Climate news, links

Emissions Fall as Europe Grinds to a Halt: Pollution levels in Italy have plummeted following the country’s lockdown as it struggles to deal with the coronavirus, data released last week from the European Space Agency show. Satellite data show a serious decline in nitrogen dioxide between January 1 and March 11, especially in the hard-hit Italian north, mirroring the significant drops in pollution seen as China fought the virus in February. Experts say new social distancing tactics being enforced and encouraged across the United States may also lead to a drop in emissions. More than 1,800 have now died from the virus in Italy, and authorities reported 368 new cases over a 24-hour period this weekend. “It is, of course, not a good thing,” Riccardo Valentini, a professor at Italy’s University of Tuscia, told the Washington Post of the new NO2 data. “This is not the way to reduce emissions!” (Washington Post $, Reuters, Axios, Politico, New York Times $. Commentary: LA Times, Christopher Ketcham op-ed $) Biden & Sanders Battle on Climate in Coronavirus Bunker: Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) engaged in a substantial climate change conversation at the 11th Democratic presidential debate Sunday evening, as the two remaining candidates battled in front of an empty auditorium. With their podiums positioned far away and elbow bumps exchanged in lieu of handshakes to demonstrate social distancing, Sanders and Biden discussed climate change for nearly 12 minutes, making the subject second only to the coronavirus crisis in terms of time spent on individual topics at the debate, NBC reports. Biden defended his plan, which some on the left have criticized as not going far enough to combat climate change, saying for seemingly the first time that he would ban “new fracking,” while Sanders continued to challenge Biden’s seriousness in handling the issue. "We started this debate talking about a war-like situation in terms of the coronavirus," Sanders said. "I look at climate change in exactly the same way." (Grist, Axios, NBC, Washington Examiner, USA Today) Utilities’ Lead Pipe Replacements an Environmental Justice Problem: Lower-income communities and communities of color are less likely to get their dangerous lead pipes replaced by utilities in charge of their care, a new report from American University’s Center for Environmental Policy and the Environmental Defense Fund finds. The report analyzes a common utility practice of only replacing lead pipes on public property, intervening with pipes on private property only when the property owners agree to foot the bill. Researchers examined more than 3,400 lead service line replacements in Washington, DC over a ten-year span, finding that the rate of service replacements correlated with both the income level and the racial makeup of neighborhoods. “If a program primarily benefits those with money, you’re going to have an environmental justice problem,” Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director at EDF, told Grist. “We need to make sure all residents, without regard to how much money they make or the color of their skin, benefit from these rules designed to protect people and protect public health.” (Grist)

CORONAVIRUS: The coronavirus is dangerous – but some experts wonder if bad air makes it worse (Washington Post $), coronavirus has caused a bicycling boom in New York City (Grist), coronavirus fallout could be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for smaller oil companies (Grist), coronavirus puts the brake on America’s gas-guzzling ways (FT $), coronavirus and the US grid: What to know (E&E $), walk, cycle or drive? Coronavirus shakes up urban transport (Thomson Reuters Foundation) 2020: Bernie Sanders’s climate record in Congress: Lots of advocacy, no compromise (Washington Post $) AGENCIES: Senate confirms third Republican to FERC, breaking with precedent (Greentech Media), Senate confirms Danly, but Manchin pledges to hold out for Democratic FERC pairing in future (Utility Dive), ex-Trump Cabinet secretary Nielsen tapped for DOE panel (E&E $), watchdog raises concerns over Trump energy regulator (The Hill) CITIES & STATES: A check-up on California's efforts to combat climate change (NPR), Virginia becomes the first state in the South to target 100% clean power (Vox), US military squeezes wind energy development off California's Central Coast (Platts), Oregon climate change: Governor’s new plan leans on supersizing the Clean Fuels Program (The Oregonian), for environmentalists, a ‘monumental’ legislative session (AP), state to get millions for climate change strategies after rejoining regional energy initiative (NJ Spotlight), federal judge sides with California in cap-and-trade suit (The Hill) IMPACTS: What winter? Earth just had its second-warmest December-February on record (USA Today), thousands wait in shelters a year after Mozambique cyclone (Reuters), American climate video: giant chunks of ice washed across his family’s cattle ranch (InsideClimate News), 5 charts projecting the cost of climate change by 2100 (Fortune) RENEWABLES: This small island chain is leading the way on hydrogen power (CNN), how offshore wind is transforming a steel town (E&E $), could the oil price collapse drive more investment into renewables? (Greentech Media) OIL & GAS: After a long fall in oil prices, a crash (Wall Street Journal $), Sanders, Democrats decry possibility of assistance to oil companies amid coronavirus outbreak (The Hill), ‘crisis of shock’: virus, price war rock Texas shale heartland (Bloomberg), fill 'er up: Trump to buy oil to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve — and help companies (Washington Post $, CNBC), UAE, Saudis reveal $40.6 bil stimulus to support economies hit by coronavirus, oil crash (Platts) COAL: Indiana is about to bail out the coal industry for some reason (Gizmodo), 4 astonishing signs of coal’s declining economic viability (Vox), investment vehicle underpins Germany’s exit from coal (FT $) [...]