Previous Fossil Fuel News 2023
‘Insanity’: petrostates planning huge expansion of fossil fuels, says UN report 11-08-23
Plans by nations including Saudi Arabia, the US and UAE would blow climate targets and ‘throw humanity’s future into question’ Read more
As Climate Talks Near, Calls Mount for a ‘Phaseout’ of Fossil Fuels 11-02-23
With UN climate negotiations set for next month, a growing number of nations and business leaders are calling for a phaseout of fossil fuels. But with major fossil fuel expansion projects moving ahead around the globe, advocates of strong action face a daunting challenge. Read more
Landfills in Washington and Oregon leaked ‘explosive’ levels of methane last year 10-26-23
EPA inspection reports find methane exceedances are more common than operators say. Read more
One key step in the energy transition? No new gas lines. 10-18-23
Banning gas lines is one of more than 80 recommendations in a sweeping new report on how to speed up decarbonization in the U.S. Read more
Scientists lay out a sweeping roadmap for transitioning the US off fossil fuels 10-17-23
A 600-plus-page report from the National Academies of Science includes 80 recommendations for how the U.S. can achieve its target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
The next front in the climate fight: U.S. exports of natural gas 10-17-23
Approval of new gas export terminals will lock in greenhouse gas emissions for decades, say activists, who are pressing Biden to halt these projects Read more
Company drops plan for gas power plant in polluted New Jersey area 10-12-23
Opponents of a natural gas-fired power plant planned for an already polluted low-income area in New Jersey celebrated Thursday after hearing the company that proposed the project no longer plans to build it, citing low energy prices. Read more
Fossil Fuel Companies Are Taking Private Land—and Landowners Are Fighting Back 10-10-23
Three families are taking on the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and environmental concerns have nothing to do with it.
Pope Francis calls for rapid decarbonization, ‘abandonment of fossil fuels’ 10-04-23
The pontiff’s latest decree urges Western countries to do more to avert climate disaster. Read more
The End of Coal Culture 10-04-23
The fossil fuel defined economies and local traditions. What happens when it goes away? Read more
‘Monster Fracks’ Are Getting Far Bigger. And Far Thirstier. 09-25-23
Giant new oil and gas wells that require astonishing volumes of water to fracture bedrock are threatening America’s fragile aquifers. Read more
Pro-fracking public comments in Ohio stem from ‘misleading’ ads 09-19-23
In July, Ohio regulators received nearly 2,000 public comments that implored them to allow fracking in state parks, saying it would address soaring energy prices. Read more
Tens of thousands march to kick off climate summit, demanding end to warming-causing fossil fuels 09-17-23
Yelling that the future and their lives depend on ending fossil fuels, tens of thousands of protesters on Sunday kicked off a week where leaders will try once again to curb climate change primarily caused by coal, oil and natural gas. Read more
Biden bars oil drilling across a wide swath of Alaska’s Arctic 09-06-23
The moves would cancel Trump-era oil leases in ANWR and protect millions of acres on the North Slope from drilling. Read more
Does anyone care about the study linking Pa. fracking to cancer in kids? 08-24-23
An overdue Pa. study showed alarming links between fracking and lymphoma in kids, increased asthma. Why the tepid response? Read more
Inside Pennsylvania’s monitoring of the Shell petrochemical complex 08-08-23
Hundreds of documents show that Shell’s cracker plant has been troubled since the day it opened, and Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection has struggled to keep up. Read more
One Person Stopped California’s Divestment From Fossil Fuels — Again 08-07-23
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor refused to take up the bill in a committee, for the second year in a row, as divestment movement grows. Read more
‘Death stars on sinking land’: How liquefied natural gas took over the Gulf Coast 08-02-23
The U.S. is now the world’s top exporter of LNG. Towns in southern Louisiana are paying the price. Read more
Should hospitals be next to divest from fossil fuels? 07-31-23
Universities, foundations and the Church of England already made the move. Read more
A Pipeline to Nowhere 07-17-23
There’s an enormously significant matter of energy policy playing out at the highest levels of both the North Carolina and federal governments, and chances are good you’ve never even heard of it. Read more
‘Double agents’: fossil-fuel lobbyists work for US groups trying to fight climate crisis 07-05-23
Exclusive: new database shows 1,500 US lobbyists working for fossil-fuel firms while representing universities and green groups. Read more
Federally-funded carbon waste disposal projects ignite opposition 06-21-23
The so-called “Louisiana Offshore CO2 Hub” project received $8.4 million from the Biden Administration on May 22. Read more
Closing the coal ash loophole 06-20-23
Over half the nation’s coal ash sites are unregulated. If a new EPA proposal closes the loophole, what comes next for communities who live with them? Read more
The Hidden Cost of Gasoline 06-14-23
Gas stations caused a $20 billion toxic mess — and it’s not going away. Read more
Climate advocates protest Mountain Valley Pipeline outside White House 06-08-23
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) joined hundreds of protesters Thursday to demand leaders act with the urgency the climate crisis demands. Read more
Study: A third of the West’s burned forests can be traced to fossil fuel companies 05-16-23
The research could advance court cases seeking to hold polluters accountable for climate-fueled disasters. Read more
Lawsuit: Oil and gas pollution violates New Mexico’s constitution 05-12-23
“Schools are surrounded by oil and gas wells and fracking sites.” Read more
Shell chemical plant that burned near Houston had a record of nearly 2,000 violations 05-09-23
The Shell chemical plant east of Houston that caught fire on Friday had a record of 1,946 environmental violations over the past decade, according to state records. Read more
El Paso charter fight tests whether a Texas city will move away from fossil fuels 04-08-23
Climate activists have turned to local initiatives to rein in carbon emissions, including a May special election in El Paso. Read more
From peak to plummet in 15 years: Coal continues its precipitous decline 04-04-23
“This is not an economic cycle that is simply going to go away. It is a real phaseout across the industry of the use of coal.” Read more
California takes the lead on curbing Big Oil price gouging 04-03-23
The state’s pioneering law could set limits on the industry’s profits, and impose fines on those that exceed Read more
Big oil on campus: how US universities are ‘colonized’ by the fossil-fuel industry 03-27-23
Students at Princeton describe unease that Exxon employee had an office on campus, while dozens of universities have big oil links. Read more
Why seniors are blocking entrances to the four largest U.S. banks 03-21-23
Today, climate activists are protesting big banks that finance fossil fuels Read more
Biden Approves ConocoPhillips’ Massive Oil Drilling Project in the Alaskan Arctic 03-14-23
Despite the administration’s announcement of new protections for other North Slope and coastal areas of the state, environmentalists roundly criticized Monday’s decision. Read more
Biden will approve Alaska oil project, alongside Arctic protections 03-12-23
The administration will approve three pads for the Willow drilling project, according to people familiar with the matter. The move comes after announcing a new ban on U.S. oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Ocean. Read more
Big Oil’s trade group allies way outspend clean energy groups 02-14-23
You’ve probably seen ads promoting gas and oil companies as the solutions to climate change. They’re meant to be inspiring and hopeful, with scenes of a green, clean future. Read more
BP scales back climate targets as profits hit record 02-07-23
Energy giant BP has reported record annual profits as it scaled back plans to reduce the amount of oil and gas it produces by 2030. Read more
What went wrong at Duke Energy? 01-17-23
Last month on Christmas Eve, roughly half a million North Carolinians woke up without electricity. Most received no notice at all – the power just went out. Read more
U.S. emissions rose slightly in 2022. They need to be falling rapidly. 01-10-23
U.S. emissions saw a modest increase in 2022, even as renewables surpassed coal, report says Read more
