EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 6/6/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Group seeks end of carbon pipeline ‘harassment’
The Verge: Federal regulators crack down after pipeline caught spewing CO2
Roanoke Times: Mountain Valley Pipeline seeks new appellate court panel to hear legal challenges
KNBN: SD executive board vote to terminate surety bond for Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Biden to update ‘sacred’ EJ order that never really worked
E&E News: Judge greenlights more NEPA reviews on Western oil leases
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Greens win NEPA court fight over Calif. offshore fracking
Newark Advocate: Balderson pushing to designate natural gas a green, clean energy
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Energy Transfer signs agreement for LNG supply to China Gas
FOX Business: Chevron CEO says there may never be another oil refinery built in the U.S.
CBS News: Taylor Energy Oil Spill: Stanching the longest-running oil spill you've likely never heard of
TheEnergyMix: Hydrogen Leaks Could Make Climate Change Worse, Scientists Warn
OPINION
DeSmog: Appalachia Does Not Need More Fossil Fuel Greed
Midland Reporter-Telegram: Texas pipelines ensure delivery of affordable, reliable natural gas
OilPrice.com: How Close Are We To Peak Oil Demand?
The Hill: Conservatives must wake up and address climate change — or face the voters’ wrath
PIPELINE NEWS
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Group seeks end of carbon pipeline ‘harassment’
JARED STRONG, 6/6/22
“The Iowa Utilities Board should order a carbon pipeline company to stop contacting unwilling landowners about easement agreements, according to a conservation group’s “motion to protect landowners,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The hundreds of comments and objections from landowners filed in the docket in this case confirm that landowners do not want to sign easements,” wrote the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, which opposes Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline proposal… “As of Friday, Summit has inked agreements for about 30% of the 680-mile route through Iowa, said Jesse Harris, director of public affairs for the company. That’s an increase from two months ago when Summit said it had agreements for about 25% of the route. “We look forward to continuing engaging landowners, answering their questions and securing additional voluntary easements,” Harris told Iowa Capital Dispatch. But that continued engagement is considered harassment by landowners who are adamantly opposed to the project, according to Sierra Club filings. The group wants the IUB to limit pipeline company contacts with landowners to three times for negotiations. “I have made it clear that I will not sign an easement, and I just want the land agents to stop harassing me,” Dan Tronchetti of Greene County wrote to the IUB. Another landowner wrote that she had received five calls, three voicemails and a text message from one of the agents. The text message indicated the agent planned to mail an easement agreement with a monetary offer of about $58,000, according to an IUB filing. Another landowner, Kathy Carter in Floyd County, wrote that she had received at least nine telephone calls from Summit agents, three pieces of mail and an unannounced personal visit from an agent after repeatedly telling him she was not interested in signing an agreement. The Sierra Club also wants the board to prohibit Summit negotiators from mentioning the possibility of eminent domain to landowners. Further, the group said the IUB should contact all affected landowners and tell them they are not required to talk to the Summit agents or sign agreements.”
The Verge: Federal regulators crack down after pipeline caught spewing CO2
Justine Calma, 5/27/22
“Federal regulators are beginning to crack down on a new generation of pipelines that will be crucial for the Biden administration’s plans to capture millions of tons of carbon dioxide to combat climate change,” The Verge reports. “The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposed penalties yesterday on the operator of one such pipeline that ruptured in Mississippi, sending at least 45 people to the hospital in 2020. The agency also pledged to craft new rules to prevent similar pipeline failures from happening as the US makes plans to build out a network of pipelines to transport captured CO2. There are not many of these pipelines (compared to oil and gas pipelines) yet in the US, which are primarily used by the fossil fuel industry so it can shoot CO2 into oil fields to push out hard-to-reach reserves. One of those pipelines ruptured in February 2020, releasing about 30,000 barrels of liquid carbon dioxide that immediately started to vaporize and triggered the evacuation of 200 residents in and around the small town of Satartia, Mississippi. Some of those who weren’t able to leave in time were left convulsing, confused, or unconscious, according to an investigation published last year by HuffPost and the Climate Investigations Center… “PHMSA proposed $3,866,734 in penalties on the operator of the pipeline that busted open in 2020, Denbury Gulf Coast Pipeline, for “probable violations.” After investigating the incident, PHMSA says that Denbury did not report to authorities “at the earliest practicable moment” after detecting the CO2 release. That hindered first responders who were left to guess what was going on after receiving reports from residents of “a green gas” in the area… “PHMSA says it’s in the process of crafting new rules for CO2 pipelines, including requirements for how to respond to and prepare for emergencies. There is frighteningly little oversight of those pipelines, according to an assessment commissioned by the charity and advocacy group Pipeline Safety Trust that was published earlier this year… “As Denbury’s failure in Satartia, MS demonstrates, CO2 releases can be incredibly hazardous to our communities,” Pipeline Safety Trust Executive Director Bill Caram said in a press release. “The list of proposed new CO2 pipeline projects seems to grow every week, which makes it all the more important to modernize our safety regulations immediately.”
Roanoke Times: Mountain Valley Pipeline seeks new appellate court panel to hear legal challenges
Laurence Hammack, 6/5/22
“Unhappy with the way it has been treated by a three-judge panel of an appellate court, Mountain Valley Pipeline is asking for a new slate of judges to hear the next round of its long-running legal battle with environmentalists,” the Roanoke Times reports. “In an unusual move, the company building a natural gas pipeline through Southwest Virginia filed a motion last month requesting the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to assign a new panel at random. Mountain Valley is hoping for better luck than it had with a panel that presided over 12 earlier challenges of government approvals for it and the now-defunct Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Those three judges, it says, vacated or stayed all but two of the permits, effectively killing Atlantic Coast and threatening to do the same for Mountain Valley. “The perception created by this Court’s deliberate formation of a special ‘pipeline panel’ – actually a ‘Mountain Valley panel’ – threatens public confidence in the Court’s legitimacy,” the motion reads… “Not only does the Fourth Circuit’s repeated reliance on the same three judges run counter to its rules, Mountain Valley argues, it also has created a public perception “of a deck stacked against large infrastructure projects in general and one private party specifically.” The motion cites reports in The Roanoke Times about how the court’s overall record has evoked a saying by pipeline opponents: “May the Fourth be with you.” “...Steve Emmert, a Virginia Beach lawyer and an authority on state and federal appeals who publishes the online Virginia Appellate News & Analysis, told the Times he has never seen a motion like the one filed by Mountain Valley… “The Sierra Club and other environmental groups, which are contesting the latest permits for water crossings, urged the court not to grant Mountain Valley’s request. “The crux of MVP’s motion is that MVP has grown dissatisfied with that initial assignment because it has lost more often than it thinks it should have,” wrote attorneys Derek Teaney and Spencer Gall, who represent the coalition… “There is no reason to disqualify the three judges for making rulings that were clearly supported by the facts, the motion continues. Those facts show “systemic flaws in the permitting of MVP’s pipeline, rather than ‘a deck stacked against it,’ “ Teaney and Gall wrote… “The last brief due in Mountain Valley’s request for the random selection of a new panel was filed last week. A decision is expected in the coming weeks or months.”
KNBN: SD executive board vote to terminate surety bond for Keystone XL Pipeline
6/5/22
“On Friday at approximately 9 a.m., the South Dakota Legislature executive board approved the termination of a surety bond for the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline,” KNBN reports. “According to the South Dakota Legislature’s website, the $20 million loan, dating back to July 6, 2020, was put down as security. The article states: “The surety bond posted with the Department of Revenue renews July 6, 2022, requiring the company to pay a substantial sum as a bond premium. The project having been terminated, reclamation of disturbed area and disposition of material having been accomplished, there is no purpose for the security bond to remain in effect.” The parent company of Keystone, TC Energy, canceled the project last year in June after Canadian officials failed to persuade the Biden administration to reverse its cancellation of the company’s permit on the day the president took office.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Biden to update ‘sacred’ EJ order that never really worked
Jean Chemnick, 6/6/22
“The White House is updating a “sacred text” on environmental justice,” E&E News reports. “The executive order, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, was the first governmentwide acknowledgment that environmental and public health burdens fall disproportionately on poor and minority communities. It was also the first time the executive branch accepted that it has the legal authority — and obligation — to blunt those impacts wherever it can. Now Executive Order 12898 is being carefully reviewed by the White House, with input from outside experts, an administration official told reporters on a recent call. He described the 28-year-old order as a “sacred text” for which officials would propose changes in the coming months. Beyond that, the White House has said little about how it plans to change the Clinton-era directive. The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, or WHEJAC, which is made up of outside experts from advocacy and academia, offered copious recommendations 13 months ago on how to revise the executive order… “Environmental justice experts, including members of WHEJAC, which Biden created last year, say they’re less concerned about timing than about the scope and strength of the coming revision. The Clinton executive order was a watershed moment for the environmental justice movement and has survived four subsequent administrations. But its objectives were never fully realized… “Any revision to the Clinton E.O. would only be successful if it led agencies to beef up their oversight of the programs they administer, advocates said. That includes a new willingness to claw back funding when states spend it inequitably.”
E&E News: Judge greenlights more NEPA reviews on Western oil leases
Niina H. Farah, 6/3/22
“The Biden administration has agreed to reconsider the cumulative climate effects of oil and gas leases on nearly 4 million acres in a settlement approved this week by a federal judge,” E&E News reports. “Judge Rudolph Contreras of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia this week approved voluntary settlements requiring the Bureau of Land Management to redo its analysis of the leases under the National Environmental Policy Act. The agreements resolve legal challenges brought by WildEarth Guardians and other challengers beginning in 2016, and again in two other cases in 2020 and 2021. Altogether, the suits involve leases across five states: Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Montana. Under President Joe Biden, BLM has faced pressure from environmental groups to halt all new public lands fossil fuel development. Approval of the settlements under the two prior administrations adds further proof that BLM had been violating the law by not considering the broader harms of leasing, environmental challengers said. BLM appears to have finally read the writing on the wall and is looking for a better path forward on leasing, Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians’ climate and energy program director, told E&E... “In each of the cases, BLM had asked for the analyses to be sent back to the agency for reconsideration. Industry groups including the American Petroleum Institute had called instead for the cases to be dismissed… “Citing the extended legal battle over the Dakota Access oil pipeline, the judge noted that drawn-out courtroom fights are part of the “nature of doing business, especially in an area fraught with bureaucracy and litigation.” “...Nichols said he remains optimistic that the Biden administration would take action to curb federal leasing following the new NEPA review… “Nichols told E&E he also hopes the court-ordered NEPA analysis could be a start to a long-held goal for environmental groups: a comprehensive review of the cumulative impacts of all of BLM’s onshore leasing.
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Greens win NEPA court fight over Calif. offshore fracking
Niina H. Farah, 6/6/22
“In a resounding win for environmental groups, a federal appeals court last week upheld a ban on offshore hydraulic fracturing off the coast of California,” E&E News reports. “The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday required federal officials complete a new, more comprehensive analysis of the risks of fracking and other unconventional oil and gas production methods after finding a programmatic review violated the National Environmental Policy Act. A three-judge panel directed the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to extend its current injunction barring the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement from approving permits for “well stimulation treatments” on the Pacific outer continental shelf until the agencies have released an environmental impact statement and listed potential alternatives. BOEM and BSEE will also have to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service and California Coastal Commission before resuming permitting. “This is an amazing victory for California’s coast and marine life,” Kristen Monsell, oceans program legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told E&E… “While BOEM and BSEE had made the argument that the programmatic environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) could not be challenged in court because officials still had to review individual permit applications, the 9th Circuit rejected the stance that the findings were preliminary. “There is no argument or evidence that these 51 already-approved permits will be revisited, especially after the agencies approved unrestricted use of well stimulated treatments in the EA and FONSI,” Gould said. “It would make no sense to have a full environmental impact evaluation on one permit or multiple individual permits without considering the total environmental impact of the full picture,” he concluded.
Newark Advocate: Balderson pushing to designate natural gas a green, clean energy
Maria DeVito, 6/3/22
“As energy costs are rising, natural gas could help lower costs, according to Licking County's congressman,” the Newark Advocate reports. “Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville, announced at a Pataskala oil and gas well site Wednesday that he had introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives to designate natural gas as a green and clean energy source. "It is green. It is clean. And it is abundantly right underneath our feet right here in Ohio," he said. George Brown, executive director of the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program said Ohio has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 37% over the last decade thanks to the conversion to natural gas electric generation… “Balderson, who represents Ohio's 12th U.S. congressional seat, said natural gas will save families money and protects the country's safety and energy independence… “Balderson said he supports all approaches to meeting the country's and state's energy needs, but that renewable sources such as solar and wind are not ready to be the only sources available… “As the Intel Corporation is planning its $20 billion computer chip factory south of Johnstown, the company has said the facility will emit no greenhouse gases by 2040 and run exclusively on renewable electricity by 2030. But Balderson said he is encouraging Intel to look into using natural gas as an energy source… "We want Intel to use Licking County green energy, Ohio green energy and this country's green energy," he said.
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Energy Transfer signs agreement for LNG supply to China Gas
6/6/22
“Energy Transfer LNG, a unit of Energy Transfer LP, entered into a deal to supply 0.7 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year to China Gas Holdings on a free-on-board basis for 25 years, the companies said on Sunday,” Reuters reports. “China Gas Hongda Energy Trading Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of gas distributor China Gas, has entered into an LNG sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Energy Transfer, related to its Lake Charles LNG project, the companies said… “The SPAs will become fully effective upon the satisfaction of the conditions precedent, including Energy Transfer LNG taking final investment decision (FID). "This SPA brings our total amount of LNG contracted from our Lake Charles LNG export facility to nearly 6.0 mtpa and is an important step towards our goal of reaching FID later this year," Tom Mason, president of Energy Transfer LNG told Reuters.
FOX Business: Chevron CEO says there may never be another oil refinery built in the U.S.
Breck Dumas, 6/3/22
“Chevron CEO Mike Wirth says he does not expect another oil refinery to be built in the U.S. ever again, pointing to decades of federal government policies as the reason why,” FOX Business reports. "There hasn’t been a refinery built in this country since the 1970s," Wirth said at Bernstein's Strategic Decisions Conference this week, when asked about the prospect of new capacity being added in the Gulf of Mexico. "I personally don’t believe there will be a new petroleum refinery ever built in this country again." "Capacity is added by de-bottlenecking existing units by investing in existing refineries," he explained. "But what we’ve seen over the last two years are shutdowns. We’ve seen refineries closed. We’ve seen units come down. We’ve seen refineries being repurposed to become bio refineries. And we live in a world where the policy, the stated policy of the U.S. government is to reduce demand for the products that refiners produce." "...At every level of the system, the policy of our government is to reduce demand, and so it’s very hard in a business where investments have a payout period of a decade or more," Wirth said. "And the stated policy of the government for a long time has been to reduce demand for your products." To put things in perspective, Wirth asked rhetorically, "How do you go to your board, how do you go to your shareholders and say 'we're going to spend billions of dollars on new capacity in a market that is, you know, the policy is taking you in the other direction."
CBS News: Taylor Energy Oil Spill: Stanching the longest-running oil spill you've likely never heard of
JON WERTHEIM, 6/5/22
“The hurricanes keep coming –with increased force and increased frequency. Even before hitting land, they're often wreaking havoc. Katrina, Sandy, Ida —name a tropical storm and odds are good it's caused an off-shore oil spill. And these messes aren't easily cleaned up,” CBS News reports. “Tonight, we bring you a distinctly Louisiana story, one we first reported last November, the saga of the Taylor Energy Oil Spill, a storm-caused, environmental crisis that's sullied the Gulf of Mexico since 2004. Then, along came an unlikely duo: a no-nonsense Coast Guard captain who said enough is enough, and a homegrown Cajun engineer who brought with him the power of local knowledge. Together they would resist a deep-pocketed energy company… and help stanch the longest-running oil spill in U.S. history… “An average of 1,000 gallons of oil a day that would otherwise be contaminating the Gulf of Mexico. It's being captured by Timmy Couvillion's system and transferred to these tanks to be sold later as recycled oil… “The sheen caused by the oil spill spread for miles. For years, ships traveling through were coated in the slick. Pools of oil bubbled up to the surface and marine life, like these schools of giant amberjack, had to swim through the muck. How could this spill have gone on for 17 years and counting without much public awareness? For one, Taylor Energy is not a Fortune 500 giant, but a local company; and a beloved one at that… “At what point did you say, "You know what? Enough. The Coast Guard's gonna take over this containment?" Kristi Luttrell: I came to that decision sometime in late summer of 2018. It didn't take me long to realize that we were gonna go ahead and have to federalize this case when I didn't feel like I was getting a timely response out of the responsible party.”
TheEnergyMix: Hydrogen Leaks Could Make Climate Change Worse, Scientists Warn
6/5/22
“As the world invests billions in hydrogen fuel systems, scientists are urging vigilance against leakage, since its release into open air can trigger chemical reactions that significantly warm the atmosphere,” TheEnergyMix reports. “Widely seen as one of the only ways to decarbonize sectors that aren’t easily electrified (like heavy industry and aviation), hydrogen has much to recommend it as a clean fuel—unless it leaks into the air, where three chemical pathways can transform it into an indirect greenhouse gas with 33 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide over 20 years, writes Bloomberg. The first pathway involves hydrogen’s tendency to react with atmospheric hydroxyl (OH), an element which also reacts with methane in a manner that helps remove this dangerous greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. The more hydrogen that leaks into the atmosphere, the less hydroxyl will be available to neutralize the warming effects of methane, which is about 85 times more powerful a warming agent than CO2 over a 20-year span. The second pathway is hydrogen’s involvement, near ground level, in a chemical chain reaction that produces ozone, another potent greenhouse gas. Finally, leaked hydrogen that makes it into the stratosphere produces more water vapour, “which has the overall effect of trapping more thermal energy in the atmosphere.” Most leaked hydrogen would not escape into the air, but would rather be absorbed by microbes in the soil. But any hydrogen that does get airborne can wreak climate havoc, at least in the short term. And it’s the short term that matters, given the speed with which global temperatures are rising, say climate scientists with the U.S. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).” “...With $8 billion in government funding now up for grabs in the United States alone, the “hydrogen hustle” has a serious head of steam, with U.S. utility companies “announcing more than two dozen hydrogen pilot projects in the last two years,” Bloomberg writes.”
OPINION
DeSmog: Appalachia Does Not Need More Fossil Fuel Greed
Emily Satterwhite, PhD, is an associate professor and director of Appalachian Studies in the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech. She is a volunteer with the POWHR Coalition (Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights) and Mountain Valley Watch, 5/31/22
“A fossil fuel executive recently told Fortune, “Appalachia is the elephant in the room,” referring to the claim that demand for natural gas is rising, while supply in Appalachia and the United States is falling. Such corporate executives would like to see expansion of production in order to bail out their dying industry,” Emily Satterwhite wrties for DeSmog. “And Fortune’s interviewee is right. Appalachia is the elephant in the room. We need to talk more about the role of Appalachia in the country’s energy system. But what he gets wrong is that the future does not entail further dependence on fossil fuels. The future that Appalachia can and will lead is in renewable energy… Fossil fuel executives and their allies are using the devastating war in Ukraine to promote their industry in order to stuff their pockets with our hard-earned money, and the federal government has chosen to take their side. The liquified natural gas (LNG) industry is “unleashing” buildout to rake in global profits, leaving everyday Americans to pick up the increasing tab. I find myself asking: Is the federal government the people’s government, as they say they are? Or are they working for fossil fuel executives?… “The fossil fuel industry has polluted, devastated, and sickened our land, water, and communities for too long. In fact, it’s trying to further this legacy by accelerating projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which threatens to harm Virginia and West Virginia with no returns for the communities. And this is all taking place during a climate emergency that imperils all of humanity. For the health and future of our people, we cannot waste resources on new fossil fuel infrastructure. Instead, we need to invest in a just transition to living wage jobs in the renewable energy sector… “Now, better than anyone, we know that we must set aside the industry’s lies and the federal government’s foot-dragging to demand a livable, green future. No more sacrifice zones, no more throw away people. We take care of people; it’s what we do. Our fiercely beloved Appalachia is ready to lead the way to a new energy era.”
Midland Reporter-Telegram: Texas pipelines ensure delivery of affordable, reliable natural gas
Thure Cannon is the president of the Texas Pipeline Association, 6/4/22
“The network of pipelines underground that deliver the essential oil and natural gas to our homes and businesses operate based on a free-market system designed to ensure an affordable abundant supply of energy,” Thure Cannon writes for the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “...In periods of short supply and extreme demand, prices can spike dramatically. This is exactly what happened during Winter Storm Uri: demand far exceeded supply. Electric generators operating on natural gas for a fuel source had to compete in the daily physical spot market for gas – unless they had negotiated firm, long-term contracts. To avoid volatility, generators need to be incentivized to enter into firm monthly spot market and long-term contracts for the purchase and transportation of natural gas. Firm contracts benefit both parties, guaranteeing shippers pipeline capacity, and pipelines predictable revenues through reservation charges… “Reliability, however, requires securing both firm supply and firm transportation. If supply is there, pipeline companies can and do ensure delivery during periods of extreme demand, as demonstrated during Uri. It’s also vital to understand the difference between interstate and intrastate pipelines… “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) determines if new interstate pipelines can be constructed, their location and the maximum rate of transportation based on cost-of-service. New pipelines can only be built after these three issues are resolved, often taking years and thus restricting access to abundant natural gas. The Texas intrastate market, on the other hand, is an independent competitive market that allows pipelines when and where there is sufficient market demand. Pipelines can be built in a timely manner to meet ever-increasing demand, with transportation rates negotiated between shippers and pipeline companies.”
OilPrice.com: How Close Are We To Peak Oil Demand?
Alex Kimani, 6/5/22
“Two years ago, British oil and gas supermajor BP Plc. (NYSE:BP) sent shockwaves through the energy markets after it declared that the world was already past Peak Oil demand,” Alex Kimani writes for OilPrice.com. “...That announcement came as a bit of a shocker given how aggressive BP has been in exploring new oil and gas frontiers. When many analysts talk about Peak Oil, they are usually referring to that point in time when global oil demand enters a phase of terminal and irreversible decline. According to BP, this point has already come and gone, with oil demand slated to fall by at least 10% in the current decade and by as much as 50% over the next two… “However, BP has been forced to do a mea culpa after it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic that began more than two years ago has not resulted in a significant reduction in oil demand… “In its latest report, BP offers three scenarios--all foresee oil demand surpassing pre-pandemic levels by the middle of this decade before beginning to slip to varying degrees. In the most bullish case for oil, BP projects that crude demand will rise to 101 million b/d in 2025 and remain flat into 2030… “In yet another scenario that BP has termed "net-zero," which is the most aggressive in terms of global climate ambitions being achieved, the company pegs 2025 demand at 98 million b/d and just 75 million b/d by 2035… “However, recent events in the energy sector suggest that oil companies might get a leeway to grow production and even relax climate goals as long as oil and gas prices remain high… “In yet another report published in the Geopolitical Intelligence Services blog , Carol Nakhle, CEO of Crystol Energy, says the consensus is that global oil consumption will peak within the next 20 years, but demand will not necessarily fall off a cliff thereafter. She says that once global oil demand peaks and starts to fall, competition among producers to sell more oil and safeguard market share will intensify.”
The Hill: Conservatives must wake up and address climate change — or face the voters’ wrath
Sam Brownback is co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit and a senior fellow at Open Doors USA, 6/3/22
“After Australia voted out its conservative government in part over perceived lack of interest in climate change, American conservatives must put forward solutions to avoid a similar fate. Whether you think climate change is a hoax or an existential crisis, the voting public believes it is a critical issue that must be addressed,” Sam Brownback writes for The Hill. “This is a wake-up call for U.S. conservatives that we need not fear. We should take advantage of this opportunity to benefit working Americans while growing our economy. We have the best solutions — using markets and innovation, not government regulation. And caring for the environment is in our nature. By definition, conservatives believe in conserving the natural order, including the environment. We believe in good stewardship of our nation’s heritage and resources, both social and physical… “We need growth in renewable energy but not by government mandates… “Unfortunately, even tragically, the Biden administration has elevated the environment over energy and the economy, making it harder for the U.S. oil and gas industry. Since Biden entered office, his policies have contributed to record-high energy prices and inflation… “ British Conservatives put forward a climate package to move to a carbon-neutral world by 2050, using the tactics I am writing about. It is pro-growth, pro-working class, balanced and – most importantly – it works. That is the way to go… “This fall, climate concerns will be on the ballot. The British Conservatives proposed a legitimate plan for a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, and they were rewarded with the chance to realize that vision. Australian Conservatives were perceived by the public as lacking such a plan, contributing to their loss. Which path will American conservatives follow?”