EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 9/26/22
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: Landowners ask Supreme Court to curb pipeline eminent domain
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Judge set to consider pipeline land survey request
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Another pipeline company sues landowners for survey access
Summerland Advocate Messenger: Commissioner expresses safety concerns about proposed carbon pipeline
Tri-State Livestock News: Carbon pipeline causes concern
Public News Service: Colorado Groups Petition Leaders to Halt Suncor Line 1 Pipeline
RBN Energy: (LNG) Will Never Do Without You - Louisiana Gas Pipeline Projects Key To Unlocking More U.S. LNG Exports
TankTerminals.com: Mexico's Big Bet on the Future of Fossil Fuels Will Get Help from a Canadian Pipeline Company
WASHINGTON UPDATES
The Hill: Schumer looks for way out of the box on Manchin deal
E&E News: Interior weighs economics of oil vs. climate in 5-year plan
E&E News: Oil industry seeks SCOTUS lifeline amid mounting setbacks
E&E News: Manchin waits on permitting before taking up Glick
InsideEPA: FERC Begins First-Time NEPA Review Of CCS Plan For LNG Terminal
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Oil industry wants voters to reverse Calif. setback law
Denver Gazette: Oil and gas leases throughout Colorado could be impacted by court ruling
Associated Press: Alaskans pocket over $3,000 in annual oil-wealth payments
EXTRACTION
TheEnergyMix: Vanuatu Becomes First Country to Back Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
Canadian Press: Canada's environment minister does not jump to take up UN call for windfall taxes
The American Prospect: The Problem With Emission Reduction Models
CLIMATE FINANCE
Washington Post: White House rejects comments from World Bank president on climate change
Gizmodo: ‘Dilbert’ Dude Declares War on Sustainable Investing, Is Terminally Unfunny About It
OPINION
Common Dreams: Joe Manchin Is My Senator, But We Need Your Help to Defeat His Dirty Deal
Roanoke Times: Editorial: Will Manchin’s sour spoonful make the MVP go down?
Washington Post: Why does the Mountain Valley Pipeline matter?
Roanoke Times: Nester: For the public’s benefit, finish the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Bloomberg: Manchin’s Drilling Bill Offers Climate Win: Elements by Liam Denning
The Hill: For the Inflation Reduction Act to work, the US needs permitting reform
Washington Monthly: Why Liberals Should Embrace Permitting Reform
Des Moines Register: Opinion: We've done the research, and we oppose the proposed CO2 pipelines
Des Moines Register: Opinion: CO2 pipeline technology is safe and beneficial
The National News: Why carbon capture is crucial
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: Landowners ask Supreme Court to curb pipeline eminent domain
Niina H. Farah, 9/26/22
“Months after the Supreme Court ruled against EPA’s authority to craft broad power plant regulations, landowners are asking the justices to place similar limits on pipeline developers’ ability to acquire private property for their projects,” E&E News reports. “Cletus and Beverly Bohon, along with others living in the path of the Mountain Valley pipeline, filed a petition on Sept. 15 asking the justices to weigh in on a narrow question with broad repercussions for the landowners’ bid to block the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from delegating eminent domain power to companies that build natural gas infrastructure. Mia Yugo, a private attorney representing the landowners, told E&E that her clients would like to see the courts ultimately curtail FERC’s authority, as the justices have done in recent rulings against federal climate rules and vaccine mandates. “We cannot say, in the one instance, that the EPA has too much power and Congress needs to be more specific before the EPA can wield that power,” she told E&E, “but then, in the same breath, look at FERC and say, ‘Well, we really need pipelines, so we’ll just let FERC run wild with little to no guidance from Congress, as it has done for decades.'” “...Rather than challenge the FERC certificate authorizing construction of Mountain Valley, as other pipeline opponents have done, the Bohons sought to tackle the very source of the commission’s authority to allow companies to condemn land in the path of an approved project. They have argued that a Natural Gas Act provision allowing FERC to delegate its eminent domain authority to certified project developers is unconstitutional. But the claim has so far failed to gain traction, as lower benches have ruled that the landowners should have filed their lawsuit not in federal district court, but in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has jurisdiction in FERC certificate challenges. The Supreme Court petition, Bohon v. FERC, asks the justices to resolve the jurisdictional question and allow the landowners’ challenge to proceed. It takes the vote of four justices to grant a petition. The Supreme Court only accepts about 1 percent of petitions that come its way.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Judge set to consider pipeline land survey request
JARED STRONG, 9/22/22
“A state district court judge is expected to decide next week whether to grant a pipeline company immediate access to a Woodbury County property for survey work, according to court records,” Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...Navigator seeks immediate access to the properties in Butler, Clay and Woodbury counties. The company said delays of the surveys have the potential to significantly postpone the project. “Navigator expects that if it is not able to complete its surveying by mid- to late October, it may miss its opportunity to do so until the spring of 2023,” the company said in response to a request to delay the court proceedings. The surveys can involve soil boring that could be hindered if the ground is frozen. Most parts of Iowa have their first freezes starting in mid-October, according to the National Weather Service… But, “inherent in any landowner’s property rights is the right to exclude others from their land,” wrote Brian Jorde, an attorney who is representing at least three of the four sets of landowners. The Hulses want a judge to bar Navigator’s agents from surveying their land without permission and to declare the law unconstitutional. They had sought to delay a decision on Navigator’s injunction request until at least the end of the year… “A court hearing for one of the other landowners, Martin Koenig in Clay County, is set for Oct. 12. No court hearings were scheduled as of Thursday for the other two sets of landowners.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Another pipeline company sues landowners for survey access
JARED STRONG, 9/23/22
“Summit Carbon Solutions filed lawsuits this week against three sets of northern Iowa landowners who have allegedly prevented its agents from surveying their properties, according to court records,” Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...Summit sent written notices via certified mail to each of the sets of landowners in Dickinson, Hardin and Kossuth counties twice — in March and July — according to the company’s requests for injunctions. It alleges the landowners have refused to provide access to the properties but gave no further details of the encounters. Court records show the company seeks court orders to prohibit the landowners from interfering with the surveys with the potential help of law enforcement officers to ensure compliance with the orders. Another company, Navigator CO2 Ventures, has taken similar action recently against four sets of landowners, some of which are arguing that the state law that allows the surveys is unconstitutional. A court hearing to consider one of Summit’s injunction requests is set for Oct. 24. That’s for Kent Kasischke’s property in Hardin County, court records show. Court hearings have not yet been set for the Daniel L. Wahl Family Trust in Dickinson County or the Dirk L. Hoover Farm Trust in Kossuth County.”
Summerland Advocate Messenger: Commissioner expresses safety concerns about proposed carbon pipeline
Erin Schwager, 9/22/22
“Antelope County Commissioners listened to updates about the proposed Midwest Carbon Express pipeline, Sept. 13, during the board's regular monthly meeting,” the Summerland Advocate Messenger reports. “Derrick Montgomery was scheduled to present on behalf of Summit Carbon Solutions; however, due to illness, Ben Fuller, a relationship manager with the Iowa-based company, gave an overview of the project… "I have a little bit of a problem with the whole situation," Commissioner Dean Smith said. "I don't know for sure what my farming neighbors in North Dakota think about having this pumped underneath their ground for eternity so – you know – down here you can make it sound like a great deal ... but I don't think things are going so well for your company in North Dakota, are they?" Fuller responded, "I believe the numbers are right there; we actually have the land eased already for the sequester site." Smith said he would like more information on the safety aspect of the proposed pipeline. Fuller explained the carbon is noncombustible and would eventually solidify. Smith asked if an odorant would be added. When Fuller admitted he did not know, Smith asked if that would be part of the issue, considering carbon is an asphyxiant. "I'm not an engineer, so I don't know," Fuller said. "I can write this down and see if–." Smith responded, "Well, if you are out here promoting it, and there's questions about safety because – how far will the safety shutdowns be?" After a short question-and-answer period took place, Smith told Fuller he would like to know the distance between valves across Antelope County.”
Tri-State Livestock News: Carbon pipeline causes concern
Connie Sieh Groop, 9/23/22
“Farmers and ranchers are independent thinkers. When it comes to people seeking easements on their land to build a carbon capture pipeline, some agree. But others have questions they would like to see answered before the project goes forward,” Tri-State Livestock News reports. “The project proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions has generated a great deal of angst as people consider access to their land, setbacks from the pipeline and the potential hazards of this 2,000-mile pipeline. Some counties have put a moratorium on pipeline permits and construction as they review the laws relating to pipelines. Prior to passing the Spink County Commission moratorium on hazardous waste pipelines being constructed in their county on June 9, Leroy Braun of Mellette presented his concerns about the safety of the pipelines to the commission… “Braun is also concerned about setbacks from the pipeline. “I farm with my brother and my two sons. We handle about 3,500 cattle a year in our feedlot. What happens if there is a rupture? We’re talking about $8 million worth of cattle. I live here, so do my two sons and my grandchildren, along with my brother. A rupture could wipe out three generations.” “...As one of Brown County’s commissioners, Dennis Feickert of rural Aberdeen said his reaction to the presentation on the carbon capture pipeline by Summit Carbon Solutions was skepticism. He said, “I’m suspicious by nature. I like to get the facts. It’s hard to get my head around this project.” The Brown County Commissioners passed this resolution introduced by Feickert on July 19, 2022. It, “imposes a temporary moratorium on the issuance of any and all permits, licenses or approvals for the construction, installation or use of any transmission pipeline requiring the approval of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, traversing those lands contained within the unincorporated areas of Brown County, South Dakota, including the construction of any transmission pipeline-related infrastructure.” After SCS presented information to the commission, the commissioners agreed they needed to review laws relating to the pipeline. Feickert said, “By passing this resolution putting a moratorium in place, it buys the county time to take a deeper look at our zoning ordinances in relation to the pipeline. We are looking at 28 miles of the pipeline going on the southwest side of the county with a line connecting to the ethanol plant in Aberdeen.” Other counties have passed similar resolutions.
Public News Service: Colorado Groups Petition Leaders to Halt Suncor Line 1 Pipeline
Eric Galatas, 9/26/22
“More than 40 environmental groups are urging federal regulators and Colorado's Congressional delegation to put a pause on a pipeline project under way in Weld County, called Line 1, which would nearly triple the current capacity to deliver crude oil to the Suncor refinery in Commerce City,” Public News Service reports. “Patricia Garcia-Nelson, Colorado fossil fuel just transition advocate for the group Green Latinos, told PNS if officials allow the extension of Line 1 to continue, they essentially will be rewarding bad behavior… “Last week, the groups sent formal petitions to federal regulators warning the project will increase greenhouse-gas emissions and the toxic burden on an already heavily polluted community living near the refinery. The pipeline will cross the South Platte River, which supplies water for Eastern Colorado and downstream states, and a 100-year floodplain. Suncor said it has no plans to increase capacity with the new pipeline, and argues it will reduce emissions from trucks carrying crude. Garcia-Nelson told PNS the project will undermine Colorado's efforts to meet climate targets and realize goals in the Colorado Environmental Justice Act passed by lawmakers last year… “Because Line 1 replaces an existing pipeline, the project is going forward without public input on its potential impacts on communities, air and water quality, and climate change. But Garcia-Nelson stressed it will not prevent her group and others from trying to stop it.”
RBN Energy: (LNG) Will Never Do Without You - Louisiana Gas Pipeline Projects Key To Unlocking More U.S. LNG Exports
Sheetal Nasta, 9/25/22
“The battle to restore energy reliability in Europe has breathed new life into North American LNG export projects — and into the Haynesville Shale in Louisiana, the closest supply basin to many of the planned and proposed liquefaction facilities,” RBN Energy reports. “...The big question on everyone’s mind, however, is whether there will be enough pipeline capacity to move that gas to where it’s needed on the coast. Pipeline capacity for southbound flows through the Bayou State is already showing signs of stress. Will recently completed and upcoming debottlenecking projects help stave off major supply and pricing disruptions?.. “The trouble, as we’ve laid out in previous blogs (most recently in our Down by the Water series), is that the pipeline network to move gas from the Haynesville south to the export supply hubs in southern Louisiana — what RBN calls the Central Corridor — has been running chock-full and, much like in Appalachia, north-to-south flows in the Bayou State are increasingly dependent on pipeline expansions… “So, the question is, will there be enough capacity for another 3.8 Bcf/d of production growth? Next, we look at the recent and upcoming pipeline projects vying to debottleneck this corridor (Figure 2), starting with LEAP.”
TankTerminals.com: Mexico's Big Bet on the Future of Fossil Fuels Will Get Help from a Canadian Pipeline Company
9/26/22
“Mexico is making a big bet on the future of fossil fuels with some help from a Canadian pipeline giant,” TankTerminals.com reports. “Bucking broad global sentiment urging a shift away from fossil fuels, Mexico is building a large oil refinery on its Gulf Coast, in the southeastern state of Tabasco. Once operational, the new refinery is expected to expand Mexico’s oil-processing capacity by 20 per cent, while reducing its dependence on imported gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Assisting Mexico with its energy ambitions is the $4.5-billion Southeast Gateway Pipeline project, announced last month by Calgary-based TC Energy Corp. The pipeline will carry up to 1.3 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to the southeast region of Mexico, and, crucially, offers up an additional power source for the new state-owned Olmeca Dos Bocas refinery. Tabasco Governor Carlos Manuel Merino Campos, who is visiting Canada this week, said the pipeline will deliver gas that could be used to power the refinery as well as other industrial firms in the growing region… “TC Energy will partner with Mexico’s state-owned electric utility, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), the utility’s first public-private partnership, to build the 715-kilometre offshore pipeline. The project is anticipated to be in-service by 2025, just three years after the joint final investment decision was announced — a pace that appears blistering compared with the hurdles and delays connected with another high-profile TC Energy project, the controversial Coastal GasLink pipeline. The Canadian pipeline company may find Mexico to be a particularly hospitable jurisdiction at the moment thanks to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s desire to build out infrastructure to end the country’s reliance on imported fuels and become energy self-sufficient.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
The Hill: Schumer looks for way out of the box on Manchin deal
ALEXANDER BOLTON, 9/23/22
“Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is looking for a way to avoid a government shutdown next week while also keeping his promise to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to pass permitting reform before October,” The Hill reports. “Most Senate Republicans say they will vote against the government funding measure if it includes Manchin’s permitting reform bill, and a group of Democrats are pressing Schumer to separate the continuing resolution and permitting reform. That means Schumer is likely to fall short of the 60 votes he needs to overcome an expected filibuster to a short-term government funding resolution that also includes Manchin’s permitting reform legislation, which would alter the federal approval process for energy projects… “Republicans told The Hill that means Schumer and Manchin will have to make significant changes to the permitting reform bill to pick up more GOP votes. But any concessions to Republicans will further anger environmental justice groups who are upset that Schumer promised to pass permitting reform in order to secure Manchin’s support for a sweeping climate, tax and prescription drug reform bill last month… “Some Democrats are already making the argument that if Schumer brings the continuing resolution with Manchin’s language to the floor for a vote and it fails, he will have fulfilled his promise to Manchin that won the West Virginian senator’s backing for the Inflation Reduction Act… “Schumer and Manchin will have to find more than 10 Republican votes because Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) have signaled they will vote against the continuing resolution if it includes Manchin’s permitting reform proposal… “Most Republican senators, however, tell The Hill Manchin’s permitting reform bill doesn’t go far enough and predict it won’t pick up enough GOP votes to reach the 60-vote threshold to get by a filibuster. “I can’t see how it’s going to pass,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), an adviser to the Senate GOP leadership team, told The Hill. Asked if Manchin’s bill would get more than 10 Republican votes if combined with the continuing resolution, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told The Hill: “Nowhere close.” “...That gives Schumer only a few days to figure out a way to pass a government-funding bill, with or without Manchin’s permitting proposal, before Friday. Government funding is due to expire at 11:59 pm on Sept. 30.”
E&E News: Interior weighs economics of oil vs. climate in 5-year plan
Heather Richards, 9/26/22
“A conflict pitting the economic benefits of oil against the climate damage it causes is churning along the Gulf Coast as the Biden administration considers how often it will open those waters to oil and gas developers over the next five years,” E&E News reports. “While Congress recently ordered several oil and gas auctions offshore through Inflation Reduction Act — ending an extended pause on the practice by the White House — President Joe Biden’s administration is currently inking a separate plan to determine the pace of leasing between 2023 and 2028. Ahead of an October deadline to weigh in before the final draft of that plan, individuals, climate organizations and industry groups have sent more than 6,000 letters to the Interior Department warning nothing short of broad economic hardship or climate collapse as a domino effect from the White House’s decisions… “The decision to expand fossil fuel production despite full knowledge of climate change, its causes, and its consequences, would be nothing less than a catastrophic failure of leadership,” wrote Donald Sutherland of Larchmont, N.Y. He added, “If the proposed leases are approved, future generations will forever be astonished how the leaders of one of the most advanced, prosperous, and powerful nations in human history, embraced enhanced climate change.” “...Andrew Dessler, director of the Texas Center for Climate Studies at Texas A&M University, told E&E it presents a “false choice” for the public, while ignoring the potential in switching to renewables. “I do like to push back on the ‘climate versus economy’ argument,” he told E&E. “The price of renewable energy is now low enough that saving the climate can actually *improve* the economy.”
E&E News: Oil industry seeks SCOTUS lifeline amid mounting setbacks
Lesley Clark, 9/26/22
“The Supreme Court is poised to decide whether to wade into another fight between fossil fuel producers and nearly two dozen U.S. cities, states and counties suing the industry for climate change damages,” E&E News reports. “At issue Wednesday — as the Supreme Court holds its first conference of a new term — is if the court will take up the industry’s request to move from state to federal court lawsuits that seek to hold fossil fuel producers financially liable for climate change. It’s a venue dispute with huge consequences, and it comes as a federal appeals court on Friday became the latest to signal skepticism about the industry’s efforts to transfer the cases to federal court, where producers believe they have a better chance to prevail. The Supreme Court in a narrow ruling last year sent the cases to the federal courts for review, and most federal panels since have ruled that the lawsuits should be heard by state courts… “The latest petition to the Supreme Court was filed in June by Suncor and Exxon asking the court to review a 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that delivered a victory to three Colorado governments. The industry argues that by taking up the Colorado case, the high court could prevent the climate liability cases from being allowed to “gallop ahead in state court for an indefinite time.”
E&E News: Manchin waits on permitting before taking up Glick
Nico Portuondo, 9/23/22
“Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin said Thursday he won't act on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Richard Glick's renomination until Congress is done with permitting legislation,” E&E News reports. “...Manchin has fumed about fossil fuel project delays and suggested Glick's climate-focused actions on the commission will make the problem worse. Glick's term expired in June but can remain on the panel until the Senate acts or adjourns later this year. Manchin has yet to schedule a hearing on Glick and hasn't said whether he will support the nominee. Asked for an update Thursday, Manchin told E&E, "We’ll take care of that as soon as we get all this behind us."
InsideEPA: FERC Begins First-Time NEPA Review Of CCS Plan For LNG Terminal
9/23/22
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is launching an environmental review of a developer’s plan to add carbon capture and storage (CCS) to a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Texas, a first-of-its-kind move that could create a climate mitigation framework for future gas infrastructure projects,” InsideEPA reports.”FERC in a Sept. 9 notice in the Federal Register says it is accepting comments through Oct. 3 about the scope of its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review for a CCS system that would be added to the proposed Rio Grande LNG Terminal in south Texas. ‘This marks the first time FERC has requested public comment on the potential environmental effects, environmental mitigation measures, and reasonable alternatives related to CCS technology as part of [a NEPA] review for an LNG terminal facility,’ says a Sept. 16 blog post from attorneys with the law firm Sidley Austin. The post adds that FERC’s forthcoming NEPA review comes as several proposed LNG terminal developers are weighing whether to incorporate CCS to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. ‘The actions taken by FERC concerning the terminal may provide guidance to these other LNG terminal developers while shining a light on FERC’s jurisdiction related to CCS projects,’ the attorneys write.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Oil industry wants voters to reverse Calif. setback law
ANNE C. MULKERN, 9/23/22
“Days after a California bill requiring a buffer between oil wells and sensitive properties became law, the petroleum industry launched an effort to roll back that measure,” E&E News reports. “Documents filed with the California secretary of state show a plan to gather signatures to put a measure on the 2024 ballot that would undo S.B. 1137, which Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law last week. The measure bans wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, parks and similar facilities. California “may be dominated by Democrats, but many of us are wholly owned subsidiaries of the fossil fuel industry,” Newsom said Tuesday at the Clinton Global Initiative at New York City Climate Week. “They play hard. We did a setback bill — a 3200-foot setback bill for health and safety — and they just filed a referendum yesterday. Big Oil, these guys aren't going away.” The proposed referendum is sponsored by Jerry Reedy, a board member with California Independent Petroleum Association, a trade group for oil drillers.”
Denver Gazette: Oil and gas leases throughout Colorado could be impacted by court ruling
SCOTT WEISER, 9/22/22
“A Colorado Supreme Court case could invalidate oil and gas leases statewide if the justices side with Boulder County in interpreting state property law, lawyers for a company seeking to drill wells in the county argued Tuesday,” the Denver Gazette reports. “At issue is the dispute between Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC and Boulder County over the company’s application to drill up to 140 wells on 2,270 acres in the eastern part of the county under mineral leases it owns. Specifically, the justices will decide whether pipeline maintenance that lasted for 122 days, shutting down production, means it actually “ceased” and, therefore, the oil and gas leases had been terminated.”
Associated Press: Alaskans pocket over $3,000 in annual oil-wealth payments
MARK THIESSEN, 9/20/22
“Nearly every single Alaskan got a financial windfall amounting to more than $3,000 Tuesday, the day the state began distributing payments from Alaska’s investment fund that has been seeded with money from the state’s oil riches,” the Associated Press reports. “The payments, officially called the Permanent Fund Dividend or the PFD locally, amounted to $2,622 — the highest amount ever. Alaska lawmakers added $662 as a one-time benefit to help residents with high energy costs. A total of $1.6 billion in direct deposits began hitting bank accounts Tuesday, and checks will arrive later for those who opted for them… “The oil-wealth check, which some in Alaska see as an entitlement, typically is derived from the earnings of the nest-egg investment account. The diversified fund was established during construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline in the 1970s and now is worth $73.6 billion… “Residents received the first check, $1,000, in 1982. Amounts have varied over the years, and traditionally were calculated on a five-year rolling average to buffer downturns in the economy. The smallest check ever was $331 in 1983. The largest before this year’s check was $2,072 in 2015. If someone has collected every check since 1982, it would amount to $47,049.”
EXTRACTION
TheEnergyMix: Vanuatu Becomes First Country to Back Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
9/25/22
“In an historic appeal that further affirms the South Pacific island country as a global climate leader, Vanuatu has thrown its support behind the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty,” TheEnergyMix reports. “...Vanuatu is the first nation-state to formally push for an international legal mechanism to end fossil fuels. In what the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (FFNPT) campaign described as an “historic call”, Vurobaravu urged his fellow national leaders to formally support the development of a treaty to “phase down coal, oil and gas production in line with 1.5ºC, and enable a global just transition for every worker, community, and nation with fossil fuel dependence.” More than 65 subnational governments—including the Hawai’i State Legislature—and cities around the world like Toronto, Vancouver, Barcelona, London, Kolkata, and Paris, have already endorsed the call for such a treaty, as have the Vatican and the World Health Organization. The FFNPT campaign called the island nation’s announcement “a pivotal step towards building formal diplomatic support for the proposal,” a global initiative modelled on past campaigns to manage the threat of landmines and nuclear weapons. Vanuatu’s call for international legal action to ban any further expansion of fossil fuels comes a few weeks after it announced a US$1.2-billion commitment to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030.”
Canadian Press: Canada's environment minister does not jump to take up UN call for windfall taxes
Mia Rabson, 9/22/22
“Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault isn’t warming to the idea of combating climate change by imposing a windfall tax on the massive profits being posted by some Canadian oil and gas producers,” the Canadian Press reports. “During the annual UN General Assembly in New York City this week, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said fossil fuel companies are making massive profits and should be taxed extra to pay for climate action and deliver help to people struggling with their energy and food bills… “When asked if Canada would follow Guterres’ request during a call with reporters Thursday, Guilbeault did not directly say yes or no. Rather, he said Canada is already ensuring fossil fuel companies pay their fair share toward climate action through carbon pricing and regulations. “I think the secretary-general was also talking about the fact that fossil fuel companies need to be paying for climate change pollution and that’s exactly what we’re doing in Canada with carbon pricing,” Guilbeault told CP. He told CP the government is also putting in place regulations beyond just carbon pricing that force oil and gas companies to cut their carbon footprints.”
The American Prospect: The Problem With Emission Reduction Models
HANNAH STORY BROWN, DOROTHY SLATER, 9/23/22
“President Biden and Vice President Harris celebrated the Inflation Reduction Act’s potential to confront the global climate crisis at an invite-only event on the South Lawn of the White House last week. But how much will this new law actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions?” The American Prospect reports. “...The problem, unfortunately, is that all three of these modelers rely on methane-related data and metrics used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which have been found over and over again to be inaccurate. All three models therefore may well underestimate not only the United States’ historical emissions, but also emissions over the next seven years… “Inaccuracies in climate modeling are unavoidable, as the global climate system is hyper-complex, and under a level of strain our species has never before witnessed. But it is worrisome when these projections are treated as all but guaranteed, particularly when the narrative they offer is conciliatory, and undercuts the perceived need for further action… “Going forward, the chronically understaffed, underfunded Environmental Protection Agency desperately needs to be held to a higher standard of oil and gas industry oversight, which is impossible without a generous increase in its resources. This could be solved expediently if congressional Democrats chose to make it a nonnegotiable sticking point in omnibus negotiations later this fall… “Big-picture, the media must ask hard questions about the reliability of the models they use to substantiate claims about the future condition of our planet. There are literally billions of lives at stake in the next decade’s climate policies; we need rigorous reporting now more than ever.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Washington Post: White House rejects comments from World Bank president on climate change
Eugene Scott
“The White House says the Biden administration continues to expect World Bank President David Malpass to aggressively combat climate change, following concerns about the leader’s commitment,” the Washington Post reports. “The U.S. believes the World Bank must be a full partner in delivering on the aggressive global climate agenda, poverty reduction and sustainability development,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday. “Treasury will hold Malpass accountable to this position and support the many staff working to fight climate change at the World Bank.”
Gizmodo: ‘Dilbert’ Dude Declares War on Sustainable Investing, Is Terminally Unfunny About It
Molly Taft, 9/23/22
“Watch out, climate-conscious businesses: The guy who draws Dilbert is out to get you,” Gizmodo reports. “Scott Adams, the creator of the long-running comic strip Dilbert, said in a YouTube video posted last week that he would be setting out to “take a shot at” or “destroy” the business practice of environmental social governance using his comic about a dude who works in a cubicle. Scary!.. “The concept has picked up speed over the past year as a new bogeyman for fearmongering from the right-wing, who have branded it as a form of “woke capitalism” and have attacked companies like BlackRock for engaging with the concept of investing responsibly. Several red states across the country now have laws on the books that restrict the state from engaging with banks or other financial entities that practice some form of ESG policies… “Now, it seems, Scott Adams has decided to weigh in. Recent comics have made blundering passes at the idea of increasing diversity at big businesses, like this one from Tuesday… “The usual right-wing bozos have been lapping up Adams’ new tack. “Congrats to @BlackRock and Larry Fink for appearing in today’s Dilbert,” Republican Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted last week with a link to a cartoon about the definition of ESG.”
OPINION
Common Dreams: Joe Manchin Is My Senator, But We Need Your Help to Defeat His Dirty Deal
Maury Johnson is a southern West Virginia landowner, whose organic farm has been impacted by the Mountain Valley Pipeline, 9/24/22
“In 2014 I was notified that a group of fossil fuel corporations wanted to build the 42-inch Mountain Valley Pipeline across my organic farm in rural, southern West Virginia,” Maury Johnson writes for Common Dreams. “ I had no idea the twist and turn my life would be thrust into. Over the last 8 years, I have witnessed both state and federal agencies try on numerous occasions to short circuit and pervert the very laws and policies that we all depend upon to protect our homes, farms, and communities from devastating environmental destruction. This is a story about social justice and community protection… “I urge readers to contact their members of Congress and ask them to reject Manchin’s dirty permitting side deal. Our elected congressional representatives cannot bless a backroom deal brokered by fossil fuel industry lobbyists that promise untold damage to American communities like mine by denying them a voice in the permitting process for polluting industries. NEPA is a critical tool for sacrificed communities from across the country to fight back against corporations and the government who have enormous resources and no incentive to protect public health and the long-term stability of the environment… “Tell Congress today to reject this dirty side deal which is nothing less than a shameless gift to the fossil fuel and other polluting industries. Instead, urge them to pass the Environmental Justice for All Act. This bill ensures that timely and meaningful public notification for new energy projects, allowing for thorough community review. It will establish procedures (protocols) that will help avoid delays on critically needed renewable energy and other truly necessary infrastructure projects. Call your legislators today and then call them again tomorrow until this deal is defeated.”
Roanoke Times: Editorial: Will Manchin’s sour spoonful make the MVP go down?
9/25/22
“We had not planned to revisit the epic battle over the fate of Mountain Valley Pipeline quite so soon. Two weeks ago (Sept. 12, “Property owners feel like political sacrifices”) we noted that the MVP natural gas pipeline project has a serious public relations problem, further inflamed by the dramatic intervention of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the most conservative Democrat in the U.S. Senate and arguably the most powerful senator given that body’s 50-50 partisan split,” the Roanoke Times Editorial Board writes. “...Blaming the project’s opponents for the years of delays since construction began somewhat sidesteps the fact that judges from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals keep finding merits in the opponents’ arguments. Manchin’s announced intention to move jurisdiction over MVP to a supposedly friendlier federal court broadcasts a message that, because hearts and minds have not been swayed, and because legal standards have not been met (at least as the 4th Circuit saw it), the senator has chosen to treat MVP like that bad-tasting medicine pill that a reluctant pet won’t swallow, and do what it takes to ram that pill down. Wednesday, Manchin released his proposed legislation, and because of that the unswayed can now officially add Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Richmond Democrat, and Southwest Virginia Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Salem Republican, to their membership roster… “In a video statement, Kaine succinctly broke down the solid Manchin’s bill attempts for MVP. “To be unhappy with a court and say, ‘You know what, here’s what I want. I want Congress to pass a special bill to require that I get permits for my project, to insulate those permits from the normal administrative review, to insulate many of the permits from any kind of judicial review, [and] also guarantee that if there’s ever any other lawsuits about this project, the 4th Circuit that is the circuit court where the project is being constructed has no ability to consider the case’ … that is unprecedented.” “...With results very much pending, MVP supporters might consider that Manchin’s methods are cause for dismay, not cheers.”
Washington Post: Why does the Mountain Valley Pipeline matter?
Christina Farver is a climate activist in Sterling, 9/23/22
“The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is in the news again, thanks to a deal cut by Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.),” Christina Farver writes for the Washington Post. “...Why does the MVP matter to me? Because the more than 200 scientists from around the world who wrote the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s February report concluded that we must stop extracting, transporting and burning fossil fuels to have a habitable world. Because I have a son with friends, and they have plans and they deserve a livable future. Because the MVP construction is destroying the habitat of two endangered fish — the candy darter and Roanoke logperch — menacing the Jefferson National Forest and threatening countless species that live in Appalachia. Because climate change is not a future problem; it is a now problem. Because sloppy MVP construction practices have resulted in more than 300 environmental infractions that were the basis of a community-organized Violation Vigil in Richmond last year… “Because Indigenous leaders share traditional wisdom and practices that teach that water is life… “Because I will not stand by quietly while Appalachia is used as a sacrifice zone to maintain the profit-driven status quo that is killing our ecosystem. Because all communities deserve an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just world. So, does the Mountain Valley Pipeline matter to you? You, too, live on this beautiful, precious, fragile planet.”
Roanoke Times: Nester: For the public’s benefit, finish the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Paul Nester is president and chief executive officer of Roanoke Gas Company, 9/25/22
“Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) opponents continue to do a disservice to the Roanoke Valley, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States by making false statements and spreading misinformation about this desperately needed infrastructure project,” Paul Nester, CEO of Roanoke Gas Company, writes for the Roanoke Times. “ It is an undeniable truth that the MVP needs to be completed. The extended delays, almost all caused by the opponents, are negatively affecting landowners along the route and are unnecessarily increasing costs for families and businesses… “Meaningful economic development requires natural gas and the infrastructure to move it. Constraints in existing natural gas supply, necessary for most commercial and industrial applications, continue to restrain economic growth opportunities in the Roanoke Valley, Franklin County, and Virginia… “The opponent’s delays have already cost the six affected Virginia counties along the MVP route an estimated $30 million in tax revenue, or roughly $10 million annually… “Customers will bear the entirety of this increase because MVP opponents continue to put their false agenda ahead of the best interests of families, businesses, and the environment.”
Bloomberg: Manchin’s Drilling Bill Offers Climate Win: Elements by Liam Denning
Liam Denning, 9/23/22
“Like climate change itself, getting stuff built in the US tends to follow a geological timescale. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin’s new permitting bill aimed at accelerating energy projects is, like the Inflation Reduction Act that teed it up, a compromise between green and fossil-fuel priorities. Environmentalists shouldn’t be quick to dismiss it, though,” Liam Denning writes for Bloomberg. “The big win for climate advocates would be enhanced powers for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve critical transmission projects, side-stepping state reviews that often stymie them. Transmission is the literal missing link for decarbonization… “Getting this, however, means streamlining permitting for fossil-fuel infrastructure projects, too, and reserving spots for them in a proposed list of 25 priority energy projects. It also means essentially end-running judicial objections to a long-delayed gas pipeline in Manchin’s home state. Fellow Democrats objecting should bear in mind three things. First, as the IRA showed, Manchin’s support is critical, and that means inevitable trade-offs, especially ahead of fast-approaching midterms. Second, as the IRA’s “inflation” rebranding showed, high prices for today’s energy risk derailing political support for tomorrow’s, so permitting reform also must address that problem. Third, and most importantly, the IRA’s biggest win is renewed momentum pushing private capital toward clean technologies… “All the permits in the world won’t help a new oil or gas project if financiers eventually decide there’s more money to be made elsewhere.”
The Hill: For the Inflation Reduction Act to work, the US needs permitting reform
Heather Zichal is CEO of the American Clean Power Association, an industry group including companies across the clean power sector, 9/23/22
“The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represents the largest investment in domestic clean energy in our country’s history and a major opportunity to make America a leader in the global energy transition,” Heather Zichal writes for The Hill. “...This unprecedented energy transition is simply not possible with our current permitting process... “To meet our anticipated climate goals, Congress must consider reasonable reforms for clean energy projects that preserve the substance of bedrock environmental laws while expediting the permitting process under them… “Without permitting reform, such as the recently released proposal to speed up the process for energy projects, the United States runs the risk of falling 100 gigawatts short of this expected clean energy impact… “It’s time to finish the job and follow through on the promise of this historic legislation. Simply put: Without building these clean energy projects, we can’t reach the climate goals and targets we need to achieve.”
Washington Monthly: Why Liberals Should Embrace Permitting Reform
Joel Dodge, 9/23/22
“After passing important climate legislation this summer, Congress is turning to permitting reform—the “side deal” that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck with Senator Joe Manchin. Congressional liberals have been balking, fearing the accord will hurt the environment more than it helps,” Joel Dodge writes for the Washington Monthly. “But instead of opposing reform, liberals should recognize that some fix is essential if only to prove that a Democratic House, Senate, and White House can tackle our most significant threats… “This deal irks progressives. Representative Jared Huffman called it a “sleazy backroom deal.” More than 70 House Democrats sent a letter to leadership demanding that “attempts to short-circuit or undermine [NEPA] in the name of ‘reform’ must be opposed,” as should provisions that “significantly and disproportionately impact low-income communities, indigenous communities, and communities of color.” Some environmental groups oppose permitting reform, seeing it as a fossil fuel Trojan horse… “Hindering the IRA from reaching its potential would be a self-inflicted wound for clean energy advocates and a familiar failure for progressives… “To do big liberal things—to make “FDR-size” strides against climate change—will require revisiting regulatory barriers… “If liberals can’t cut through permitting sclerosis, then voters will elect those who will (or, at least, who’ll purport to).”
Des Moines Register: Opinion: We've done the research, and we oppose the proposed CO2 pipelines
Matt Liebman is professor emeritus of agronomy at Iowa State University, Elizabeth Garst is a conservation farmland owner, Neil Hamilton is professor emeritus of agricultural law at Drake University and a Dallas County soil and water commissioner, 9/25/22
“We are a group of concerned Iowans, farmland owners, academics, non-profit leaders, and environmental advocates who have urged the Iowa Utilities Board to reject permit applications for carbon dioxide pipelines that would run across Iowa,” Matt Liebman, Elizabeth Garst and Neil Hamilton write for the Des Moines Register. “We recognize that climate change is driven by emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, and we support clean, safe, sustainable, and locally controlled and locally owned energy. But we can do better than the proposed pipelines. Science indicates that they are poor investments and unlikely to have a meaningful effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions… “Soil degradation, reduced crop yields. Iowa State University scientists recently published a study that examined crop yields in areas of fields affected by underground oil pipeline construction. They found that subsoil compaction reduced corn yields by 15% and soybean yields by 25% for at least several years after pipeline completion… “Minor reductions in greenhouse gas emissions… “Carbon dioxide emitted from tailpipes would greatly exceed what pipelines would transport… “Because vehicles using ethanol rather than regular gasoline typically get 4% to 5% fewer miles per gallon of fuel consumed, due to the lower energy content of ethanol, carbon dioxide emissions per mile traveled are as high or higher for ethanol blends as for pure gasoline. Corruption of the ideal of private sacrifice for public good… “Because the carbon dioxide transported by pipelines from ethanol plants for underground storage would hardly dent U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while incurring substantial damage to private land, we believe insufficient public benefit would accrue from allowing private pipeline projects to proceed using eminent domain. There are better opportunities for Iowa to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than through the construction of carbon dioxide pipelines.”
Des Moines Register: Opinion: CO2 pipeline technology is safe and beneficial
Richie Schmidt is president of Laborers International Union Local 177 in Des Moines, 9/25/22
“As the President of the Laborers International Union Local 177, I’ve had the privilege of representing working men and women who have built pipeline systems all across Iowa and the country,” Richie Schmidt writes for the Des Moines Register. “Having worked in this capacity for years and seen this work up close, I feel obligated to respond to the Register’s Sept. 11 story on the safety of carbon capture pipeline systems, which from my perspective was misleading… “There are thousands of miles of CO2 pipelines that have operated for more than 20 years without a single fatality… “No one can plausibly argue that this technology — carbon capture, transporting CO2, or CO2 storage — is somehow new or hasn’t been in use for years. That is simply untrue… “These projects will allow ethanol producers, who are so critical to our economy, to sell their product in the growing number of states and countries that pay more for low carbon fuels. That’s critical because the ethanol industry purchases nearly 60% of all the corn grown in Iowa and helps ensure strong commodity prices and land values year in and year out.”
The National News: Why carbon capture is crucial
Robin M. Mills is CEO of Qamar Energy, and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis, 9/25/22
“Cinderella is forced to sit by the fire and mind the coals. Carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) has not even got that far, let alone attending the ball. But now this unloved but vital technology is in demand at not one, but three parties,” Robin Mills writes for The National News. “...Carbon capture is often dismissed as unnecessary, unproven or risky by environmentalists. But it is crucial for three reasons. First, unlike renewable energy — green groups’ favourite climate solution — CCUS cuts industrial emissions such as those from cement-making or steel manufacture. Second, instead of throwing away the current energy system, it adapts it. It has become increasingly apparent that the wholesale replacement of a bicentennial fossil-fuelled economy with solar, wind and batteries is not possible at the required pace — whether logistically, economically, socially or politically. Third, monoenergetic plans have proved themselves expensive and unreliable. That is, an energy system founded either on a fossil fuel, nuclear power, or renewable energy, is vulnerable to commodity supply shocks, technical breakdowns or weather. War, drought, ice storms and reactor repairs have proved that amply across California, Texas, Europe and China during the past two years. Even if CCUS might appear more costly on a simplistic head-to-head comparison with solar or wind, it adds predictability, diversity and flexibility, making the whole energy complex cheaper and more resilient… “Environmental groups should move from scepticism and obstructionism to sensible support.”