EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 9/5/23

PIPELINE NEWS

• WDBJ: Pipeline protesters block work in Montgomery County

• Des Moines Register: Iowa agribusiness magnate’s access to Gov. Kim Reynolds paves way for pipeline, lawyer says

• Des Moines Register: Reynolds, Rastetter emails on attempted meetings filed in Iowa carbon-capture pipeline case

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Summit will present its witnesses this week for pipeline permit

• Bleeding Heartland: Summit Carbon LLCs seek well permits in Iowa

• WCBU: Tazewell County files petition to intervene in pipeline construction

• Guardian: US pipeline protester has ‘no regrets’ after conviction for felony obstruction

• Marketplace: In West Texas, a budding pipeline fight highlights activists’ changing tactics

• NorthJersey.com: Natural gas pipeline project in northern Highlands in limbo after judges’ ruling

• KEYT: Santa Barbara County successfully decommissions idle crude oil pipeline

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Washington Post: Congress is coming back. Here’s what to watch on climate and energy policy.

• Associated Press: Rule Allowing Rail Shipments Of LNG Will Be Put On Hold To Allow More Study Of Safety Concerns 

• Law360: Willow Backers Urge Judge To Reject Enviros’ Challenges 

STATE UPDATES

• Press release: State of California becomes the largest economy to endorse the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty 

EXTRACTION

• Reuters: Canada oil sands carbon capture project struggles to get key contract

• Bloomberg: Startup Pushing Green Natural Gas Label Shakes Up Leadership, Strategy

CLIMATE FINANCE

• InsideClimate News: Activists Crash Powerful Economic Symposium in Jackson Hole as Climate Protests and Responses to Them Escalate

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• New York Times: Leaked Recording of U.A.E. Officials Reveals the Nation’s Concern Over Its Public Image

OPINION

• Marshall Independent: Two sides to every pipeline

• Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Carbon Capture: The POET Perspective

• La Crosse Tribune: Michelle Johnson: Line 5 pipeline supports jobs, provides energy for Wisconsinites

• Peoples Democracy: The many colours of hydrogen and the scam of carbon capture

• Washington Post: A new tool in the fight to save the planet? A 6th-century Roman doctrine.

• Ted Glick: September 17th: The Power of Broadly-Based Unity
  

PIPELINE NEWS

WDBJ: Pipeline protesters block work in Montgomery County
Pat Thomas, 9/5/23

“Two people locked themselves to construction equipment Tuesday morning at a Mountain Valley Pipeline site in Montgomery County, according to the protest group Appalachians Against Pipelines,” WDBJ reports. “State Police confirm they are at the scene in the Bradshaw Creek area, and they say protesters have caused a crash, but there is no word so far on injuries, road blockages or arrests. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crash, per state police. A banner at the site reads: “STOP COP CITY NO MVP,” according to the protesters, who say the phrase “Stop Cop City” is a “slogan used by a nationwide movement against the construction of a militarized police training facility, dubbed ‘Cop City,’ on 381 acres of urban forest in southeast Atlanta.”

Des Moines Register: Iowa agribusiness magnate’s access to Gov. Kim Reynolds paves way for pipeline, lawyer says
Donnelle Eller, 9/5/23

“An attorney for Iowa landowners fighting a controversial $5.5 billion carbon capture pipeline has filed hundreds of pages of public documents detailing lunches and dinners between Gov. Kim Reynolds and Bruce Rastetter, the agribusiness magnate behind the pipeline,” the Des Moines Register reports. “Brian Jorde, managing attorney at Domina Law Group in Omaha, told the Register the records showing Bruce Rastetter’s efforts to arrange meetings with Reynolds demonstrate the Republican donor is using his political influence to stack the deck in the project developer’s favor. “Let’s not pretend that this has been a fair and transparent process for the people,” Jorde told the Register. “It hasn’t been and it’s not going to be.” Kollin Crompton, Reynolds’ spokesman, told the Register the governor regularly meets with leaders in agriculture, insurance, technology and other industries “to help inform policy priorities.” “Concerns of ‘undue influence’ are completely unfounded and untrue,” Crompton said in an email to the Des Moines Register… “Reynolds appointed the three-member Iowa Utilities Board, which on Aug. 22 launched a potentially weekslong hearing in Fort Dodge to consider Summit Carbon Solutions’ permit request for the pipeline. The board appointments required Iowa Senate confirmation. “There’s a clear directive that’s been laid down from the governor. And I think we all know what that is,” Jorde, who filed 888 pages of documents in the pipeline case detailing efforts between the offices of Rastetter and Reynold to set times for lunches, dinners and other activities, told the Register. “This is a completely inside deal,” Jorde told the Register… “Pipeline opponents told the Register they don’t get the same access that emails show Bruce Rastetter got to Gov. Kim Reynolds… “Reynolds and former Gov. Terry Branstad, with whom she served as lieutenant governor for six years, have received $423,200 in contributions from Rastetter over 13 years, according to OpenSecrets.org, a nonprofit research group that tracks money in U.S. elections… “Jorde told the Register Rastetter has been “schmoozing up politicians” on his “path to making billions” from the pipeline… “Jorde told the Register the dinner and lunch meetings likely are just snippets of the communication between the governor and the big donor.”

Des Moines Register: Reynolds, Rastetter emails on attempted meetings filed in Iowa carbon-capture pipeline case
Donnelle Eller, 9/5/23

“A voluminous collection of emails between Bruce Rastetter, the prominent Iowa businessman behind a proposed carbon capture pipeline across the state, Gov. Kim Reynolds and their employees are among records filed in connection with the ongoing Iowa Utilities Board hearing on a permit for the project,” the Des Moines Register reports. “Attorney Brian Jorde, representing Iowa property owners who oppose the pipeline, obtained the emails through a public records request. The emails show that: On Jan. 14, 2019, Rastetter’s assistant reached out to Reynolds’ scheduler to see if Reynolds would have time for dinner. They tried several times to arrange dinner in February, March and April, but the dates didn’t work out. On April 24, 2019, Rastetter’s office invited Reynolds to a June 18 barbecue benefitting Iowa State University at his home in Alden. Reynolds was unable to attend. On July 27, 2019, Reynolds spoke at Rastetter’s summer party at his home. Reynolds was unable to attend an investor event before the party, with speakers Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor and current Republican presidential candidate, and Doug Oberhelman, former CEO of Caterpillar Inc… “On July 7, 2020, Rastetter and Reynolds met for lunch at Bubba’s in Des Moines… “We have been working with GPI for some time as they are doing some great work around low carbon biofuels and carbon capture that we believe can be great for states such as Iowa,” Kirchhoff emailed Frideres, now Reynolds’ chief of staff. The email came a little less than two months after Summit announced it was spinning off Summit Carbon Solutions, the company now seeking the pipeline permit, and about a month after the new company hired former Gov. Terry Branstad, with whom Reynolds had served as lieutenant governor… “On March 15, 2022, Jeffrey Boeyink, a partner at LS2 Group, emailed Craig, Reynolds’ then chief of staff, with an update on progress in getting voluntary easements from landowners in the path of Summit’s pipeline in Iowa. Boeyink, who served as chief of staff to Branstad and Reynolds from 2011 to 2013, called the pipeline a “pro-ethanol, pro-agriculture project” and estimated that Summit Carbon would be able to reach voluntary agreements with 90% of the landowners, a goal that the company so far has fallen short of in Iowa. Boeyink also said his “team would be happy to host a meeting with legislators to discuss the project in person and in detail.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Summit will present its witnesses this week for pipeline permit
JARED STRONG, 9/4/23

“A new phase of Summit Carbon Solutions’ evidentiary hearing for its pipeline permit is poised to begin Tuesday,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The company plans to call its 15 witnesses to testify over the course of four days, according to the Iowa Utilities Board… “There were a few landowners who had anticipated testifying in the past two weeks but were unable because of schedule conflicts, Melissa Myers, an IUB spokesperson, told the Dispatch. They can testify later this month… “The landowners who have already testified object to the project on numerous grounds. They are convinced construction of the pipeline will cause irreparable damage to their farmland. They worry about having to repay money they have received by setting aside the land for federal conservation programs, which require the land to go untouched. They are concerned about the wellbeing of people and livestock should the pipeline break and release carbon dioxide, which under certain circumstances and form a dense plume of gas that can asphyxiate them. Some have future commercial or residential projects that could be impeded by the project. Most of them decry the use of eminent domain to get the easements, which would allow Summit to construct and operate the pipeline on property it doesn’t own. Opponents argue the project doesn’t fit an eminent domain requirement that it promotes “the public convenience and necessity” in the same way of a natural gas pipeline. There are about 950 parcels of land in Iowa for which Summit seeks the forced easements… “The project hit a roadblock last month in North Dakota, where state regulators rejected its proposed route… The evidentiary hearing in Fort Dodge could go for weeks or months. It is set to resume Tuesday at 10 a.m. and is broadcast live by the IUB.”

Bleeding Heartland: Summit Carbon LLCs seek well permits in Iowa
Nancy Dugan, 9/1/23

“When examining the intricate web of businesses that have sprung up around Summit Carbon Solutions, one cannot help but wonder how many private, largely unregulated LLCs are associated with the proposed CO2 pipeline,” Bleeding Heartland reports. “Lawler SCS Capture, LLC is among the more recently unearthed businesses formed by Summit. On May 29, 2023, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued a water use permit to Lawler SCS, which shares an address with Summit Carbon Solutions in Ames. The permit expires on May 28, 2033. Lawler SCS submitted its application to the department on April 17… “According to Michael K. Anderson, a senior environmental engineer with the Iowa DNR’s Water Quality Bureau, the New Hampton Tribune published a public notice of recommendation to issue a permit to Lawler SCS in early May. Iowa Administrative Code 567—50.7(3) requires such public notices. Anderson indicated to Bleeding Heartland that public comments were due by May 24, and the DNR received none… “On August 20, Joshua Haiar reported for the South Dakota Searchlight on the efforts of another Summit Carbon business, Redfield SCS Capture, LLC, to secure a water-rights permit from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources… “The Searchlight article explained, “Because some nearby residents sent opposition comments to the state during a public comment period, the proposed permit will be the subject of a contested case hearing this fall.” Residents who spoke with Searchlight expressed concerns about reductions in water pressure stemming from the proposed Redfield well… “Two residents told BH state employees they spoke with (but declined to identify) indicated the well would likely result in “a drastic decline in pressure,” but that bureaucracy would prevent them from stopping Summit. One resident, Debra Curtis, received a call from Governor Krisi Noem’s communications director Ian Fury, assuring her that her rights would take priority over Summit. Fury called after Curtis tried without success to reach her previous contact with the state… “When asked if he knew whether Summit Carbon Solutions plans to submit applications for wells on or near each of the ethanol plants that have signed on to the proposed Summit Carbon pipeline in Iowa, Anderson responded, “I do not know what Summit’s plans are.”

WCBU: Tazewell County files petition to intervene in pipeline construction
Tim Shelley, 9/1/23

“The Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition to intervene in Wolf Carbon Solutions’ pipeline construction application,” WCBU reports. “The petition comes two days after the anti-pipeline group Citizens Against Predatory Pipelines made a presentation before the Tazewell County Board. Concerned citizens also spoke against the pipeline, raising concerns about safety and eminent domain… “A petition to intervene doesn’t mean the county is taking a stance on the pipeline project. Rather, the petition keeps the county apprised of proceedings before the Illinois Commerce Commission regarding the process and allows the county to actively participate. The city of Peoria has also filed as an intervenor. Peoria County hasn’t filed a petition to intervene. The Illinois Commerce Commission is due to make a decision on the pipeline construction application by May 16, 2024.”

Guardian: US pipeline protester has ‘no regrets’ after conviction for felony obstruction
Nina Lakhani, 9/2/23

“A non-violent environmental activist has been found guilty of felony obstruction for her role in trying to halt construction of a fossil fuel pipeline through Indigenous territory in Minnesota, in a trial beset by legal irregularities which ended with the prosecutor demanding jail time,” the Guardian reports. “Mylene Vialard, 54, was arrested in August 2021 after attaching herself to a 25ft bamboo tower erected to block a pumping station in Aitkin county, northern Minnesota. Her arrest was part of a crackdown on non-violent Indigenous-led protests opposing the expansion and rerouting on Line 3 – a 1,097-mile tar sands oil pipeline with a dismal safety record, that crosses more than 200 water bodies from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in the US midwest. Despite the verdict, Vialard told the Guardian that she had “no regrets” and that the trial demonstrated what environmental and Indigenous activists “were up against”. “I did not get a fair trial and there were so many reasons for an acquittal and mistrial, this cannot be the justice system we have … I am not at all surprised by the verdict but I am surprised by the outrageous way the prosecution behaved,” Vialard, a self-employed translator from Boulder, Colorado, told the Guardian. After the guilty verdict on Friday, the judge told Vialard that she faced a sentence of 12 months and one day probation – as per sentencing guidelines in this case. But the prosecutor intervened and improperly requested she be imprisoned – without providing any legal basis or explanation. Vialard now faces an anxious wait until sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.”

Marketplace: In West Texas, a budding pipeline fight highlights activists’ changing tactics
Travis Bubenik, 9/1/23

“In far West Texas, hours away from the state’s major cities, there’s a fight brewing over plans for a major natural gas pipeline,” Marketplace reports. “The oil-and-gas-rich state already has hundreds of thousands of miles of pipelines, but the industry’s expansion into new rural regions has prompted some pushback. This all comes at a time when pipeline opponents across the country are shifting their tactics and finding some success at actually blocking projects. Earlier this summer, a few dozen West Texans gathered in the tiny town of Van Horn to hear about a proposed pipeline called the Saguaro Connector. Some locals, like Eva Franco Lozano, said this was the first they had heard about it. She lives just south of town. “And that’s where most of the pipeline’s going through,” she told Marketplace. “But we’re not happy about it because they didn’t even advise us or nothing.” Oklahoma-based Oneok wants to build the 48-inch-diameter natural gas line through this dusty, isolated corner of the state. The proposal is still tentative, and the company said it hasn’t made a “final investment decision.” But state records show it’s being planned to run about a mile from Lozano’s home. She’s worried “about everything — health issues, property destruction, everything,” she told Marketplace. Nearby RV park owner Penny Self also opposes the project. “I want to get the community involved is what I want to do,” she told Marketplace..

NorthJersey.com: Natural gas pipeline project in northern Highlands in limbo after judges’ ruling
David M. Zimmer, 9/5/23

“A controversial natural gas pipeline project in the state’s northern Highlands is in limbo after court officials nullified a key exemption to the region’s strict development regulations,” NorthJersey.com reports. “New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division judges, in an opinion issued Thursday, invalidated an exemption to Highlands Preservation Area regulations granted to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company for its East 300 Upgrade Project. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection officials have previously issued the exemption on the grounds that the proposed $108 million compressor station in the Highlands Preservation Area in West Milford was a “routine upgrade” to the utility’s existing pipeline system. The $246 million East 300 Upgrade Project includes the installation of two new natural gas compressor units in Pennsylvania and Sussex County and the construction of an all-new compressor station complex in West Milford. Under development in a former quarry near Monksville Reservoir, the complex is due to include a 19,000-horsepower electric compressor, a 3,500-square-foot office with a septic system and a 69-kilovolt electrical substation, records show. In taking court action, officials from environmental nonprofits, namely Food & Water Watch, the New Jersey Highlands Coalition and the Sierra Club, have contended that the construction project in West Milford is far from a routine upgrade. Those groups are seeking to have the project stopped entirely, citing concerns over the potential for pollution in New Jersey and beyond… “In their opinion on Thursday, judges from the Appellate Division said DEP officials need to reconsider whether the project is indeed a “routine upgrade” to the company’s existing 300 Line natural gas pipeline. The court subsequently invalidated the project’s Highlands Act exemption and remanded the matter back to the DEP for further review.”

KEYT: Santa Barbara County successfully decommissions idle crude oil pipeline
Andrew Gillies, 9/4/23

“The Santa Barbara County Planning & Development and General Services Departments successfully decommissioned ‘Line 96’, a crude oil pipeline formerly operated by Venoco Inc.,” KEYT reports. “Line 96 has been preserved in an idle status since September of 2017 following the May 2015 rupture of Line 901, operated by Plains All American Pipeline, which spilled around 142,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean near Refugio State Beach. Oil still inside Line 901 when it was placed in idle status was flushed out using water, and approximately 1,685 barrels of water diluted with corrosion inhibitor and biocide remained inside of the pipeline until July of 2023 detail Santa Barbara County. After the bankruptcy of Venoco Inc. in 2017, Santa Barbara County voluntarily assumed responsibility for overseeing the decommissioning of the pipeline. The County of Santa Barbara obtained a $550,000 grant from the California Department of Toxic Substances to fund abandonment work through their contractual partners, including Beacon West Consulting.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Washington Post: Congress is coming back. Here’s what to watch on climate and energy policy.
Maxine Joselow, 9/5/23

“…PERMITTING OVERHAUL: As part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling in May, lawmakers agreed to make modest changes to the nation’s permitting process for energy projects. Now, some lawmakers in both parties want to enact more sweeping changes,” the Washington Post reports. “Democrats generally want to speed up the permitting process for the long-distance power lines needed to carry clean electricity across the country. Republicans largely want to limit legal challenges and other delays to proposed fossil fuel projects. But given everything else on Congress’s plate, a compromise in the coming months appears unlikely, said a House Democratic aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. “The political will and momentum are waning,” the aide told the Post. “It seems unclear how we would bring together some sort of bipartisan, bicameral group to make a deal.” A spokesman for Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and has played a central role in permitting talks, declined to comment to the Post.”.

Associated Press: Rule Allowing Rail Shipments Of LNG Will Be Put On Hold To Allow More Study Of Safety Concerns 
Josh Funk, 8/31/23

“A Trump-era rule allowing railroads to haul highly flammable liquefied natural gas will now be formally put on hold to allow more time to study the safety concerns related to transporting that fuel and other substances like hydrogen that must be kept at extremely low temperatures when they are shipped, regulators announced Thursday,” the Associated Press reports. “Right after it was announced in the summer of 2020, the rule was challenged in court by a number of environmental groups and 14 states. The uncertainty about the rule on transporting the fuel known as LNG kept railroads from shipping it. The Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration says no one has ever even ordered one of the specially fortified rail cars that would have been required to ship LNG, and several hundred of those cars that would each take at least 18 months to build would likely be needed to make the idea viable.”

Law360: Willow Backers Urge Judge To Reject Enviros’ Challenges 
Tom Lotshaw, 8/31/23

“ConocoPhillips and supporters of its Willow project told an Alaska federal judge there’s no reason for conservation groups to succeed in their attempts to overturn Bureau of Land Management approvals for the massive arctic oil and gas development,” Law360 reports. “In a string of separate filings on Wednesday, ConocoPhillips, the state of Alaska, the North Slope Borough and two Alaska Native corporations all took turns defending BLM’s challenged reviews and approvals for Willow and explaining why the project should proceed. Willow will more than triple National Petroleum Reserve production through the development of nearly 600 million barrels of oil, they said, advancing domestic energy goals, providing a critical economic boost for residents of a remote area and adequately safeguarding subsistence land uses and the environment. ‘Plaintiffs believe that all oil and gas should be kept in the ground, and therefore that Willow cannot be constructed,’ ConocoPhillips said in its response to conservation groups’ motions for summary judgment.”

STATE UPDATES

Press release: State of California becomes the largest economy to endorse the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty 
9/1/23

“In a historic move, the resolution calling on the State of California to endorse the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty passed today the final vote in the State Assembly, making California the largest global economy to support the proposal. Facing big opposition from oil & gas lobbyists and 40 industry groups, who joined forces in an attempt to block it, the proposal was backed by a majority of 43 votes. The SJR 2 resolution was introduced by California Senate Majority Whip Senator Lena A. Gonzalez, and co-sponsored by Indigenous Environmental Network, Stand.earth, and SAFE Cities. The resolution calls on President Biden to support Pacific nations moving ahead with seeking a negotiating mandate for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Solidifying its commitment to combating the ongoing climate crisis, the State of California now joins over 100 other governments from around the world in a global effort to make the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal a reality. From the bloc of six Pacific Island Nations – Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Fiji, Niue and the Solomon Islands – to the European Parliament and the Hawai’i State Legislature. The Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal is gaining significant momentum across the world and across sectors of society, being supported by the World Health Organization, near 100 cities, 2,500+ civil society organizations, and over half a million individuals, including Nobel Laureates, 3,000 leading academics, scientists, hundreds of Indigenous, health, youth and faith groups, celebrities and influencers who understand the imperative of this crucial crusade. California Senate Majority Whip Senator Lena A Gonzalez (D – Long Beach), said: “It is essential that we commit once and for all to ending our reliance on fossil fuels. People around the world, especially low-income people of color, are suffering the adverse health impacts of fossil fuel pollution, from asthma to cancer…It is time for our nation to be a part of the solution, to forge strong unity and commitment to phasing out the use of fossil fuels.”

EXTRACTION

Reuters: Canada oil sands carbon capture project struggles to get key contract
Steve Scherer, 9/5/23

“Canada is struggling to get a key tool in place for major carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, said a representative of one of the largest such ventures, as the country seeks to launch incentives vital to cutting emissions from Alberta’s oil sands,” Reuters reports. “A government fund has told the Pathways Alliance, comprised of the six largest oil and gas producers in Canada, that their project is too large and too risky for a contract for difference, a tool which would lock in future carbon credit prices, the representative told Reuters… “Pathways is still in talks with the government to set up such a contract, though probably not through the C$15 billion ($11 billion) Canada Growth Fund – a body set up last year by the Finance Ministry to help attract private investment in clean tech by mitigating financing risks – the representative told Reuters… “The government has told Pathways that the Growth Fund may not be equipped to handle some projects, the Pathways representative who asked not to be named told Reuters.”

Bloomberg: Startup Pushing Green Natural Gas Label Shakes Up Leadership, Strategy
Jennifer A Dlouhy, 8/29/23

“A Colorado startup that led a push to help companies market their natural gas as more environmentally friendly is shuffling leaders and shifting its business strategy amid questions about the role of so-called responsibly sourced gas,” Bloomberg reports. “Project Canary, the Denver-based company that had signed up customers including Chevron Corp. and Southwestern Energy Co., is now being led by co-CEOs Tim Romer and Will Foiles, according to a statement from a Project Canary spokesman. Longtime CEO Chris Romer left the post and became executive chairman of Project Canary’s board, the spokesman said. The personnel shift comes as Project Canary focuses more squarely on measuring and interpreting data about methane leaks and other emissions at oil and gas operations rather than its proprietary ratings of environmental performance at individual sites… “But climate activists argue that lax certification programs are tantamount to greenwashing, potentially giving false assurances to gas buyers and prolonging demand for the fossil fuel without driving significant environmental gains. Environmentalists have singled out Project Canary for extra scrutiny over a corporate structure they said blends methane measurement and certification, while other auditors rely on third-party data. The advocacy groups Earthworks and Oil Change International issued a report earlier this year describing potential conflicts of interest as well as discrepancies between data reported by the firm and what they appeared to detect using optical gas imaging at some sites.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

InsideClimate News: Activists Crash Powerful Economic Symposium in Jackson Hole as Climate Protests and Responses to Them Escalate
Keerti Gopal, 8/30/23

“Climate activists targeted one of the world’s most important economic symposiums last week, urging finance experts and regulators to take the devastating impacts of continued fossil fuel investments seriously,” InsideClimate News reports. “About 10 activists with Climate Defiance, a new youth-led organization dedicated to resisting fossil fuels through non-violent direct action, attempted to crash an event at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium—an annual gathering of some of the world’s top economists, central bankers and policymakers—on Thursday, Aug. 24. They were met with violence from security, who forcibly tackled three protesters and held them to the ground.  The action was one of several at the symposium by activists who throughout the weekend demanded that U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell and other international finance leaders address climate change and the escalating risks of fossil fuel investments. “It’s beyond shocking that a body like the Federal Reserve, whose stated mandate is ensuring stability, is totally MIA on the greatest destabilizing force of our time,” Michael Greenberg, co-founder of Climate Defiance, told ICN. “We turned up to Jackson Hole to protest their inaction and demand that they act in the boldness that we know we desperately need.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

New York Times: Leaked Recording of U.A.E. Officials Reveals the Nation’s Concern Over Its Public Image
Hiroko Tabuchi, 9/1/23

“When the United Arab Emirates hosts this year’s United Nations climate summit, it will elevate the Gulf nation’s global profile. But the conference is also inviting scrutiny of the Emirates’ record on human rights as well as its position as a leading oil producer,” the New York Times reports. “A leaked recording of a February meeting between representatives from the United Arab Emirates and summit organizers provides a candid look at their efforts to respond to the criticism. It also highlights the authoritarian state’s focus on its image, managed through contracts with public relations companies, lobbyists and social media specialists around the world. Hosting the global summit, known as COP28, had given rise to unwelcome questions about the Emirates’ human rights record and “alarm bells started going off,” one Emirati official, who identified herself as head of the human rights office at the presidential court, told the gathering. Taped in its entirety by a participant, the recording was obtained by the Centre for Climate Reporting, a London-based nonprofit organization, and shared with the The New York Times. The Times verified the recording with the person who made it, who asked to remain anonymous out of concerns about retaliation. One participant during the 30-minute meeting, who identified herself as Sconaid McGeachin, the communications director for the climate summit, said the Emirates needed a strategy to fend off critics. “COPs have evolved, obviously, over time. Now they’re an outlet for activism and for youth activism,” said Ms. McGeachin, a public relations specialist who was hired by the Emirates. “They will use this opportunity to attack the U.A.E. We need to preserve the reputation of the U.A.E., to look at how we can protect that and enhance its reputation, and to try and minimize those attacks as much as possible.” “…The biggest concerns that came out were all associated with human rights,” including freedom of speech, the right to protest and L.G.B.T.Q.+ issues, Ms. McGeachin told the gathering. Queer people can face severe discrimination in the Emirates, and the state’s vague laws — such as those that punish “promoting sin” or violating “public morals” — could be wielded against them, human rights groups warn. Ms. McGeachin added that organizers should try to blunt the criticism by reaching out to human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which have been critical of the Emirates’ record of abuses. “We need to demonstrate that, and we need to be seen to be engaging all stakeholders,” she said.

OPINION

Marshall Independent: Two sides to every pipeline
Anita Vogel is a resident of Redwood County, 9/5/23

“Whether you are for or against Summit Carbon Solution’s (SCS) proposed carbon capture pipeline, that is your prerogative. I am not sharing this to stir up controversy, but after what happened to my parents and my family, I felt it my civic duty to be more informed,” Anita Vogel writes for the Marshall Independent. “…I’ve personally attended multiple Summit Carbon Solutions meetings, landowner meetings, Lamberton community meetings, and listened to Chamber of Commerce and Public Utilities hearings trying to understand all angles. My biggest takeaways from sitting at the table with Summit (SCS): The 45Q tax credit (the tax program that makes this a profitable business venture for SCS) expires in 12 years, pipeline infrastructure lasts roughly 20-25 years, and these easements are for eternity. Why does SCS need an easement that outlasts the project?… “This pipeline is not for the common good. It won’t bring heat, water, or electricity to your home. This hazardous CO2 pipeline must be pressured at three times the rate of a natural gas pipeline (1,200-2,800 psi)… “SCS has failed to prove that it would not negatively impact residents, wildlife, water, and the environment… “Where is SCS going to get all of the water they need to make this project work?… “There is absolutely no hurry to sign anything. Nothing is wrong with waiting. You have no obligation to speak to SCS. Rash decisions can lead to lifetime regret. I recently spoke with Kerri Zimmermann whose family signed an easement last year. Kerri stated, “I feel victimized and taken advantage of by Summit.” She stated, “I had just undergone a procedure due to cancer during that time and was under duress.” Kerri’s testimony, my family’s bad experience with SCS, and the countless others who have been pressured by Summit to sign an easement are the reasons I am voicing my concern so others are not taken advantage of.”

Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Carbon Capture: The POET Perspective
Jeff Lautt, President and COO of POET, 9/5/23

“As landowners, communities, policymakers, and regulators consider South Dakota’s future and whether carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) will have a positive impact on that future, much has been said about the biofuels industry,” Jeff Lautt writes for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. “As President and COO of POET, the world’s largest biofuels company that pioneered the industry across the Midwest and placed our headquarters here in South Dakota, the time seems right to weigh in on what’s been said and what our vision is for the future of the bioeconomy… “Today, some consider CO2 a useless byproduct. But that’s shortsighted… “Regardless of anyone’s personal political views or thoughts on climate change, the marketplace is demanding lower carbon energy, including biofuels, and POET must adapt to stay competitive… “Some protest that new energy technologies should be able to take off on their own, immediately, but that’s not been how we’ve developed successful energy innovation in the past… “Expanding new markets for bioproducts like CO2 will keep bioethanol production competitive and in turn will also help maintain steady demand for local grain and keep abundant supplies of feed available for years to come. But if we settle for the status quo in South Dakota while other states like Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio move forward with carbon capture by approving pipelines or utilizing suitable geology to sequester onsite, we’ll be left behind… “Finally, it’s important to note that POET takes our responsibility to be good neighbors and stewards of the land seriously and believes all property owners should be treated fairly and respectfully. We support the private property rights of landowners, but we also want to protect the opportunity for those who wish to participate in CCUS projects Our hope is that Navigator will achieve their goal of reaching voluntary terms with all landowners and can avoid the use of eminent domain altogether.”

La Crosse Tribune: Michelle Johnson: Line 5 pipeline supports jobs, provides energy for Wisconsinites
Michelle Johnson, Superior, 9/5/23

“A letter about the Line 5 pipeline (“Benefits of Line 5 pipeline are overstated,” Opinoin, Aug. 31) contains several errors about the project. Readers will benefit from a complete picture of what’s at stake for Wisconsin residents who rely on the pipeline every day,” Michelle Johnson writes for the La Crosse Tribune. “The writer overlooks that natural gas liquids are carried on Line 5, which is the raw material from which propane is extracted… “Regarding Enbridge and the Bad River Band, in 1992 we entered into a 50-year agreement with the Band, allowing Line 5 to operate on the Reservation until 2043. Enbridge does not agree with the trespass ruling and is appealing the court’s decision… “We are working diligently to obtain the permits needed to reroute the pipeline off the Reservation (applied in 2020). We don’t intend to operate on the Bad River Reservation a day longer than it takes to obtain the permits and complete the project… “In fact, $46 million will be spent contracting with Native-owned businesses, in Tribal communities, and on training and hiring Native American workers — who will be at least 10% of the project’s direct workforce.”

Peoples Democracy: The many colours of hydrogen and the scam of carbon capture
Prabir Purkayastha, 9/4/23

“The fossil fuel industry, particularly the oil and natural gas lobby, always has new cards,” Prabir Purkayastha writes for Peoples Democracy. “…There is a second carbon con that is being pushed by the fossil fuel industry, particularly the oil and natural gas companies. As we know, hydrogen, when burned, produces energy, water and no greenhouse gases. So hydrogen can be a clean fuel for the future. So why is hydrogen being branded as green, blue, brown and grey hydrogen? The dirty secret of the oil industry is that it wants to use natural gas as long as possible, using it to produce hydrogen, which can be “branded” as nature-friendly. It leaves out that producing hydrogen as fuel from natural gas will also lead to large amounts of carbon emissions. Enter the various colours of hydrogen: green, blue or grey hydrogen… “So why is carbon capture being offered as a solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions?… “Adding carbon capture for producing electricity from fossil fuels is not economically viable, not at scale, or for the magnitude of the problem we face today… “It is also a part of the U.S. political scene where the oil and gas industry is pushing for continued use of fossil fuels and finds carbon capture technologies as a means of getting free federal funds. Promise carbon capture, get federal money for underwriting carbon capture costs, use it to enhance oil recovery from oil wells, and continue burning fossil fuels, irrespective of whether carbon capture as a technology is economically viable or not… “This is the same game that the oil monopolies are playing today as well. The new game is called carbon capture, knowing full well that anything other than biologically capturing carbon is simply not techno-economically viable. The name of the scam might have changed, but the scamsters remain the same.”

Washington Post: A new tool in the fight to save the planet? A 6th-century Roman doctrine.
Bina Venkataraman and Amanda Shendruk, 9/1/23

“A decade ago, the idea of young people suing their governments for failing to act on climate change seemed naive. How would they prove in court that planetary warming was harming them or would harm them in the future? Even if they did, could they show that forcing one state to curb greenhouse gas pollution would spare them harm from global climate change?” Bina Venkataraman and Amanda Shendruk write for the Washington Post. “And there was another, more fundamental question: Does government sanction of fossil fuel projects abridge young people’s constitutional rights — whether to life, liberty and happiness or to a healthy environment? Especially in the United States, the notion that teenagers might ever win such cases seemed a pipe dream. A Montana court decision has suddenly made it a reality. The unprecedented ruling for Montana youth ages 5 to 22 — including a rancher’s daughter, a fly fisherman, hunters and a Salish woman whose tribal land is threatened by wildfire — must survive an appeal to the state Supreme Court. But already it gives weight to an aspiration of young people worldwide to use the courts to force governments to address climate change… “If judges elsewhere adopt the Montana judge’s reasoning, citizens could force lawmakers to finally enact better climate policy. And if this becomes a significant trend, future generations might exert greater power over political decisions of all kinds… “Recent court decisions in the Netherlands, Pakistan and Colombia have also asserted the rights of young people and future generations to a safe planet. And the concept will soon be tested again in the United States. In a case set for trial next year, young climate activists in Hawaii are pushing to make their state’s transportation investments more climate-friendly. And a 2015 case against the U.S. federal government, also brought by young activists, was approved for trial in June.”

Ted Glick: September 17th: The Power of Broadly-Based Unity
Ted Glick has been a progressive activist, organizer and writer since 1968, 9/2/23

“Three weeks ago there were 370 organizations which had endorsed the March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City on September 17. Today, there are about 530,” Ted Glick writes. “…In addition, in New York City, there are nonviolent direct actions from September 12-15 and on September 18-19 being organized at the headquarters of fossil fuel companies and the banks and other corporations which prop them up… “But the most important reason for these exciting and historic developments is the skillful and dedicated organizing of many people and organizations, grounded in many years of collective experience, including effective unity-building among a broad cross-section of movements. Because of this collective movement experience the lead organizers had the wisdom to strengthen the demands of the march a couple of weeks ago, adding a fourth demand calling for “a just transition to a renewable energy future that generates millions of jobs while supporting workers’ and community rights, job security and employment equity.” They also strengthened the environmental justice language of the march, adding: “Our renewable energy future must not repeat the violence of the extractive past. Justice must ground the transition off fossil fuels to redress the climate, colonialist, racist, socioeconomic and ecological injustices of the fossil fuel era.” As I write there are two weeks left until the big September 17 day. That’s a lot of time for many more people to learn about and plan to attend the actions in NYC and around the world. More groups should be endorsing. More of us should be making phone calls and talking up September 17th. More of us should be checking out the plans for nonviolent direct action in NYC September 12-19. It’s an all hands on deck moment for our severely wounded earth, its many struggling peoples and our children and grandchildren, born and unborn. It’s rise up time.”