California governor Gavin Newsom has signed a raft of new state laws tightening up the rules on waste recycling, strengthening policies it adopted in 2019. (That year it stopped hotels from giving out small plastic bottles for amenities, created a state recycling commission, and extended a recycling loan program till 2031). Some highlights from Megan…
China, Facing Blackouts, Goes ‘All-In’ for Oil, Gas, and Coal
China’s energy production is in turmoil—but probably not because it is cutting back on fossil fuels. Although President Xi has claimed the country will cut back, it hasn’t so far. The causes of the current energy crisis are multiple. Reuters lists some: “China is in the grip of a power crunch as a shortage of…
It’s Official. Google and YouTube Crack Down on Climate Skeptics
“Google and YouTube on Thursday announced a new policy that prohibits climate deniers from being able to monetize their content on its platforms via ads or creator payments.,” writes Sara Fischer on Axios. “It’s one of the most aggressive measures any major tech platform has taken to combat climate change misinformation.” “Google advertisers and publishers,…
People Will Die This Winter. But Don’t Blame the Greens, says Thomas Friedman
Instead, says the New York Times columnist, blame governments for mishandling the switch to renewables.. On the one hand, they are doing the right thing: “phasing out dirtier fuels like coal.” On the other, they are doing it in “totally uncoordinated ways.” He predicts a cold winter with sky-high energy prices, people dying in Europe…
Record Cold in Antarctica. ‘A Mere Blip,’ says the Washington Post
The Washington Post routinely explains surprising weather events as caused by “climate change” (formerly known as global warming). “Hot” events like the California wildfires are blamed on climate change. Similarly, “cold” events like Texas’s 2020 winter freeze are blamed on climate change. But sometimes the cold is just too severe to explain with climate change. Or…
Interior Department Reverses Trump’s ‘Incidental Take’ Deregulation
Should private companies that accidentally kill migratory birds be held criminally responsible? The Trump administration didn’t think so and changed an interpretation of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty that made an unintentional killing of migratory birds a crime. Now the Fish and Wildlife Service is reversing the Trump administration’s decision. The Migratory Bird Treaty was…