES
Reuters: Sentinel Midstream to begin construction of Texas deepwater oil export port
Arathy Somasekhar and Vallari Srivastava, 5/5/26
“Oil transportation and storage company Sentinel Midstream said on Tuesday it would immediately begin construction of its deepwater oil export project off the Texas coast, marking the first development of a large-scale export project in the United States in years,” Reuters reports. “Sentinel expects to begin commercial operations of the Texas GulfLink system by the fourth quarter of 2028, Bruce Heine, the company’s senior VP for public affairs, told Reuters, adding the company will begin excavation activities soon and commit to acquiring equipment that has a long-lead time. Construction of the project commences at a time when the United States has become a net exporter of crude oil for the first time since World War Two as the war in Iran has increased European and Asian demand for American oil… “The Trump administration also said then that Japan would invest in the $2.1 billion Texas GulfLink facility.”
Press release: Colorado and Wyoming Announce Agreement to Coordinate Carbon Storage Efforts
5/4/26
“Today, Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Wyoming to strengthen coordination on permitting for carbon storage efforts that may cross state boundaries. “This MOU brings Wyoming and Colorado together to speed up permitting, support cleaner air, and protect property rights. Colorado is proud to be a leader in protecting our environment for future generations, and this MOU is another example of good work with others to move forward. I want to thank Governor Gordon and his team for their collaboration and partnership on this important issue,” said Governor Polis… “The MOU applies to projects located near the Colorado–Wyoming border, specifically those within one mile of the state line or where project activities may extend across it. This includes project review areas, monitoring wells, facilities, and long-term site care activities. To support coordination, the agreement establishes two key steps: Notification: When a project may involve both states, the state leading the permit review will notify the neighboring state early in the process… “Consultation: The neighboring state may request a consultation to exchange information, discuss potential impacts, and provide input… “This structured approach helps reduce uncertainty for communities and project developers while reinforcing strong environmental protections.”
Marshall County Post: County Commissioners approve ordinances restricting solar farms and prohibiting carbon capture
Kathy Bottorff, 5/6/26
“During Monday’s meeting, the County Commissioners gave final approval to two significant ordinances: one restricting the size of solar-field projects and another officially cleaning up language to permanently prohibit carbon capture within the county,” the Marshall County Post reports. “...The commissioners also approved an ordinance regarding carbon capture. According to Surrisi, this action served as a necessary “cleanup” of an ordinance initially passed last fall that prohibited carbon capture projects in the county. At the beginning of 2025, the commissioners enacted a two-year moratorium on carbon capture. When the outright prohibition was passed later in the fall, the original moratorium language was inadvertently left in the county code. The newly approved ordinance removes the outdated moratorium language, solidifying the permanent prohibition.”
The Barbed Wire: She Thought Her Daughter Was Faking Sick. Then She Found Out Her Elementary School Was Built on a Drilling Waste Site.
Saul Elbein, 5/5/26
“...In February, The Barbed Wire and the Texas Observer published investigations that found Silo Mills had been built on a former landfarm — a site where solid, often toxic waste from oil and gas drilling had been spread on the land and left to break down. A whistleblower who had worked the site, Lee Oldham, told us he had personally helped bury radioactive drilling waste there. We also reported that Silo Mills was one piece of a much larger problem: an estimated 20 to 60 million tons of drilling waste from the fracking boom that had been buried, plowed under, or dumped in municipal landfills around Dallas-Fort Worth, a region now in the middle of rapid suburbanization. Silo Mills was exceptional, however, in a couple of ways. First, that a whistleblower with knowledge of the site had come forward to tell the public of what he had done there. Second, there were the kids: As part of the deal to develop the property, Terra Manna donated land to the local school district, which built Pleasant View Elementary on the same ground. So our story caused an uproar. In the weeks that followed our investigation, the Texas Attorney General’s Office began looking into the development. The Texas Railroad Commission visited the site. And Pleasant View parents, some of whose children had health concerns they attributed to the waste buried under 500 elementary school students, pressed Pleasant View administrators for answers.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Chevron CEO says physical shortages in oil supply to begin appearing
Erwin Seba, 5/4/26
“Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth said on Monday that physical shortages in oil supply would begin appearing around the world because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global crude supply passes,” Reuters reports. “Economies will begin shrinking, first in Asia, as demand adjusts to reduced supply with the strait still closed because of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, Wirth said during a discussion sponsored by the Milken Institute. “We will start to see physical shortages,” Wirth said, noting that surplus supply in commercial markets, tankers in so-called shadow fleets avoiding sanctions, and national strategic reserves were being absorbed… “Wirth noted that the United States, a net exporter of crude, would be less affected than other parts of the globe, but eventually the effects would be felt there as well. He pointed out that the last scheduled shipment of oil from the Gulf was being offloaded at the Port of Long Beach, which supplies Los Angeles and southern California. The overall effect of the Hormuz closure is “potentially as big as in the 1970s,” Wirth said.”
Associated Press: Nations preserve a plan to adopt a global fee on shipping emissions, but keep their options open
Jennifer McDermott, Sibi Arasu, 5/1/26
“The world’s maritime nations preserved a plan to adopt the first global carbon fee on shipping, as they agreed to keep working on it in the fall and adjourned their meeting Friday,” the Associated Press reports. “However, they also agreed to continue discussing alternative proposals and entertain new ones, which could change the plan substantially. Nations met this week at the International Maritime Organization headquarters in London in preparation for potentially voting in the late fall on new, global regulations to clean up shipping, or the “Net-zero Framework.” Instead of finishing the discussions, the delegates scheduled more meetings for the fall to keep working ahead of a vote, keeping the framework as a foundation for their negotiations… “The regulations would establish a pricing system which would impose fees for every ton of greenhouse gases emitted by ships above allowable limits, in what is effectively the first global tax on greenhouse gas emissions. The United States and Saudi Arabia are among those that strongly oppose a fee.”
Bloomberg: Heat-Trapping Microplastics Found to Play Role in Climate Change
Todd Woody, 5/4/26
“Microplastics in the atmosphere are heating the planet, magnifying climate change impacts, according to new research,” Bloomberg reports. “Scientists in China and the US found that tiny, colored plastic particles absorb sunlight as winds blow them around the world, trapping heat and contributing to temperature rise, according to the peer-reviewed paper published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. “The plastic problem is not just in our blue oceans, it is also in the invisible skies above us,” Hongbo Fu, a co-author of the study and an atmospheric scientist at Fudan University in Shanghai, said at a press conference. “Climate models need to be updated.” The researchers’ laboratory experiments and atmospheric modeling indicate that airborne plastic pollution has 16.2% of the heat-trapping impact of black carbon, the second biggest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide. That effect is small on a global scale, according to the scientists, but can be significant in areas with high volumes of plastic, such as parts of the Pacific Ocean. There, plastic particles had 4.7 times the impact of black carbon.”
Gizmodo: Forget Expensive Carbon Capture—Renewables Are the Cheaper Climate Fix
Ellyn Lapointe, 5/5/26
“To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the global community must rapidly transition to renewable energy while also expanding carbon dioxide removal—technologies that literally pull this greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere. Both endeavors will be costly, but a new study strongly suggests the U.S. should prioritize investing in renewable energy over expensive, energy-intensive direct air capture schemes,” Gizmodo reports. “The findings, published Monday in Communications Sustainability, show that renewable energy is far more cost-effective than direct air capture—a growing carbon removal strategy—at reducing atmospheric carbon. Across nearly every U.S. region through 2050, money spent deploying wind or solar power will deliver a greater combined climate and public health benefit than if it is spent on direct air capture, according to the study. “Our study basically asks, if someone has $100 million they are willing to invest in reducing CO2 in the atmosphere, what is the best way for them to spend this money?” senior author Jonathan J. Buonocore, an assistant professor of environmental health at Boston University, told Gizmodo. “We found that $100 million will reduce much more CO2 if this was invested in wind or solar, especially in coal-heavy grids in the U.S., than if it was invested in direct air capture,” he explained. “Also, investing in renewables will reduce air pollution, which direct air capture cannot.”
Gasworld: CCS is low-carbon technology of choice
Dominic Ellis, 5/6/26
“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is increasingly the low-carbon technology of choice when it comes to global investment opportunities, according to research from international law firm Pinsent Masons,” Gasworld reports. “More than 90% of venture capital investors and technology developers surveyed said they had invested in either carbon capture or carbon storage solutions in the last year, with 78% planning to do so again within the next 12 months… “In some regions, investment levels are particularly strong, with more than 98% of UK investors and developers backing the technology. Across Europe investment levels in CCS remain high, with France, the Netherlands and Germany all showing more than 90% support from investors – and only Spain, where 78% of respondents said they had or were investing in CCS, bucking the trend. Among major oil producing countries, investors in Saudi Arabia (93%) and the USA (90%) showed the greatest support, while more than 80% of investors in Qatar and the UAE had backed or were planning to back CCS projects… “This is exciting but it will be important for first-time entrants into this space to ensure they don’t underestimate how much early legal and commercial structuring matters, when it comes to ensuring your CCS project is robust and set up to be investable from the outset.”
New York Times: These Countries Embrace E.V.s to Avoid Oil Price Shocks
Jack Ewing, 5/3/26
“...Costa Rica is a leading example of how electric vehicles are rapidly gaining popularity in many less affluent countries that are not part of the giant U.S., European and Chinese auto markets,” the New York Times reports. “There are signs that the war in Iran, which has sharply raised the cost of gasoline and diesel, is accelerating this trend. Electric vehicle sales in Latin America, Africa and much of Asia — a grouping that includes billions of people but that analysts often refer to as “rest of world” — soared 79 percent in March compared with a year earlier, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a research firm. For all of 2025, sales of electric cars in these countries jumped 48 percent. All told, electric vehicles accounted for 18 percent of all new car sales in Costa Rica during the first three months of the year, second only to Uruguay in Latin America. That is three times the figure in the United States, where Tesla ushered in the modern electric car revolution roughly 14 years ago with its Model S. Governments in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Uruguay and many other countries are promoting electric vehicles as a way to become less dependent on imported oil, a drain on their economies and precious foreign currency reserves. Costa Rica is not an oil producer and generates almost all its electricity from hydropower.”
OPINION
Western Standard: The Pathways CCS Project illusion — is net zero policy quietly killing Alberta’s oil sands future?
Lennie Kaplan was a senior manager in the fiscal and economic policy division of the Ministry of Treasury Board and Finance, where he worked on cross-ministry initiatives evaluating the fiscal and economic impacts of federal and provincial energy and climate change policies, 5/5/26
“The April 1 deadline for a tri-lateral agreement between the Carney Liberal government, the Smith government, and the Pathways Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project partners has come and gone, and it does not appear there has been any meaningful progress made on advancing this project to final investment decision (FID),” Lennie Kaplan writes for the Western Standard. “Based on some new research findings, I believe that the spectre of the Carney-Smith net zero agenda could be the major factor in keeping the Pathways CCS project in relative limbo. New analysis drawn from the Rystad Energy UCube comprehensive data set reveals that the net present value (NPV) of oil sands projects owned by the Pathways partner companies (i.e. Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cenovus Energy, ConocoPhillips, Imperial Oil, and Suncor Energy) (estimated currently at nearly USD $415 billion) could be effectively wiped out under a net zero emissions (NZE) agenda. Under current oil demand levels, which represent Alberta government and energy industry expectations, the NPV of oil sands projects owned by the Pathways partner companies is estimated at USD $414.8 billion. However, at NZE Scenario oil demand levels, the NPV of oil sands projects owned by the Pathways partner companies becomes negative, at an estimated shortfall of $42.5 USD billion… “Why would the Pathway partner companies accept a deal which could leave them with a risk of impaired or stranded assets down the road? In light of the negative impact of Carney-Smith NZE on NPV in the oil sands sector, I surmise that the federal Liberal government and the Smith government are going to have to put a lot more public money on the table before the Pathways CCS project proceeds. But, in my opinion, scrapping the Alberta NZE mandate, before it is too late, seems to be a much better policy solution for Albertans.”
Globe and Mail: The Iran war, the Saudis’ bold bet and why Canada needs a new pipeline
Jackie Forrest is the executive director of the ARC Energy Research Institute, 5/6/26
“In the 1980s, Saudi Arabia built the 1,200-kilometre East–West Pipeline to ship crude westward to the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Until recently, some people might have questioned the purpose of the long underutilized pipeline, when the strait was a perfectly fine export route. Today, I don’t think anyone in Saudi Arabia questions the value of that investment, as the kingdom continues to sell oil while its neighbours have few options and face severe economic hardship. There is a lesson that Canada can take from that,” writes for the Globe and Mail. “...Once again we are in a pipeline discussion, this time over whether the country should build a greenfield pipeline to boost West Coast oil exports to Asia. The imperative for a new pipeline is hard to deny – if threats from the United States and the risk of competition from Venezuela were not enough motivation, then the Iran war only ups the ante… “The thinking is that a pipeline should be built only when there is enough supply to match it and that only the lowest-cost projects should be pursued. However, in a world where great powers are weaponizing their economies for gain, investment in new pipeline projects needs to be viewed differently. An oil pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia’s West Coast should be viewed as insurance, providing optionality in an uncertain world for both Canada and crude oil buyers. Why is insurance needed? For Canada, it provides a hedge against risks from unpredictable U.S. policy, whether that’s tariffs, export restrictions, new competition from Venezuela or other surprises that emerge over the horizon… “Just because pipelines are controversial in this country, and have been for more than 70 years, that should not be a reason to shy away. Now is the time for Canada to act boldly and build the assets needed to make our economy more resilient. Managing risk includes investing in insurance and options. In a time of disruption, strategic assets like oil pipelines to tidewater are an imperative, not a luxury. Canadians, politicians and industry need to come together to consider new options for financing, ownership and returns that will get these critical projects over the finish line.”
PipelineOnline.ca: Alex Filstein: Open Letter to CEOs: Request to Reevaluate, Postpone or Reconsider the Canada Pathways CCUS Project
Alex Filstein, P.Eng, might better be known as his X handle @RazorOil. He is prolific in his highly detailed and knowledgeable online content about the oil industry, and in particular oil sands/heavy oil, 5/5/26
“...I respectfully urge you to reevaluate the current CCUS-focused strategy considering four fundamental shifts occurring in our operating environment,” Alex Filstein writes for PipelineOnline.ca. “The scale of the challenge demands more than partial capture… “While these are ambitious targets, they fall short of addressing the full scope of emissions growth from existing and planned smaller modular greenfield operations considering 80% of our oil sands reserves can’t be recovered by mining… “The Pathways project rightly emphasizes job creation and long-term CCUS capability in Alberta. However, equivalent or greater benefits can be realized by accelerating development and deployment of solvent-based and hybrid recovery technologies that further reduce steam (and therefore emissions) at the source. These solutions offer strong continued employment for technical professionals and a more sustainable path for both present and emerging producers. Additionally, according to the Alberta Major Projects portal, the proposed Pathways Phase 1 CCUS project carries a price tag of $16.5 billion. This raises an important question: how much greater value —in terms of emission reductions, economic growth, job creation, and technological leadership — could be created by deploying this capital into proven, scalable technologies such as NCG co-injection, solvent-assisted recovery, and other operational optimizations that are already delivering strong results today?”