Your bi-weekly newsletter for all things climate-related
November 3, 2020
Happy Election Day!
In this issue, a look at election outcome possibilities, how more conservative courts and newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Barrett could affect federal environmental regulation, and discussion of net-zero-emissions goals and our post-pandemic energy future.
And a very exciting announcement: 350 Chicago has officially received 501(c)(3) certification.
- The 350 Chicago Team
Elections Matter: And Voting Matters the Most
Joe Biden faces pressure to move quickly on climate issues if elected to the White House. Source: Greentech Media
Today, the United States wraps up its voting for this election cycle, and then, hopefully, sees an orderly counting of all those votes. While we wait for the final results, let’s peek ahead at possible futures:
If President Trump makes a last-minute comeback and is re-elected, he has basically said America can expect more of the same for the next four years. To really understand what this means, see this interactive piece from The Guardian reviewing 75 different ways the Trump administration has consistently tilted the playing field in favor of fossil fuel companies and other polluters. In the vernacular, the authors of this summary have “brought the receipts.” (Click on any one of orange-numbered topics in the article for greater detail.)
Finally, Democrats in Congress continue to put together legislation that might finally see the light of day if they win control. The latest effort is a House bill that would push expansion of offshore wind and block offshore drilling.
The Environment and the Courts
Regulatory actions at the Federal level have been a crucial tool to advance climate protection goals, and they will remain critical as we move forward. However, industry regularly takes these regulations to court to try to have them reversed in full or in part. Generally, the courts have been supportive of regulatory efforts over the last 20 years, but as more conservative judges are appointed, this support may disappear and even reverse itself. This Inside Climate News piece offers an interesting analysis of the issues, referencing a very important current case in the District Courts related to President Trump’s “Affordable Clean Energy Rule,” his replacement for the Obama “Clean Power Plan” (which was previously blocked by the Supreme Court).
In this light, perhaps the most discouraging words heard in recent weeks are these from Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett during her Senate confirmation hearings:
“You know, I’m certainly not a scientist … I mean, I’ve read things about climate change. I would not say that I have firm views on it.”
SENATOR HARRIS: “And do you believe that climate change is happening and is threatening the air we breathe and the water we drink?”
JUDGE BARRET: “You have asked me a series of questions that are completely uncontroversial...and then trying to analogize that to elicit an opinion from me that is on a very contentious matter of public debate, and I will not do that. I will not express a view on a matter of public policy, especially one that is politically controversial.”
SENATOR HARRIS: “Thank you, Judge Barrett. You’ve made your point clear that you believe it’s a debatable point.”
Yes, indeed – she did make her point clear, using exactly the kind of language heard from climate deniers and skeptics. And Greta Thunberg had a pretty good comeback:
‘To be fair, I don't have any "views on climate change" either. Just like I don't have any "views" on gravity, the fact that the earth is round, photosynthesis nor evolution...But understanding and knowing their existence really makes life in the 21st century so much easier.’
So Barrett’s appointment will present serious headwinds for any Biden administration climate plans (...and a host of other critical progressive issues). In turn, court reform issues are becoming an important topic of discussion. Joe Biden has recently announced that he will, if elected, create a commission to study judicial reform options.
Will Net-Zero Goals Measure Up?
As the global conversation about climate change has grown, so has the number of companies, asset owners, and countries pledging to reduce or eliminate their greenhouse gas emissions. The Japanese government is preparing to announce that it will reach net zero emissions by 2050. Meanwhile, thirty of the world's largest asset owners have promised a 29% cut in emissions over the next four years; rather than divesting, the group plans to pressure companies to lower their emissions.
Can companies really deliver on their lofty net-zero plans? Reports by Oil Change International, Deloitte, and EcoAct question whether they're sufficient, pointing out that major utilities are being slow to produce net-zero plans. Of countries who have put out plans, many ignore relatively easy steps like retiring coal plants or include counterproductive strategies like expanding natural gas use.
Predicting a Post-Pandemic Energy Future
Source: Scoopify.org
On Tuesday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published its annual World Energy Outlook, and instead of toeing the line for fossil fuel conglomerates, as critics have pointed out in years past, the report provided insight into several sustainable development scenarios in which the planet reaches carbon neutrality by 2050. And while 2020 has seen a 7% decline in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, IEA Chief Fatih Birol expressed concern over a post-pandemic rebound of carbon emissions, stating, "Only faster structural changes to the way we produce and consume energy can break the emissions trend for good."
The highly anticipated report also outlines a bright future for solar energy, given the dramatic cost reduction in recent years. According to an analysis by the Carbon Brief, "The IEA’s main scenario has 43% more solar output by 2040 than it expected in 2018, partly due to detailed new analysis showing that solar power is 20-50% cheaper than thought."
Echoing expert opinion, the report also acknowledges the inevitable phasing out of coal, but indicates less certainty about the future of oil. All scenarios modelled by the report's authors anticipate some level of rising demand for oil, given the pace of market driven alternatives and governmental policy. “When I look at the scale of the challenge, I believe governments have a historic task today to facilitate and in some cases directly invest in clean energy infrastructure,” says Birol. These sentiments arrive in the same week Opec expressed optimism about rising global demand for oil beyond 2030. The question seems to be less whether or not oil demand will rise in the years to come, but rather how drastically.
It’s Official: 350 Chicago is a 501(c)(3) Non-profit
In October, Team 350 Chicago received the good news: we have been officially granted 501(c)(3) status by the IRS.
Why is that big deal? Well, the greatest strategic advantage of 501(c)(3) status is the ability to obtain grants from funders to both expand and sustain our climate-advocacy programs and projects. In particular, it provides us an opportunity to hire paid staff members to conduct daily work on our behalf. While we love our volunteers, volunteer members typically have a day job and can only do the work of the organization in their spare time. Paid staff members can concentrate their full workday on doing their job as organizers or fundraisers or executive directors or whatever job might be needed because they are receiving a paycheck to do that work.
Of course, 501(c)(3) status also allows an organization to accept tax-deductible donations, but as most donors already know, 350 Chicago has already been accepting tax-deductible donations through a fiscal sponsorship agreement with our sister chapter 350 Kishwaukee. We would like to take a moment to express our deep gratitude to 350 Kish for that arrangement and their solidarity and support. They have been invaluable to our chapter, helping us grow quickly and extend our outreach to more of the Chicagoland and greater Illinois environmental community. Again, thank you, 350 Kishwaukee!
We look forward to more exciting opportunities ahead and further expanding our ability to champion the fight against fossil fuels and the promotion of 100% clean energy.
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