[✔️] October 1, 2021 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Fri Oct 1 07:20:22 EDT 2021

/*October 1, 2021*/

/[subtleties of information ]/
*In Your Facebook Feed: Oil Industry Pushback Against Biden Climate Plans*
The messages take aim at Democrats by name as part of a broad effort to 
undermine landmark climate legislation that now hangs in the balance in 
Congress.
- -
API ads laud Sen. Manchin, meanwhile, for his opposition to the plan. 
Sen. Manchin has received more campaign donations from the oil, coal and 
gas industries than any other senator. “Help us thank Senator Joe 
Manchin,” reads one recent ad, “for being a champion of American made 
energy.”

Megan Bloomgren, an API spokeswoman, said the industry group was working 
with policymakers on both sides of the aisle on climate policy, and that 
it continued to support carbon pricing. “Policies embedded in the $3.5 
trillion reconciliation package that limit American energy access and 
impose punitive taxes are the wrong way to address our shared goal for 
emissions reductions and would only lead to more imports and higher 
costs for Americans,” she said.

Exxon Mobil, the largest oil and gas producer in the United States, has 
spent about $1.6 million on political and issue ads over that same time 
period, the data show. That is the company’s highest daily spend on 
Facebook ads since the presidential election.

While many of the ads speak generally about the oil industry, others 
urge voters to call their representatives: “Tell Congress that American 
businesses can’t afford a tax increase,” one recent Exxon ad reads.

Casey Norton, an Exxon spokesman, said the company’s efforts were “fully 
transparent and reported to the appropriate agencies.” He said the 
company’s efforts were “related to a tax burden that could disadvantage 
U.S. businesses, and we have made that position known publicly.” Exxon 
continues to support climate action, including regulating methane, a 
particularly potent greenhouse gas, as well as a price on carbon, and 
backs the climate goals of the Paris agreement, he said.

Jake Carbone, a senior analyst at InfluenceMap, said the ads had 
enormous reach and potential impact...
- -
The industry lobby group in recent months said that it supports strong 
action on climate, including putting a price on carbon pollution. Both 
API and Exxon are the target of an investigation by the House Committee 
on Oversight and Reform on their past efforts to block climate policy. 
API has said it “welcomes the opportunity to testify.”

Much of the industry’s effort has focused on protecting special tax 
breaks that benefit producers. But experts say the subsidies are 
unnecessary for a profitable and mature industry like oil.

Furthermore, the burning of fossil fuels has driven climate change, a 
link highlighted in a landmark scientific report released by the United 
Nations this year. In a separate report, the International Energy Agency 
said that nations around the world need to immediately stop approving 
new oil and gas fields if they want to avert the most catastrophic 
effects of climate change.

“Subsidies can make the difference between a field going ahead or not,” 
said Pete Erickson, Climate Policy Program director at the Stockholm 
Environment Institute...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/30/climate/api-exxon-biden-climate-bill.html

- -

/[Notice the opinion manipulation]/
*Big Tech and Climate Policy*
An InfluenceMap Report
January and September, 2021
*Are the Technology Giants Deploying Political Capital on Climate Change?*
Please use this link when referring to this content.

The following is an update of InfluenceMap's January, 2021 report on Big 
Tech and Climate Policy.

InfluenceMap’s January 2021 Big Tech and Climate Policy report analyzed 
the five Big Tech companies – Apple, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, 
Amazon, and Facebook – for their engagement with climate policy. It 
found that while Big Tech holds positive positions on climate policy, 
its support is not backed up by strategic advocacy. In addition, the 
companies’ direct influence is overshadowed by the highly strategic and 
anti-climate advocacy of their industry associations in the US and abroad.

The September 2021 update analyzes Big Tech’s climate policy influence 
since January 2021. Following the inauguration of a new, climate-focused 
administration in the US, alongside new warnings from the IPCC and IEA 
on the need for drastic climate action, one might expect to see an 
increase in US corporate climate policy engagement. This does not appear 
to be the case among Big Tech companies, whose collective climate 
advocacy has fallen since the start of the new year.

Three of the five Big Tech companies have lower Engagement Intensity 
scores than reported in InfluenceMap’s January 2021 report. 
InfluenceMap’s Engagement Intensity metric captures the full picture of 
a company’s engagement with climate policy, including top-line 
communications as well as detailed lobbying on specific legislation. 
Conversely, Big Oil’s overall Engagement Intensity has collectively 
increased since the start of the new year.

On federal legislation in particular, this report finds that an average 
of only 6% of Big Tech’s lobbying between Q3 2020 and Q2 2021 is related 
to climate, roughly the same as the figures reported in InfluenceMap’s 
January 2021 report, which analyzed data from Q1 2019 to Q2 2020.

Using the same “climate relevance” methodology, this report finds that 
over 50% (on average) of Big Oil’s reported legislative lobbying between 
Q3 2020 and Q2 2021 is on climate policy, a significant increase from 
38% between Q1 2019 to Q2 2020. All five Big Oil companies lobbied on 
bills such as the CLEAN Future Act, where all five Big Tech companies 
were absent.

Big Tech’s direct engagement with climate policy pales in comparison to 
the activity of its cross-sector industry associations, which continue 
to oppose ambitious climate policy in the US. Industry groups such as 
the US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and 
Business Roundtable appear to be playing a leading role opposing the US 
budget reconciliation plan, among other recent cases of climate policy 
advocacy.

Apple and Microsoft are performing better than their peers on climate 
policy advocacy. While Apple’s Engagement Intensity is lower than that 
achieved by other corporate leaders in climate policy engagement, the 
company is the only one among the five to have left the US Chamber of 
Commerce (the Chamber) over its climate positions in 2009. Microsoft 
appears marginally more engaged than Apple but retains close links to 
the Chamber and National Association of Manufacturers without clearly 
distancing itself from either group.

Quotes provided for InfluenceMap's January, 2021 report. See coverage of 
that report in ANSA, edie, GreenIT, La Repubblica, Grist, BusinessGreen, 
computing.co.uk, Greenbiz.com.
https://influencemap.org/report/Big-Tech-and-Climate-Policy-afb476c56f217ea0ab351d79096df04a

/[didn't we already know?]/
*Joe Manchin, America’s climate decider-in-chief, is a coal baron*
Mark Hertsgaard
The pivotal Democratic senator owns millions of dollars in coal stocks. 
Shouldn’t he recuse himself from US climate talks?
- -
It turns out that the Senator wielding this awesome power – America’s 
climate decider-in-chief, one might call him – has a massive climate 
conflict of interest. Joe Manchin, investigative journalism has 
revealed, is a modern-day coal baron.

Financial records detailed by reporter Alex Kotch for the Center for 
Media and Democracy and published in the Guardian show that Manchin 
makes roughly half a million dollars a year in dividends from millions 
of dollars of coal company stock he owns. The stock is held in 
Enersystems, Inc, a company Manchin started in 1988 and later gave to 
his son, Joseph, to run.
Coal has been the primary driver of global warming since coal began 
fueling the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain 250 years ago. Today, 
the science is clear: coal must be phased out, starting immediately and 
around the world, to keep the 1.5C target within reach.

Scientists estimate that 90% of today’s coal reserves must be left in 
the ground. No new coal-fired power plants should be built. Existing 
plants should quickly shift to solar and wind, augmented by reducing 
electricity demand with better energy efficiency in buildings and 
machinery (which also saves money and produces more jobs).

This is not a vision that gladdens a coal baron’s heart. The idea of 
eliminating fossil fuels is “very, very disturbing”, Manchin said in 
July when specifics of Biden’s climate agenda surfaced. Behind the 
scenes, Manchin reportedly has objected to Biden’s plan to penalize 
electric utilities that don’t quit coal as fast as science dictates...
- -
It’s not illegal for Senator Manchin to own millions of dollars of coal 
stock – indeed, it illustrates the old saw that the real scandal in 
Washington is what’s legal – but it certainly raises questions about his 
impartiality on climate policy. Should any lawmaker with such a sizable 
financial conflict of interest wield decisive influence over what the US 
government does about a life-and-death issue like the climate emergency? 
Shouldn’t there be public discussion about whether that lawmaker should 
recuse himself from such deliberations?

In the realm of law, a judge who had anything like this level of 
financial conflict in a case would have to recuse and let a different 
judge handle the proceedings. The legal profession’s code of ethics 
dictates this approach not only because a judge’s financial interest 
would tempt them to rule in their own favor. It’s also because the two 
parties litigating the case and the broader public could not have faith 
that justice had been done by a judge with such a conflict.

Why shouldn’t a similar standard apply to the American public’s faith in 
government policy, especially when what’s at stake is, you know, the 
future of life on earth? Manchin could still vote for the budget bill; 
he just couldn’t touch its climate provisions.

Joe Manchin is surrounded by a gaggle of reporters whenever he steps 
outside his Senate office, and he frequently appears on the 
agenda-setting Sunday morning TV shows. With votes on the budget bill 
fast approaching and the Glasgow summit starting 31 October, it’s high 
time that journalists press America’s climate decider-in-chief about his 
glaring conflict of interest – and why he shouldn’t step aside from US 
climate deliberations.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/30/joe-manchin-climate-coal-baron-stocks

/[Greta speaks. ]/
*Exclusive: Greta Thunberg accuses UK Government of being 'climate 
villains'*
Sky News
Greta Thunberg has told Sky News that members of the UK Government are 
"climate villains".
The environmental activist made the comments at the Youth4Climate summit 
in Milan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKC1sJvpKIg
- -
[famous blah blah speech]

*Greta Thunberg questions world leaders’ climate talks: “30 years of 
blah blah blah”*
Sep 28, 2021
Global News
Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and fellow youth campaigners struck 
a skeptical tone for this week's climate talks in Italy on Tuesday, 
saying much has been promised but little done to tackle global warming 
in almost three decades since the landmark Earth Summit.

Fears that climate change is worsening grew after a United Nations 
report in August warned the situation was dangerously close to spiraling 
out of control, with the world certain to face further disruptions for 
generations to come.

"Thirty years of blah, blah, blah," Thunberg told the opening session of 
a Youth4Climate event.

Thousands of young activists have converged on Milan this week with some 
400, from about 190 countries, due to engage with policymakers to hammer 
out proposals for possible solutions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpo33oLne-Y

[ Art disturbs]
*'It's a bit scary': Statue of drowning girl prompts visceral reactions*
As the tide levels change, the head of a drowning girl appears, and then 
disappears again. The statue's creators say it's a reflection of the 
effects of a force that is unsettling for many around the world.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/drowning-girl-statue-fear-climate-change-discussion/1025696

[Activism]
*Thousands of Climate Change Protesters Are Coming to DC on October 11*
There are protests at the White House planned for the entire week.
JANE RECKER  -- SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
- -
Thousands of climate-change protesters are planning to come to DC the 
week of Monday, October 11. Their aim: to demand that President Biden 
take a stronger stance on restricting fossil fuel projects. The weeklong 
protests—organized by the Build Back Fossil Free coalition, which is 
composed of over 100 different justice organizations from across the 
country—will happen daily in front of the White House, and culminate in 
a march to the Capitol steps on Friday, October 15.

Organizers expect several coalitions to show up, especially those 
representing Indigenous, Black and youth interests. As of now, there are 
about 3000 RSVPs, with activists from as far as Alaska pledging to 
attend. There will be an “outdoor action center” with a tent and signs, 
banners, props, and other art that will run at McPherson square from 8 
AM to 6 PM October 11 through October 15. Protests will begin with a 
gathering at the McPherson square base at 8 AM each day, with a march to 
the White House at 9 AM. Here’s the slated schedule of themes for each day.

    *Monday, October 11: Indigenous Peoples Day.**
    **
    **Tuesday, October 12: “Fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis.”**
    **
    **Wednesday, October 13: “Climate chaos is happening now.”**
    **
    **Thursday, October 14: “We need real solutions, not false promises.”**
    **
    **Friday, October 15: “We did not vote for fossil fuels. Youth-led
    action.”*

The protests are being held in anticipation of the UN Climate Change 
Conference in Glasgow, which kicks off on November 1. “...
https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/09/30/thousands-of-climate-change-protesters-are-coming-to-dc-on-october-11/

/
/

/[Serious dive into global issues, important for climate understanding]/
*Time to Reimagine Sustainable Development?*
Sep 21, 2021
YaleUniversity
Time to reimagine sustainable development? On the eve of the UN General 
Assembly"
Event description: The 76th session of the United Nations General 
Assembly opened on Tuesday, September 14, for leaders from around the 
world to discuss progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Adopted 
by all United Nations Member States in 2015, the SDGs marked a move away 
from traditional economic measures of development to account for broader 
issues such as just human rights, gender, and the environment. Today 
they serve not only as standards by which to judge progress, but also as 
focal points for new ideas on how to solve the world’s greatest challenges.
  The eighth Yale Development Dialogue focused on how the SDGs hold up 
in today’s world and how some of the best new ideas in global 
development might advance progress on the goals. Panelists: Catherine 
Cheney, Stefan Dercon, Shanta Devarajan, and Rory Stewart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNRGt4QkVPc

/[video documentary ] /
*The End of Oil, Explained | FULL EPISODE | Vox + Netflix*
Sep 30, 2021
Vox
Oil led to huge advancements — and vast inequities.
As the planet warms, why is it so hard to turn away from fossil fuels, 
and can we do it in time? This is “The End of Oil, Explained” an episode 
narrated by Ethan Hawke from the current season of our Netflix series.
Catch up on the rest of this season of Explained on Netflix at 
http://www.netflix.com/explained and lookout for new episodes each Friday.

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and 
understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pafA-RU3q7U

/
//[The news archive - looking back]/
*On this day in the history of global warming October  1, 2013*
Syndicated columnist Eugene Robinson writes:

        "Skeptics and deniers can make all the noise they want, but a
        landmark
        new report is unequivocal: There is a 95 percent chance that
        human-generated emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
        gases
        are changing the climate in ways that court disaster.

        "That's the bottom line from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
        Change, which Monday released the latest of its comprehensive,
        every-six-years assessments of the scientific consensus about
        climate
        change. According to the IPCC, there is only a 1-in-20 chance that
        human activity is not causing dangerous warming.

        "You may like those betting odds. If so, let's get together for a
        friendly game of poker, and please don't forget to bring cash."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/10/01/warm_enough_for_you_120159.html

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