EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/2/23
PIPELINE NEWS
Des Moines Register: Iowa ag entrepreneur, carbon capture pipeline advocate hosts presidential candidates
KELO: Navigator affiliate outlines CO2 pipeline safety plan
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Navigator wants carbon dioxide pipeline hearing in June 2024
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Pipeline company sues Story County to block latest attempt at local regulation
Mitchell Republic: Lincoln County pipeline restrictions fail after no-show, recusal
Cities929.com: GASSING ILLINOIS: CO2 Pipelines to rip through Central Illinois in the name of climate change
Mille Lacs Messenger: Enbridge Line 3 aquifer breach investigation
Bloomberg: FERC Seeks Dismissal of Challenge to Mountain Valley Pipeline
Energy and Policy Institute: Emails Reveal Eversource’s Work Behind the Scenes to Push Gas Pipeline
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: White House to agencies: Tally projects’ financial damage to ecosystems
DemocracyNow: Youth Activist Confronts White House Press Secretary over Biden’s Fossil Fuel Projects
Washington Post: Sen. Merkley criticizes Biden’s climate record
E&E News: White House advances new NEPA rules. Will they stick?
E&E News: Green group inks union contract after internal conflict
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: Environmental groups say they’ll sue to block Virginia from leaving greenhouse gas compact
EXTRACTION
Washington Post: United Arab Emirates pledges to allow protests at COP28
New Statesman: Will carbon capture help us reach net zero?
Bloomberg: Occidental, Adnoc Agree to Review Carbon Capture Investments
CLIMATE FINANCE
National Observer: ‘What on Earth is a director of Imperial Oil doing on the board of directors of my pension fund?’
Environmental Health News: Should hospitals be next to divest from fossil fuels?
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Enbridge: Pontiac Fire Department: A rich history of safety and community
OPINION
Toronto Star: Order against Enbridge’s Line 5 means it’s time for a permanent Great Lakes shutdown
Globe and Mail: The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is a disaster for everyone but Alberta
Chicago Sun Times: Carbon capture technology is safe. Illinois should embrace CO2 pipeline projects.
Guardian: Why carbon capture and storage will not solve the climate crisis any time soon
Forbes: Lawsuits Against Big Oil Over Climate Change Are Nonsensical
Bend Bulletin: Oppose GTN Xpress pipeline
Washington Post: The Supreme Court is helping to keep the heat on
Al Jazeera: Biden’s fossil fuel hypocrisy is betraying the planet
PIPELINE NEWS
Des Moines Register: Iowa ag entrepreneur, carbon capture pipeline advocate hosts presidential candidates
Brianne Pfannenstiel, Donnelle Eller, 8/1/23
“A handful of Republican presidential candidates attended a private event this week hosted by Iowa agriculture entrepreneur and GOP donor Bruce Rastetter, who's behind Summit Carbon Solution's plan to build a controversial carbon capture pipeline across the state,” the Des Moines Register reports. “Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum attended the event and spoke to the crowd, their campaigns confirmed to the Des Moines Register… “But the carbon capture pipeline project pits longtime Republican interests against each other, adding a new wrinkle to the debate ahead of the 2024 Iowa caucuses… “In March, a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed that 78% of Iowans oppose using eminent domain to build carbon capture pipelines. That includes 72% of Republicans, 79% of independents and 82% of Democrats. Opponents also question whether the pipeline is safe… “Those concerns have created political bedfellows of environmentally minded Democrats and Republicans who worry about the use of eminent domain and the possible destruction of Iowa farmland… “Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, has also taken pains to avoid weighing in on whether the project should advance. Ahead of the event, about 15 pipeline opponents lined the road to Rastetter’s Alden farm with signs, protesting the project. And a pilot flew a banner over the party, urging Iowans to say 'No' to the CO2 pipeline… “At a July 30 campaign stop in Newton, Burgum said he wants to see carbon capture pipeline projects succeed to boost the value of Midwest corn and soybeans and help revitalize struggling rural towns… “David James, a spokesperson for Pence, said in a statement that the former vice president is also supportive of carbon capture pipelines… “A spokesperson for Ramaswamy pointed to a March tweet voicing his opposition… “A spokesperson for Haley did not return a request for comment about whether she supports the pipeline project.”
KELO: Navigator affiliate outlines CO2 pipeline safety plan
Bob Mercer, 8/1/23
“The senior vice president of operations for an affiliate of Navigator explained Tuesday various innovative safeguards that would be put in place if the company’s proposed carbon-dioxide pipeline receives a state permit to operate in South Dakota,” KELO reports. “...The state commission had previously granted confidential status to Navigator’s emergency response plan and to its internal safety document. That meant the public couldn’t see them… “On Tuesday, however, Rosa said he was okay with letting the public see the plan. One of Navigator’s lawyers then asked that the confidentiality protection be removed from it. Earlier Tuesday, one of the commission’s staff lawyers, Kristen Edwards, had pointed out that the staff had requested a copy of the emergency response plan on April 14, 2023… “Another document, Navigator’s emergency response guidance and framework, remained under confidential treatment. “It’s strictly internal,” Rosa said Monday. “This document will not be distributed to the public.” Rosa said Monday that an emergency response plan was provided to Illinois officials including first responders, and a first meeting was held there Monday. Brian Jorde, an Omaha lawyer representing dozens of South Dakota landowners who oppose the project crossing their properties, asked why South Dakota first responders hadn’t received the plan… “Commission chair Kristie Fiegen as well asked Tuesday about Illinois receiving the confidential plan before South Dakota… “Fiegen then asked why Navigator didn’t wait to apply for a permit in South Dakota until after they have the Illinois permit. Rosa apologized but said it wasn’t his intent to appear to be less caring about safety in South Dakota… “Jorde asked whether Navigator would provide CO2 monitors and self-contained breathing apparatus for anyone along the route who requests them. Rosa said monitors are under discussion but said landowners likely would never use a breathing apparatus. “I don’t think that’s the right fit,” Rosa said, adding, “We can look at that on a case-by-case basis.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Navigator wants carbon dioxide pipeline hearing in June 2024
JARED STRONG, 8/1/23
“The second company to propose an expansive pipeline system in Iowa to transport carbon dioxide seeks a final permit hearing next summer and a decision by state regulators in early October 2024,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...Navigator wants to discuss the potential schedule with the board and others in a conference after the board’s regular meeting on Aug. 15. The company proposes to set its final evidentiary hearing to begin June 27 to “avoid any conflicts with other known hearings the board may have in 2024, and importantly avoid both the planting and harvest seasons for Iowa’s farmers,” according to its motion… “Farm Bureau appreciates Navigator selecting June as the start date for the hearing because it is after planting season and should provide enough time to complete the hearing before harvest season starts in September,” the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation said in a recent filing. However, the group opposes finalizing the schedule until Navigator submits a preliminary list of properties for which the company is likely to seek eminent domain. That list — part of what is called “Exhibit H” of the pipeline permit applications — is required by state rules before the evidentiary hearing is scheduled. “Navigator has failed to file any of its required Exhibit H filings despite previous representations that it would begin to make the filings in May 2023,” Iowa Farm Bureau wrote this week… “Without knowledge as to the number of parcels which would be subject to a request for eminent domain, there is no way to know what time period is necessary to allow for the parcel reviews to be completed prior to the (evidentiary) hearing date,” said Richard Kimberley, whose Polk County farmland is in Navigator’s path and who objected to setting a procedural schedule… “The use of eminent domain to complete the projects has been a unifying concern for people who are typically ideological opposites on other issues.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Pipeline company sues Story County to block latest attempt at local regulation
CLARK KAUFFMAN, 8/1/23
“For the second time in less than a year, the company that’s planning to install an interstate pipeline across Iowa to transport liquid carbon dioxide waste is asking a federal judge to block Story County’s efforts to regulate the project,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...In mid-May, the Story County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance establishing setback requirements that directly conflict with the proposed route of the pipeline and would limit the route the Iowa Utilities Board could ultimately approve. It was the second of two ordinances passed by the board, with the first having been repealed after a legal challenge by Navigator. Navigator is now suing the county in U.S. District Court, claiming the ordinance not only usurps federal and state regulatory powers over carbon dioxide pipeline construction but also superimposes Story County’s preferences for the project over other Iowa counties, the utilities board and Iowa citizens. The company is seeking a court order declaring the ordinance invalid, as well as a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing the county from enforcing the ordinance or attempting to implement “any resolution, ordinance, moratorium, ban, or other regulation that purports or intends to regulate any aspect” of the pipeline project. In court filings, Navigator argues that in Iowa, interstate and intercounty hazardous liquid pipelines are regulated by state regulations and by federal laws, such as the Pipeline Safety Act. In addition, the company says the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration prohibits state or local authorities from adopting safety standards applicable to such pipelines, the company argues… “The company is asking the court to follow its own precedent in a similar case that involves Shelby County where a judge ruled that county’s attempts to restrict pipeline construction and placement were preempted by federal law. “Given the near identical concerns implicated by Story County’s ordinance, the same result should follow here,” Navigator argues.
Mitchell Republic: Lincoln County pipeline restrictions fail after no-show, recusal
Hunter Dunteman, 8/1/23
“An ordinance establishing restrictions on new carbon pipelines in Lincoln County failed to pass Tuesday, Aug. 1, dealing a blow to outspoken landowners in the state’s third-largest county,” the Mitchell Republic reports. “The Lincoln County Commission on Tuesday voted 2-1 in favor of approving an amendment to county ordinance that sought to restrict the way incoming carbon pipelines could traverse the county. However, Commissioner Joel Arends did not attend the meeting and Commissioner Michael Poppens recused himself meaning there weren't enough “yes” votes to reach the required majority of three, causing the ordinance to fail. The absence of Arends was met with surprise from Chairwoman Tiffani Landeen and commissioners James Jibben and Jim Schmidt, who each seemed unaware that Arends had not phoned into the meeting until the body was preparing to vote. Poppens told Sioux Falls Live he recused himself from the vote as the pipeline is within proximity of his family’s land… “The failure of the ordinance was met with hushed smiles and fist bumps among industry partners, including representatives from Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures… “Landowners in Lincoln County, however, have given the company a harder time, with less than half signing on. “Lincoln County is one of our bottom three counties, we’re at about 44%,” Eldridge said… “There’s some federal decisions made by federal courts, one in Shelby County, Iowa,” Landeen said, without referencing the case she referred to. “Because of the current legal precedent that I feel is set, I will not be voting to support this ordinance.” “...The ordinance’s failure leaves Lincoln County without additional regulation regarding the carbon pipeline’s path. Additional ordinances are expected to be considered at a later date.”
Cities929.com: GASSING ILLINOIS: CO2 Pipelines to rip through Central Illinois in the name of climate change
Catrina Petersen, 8/1/23
“Fears of choking on an odorless, invisible gas begin to weigh heavy on Central Illinois residents as talks continue for two massive “Carbon-capture” pipelines,” Cities929.com reports. “...“They are wanting to pump CO2 underground and store it at about 7,000 feet,” Susan Adams, a landowner who lives in Atlana, Illinois and just a mile away from another potential CO2 pipeline that Wolf Carbon Solutions is trying to develop, told Cities… “The pipeline is to take CO2 that’s been captured from other locations [like ethanol plants] and send it through the pipelines and inject it into the ground for permanent storage. There will be injection wells and we already know where some of those will be and some of the drilling will go down into the aquifers we have, specifically…the Mahoment aquifer,” said Adams… “Unlike Bloomington, Normal draws its water from 15 wells attached to underground aquifers, including the huge Mahomet Aquifer… “Tyler Young is 250 yards away from a Gibson City CO2 pipeline and is pro-pipeline because he told Cities he believes this will save the Ethanol industry and it’s great for corn farmers because the ethanol plants are basically customers of corn farmers… “Landowners, especially in Sangamon County, are not signing easements. Navigator would have to use eminent domain, allowed if the company wins ICC approval, to involuntarily acquire land for an “overwhelming majority” of the project. Adams and Fosdick are raising awareness and urging farmers to not sign easements.The Sangamon County Board had a meeting that both Susan Adams and Julie Fosdick attended where hundreds showed up in disapproval. Adams and Fosdick told Cities they believe at their next meeting the Sangamon County Board will take a position against the pipelines.”
Mille Lacs Messenger: Enbridge Line 3 aquifer breach investigation
Kat Robb, 8/2/23
“The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is investigating a Line 3 aquifer breach near Moose Lake,” the Mille Lacs Messenger reports. “The DNR reported “This is a remote and hydraulically complex site near Swatara in Aitkin County.” “...On July 27, 2023, the DNR confirmed a confined aquifer breach at the site and is requiring Enbridge to submit a corrective action plan. The DNR will evaluate corrective action options and continue to assess all available information regarding construction-related impacts and restoration work along the Line 3 corridor. This is the fourth confirmed breach of the replacement pipeline. A recent development report from the DNR said, “Through our ongoing investigation, including review of a series of groundwater reports that the DNR ordered, we have recently confirmed that there is a confined aquifer breach at the site.”
Bloomberg: FERC Seeks Dismissal of Challenge to Mountain Valley Pipeline
Shayna Greene, 8/1/23
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission urged the D.C. Circuit to dismiss a case led by the Sierra Club challenging several commission orders regarding the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” Bloomberg reports. “The Sierra Club and other environmental groups petitioned the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for review in December 2020 of FERC orders that granted a time extension for the 300-mile natural gas project, allowed certain construction to proceed, denied rehearing, and addressed arguments raised on rehearing. FERC said Monday that the consolidated petitions should be dismissed because Congress had approved the commission’s orders through the Fiscal Responsibility Act…”
Energy and Policy Institute: Emails Reveal Eversource’s Work Behind the Scenes to Push Gas Pipeline
Itai Vardi, 8/1/23
“In an exposé based on documents obtained by the Energy and Policy Institute through a public records request, the Boston Globe revealed how gas utility Eversource worked behind the scenes with Douglas, Massachusetts, and a major warehouse developer, to expand a pipeline into the town,” the Energy and Policy Institute reports. “Eversource and Douglas officials collaborated to keep the matter out of the public eye and delayed the application for franchise approval to the state’s Department of Public Utilities “since we do not want to alert antigas activists,” according to an email Eversource’s David Allain, director of gas sales and expansion, sent to town officials. The Globe also revealed that despite the warehouse developer’s claim that full electrification of the facility was unfeasible – a claim relayed by Eversource to the DPU in its application – the developer told Douglas officials in an email, “[W]e didn’t do that analysis.” “...The records show that Eversource was not a mere supplier of a requested utility service but active in creating the “demand” for the gas, helped craft letters submitted in support of its DPU application, assisted in passing a Douglas’ Board of Selectmen resolution in favor of the project, and coached town officials on their meetings and communications with state officials.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: White House to agencies: Tally projects’ financial damage to ecosystems
Jean Chemnick, 8/1/23
“Federal agencies would be required to do a full accounting of how their decisions affect ecosystems the public depends on under a draft guidance that the White House will release Tuesday,” E&E News reports. “The Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy guidance targets the benefits people derive from forests, wetlands and waterways. While ecosystems have sometimes appeared in the cost-benefit assessments that agencies must write to support their rules, policies and projects, there has never been a governmentwide directive or guidance for doing that accounting. As a result, ecosystem values are treated as secondary to more easily quantified benefits, Richard Revesz, administrator of OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar wrote in a joint blog post Tuesday. “Failing to fully account for nature’s bounty has led to undervaluing and erosion of our nation’s natural assets,” they wrote… “The draft focuses on the nature’s values for human health and the economy. Trees are a salable crop, but also offer shade, climate benefits and wildlife habitat. Wetlands protect against property damage from flooding. New York City owes its high-quality drinking water to the Catskill and Delaware watersheds. Non-economic benefits are also considered, such as environmental impacts on physical and mental health and recreation. If an ecosystem underpins a Native American tribe’s religious practice, for example, that’s also an ecosystem service… “We must measure what we value, not just value what is simple to measure,” Revesz and Prabhakar wrote.
DemocracyNow: Youth Activist Confronts White House Press Secretary over Biden’s Fossil Fuel Projects
7/31/23
“On Thursday, a youth activist confronted White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre over President Biden’s approval of new coal, oil and gas projects,” DemocracyNow reports. “This is Elise Joshi, executive director of Gen-Z for Change. Elise Joshi: “Will the administration stop approving new oil and gas projects and align with youth, science and frontline communities, from the North Slope of Alaska to Louisiana?” Karine Jean-Pierre then proceeded in a defense of the Biden administration before being interrupted again by Joshi. Elise Joshi: “You have approved multiple projects since then and more at a faster rate than the Trump administration. We need you to act on your campaign promises. Please.” Unidentified: “Declare a climate emergency!”
Washington Post: Sen. Merkley criticizes Biden’s climate record
Maxine Joselow, 8/2/23
“Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) yesterday issued some of his sharpest criticism to date of President Biden’s climate record, saying the administration’s approvals of several fossil fuel projects have undermined its significant environmental achievements,” the Washington Post reports. “I really think that, quite frankly, President Biden and his team do not understand the level of challenge we’re facing,” Merkley said during a Washington Post Live event with our colleague Leigh Ann Caldwell. “So while they’ve done many things that I like a great deal, what they haven’t done is be the bold, insightful, determined leader on climate that the United States needs and the world needs,” he added. Merkley also reiterated his calls for the administration to declare a climate emergency amid worsening heat waves, stronger storms and prolonged wildfires. He said that such a declaration would give the president the power to accelerate permitting for renewable energy projects and transmission lines, ban crude oil exports, and invest in research and development of green technologies.”
E&E News: White House advances new NEPA rules. Will they stick?
NIINA H. FARAH, LESLEY CLARK, 7/31/23
“The Biden administration's latest effort to speed up environmental reviews for clean energy projects appears designed to weather the legal challenges it will likely attract, analysts say,” E&E News reports. “The White House Council on Environmental Quality proposed long-awaited regulations Friday that would streamline permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act. Federal agencies would need to meet set deadlines for environmental reviews — as required by this year's debt ceiling deal — but also consider how energy projects impact climate change and communities historically overburdened by pollution. NEPA experts are still poring over the 236-page draft document. But several said the changes are an encouraging step toward broader permitting reform, balancing efficiency and environmental risk — while staying consistent with the underlying law and court precedent. "I don't see a lot of legal risk" to CEQ, Max Sarinsky, a senior attorney at New York University's Institute for Policy Integrity, told E&E. He described the draft as "meaningful" but "also fairly modest and incremental."
E&E News: Green group inks union contract after internal conflict
Robin Bravender, 8/1/23
“The Center for Biological Diversity and its employee union announced the ratification of their first collective bargaining agreement Tuesday, more than two years after staff unionized,” E&E News reports. “The conservation group’s organization and union representatives celebrated the contract, which followed at-times contentious internal negotiations that included sparring among staff over which union would represent the group’s employees… “The Center for Biological Diversity — which has about 180 staffers — is among the many national environmental groups that have unionized in recent years.”
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: Environmental groups say they’ll sue to block Virginia from leaving greenhouse gas compact
7/31/23
“A coalition of environmental groups announced plans Monday to file a lawsuit to try to block Virginia from withdrawing from a multistate compact designed to reduce greenhouse gases,” the Associated Press reports. “The Southern Environmental Law Center filed notice with state regulators indicating the coalition’s intention to sue in Fairfax County Circuit Court to keep Virginia in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin made withdrawal from the compact a priority, citing its impact on the cost of electricity… “The initiative is an effort by mid-Atlantic and Northeast states to reduce power plants’ carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade system… “Participating states require certain power plants to purchase allowances to emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The environmental groups say that the Air Pollution Control Board doesn’t have the authority to withdraw from the initiative because the General Assembly voted in 2020 to join.”
EXTRACTION
Washington Post: United Arab Emirates pledges to allow protests at COP28
Maxine Joselow, 8/2/23
“The United Arab Emirates said yesterday that it will allow climate activists to protest during the upcoming United Nations climate talks known as COP28, which will be hosted there in November, Al Jazeera reports,” according to the Washington Post. “In line with UNFCCC guidelines and adherence to international human rights norms and principles, there will be space available for climate activists to assemble peacefully and make their voices heard,” the UAE and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change said in a joint statement. Official permission is required for demonstrations to take place in Dubai, and authorities typically block protests they consider disruptive. The decision comes after Egypt, the host of last year’s COP27 climate talks, only allowed protests and demonstrations during certain hours, and in a roped-off area with heavy security.”
New Statesman: Will carbon capture help us reach net zero?
Nick Ferris, 8/1/23
“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) offers a seemingly miraculous solution to the climate crisis,” the New Statesman reports. “...But is CCS too good to be true? A lot of green campaign and research groups think so. Critics say that £20bn is a huge amount of money to be promised to a technology that remains untested at a commercial scale in the UK. It is also technically complicated for the technology to capture emissions at a sufficient rate for the process to qualify as “low carbon”; the government's target to increase the volume of UK carbon captured from zero to 20-30 megatons of CO2 a year by 2030 is hugely ambitious. The current rate of carbon captured globally from the world’s 35 commercial CCS facilities is only marginally higher than the UK target, at 45 Mt of CO2 a year. At present 73 per cent of the world’s commercial carbon capture and utilisation capacity is installed at oil and gas fields in order to pump carbon into wells and flush out as much fossil fuel as possible, according to the Global CCS Institute. This, critics point out, is a process that ultimately increases emissions released into the atmosphere, as it allows for more fossil fuel to be extracted and burnt… “Much of the lobbying for CCS has been led by the fossil fuel industry. “CCS is a Trojan horse pushed by the fossil industry to continue business as usual," Mike Childs, policy director at Friends of the Earth, told Spotlight. There should, he suggests, be significant scepticism when CCS funding is announced alongside a renewed commitment to “maximise the vital production of UK oil and gas”, as the government said in March, or to “decarbonise oil and gas”.
Bloomberg: Occidental, Adnoc Agree to Review Carbon Capture Investments
David Wethe, and Anthony Di Paola, 8/1/23
“Occidental Petroleum Corp. has agreed to partner with the top oil producer in the United Arab Emirates to explore investment in the US and overseas for giant plants that suck carbon dioxide out of the sky,” Bloomberg reports. “The memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. includes an agreement to consider the possibility for a direct air-capture plant in the UAE that could absorb as much as 1 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, Occidental said Tuesday in a statement.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
National Observer: ‘What on Earth is a director of Imperial Oil doing on the board of directors of my pension fund?’
John Woodside, 8/2/23
“In the wake of one of Alberta’s largest environmental scandals, a high-ranking Imperial Oil representative who also sits on the board of Canada’s public sector pension plan is in the hot seat as calls mount to have her removed from the board,” the National Observer: reports. “The Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSPIB) manages over $240 billion worth of assets on behalf of 900,000 active and retired federal servants. On Tuesday, a group of pension plan members wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the newly minted cabinet calling for Imperial Oil director Miranda Hubbs to be removed from the PSPIB board of directors following her role in Imperial’s failure to communicate a massive tailings leak to affected communities and governments.Hubbs serves as the chair of Imperial’s community collaboration and engagement committee, placing her in a vital oversight role at precisely the same time the company failed to notify downstream communities, the federal government and the Northwest Territories after 5.3 million litres of tailings leaked from its Kearl oilsands site… “Hubbs cannot remain a Director of PSPIB while she serves as the Director of a company that works to undermine Canada’s climate commitments and casually pollutes our country’s lands and waters while violating Indigenous rights,” it adds, pointing to the PSPIB’s code of conduct, which requires directors to uphold “the highest standards of corporate governance and ethical conduct.” Imperial Oil told Canada’s National Observer it takes “strong exception to the allegation that Ms. Hubbs has acted unethically.”
Environmental Health News: Should hospitals be next to divest from fossil fuels?
Kristina Marusic, 7/31/23
“Last year, a group of climate-concerned doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center approached their bosses with a list of sustainability requests. The leadership team agreed to most requests, with one exception: Divesting from fossil fuels,” Environmental Health News reports. “To date, more than 1,500 institutions representing more than $40 trillion in assets have pledged to stop investing in fossil fuel companies, including universities like Harvard, Princeton and Cornell, city and local governments including New York City, San Francisco and Washington D.C., and major religious and charitable groups like the Vatican, the World Council of Churches and the Ford and MacArthur foundations. One sector is largely missing: health care. The U.S. has more than 1,200 private hospital systems, which have an estimated $10 billion invested in fossil fuels. “The healthcare sector is heavily invested in fossil fuels through its retirement plans and pension funds,” Don Lieber, a surgical technician and nursing coordinator at a hospital in New York City, told Environmental Health News (EHN). “This stands in contrast to the health sector’s highly publicized acknowledgement of the climate crisis as a health crisis.” A few health systems in Europe have divested from fossil fuels, but only a few U.S. hospitals are considering the move. In 2022 Lieber, a longtime climate activist, partnered with the Climate Safe Pensions Network to launch First, Do No Harm, a campaign to pressure the health care sector to divest from fossil fuels. “The industry divested from tobacco companies in the ‘90s, so we know they can do this,” Lieber told EHN.
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Enbridge: Pontiac Fire Department: A rich history of safety and community
8/1/23
“The Pontiac Fire Department has a rich history and a busy team,” according to Enbridge. “...Enbridge’s Flanagan Terminal, a lynchpin of our North American liquids pipelines system, depends on the Pontiac Fire Department as its primary responder in case of a fire. During a recent training exercise at the terminal, Pontiac FD discovered a faulty hose used for onsite fire suppression, and the fire department’s annual budget did not cover the cost of replacing the hose. At Enbridge, safety is not just a core value—it’s the foundation of everything we do. Through our Safe Community First Responder Program, which provides funds for equipment, training and education to emergency response organizations near our operations, we made a $6,000 grant to Pontiac FD to purchase a new hose.”
OPINION
Toronto Star: Order against Enbridge’s Line 5 means it’s time for a permanent Great Lakes shutdown
Michelle Woodhouse is water program manager at Environmental Defence and Beth Wallace is Great Lakes freshwater campaigns manager with the National Wildlife Federation, 8/1/23
“A recent court ruling has brought us one step closer to seeing Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline permanently shut down,” Michelle Woodhouse and Beth Wallace write for the Toronto Star. “In a welcome development, a U.S. federal judge ordered Enbridge to shut down the section of the pipeline that runs through the territory of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewas by June 2026. The tribe has been fighting Enbridge in court since 2019 to have the pipeline removed from its territory and watershed and Enbridge has been found guilty of trespass since 2013. This is an important step toward a permanent and complete closure of the pipeline. The old, deteriorating pipeline is a looming threat to the Great Lakes basin, especially highly sensitive areas such as Bad River (a.k.a. Mishkiiziibii/Medicine River), an important tributary to Lake Superior and the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Enbridge has attempted to downplay the risk of a pipeline rupture, but there are recent examples of near-misses in the Straits of Mackinac, such as when Line 5 was struck by a 12,000-lb anchor in 2018. What’s more, recent spring flooding events have caused severe erosion along the Medicine River in Wisconsin bringing the pipeline dangerously close to open water and potential strikes from fast-moving debris… “Enbridge has had years to plan and implement a shutdown of its deteriorating pipeline. Instead, it has chosen to delay action and distract decision-makers with false and dangerous solutions, such as a reroute around the tribe’s territory and blasting a tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac. There are no valid excuses not to act in the best interest of the Great Lakes and the millions of people who rely on them. Canada and the United States must support a planned, permanent shutdown of Line 5. We can thrive without Line 5 but we cannot survive without the Great Lakes.”
Globe and Mail: The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is a disaster for everyone but Alberta
Gary Mason, 8/2/23
“It isn’t difficult to see why so many Albertans think poorly of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his federal Liberals. It’s a mindset drilled into them almost every day,” Gary Mason writes for the Globe and Mail. “Premier Danielle Smith can barely conceal her contempt for the PM… “The other day, Jason Nixon – Alberta’s cabinet minister responsible for seniors, community and social services – chatted with Calgary columnist Rick Bell about what a menace the Prime Minister is to the province. His words were about as incendiary and, frankly, delusional, as you’ll find coming from the mouth of a Canadian politician. He accused Mr. Trudeau of wanting to break up the country. He said Albertans were sick of the “abuse” and “disgusted” and “horrified” by the “continued attack on the very way of life we live.” “He’s trying to force his ideological views down the throats of Albertans … he’s trying to destroy how we make a living.” There were other comments equally as untethered from reality but you get the idea. Mr. Trudeau is trying to kill Alberta and its oil industry because he is a woke environmentalist singularly focused on climate change at the expense of everything else. Blah, blah, blah. There is one story people like Ms. Smith and Mr. Nixon don’t talk about: the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion… “Mr. Trudeau said the project was in the “national interest.” What that meant was, if it didn’t go ahead, Alberta would freak out and claim the country was out to get them – again. This, despite the legitimate concerns of environmentalists… “The project is now nearing completion – wildly overbudget. What was supposed to cost $7.4-billion when Ottawa took it over will now cost $30.9-billion. It will be shocking if the final number isn’t higher. It’s hard to envision Ottawa ever recouping its investment… “A number of economists who have looked at the current landscape can’t imagine a scenario in which the federal government isn’t forced to write off a big chunk of debt. This would make it a multi-billion-dollar subsidy of the oil industry – the same industry through which Jason Nixon insists Mr. Trudeau is trying to drive a stake… “The truth is, Alberta is about to hit the motherlode, again, this time because of a pipeline Mr. Trudeau had built and which Canadians will pay for – in more ways than one.”
Chicago Sun Times: Carbon capture technology is safe. Illinois should embrace CO2 pipeline projects.
James R. Watson, executive director, American Petroleum Institute Illinois, 8/1/23
“The Sun Times’ recent editorial “Pipe nightmare? Put safety in place before transporting carbon dioxide to Illinois” questioned the safety and need for two new pipeline projects being developed to transport and sequester CO2 in Illinois,” James R. Watson writes for the Chicago Sun Times. “The good news: answers to those questions already exist. The projects mentioned are not enabling the use of fossil fuels… “Thanks to these pipeline projects, low carbon ethanol produced by Illinois farmers will benefit the state’s economy even more given the premium a growing number of states are willing to pay for its use in their transportation sectors… “Our nation’s existing CO2 pipeline network is over 5,000 miles long, operating safely every day. Those pipelines are tightly regulated by the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)... “Make no mistake: CO2 pipelines are critical to achieving the Biden administration’s admirable climate reduction goals. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who oversees PHMSA, recently said carbon could eventually be “the lion’s share of what’s moving through pipelines in America.” Notably, the secretary has not endorsed the need for a temporary moratorium. CO2 pipelines are proven to work and offer an invaluable lifeline to lower industrial carbon emissions. We should prioritize our future and embrace them now.”
Guardian: Why carbon capture and storage will not solve the climate crisis any time soon
Sandra Laville, 8/1/23
“The promises of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology date back almost 20 years. Yet today, no leading CCS facility is up and fully running in the UK,” Sandra Laville writes for the Guardian. “Until Rishi Sunak’s announcement on Monday, there were two carbon capture projects in the UK, one in Merseyside and the other in Teesside and the Humber. Two further transport and storage projects, the Viking scheme in the Humber and the Acorn scheme in Aberdeenshire, have now been given government approval. The four CCS hubs are intended to collect CO2 from multiple sources and pipe it offshore to be stored in depleting North Sea gas fields. But, according to Stuart Haszeldine, professor of carbon capture and storage at the University of Edinburgh, announcing more CCS schemes at the same time as approving 100-plus new oil and gas drilling licences is like ordering a truckload of cigarettes for someone giving up smoking… “Jim Watson, professor of energy policy and director of the Institute for Sustainable Resources at University College London, told the Guardian he understood the scepticism of some environmentalists about CCS because it could be viewed as “get out of jail free” card for oil and gas companies to continue getting fossil fuels out of the ground… “Watson told the Guardian: “There are still big questions about whether it can deliver the kind of numbers of storage that we need by this time.”
Forbes: Lawsuits Against Big Oil Over Climate Change Are Nonsensical
Michael Lynch is a Distinguished Fellow at the Energy Policy Research Foundation and President of Strategic Energy and Economic Research, 8/2/23
“No one is likely to be surprised about Democratic calls for the DOJ to sue Big Oil for their role in creating and denying climate change,” Michael Lynch writes for Forbes. “It puts in mind the many commercials encouraging various parties who might be eligible for funds from class action lawsuits that seem to be salivating over the damage people suffered as they encourage them to cash in… “This seems rather like blaming a soft drink company for the obesity caused by all the food sold by the restaurants who carry their products. It is also questionable that the companies are to be held at fault for “both direct and end use of their products” meaning the emissions that occur when people use oil and gas. In other words, faulting the companies for the actions of their customers, not unheard of but not common either… “The Democratic Senators urging the Department of Justice to sue Big Oil are also obviously pandering to their constituents who are quite happy to blame the oil industry for the emissions that their SUVs create… “Finally, think of the many clean power projects which even now are being delayed by opposition which often boils down to no more than BANANA, Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything. While solar farms and long-distance power lines are sometimes opposed for perfectly rational reasons, many opponents are simply like Groucho Marx in “Horsefeathers”, “Whatever it is, I’m against it.” “...Shockingly (saracasm), politicians on both sides of the aisle are spending far more time looking for someone to blame and demonize, whether its Republicans arguing that climate change is a Chinese hoax or Democrats implying that without Big Oil, the world would have enacted expensive climate change policies years ago.”
Bend Bulletin: Oppose GTN Xpress pipeline
Stephanie Dakin, 8/1/23
“I am writing to urge Central Oregonians to take a stand against the proposed GTN Xpress pipeline expansion. This pipeline, which would transport fracked gas from British Columbia to Oregon, would pose a significant threat to our environment and public safety,” Stephanie Dakin writes for the Bend Bulletin. “If approved, GTN Xpress would be the equivalent of adding 754,000 cars to the road every year and would severely hinder Oregon’s ability to meet important climate goals. GTN Xpress is a dirty, dangerous deal for communities along the pipeline, like Bend, who face increased risks of explosion and air pollution. Additionally, the pipeline would contribute to the ongoing climate crisis by perpetuating our dependence on fossil fuels. Given these serious concerns, I believe it is imperative for Oregon, Washington and California residents to oppose the GTN Xpress pipeline… “Share with FERC your thoughts on this topic before it is too late. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.”
Washington Post: The Supreme Court is helping to keep the heat on
8/1/23
“What perfect timing!” John Fay writes for the Washington Post. “Just when the Earth is experiencing its hottest temperatures in thousands of years and when we are flirting with 100 degrees in much of the country [“Climate change causing deadly heat waves, study finds,” news, July 26], the Supreme Court justices approve yet another measure to keep that heat rising: the “Manchin pipeline” in Virginia and West Virginia [“Justices clear the way for pipeline,” Metro, July 28]. I have to wonder: Why do they do this to us?”
Al Jazeera: Biden’s fossil fuel hypocrisy is betraying the planet
Allie Rosenbluth is United States Program Co-Manager at Oil Change International, 7/30/23
“Ahead of its Climate Ambition Summit in September, the United Nations is calling on global leaders to phase out fossil fuels. US President Joe Biden is painfully falling behind on this agenda and must urgently get back on track to maintain any credibility in these climate discussions,” Allie Rosenbluth writes for Al Jazeera. “As we suffer through extreme heat in the US and across the globe, President Biden has been protecting fossil fuel profits instead of people. From the Willow Project in Alaska to Gulf LNG exports, Biden props up dangerous oil and gas projects and the corporations that value their bottom line over our future. It has to stop… “President Biden’s approach to the climate crisis is nothing short of hypocritical. While the president’s rhetoric aligns with global climate promises, his administration has approved massive fossil fuel projects. Of all countries in the world, the United States is the world’s top oil and gas producer and exporter, and is planning the largest expansion in oil and gas production over the next decade… “President Biden has even backed policies that gut bedrock environmental laws that protect communities from fossil fuel pollution… “But instead of keeping its commitment, the Biden administration continues to approve new public funding for fossil fuel expansion abroad. While Canada, the United Kingdom, and France have published policies keeping their promises to stop international funding for fossil fuels, the United States has refused to publish a policy… “At a time when we must rapidly and equitably phase out fossil fuels, it is alarming to see Biden consistently breaking their climate commitments and pushing for the global expansion of LNG and oil, as well as holding back progress at the UNSG Climate Ambition Summit and the OECD. Every new fossil fuel project is incompatible with a liveable future… “We call on President Biden to fulfil his duty to the American people, the international community, and communities whose lives and wellbeing are impacted by the dirty fossil fuel projects he has been backing. On Sunday, September 17 people will be marching through New York City with these demands at the UNSG Climate Ambition Summit. It’s time for Biden to listen to our voices and end the era of fossil fuels.”