Patrick Lyoya 'Executed' By Cop: A white Michigan cop fatally shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head while kneeling on top of him after pulling him over for allegedly having a problem with his license plate, video released Wednesday by the Grand Rapids police department (after demands from the public and Lyoya's family) shows. Lyoya, a 26 year-old Black man, was unarmed. “I want people to see the way my son was killed. I want the entire world to see how my son was executed,” Peter Lyoya told MLive. A father of two young children, Lyoya came to the U.S. as a refugee in 2014, fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "He is my firstborn," Dorcas Lyoya, Patrick's mother, said. Adding she had thought the U.S. would be safe. "I am really deeply hurt and wounded. I don’t know what to do, I cannot stop myself from crying. All the mothers here, you know the pain we go through to give birth to a child ... I was thinking it was my son who would bury me, but I am the one burying my son." The cop, who has not been identified, has been on paid administrative leave since he shot Lyoya on April 4. Ben Crump, a civil rights lawyer representing the family, said the video shows the "police officer escalate[d] a minor traffic stop into a deadly execution,” and called for the officer to be fired, arrested, and prosecuted. "It was lethal force and, in our opinion, it was just straight up murder,” Carlton Mayers II, a legal consultant for the NAACP in Grand Rapids, said. (The Root, NewsOne, Black Wall Street Times, Blavity, Buzzfeed, NBC, Michigan Live, Detroit Free Press, WZZM13, AP, Washington Post $, The Guardian, USA Today, New York Times $, BBC, CBS, Wall Street Journal $, CNN, The Cut, ClickOnDetroit; Video release demand: MLive; Dorcas Lyoya: Detroit Free Press, The Hill; Calls for accountability: (Fox-17, WXYZ, Fox-2, MLive, WOOD-TV)
Renewable Energy Setting Records: Wind turbines in the U.S. generated more electricity than coal and nuclear on March 29. This is the first time on record wind power has out-produced those energy sources on the same day — it has previously done so individually on different days. In doing so, wind was briefly the country's second-largest electricity source, behind so-called "natural" gas, which is mostly methane. The milestone was aided by high winds in the Great Plains and low overall demand due to spring weather. California has also recently broken records for renewable generation. For a brief time on April 3, the state's grid was powered by more than 97% renewable energy, breaking a record of 96.4% set just a week earlier. (NPR, E&E $, Bloomberg $; California: Bloomberg $)
Texas Oil And Gas Regulators Say Leaking Oil Well No Big Deal: A West Texas oil well is releasing "potentially lethal" amounts of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, according to local groundwater protection officials but elected state regulators say the claim is little more than a money grab. “It probably offends me just a little bit,” Christi Craddick, one of three members of the state Railroad Commission said during a recent public meeting. The commission, which regulates the Texas oil and gas industry, will be in charge of distributing hundreds of millions of dollars in orphaned well cleanup funds from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed last year. The failed oil well — now a water well technically under the responsibility of the landowner, who lacks the funds to plug the well — illustrates the jurisdictional wrangling and responsibility offloading that has allowed an unknown number (likely millions) of abandoned oil and gas wells ("orphaned" by their owners and operators) to proliferate across the country, releasing substantial amounts of heat-trapping methane and other pollutants into soil, groundwater, and the atmosphere. (E&E $)
ACCOUNTABILITY: NY AG launches gas price gouging investigation into the oil industry (CNN, Politico Pro $)
OIL DRIVEN INFLATION: Gasoline overtakes used cars as biggest driver of record inflation (PoliticoPro $), White House says it expects inflation to be ‘extraordinarily elevated’ in new report (CNBC)
FED: Biden to nominate Michael Barr as fed’s top banking cop (Washington Post $, Bloomberg $, AP, CNBC, New York Times $, Axios, Wall Street Journal $)
CLIMATE FIN/TECH: Inside the new $100 million women-led climate tech fund (Greenbiz), BlackRock expects market shift toward climate pledges (E&E $), Do-good funds are booming as ETF launches double from last year (E&E $)
(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: 5 years after Hurricane Harvey, many in Houston are still waiting for help (Grist), Historically redlined neighborhoods have twice the number of oil and gas wells (Grist), New York's diesel truck pollution disparities (Axios)
SOUTH AFRICA FLOODS: 'It is bad': survivors count costs of South Africa's devastating floods (Reuters), South African floods claim 341 lives, several thousands affected (Reuters, Washington Post $), 'South Africa's floods a 'teachable moment' for climate adaptation (Thomson Reuters Foundation), South African police disperse crowd calling for aid after flooding (The Guardian)
FOSSIL FUELED WAR: Russia’s oil industry, linchpin of economy, feels sting of Ukraine war disruptions (Wall Street Journal $), Sustainable recovery spending could be derailed by commodity price spikes following Ukraine war (CNBC), Ukraine's Naftogaz seeks US financial help amid threats to natural gas supplies (Politico Pro $), Meghan O’Sullivan: Since the war started, Europe has paid ‘almost $40 billion’ to Russia for oil, gas (MSNBC)
EXISTENTIAL THREATS: Biden plan to aid Europe with LNG poses risk to US climate goals (Reuters), Climate questions mount as US rushes LNG to Europe (E&E News)
US POLITICS: Captured Ukrainian oligarch was a figure in the US investigation into Russian electoral meddling (New York Times $)
EURO EMBARGO: Europe reluctantly readies Russian oil embargo (New York Times $), ECB: Russian oil embargo would hurt Europe (Politico Pro $)
EACOP: Oil pipeline in East Africa faces mounting resistance (Yale Environment 360)
DENIAL (OF DEMOCRACY): Big US utilities are undermining climate goals, study says (Bloomberg $), Is your electric utility blocking climate action? (Grist), Utility companies are pushing back on climate policy, report says (Washington Post $), Where the largest 25 utilities stand on climate, net zero (E&E $), Rightwing populist parties blight climate policy, study finds (The Guardian)
THE KIDS THESE DAYS: How extreme weather has created a disaster for school infrastructure (Washington Post $), Climate, environment shape Gen Z life decisions (Axios), We’re failing to prepare our children for the climate fight (New Republic), Obama says next generation is ‘more mindful’ of climate change (Today Show)
FOSSIL VOLATILITY: How governments are shielding consumers from surging energy prices (Energy Monitor), Why high gas prices aren’t necessarily good for the climate (Grist)
LNG+SHIPPING: Methane leaks make LNG-powered ships dirtier than other vessels (Bloomberg $)
NERDY AND IMPORTANT: Biden ‘cost of carbon’ policy survives another legal hurdle (AP, Politico Pro $), Louisiana plans Supreme Court plea over social cost of carbon (E&E News)
EPA: EPA: Pandemic spurred largest-ever drop in GHG emissions (E&E $), EPA study finds breathing formaldehyde causes cancer (Politico Pro $)
WHITE HOUSE: Biden rolls out equity plans for more than 90 agencies (E&E $), White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy planning to step down (Reuters, Washington Post $, E&E News, New York Times $, The Guardian, NBC), Gina McCarthy on the clock to propel Biden’s climate agenda (E&E News)
TRIBES: In search of funding, tribal communities are turning to corporate investment to embrace solar power (TIME)
CITIES AND STATES: How New York City plans to soak up the rain (Bloomberg $), Maine House advances plan to give state tribes sovereignty (AP), Ulster County, New York, aims for 100% clean electricity by 2040 (Yale Climate Connections), Virginia governor approves tax exemption for residential and mixed-use solar installations (Utility Dive)
CALIFORNIA: California voters say state is moving in the wrong direction, feel financial squeeze (LA Times $)
TERF WARS: Rights of nature' law clinic faces transphobia allegations (E&E $)
IMPACTS: A week of extreme weather (New York Times $), As Australia’s climate changes, a tropical disease advances (Washington Post $), Even the cactus may not be safe from climate change (New York Times $), For churches hit by disasters, Easter brings promise of hope (AP), Powerful 'rivers in the sky' could cause Antarctic Peninsula's biggest ice shelf to collapse (CNN)
DROUGHT: East and Horn of Africa prep for worst drought in decades (AP)
WILDFIRES: New Mexico wildfire leaves 2 dead and 200 structures damaged (New York Times $, AP, Reuters, KOB4), Science group activates to tackle wildfires (Axios)
HURRICANES: Officials warn Floridians to get ready for hurricane season (AP)
BOOZE: A Napa favorite goes back to the future (New York Times $)
AGRICULTURE: Our food system isn't ready for the climate crisis (The Guardian), Green farming gets a boost as Kenyans confront climate and war shocks (Thomson Reuters Foundation), Climate graphic of the week: plant-based food boost not enough to tackle global warming, study says (FT $)
RENEWABLES: Canadian hydropower is coming to New York City. Here are the details. (Politico Pro $), Enel to accelerate growth in renewable energy in Brazil (Reuters), Wind passed coal, nuclear power in US for first time on record (Bloomberg $)
BATTERIES: AGL signs battery deal with Neoen to maintain electricity supply in Australia (Reuters), Panasonic bets on bigger electric vehicle battery to wean itself off Tesla (FT $)
EFFICIENCY: The idea of energy efficiency needs to be reinvented (Inside Climate News)
LNG: Export-Import Bank plan may affect U.S. LNG, renewables (E&E News)
OIL & GAS: A lot more US crude may be coming — eventually (Axios, E&E $)
SEEMS PLAUSIBLE: U.S. warns energy firms of a rapidly advancing hacking threat (E&E News)
UTILITIES: Expansion of generation station rejected by Phoenix utility regulators (KTAR)
CARS: Pedestrian fatalities rose post-pandemic lockdown (Axios)
EVs: Auto shows tackle steep learning curve on EVs (Axios), Germany may end hybrid car subsidies by 2023, electric by 2025-sources (Reuters), Toyota rolls out first U.S. mass-market EV (E&E $)
FOR EXTREMELY SECURE MANLY MEN: America’s favorite truck is about to test Tesla’s dominance (Bloomberg $)
CRYPTO: Wikipedia editors don't want your Bitcoin (Protocol)
INSURANCE: Aviva, Lloyds join British FloodRe insurance scheme to build flood resilience (Reuters)
DIRECT ACTION: Just Stop Oil protesters scale fuel tanker in west London to block M4 access (The Guardian)
BOOKS: Energy is a human right (Yes Magazine), Thames & Hudson’s latest book spotlights how artists are addressing climate change (Hypebeast)
BUSINESS: Google invests $9.5B in US offices and data centers (Utility Dive), Planet earth’s future now rests in the hands of big business (TIME), Salesforce's CIO explains the company’s climate ambitions (Protocol)
INTERNATIONAL: China offers more detail on Xi's desert clean power mega-hub (Bloomberg $), In 'world's most polluted city,' Indian workers unaware of toxic air (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
FRANCE: French renewables lobby says Le Pen's energy strategy a step backwards (Reuters), Hot air? Where Macron and Le Pen stand on climate and energy (Reuters, factbox), French students block schools to protest presidential choice (AP)
WEEKEND ACTIVITIES: Love maps and want to save California’s wild spaces? This site is for you (LA Times $), Watch a decade of documentaries on climate change & other environmental threats (PBS)
How Vanessa Nakate mobilizes the masses (Atmos, essay)
Climate policies must allow women to control their bodies and their fates (The New Humanitarian, Zainab Yunusa op-ed)
‘Capitalism didn’t understand community’: Brian Eno steps up the climate crisis battle (The Guardian, interview)
India risks widespread blackouts this summer: Kemp (Reuters, John Kemp column)
Incredibly, current climate pledges could keep heating below 2C – but our work isn’t over (The Guardian, Laurie Laybourn op-ed)
Europe’s rush to green: A cautionary tale for America (The Hill, Rep. Markwayne Mullin op-ed)
Don’t 'all lives matter' my advocacy for Black people (Black Wall Street Times, Tanesha Peeples op-ed)
America needs to lead in methane mitigation (The Hill, Quill Robinson op-ed)
New Research Shows How Fossil Fuel Industry Delayed Climate Policy, Denies Its Responsibilities
Oil majors are responsible for nearly a quarter of their industry’s emissions. But they’re not taking responsibility. Instead, they've denied it, and fought climate policy. The only thing that's changed is our awareness of their disinformation.
Here are the reports to prove it:
The Columbia Center on Sustainable Development has documented the extent to which oil majors are responsible for the climate crisis by including their entire value chain, and not just the limited information about upstream emissions that the industry provides voluntarily. Overall, the top six biggest oil companies — BP, Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies, “jointly account for nearly 23% of the cumulative global carbon footprint” of the oil refining sector between 1980 and 2019.
And while they’ll take the profits, they’re certainly not taking responsibility. A new study from Robert Brulle, published in Environmental Politics last Monday, sheds some light on what the industry’s front groups were doing behind the scenes in the early days of climate policy by tracing the history of the Global Climate Coalition.
“People have been very stuck on this idea that the industry strategy went from climate denial to delay,” Brulle told Amy Westervelt, but “that’s historically inaccurate. It was always about delay, and the PR guys viewed casting doubt on climate science as one of their key talking points, but not the only one and not the central one.”
Brulle documents how the Global Climate Coalition successfully sabotaged what was a potential bipartisan climate agreement around the Kyoto Protocol back in the ‘90s. That doesn’t mean the industry’s not still up to its old tricks, though.
For that, we turn to Earthworks and their new 'Tricks of the Trade' report on how leading oil and gas companies are deceiving the public about their emissions. (See ExxonKnews for more coverage.)
Shell, BP, TotalEnergies and ConocoPhillips are claiming to have reduced their emissions in 2021, but Earthworks found that 40-60% of those reductions were just from selling off highly polluting assets. The same amount of pollution (if not more) was going into the air – they just moved it off their books and on to someone else’s!
Earthworks also shows how companies aren’t being transparent enough to prove their commitments, and are underestimating their methane emissions “by as much as 100%.” They're all falling short of even their own internal goals, and ultimately, “every company’s climate ambitions fall far short of the IPCC’s directive to cut emissions in half by the end of the decade because they omit Scope 3 emissions which make up between 75-90% of their total emissions.”
If oil companies were to address these issues, their reporting would look a lot more like the Columbia report we mentioned above, and the public would be able to more clearly see their responsibility for climate change.
Which is, of course, why they’ve tried so hard to avoid that transparency.
