Burnt building with charred debris in the foreground.

California considers taxing energy companies to fund climate disaster costs

As wildfires continue to rage in Los Angeles, advocates are urging California to adopt a "climate superfund" law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay for climate-related damages, following similar laws in New York and Vermont.

Karen Zraick reports for The New York Times.

In short:

New York and Vermont passed "climate superfund" laws requiring energy companies to pay for climate-related damages, but these laws face legal challenges from the oil industry.
California may revisit a similar bill, as taxpayers currently bear the full cost of wildfires and other climate disasters.
These laws rely on "attribution science," which connects climate damages to specific companies’ emissions.

Key quote:

“Taxpayers are shouldering 100 percent of the burden of climate-fueled disasters.”

— Kassie Siegel, director of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity

Why this matters:

Rising climate costs from disasters like wildfires are straining public resources. Shifting financial responsibility to fossil fuel companies could relieve taxpayers and create incentives to reduce emissions. Legal battles will determine whether these efforts succeed.

www.nytimes.com

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.

a bridge that is lit up at night with wave breaking on a nearby lake shore in foreground.

Credit: Brad Switzer/Unsplash

Tribes exit pipeline negotiations in Michigan over lack of consultation

Seven Indigenous nations in Michigan have walked away from federal talks over a proposed oil pipeline tunnel, citing a lack of meaningful engagement and treaty violations.

Izzy Ross reports for Grist and Interlochen Public Radio.

In short:

The tribes oppose Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project, which would replace part of a 72-year-old pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, a critical freshwater corridor between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
Their withdrawal follows the Army Corps of Engineers’ move to fast-track permitting under President Trump’s energy emergency order, which tribes say dismisses their environmental and legal concerns.
Tribal leaders and legal advocates argue that the project threatens water resources and violates both U.S. treaty obligations and international law requiring Indigenous consent.

Key quote:

“Tribal Nations are no longer willing to expend their time and resources as Cooperating Agencies just so their participation may be used by the Corps to lend credibility to a flawed [Environmental Impact Statement] process and document.”

— Letter from seven Indigenous nations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Why this matters:

Buried beneath the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converge, Line 5 has become a flashpoint in the battle over fossil fuel infrastructure, Indigenous sovereignty, and environmental protection. The aging oil and gas pipeline — operated by Canadian energy giant Enbridge — moves millions of gallons of crude and natural gas liquids daily through a region that holds 20% of the planet’s surface freshwater. A proposed tunnel to house a replacement segment beneath the lakebed has drawn fierce opposition from tribal nations, who warn it risks catastrophic spills and continued desecration of sacred territory.

Read the Full Article on

grist.org

California considers taxing energy companies to fund climate disaster costs

Urban wildfires may expose firefighters to toxic metals like lead and mercury

Tribes exit pipeline negotiations in Michigan over lack of consultation

Dow seeks to replace fossil fuels with nuclear reactors at Texas plastics plant

Global economic losses from climate change may be far worse than predicted, new study warns

DOE drops solar focus in revamp of student building competition

Offshore wind turbines may offer new habitat for key fish species

Texas water fight pits growing cities against each other over groundwater exports

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.