A new report published by Earthworks and Oil Change International reveals that fossil fuel companies' claims of reduced methane emissions rely
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Report finds industry-operated methane monitors miss most pollution events
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Thursday, June 20, 2024
Methane flaring in West Texas. Photo: Jonathan Cutrer, CC-BY 2.0 ([link removed])
A new report published by Earthworks and Oil Change International reveals ([link removed]) that fossil fuel companies' claims of reduced methane emissions rely on unreliable technology that regularly fails to detect pollution events. The Certified Gaslighting ([link removed]) report found that methane emissions monitors operated by third-party gas certification companies only picked up one of the 23 pollution events detected by Earthworks, and “continuous” emissions monitors were offline over 25 percent of the time.
Gas certification is a method for oil and gas companies to use third-party technology to prove a reduction in methane pollution, thereby claiming a “responsibly sourced” or “next-gen” product. “Our research reveals these certification scams are deceptive, enabling gas companies to expand under the false pretense of emission reductions. This greenwashing scam must end so we can focus on what's urgently needed—phasing out oil and gas,” said Oil Change International research director Lorne Stockman ([link removed]) .
The report recommends ([link removed]) that state and federal regulators be extremely skeptical of certification claims and that certification should not be used instead of real oversight and regulations that prioritize the health and safety of communities.
US acknowledges harm to Tribes from Pacific Northwest dams
On Tuesday, the US government acknowledged ([link removed]) the harm it has caused Tribes over the past century by building and operating dams in the Pacific Northwest. A new report from the Department of the Interior ([link removed]) shows how the dams flooded Tribal villages and decimated their salmon runs while bringing electricity, irrigation, and jobs to other communities. Along with the report, the Biden administration announced a new task force to coordinate salmon recovery across federal agencies. “The salmon themselves have been suffering the consequences since the dams first were put in,” said Shannon Wheeler ([link removed]) , chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe. “The lack of salmon eventually starts affecting us, but they’re the ones who have been suffering the longest.”
** Quick hits
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Wyoming and Utah sue feds to halt Public Lands Rule
WyoFile ([link removed])
Biden admin swears in first members of American Climate Corps
E&E News ([link removed]) | NBC News ([link removed])
Editorial: Dolores monument proposal depends on compromise
The Journal ([link removed])
US acknowledges harm to Tribes from Pacific Northwest dams
Associated Press ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | Spokesman-Review ([link removed]) | White House ([link removed]) [press release]
Plans to build more roads on public lands will help disabled Americans, Mike Lee says. Disabled hikers disagree
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
Wyoming county rejects billionaire's request to scrub wildlife rules, slowing upscale resort
WyoFile ([link removed])
Opinion: Timed-entry passes prevent national parks from being loved to death
Washington Post ([link removed])
Western wildfires and sprawl spread
The Land Desk ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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”
Progress is being made in civil, fact-based conversations among advocates, ranchers, miners, and locals who share the sense that the beloved Dolores River and its canyons, brimming with biodiversity, are worthy of protection. Threats to this sensitive, exquisite nature are very real, as more people discover it. Anyone who has spent time on the river under red-rock walls knows the magnificence of this place gets inside of you. It’s not a landscape you forget.”
—The Journal Editorial Board ([link removed])
** Picture This
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[link removed]
@petroglyphnps ([link removed])
Did you know that June 17-23 is National Pollinator Week? Hummingbirds are one of the pollinators that are found here at the monument. Can you name any others?
NPS Photo / Dan Leifheit
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