In a recent diary of mine, I was asked by a fellow Kossack if I ever had any good news to share about the climate. Of course, I had to fess up, so I said: “no, not really”. But then I saw this article, and it warmed my sad and depressed heart a bit. So hell yeah, I am sharing some good news.
As we are all abundantly aware, elections have consequences. This time around we elected enough reality-based candidates to take over the House of Representatives. And, this new house is not f@cking around - the shit has begun to hit the fan for the Trump regime. May his treasonous behind be yanked out of the Oval Office immediately.
Finally a small but important respite of frustrating inaction on climate change by the powerful for the green movement. It’s way past time to stop his and their crimes against humanity - ending this madness so we can move forward to rapid decarbonization over the next decade.
Trump’s likely coordination with Putin to steal the US presidential election in 2016 was the promise of a shiny new tower in Moscow for the traitor, and the lifting of oil sanctions on Putin so plans to drill for oil in Siberia (ignoring all scientific warnings that melting permafrost would damage oil infrastructure) could proceed. They both, in their deluded minds believe they can extract enough oil to defeat the war on climate change and have enough blood money to get through the end times.
Not convinced?
Let the new chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee put the issue in perspective. The congresswoman makes some excellent points. His treason and espionage have always been about the oil.
x xYouTube VideoThe New York Times reports on the rise of carbon emissions since Trump took office despite record coal plant closings.
WASHINGTON — America’s carbon dioxide emissions rose by 3.4 percent in 2018, the biggest increase in eight years, according to a preliminary estimate published Tuesday.
Strikingly, the sharp uptick in emissions occurred even as a near-record number of coal plants around the United States retired last year, illustrating how difficult it could be for the country to make further progress on climate change in the years to come, particularly as the Trump administration pushes to roll back federal regulations that limit greenhouse gas emissions.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an industrial disaster that began on 20 April 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect, considered to be the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry and estimated to be 8% to 31% larger in volume than the previously largest, the Ixtoc I oil spill, also in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. government estimated the total discharge at 4.9 million barrels. wiki. Image courtesy of The Rising.Democrats are fighting back, particularly when it comes to oil drilling in our oceans. This is what it means to take action to keep the worlds fossil fuels in the ground - before our future gets any worse because of his foolishness.
The Trump administration wants to drill every inch of ocean it can. But on Tuesday, representatives in the Democratically-controlled House introduced a number of bills that would block the administration’s plans. The bills cover all different parts of the coast and include a number of Republican co-sponsors from coastal states, underscoring just how unpopular the whole offshore drilling thing is.
Seven Democrats introduced a swath of different bills that would collectively protect every inch of coastline the U.S. has, including the Arctic, from drilling for oil and gas. The bills are sponsored by members of Congress who have been around awhile like Frank Pallone, Kathy Castor, Jared Huffman, and David Cicilline as well as a newcomer in Joe Cunningham who won his Republican-leaning South Carolina district campaigning heavily on his ocean science credentials and desire to ban offshore drilling.
snip
The flurry of legislation at the start of the new Congress reflects the priorities of a Democratic House to check the Trump administration, combat climate change, and implement the will of the people. Offshore drilling remains unpopular across the nation, particularly in coastal areas. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center poll, Americans disapprove of drilling 51-42 percent, and the gap grows to 56-34 percent within 25 miles of the coast (7 and 10 percent didn’t know their opinion, respectively).
Companies also aren’t buying what the Trump administration is selling, with lease auctions that have turned out to be big flops compared to what the administration expected. Now offshore wind, on the other hand, has been a whole different ball game.
With GOP control of the Senate, nothing will get past them or Trump for immediate implementation. But once the blue wave crashes on the GOP yet again in 2020, we can implement critical climate policies right out of the gate and eliminate his pro-death agenda from wreaking any more havoc to the extremely fragile climate system.
The United States should be a global leader in winding down fossil fuel use and production. Instead, the U.S. oil and gas industry is gearing up to unleash the largest burst of new carbon emissions in the world between now and 2050. At precisely the time in which the world must begin rapidly decarbonizing to avoid runaway climate disaster, the United States is moving further and faster than any other country to expand oil and gas extraction.
Key findings include:
Unprecedented Oil & Gas Expansion: Between 2018 and 2050, U.S. drilling into new oil and gas reserves could unlock 120 billion metric tons of new carbon pollution, which is equivalent to the lifetime CO2 emissions of nearly 1,000 coal-fired power plants. If not curtailed, U.S. oil and gas expansion will impede the rest of the world’s ability to manage a climate-safe, equitable decline of oil and gas production. Expansion Hot Spots: Some 90% of U.S. drilling into new oil and gas reserves through 2050 would depend on fracking; nearly 60% of the carbon emissions enabled by new U.S. drilling would come from the epicenters of fracking – the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico and the Appalachian Basin across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Coal – Too Much Already: Given U.S. coal mining should be phased out by 2030 or sooner if the world is to equitably achieve the Paris Agreement goals, at least 70% of the coal in existing U.S. mines should stay in the ground.These findings show that leadership is urgently needed towards a U.S. fossil fuel phase-out that aligns with climate limits, takes care of workers and communities on its front lines, and builds a more healthy and just economy for all in the process.
Key recommendations for what U.S. policymakers must do to show real climate leadership:
Ban new leases or permits for new fossil fuel exploration, production, and infrastructure; Plan for the phase-out of existing fossil fuel projects in a way that prioritizes environmental justice; End subsidies and other public finance for the fossil fuel industry; Champion a Green New Deal that ensures a just transition to 100 percent renewable energy; and Reject the influence of fossil fuel money over U.S. energy policy.