Message From the Editor

As the Democratic presidential candidates were gathering for a debate in Houston on Thursday, Greenpeace activists were rappelling off a bridge [[link removed]] over the city’s ship channel, blocking vessel traffic all the way to Galveston. Their aim? Shutting down this essential U.S. artery that exports fossil fuels to the world.

In neighboring Louisiana, Julie Dermansky has stunning drone footage of a fracked gas well that suffered a blowout and has been burning for more than two weeks. State officials, which have minimized concerns about air pollution, predict the well will continue burning for the next month [[link removed]].

Meanwhile, Consumer Reports says the annual fees many states have slapped on electric car owners are unfair compared to the gas taxes paid by gas-guzzlers. Ben Jervey has the story of the corporate influence behind these punishing fees [[link removed]].

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: [[email protected]].

Thanks,

Brendan DeMelle

Executive Director

P.S. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook [[link removed]], Twitter [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]] to get the latest updates from DeSmog.

Greenpeace Shuts Down Houston Ship Channel to Protest Oil Exports as Democratic Candidates Arrive in Texas for Debate [[link removed]]—By Sharon Kelly (9 min. read) —

Today, as Democratic presidential contenders arrive for a major debate this evening in Houston, 22 activists from Greenpeace sought to shut down what they called the country’s “largest fossil fuel thoroughfare,” the Houston Ship Channel, by rappelling from the Fred Hartman Bridge in Baytown, Texas.

Greenpeace said the rappellers plan to stay in place for 24 hours, through tonight’s Democratic debates.

READ MORE [[link removed]] Fracked Gas Well Blowout in Louisiana Likely to Burn for the Next Month [[link removed]]— By Julie Dermansky (8 min. read) —

A fracked natural gas well in northwest Louisiana has been burning for two weeks after suffering a blowout. A state official said the fire will likely burn for the next month before the flames can be brought under control by drilling a relief well.

DeSmog obtained drone video footage shot 13 days after the blowout, which occurred early in the morning on August 30, the day after the well was hydraulically fractured. A tower of flames reportedly shot into the air that could be seen from more than 30 miles away. While the flames are no longer as intense, the fire is still visible from a distance of more than a mile. GEP Haynesville, LLC, the well’s operator, told local ABC affiliate KPVI that the fire started during flow-back operations, but the exact cause has not been determined yet.

READ MORE [[link removed]] Fees on Electric Cars, Inspired by Koch Network, Are Unfairly Penalizing Drivers, Says Consumer Reports [[link removed]]— By Ben Jervey (6 min. read) —

Drivers of electric cars are being unfairly punished by punitive fees in several states, according to a newly published analysis by Consumer Reports. Legislators in 26 states have enacted or proposed special registration fees for electric vehicles (EVs) that the consumer advocacy group found to be more expensive than the gas taxes paid by the driver of an average new gasoline vehicle.

These punitive EV fees have been pushed in many states by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the corporate-funded group which produces model legislation and voted on a model resolution supporting “equal tax treatment for all vehicles” — a move that bears the fingerprints of the fossil fueled–Koch network.

READ MORE [[link removed]] Key Facts About the New EPA Plan to Reverse the Obama-era Methane Leaks Rule [[link removed]]— By Dana Nuccitelli, Yale Climate Connections (5 min. read) —

President Trump’s EPA is moving to roll back 2016 Obama administration methane leak regulations for key parts of the oil and gas industry, another example of what seems an across-the-board repudiation of Obama-era environmental and climate change initiatives. The new proposal, if made final, is certain to face legal challenges, with its ultimate fate perhaps being decided only by the administration in office in 2021.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in late August signed and later announced a proposed rule that would significantly weaken the methane leak reporting regulations. The proposed approach generally would allow transmission and storage sectors of the industry to self-regulate and self-report leaks of the highly-potent greenhouse gas.

READ MORE [[link removed]] NOAA Directed Staffers Not to Contradict Trump on Misleading Dorian Claims [[link removed]]— By Olivia Rosane, EcoWatch (4 min. read) —

Can the U.S. under President Donald Trump still trust government-issued weather reports?

That's the question at the heart of a Saturday report from The Washington Post that leadership at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) directed staff not to contradict Trump's claims that Hurricane Dorian would impact Alabama.

READ MORE [[link removed]] From the Climate Disinformation Database: William Happer [[link removed]]

William Happer [[link removed]] is a professor of physics at Princeton University, who has downplayed the role of humans in causing global warming. He founded the CO2 Coalition [[link removed]], a group that promotes the “important contribution” of CO2 and fossil fuels to humankind. Happer served on President Trump’s National Security Council from 2018 until September 2019, when he reportedly left after failing to convince the president to review mainstream research on climate change. Happer has accepted thousands of dollars in funding from the fossil fuel industry in the past and has likened attacks on CO2 from fossil fuels to the “demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler.”

Read the full profile [[link removed]] and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database [[link removed]] or our new Koch Network Database. [[link removed]]

Unsubscribe [link removed]