‘Green News Report’ – January 25, 2024

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IN TODAY’S RADIO REPORT: Astonishing record rain and flash flooding cause widespread damage in San Diego; Despite recent cold, Winter overall is getting warmer in the U.S.; Oil giant ExxonMobil sues its own shareholders to block climate initiatives; PLUS: USPS unveils new EV charging stations and delivery vehicles… All that and more in today’s Green News Report!

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IN ‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (see links below): Plastic bag bans have already prevented billions of bags from being used, report finds; Biden vetoes GOP measure to block EV charging stations; Biden pauses LNG approval process; Scientific breakthrough may save northern white rhino through surrogacy; Why the war in Ukraine is bad for climate science… PLUS: Atomic scientists keep ‘Doomsday Clock’ as close to midnight as ever… and much, MUCH more! …

STORIES DISCUSSED ON TODAY’S ‘GREEN NEWS REPORT’…

• San Diego inundated by record rainfall, astonishing flash floods:
• ‘Thousand-year storm’ leaves San Diego reeling from punishing rainfall, floods (LA Times):
  City officials said these extreme circumstances are likely to become a new normal requiring more preparation, coordination and investment. “This is called climate change. It is real, it is happening,” Gloria said, “and we experienced it yesterday in San Diego.”
• VIDEO: Mayor Todd Gloria Talks About Storm Recovery Update (City of San Diego/YouTube)
• San Diego inundated as rains bring city’s wettest January day on record (Washington Post)
• Dangerous ice plagues central, eastern U.S. as South deals with flooding (Washington Post)
• Atmospheric rivers to threaten California, raising flood concerns (Axios)
• Jury slaps PacifiCorp with $85 million verdict for victims of deadly wildfires
• Oregon jury awards $85 million to 9 victims of deadly 2020 wildfires (AP):
  An Oregon jury awarded $85 million Tuesday to nine victims of wildfires that ravaged the state in 2020, the latest verdict in a series of legal proceedings that are expected to put the utility PacifiCorp on the hook for billions of dollars over its liability for the deadly blazes.
• Oregon utility must pay $85 million to homeowners for 2020 fires damage (Axios)
• Despite recent cold, Winter is warming in the U.S.:
• Coldest Days Warming Up (Climate Central):
  Extreme cold events still occur in a warming world, but they’re getting shorter and milder.
• Climate Whiplash: Wild Swings in Extreme Weather Are on the Rise (Yale e360)
• Exxon sues its own shareholders to block climate accountability:
• U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil sues activist investors to prevent climate proposals (CNBC/MSN):
  “With this remarkable step, ExxonMobil clearly wants to prevent shareholders using their rights,” Follow This’ Mark van Baal said in a statement. “Apparently, the board fears shareholders will vote in favour of emissions reductions targets.” He added, “Maybe they see the writing on the wall.”
• Exxon Sues Over Investors’ Climate Proposal (The Hill)
• Exxon Sues to Prevent Climate Proposal From Getting a Shareholder Vote (NY Times):
  The complaint, filed in a U.S. District Court in Texas, said a proposal by activist investors calling for the oil giant to cut emissions faster would not create shareholder value..The proposal “does not seek to improve ExxonMobil’s economic performance or create shareholder value,” Exxon said in the complaint, but is instead “constraining and micromanaging” the company’s operations.
• ExxonMobil’s attempt to silence activist investors should be a warning to shareholders (Guardian)
• VIDEO: Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods on activist pressure (CNBC, 5/14/2021)
• Cummins to pay $1.6 billion in penalties for violating Clean Air Act:
• U.S. engine maker facing largest Clean Air Act penalty ever over emissions test cheating accusations (NBC):
  Engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. has agreed to pay a $1.675 billion penalty for allegedly installing “defeat devices” on approximately 1 million pickup trucks to cheat emissions tests. It’s the largest civil fine ever levied under the Clean Air Act, the Justice Department said Friday.
• Dieselgate 2.0: 600K Ram trucks recalled, Cummins to pay $2 billion (Electrek)
• Engine maker Cummins to repair 600,000 Ram trucks in $2 billion emissions cheating scandal (AP)
• US Postal Service unveils all-electric delivery trucks and EV charging hubs:
• The US Postal Service’s new EV chargers are here (The Verge):
  The US Postal Service debuted its first EV charging stations in Atlanta, Georgia, today, the first of many expected to be deployed at “hundreds” of new sorting and delivery centers this year. It’s a key step in the Postal Service’s plan to put together one of the nation’s biggest EV fleets, made up of more than 66,000 delivery vehicles.
• US Postal Service rolls out first EV charging stations (Electrek)
• The USPS agrees to buy six Canoo LDV electric vans, delivered by April (Ars Technica)

‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (Stuff we didn’t have time for in today’s audio report)…

For a comprehensive roundup of daily environmental news you can trust, see the Society of Environmental Journalists’ Daily Headlines page

• Historic and Devastating Drought in the Amazon Was Caused by Climate Change (Inside Climate News)
• Plastic bag bans have already prevented billions of bags from being used, report finds (Grist)
• Hawaii’s governor hails support for Maui and targets vacation rentals exacerbating housing shortage (AP)
• Biden Vetoes Republican Measure to Block Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (NY Times)
• Atomic Scientists Keep ‘Doomsday Clock’ As Close To Midnight As Ever (Reuters)
• The Big Battle Brewing Over LNG Exports (Canary Media)
• LNG Production Comes With A Price, Gulf Coast Communities Warn (Environmental Health News)
• Brazilian Meat Giant With Mega Emissions Races To Attract US Investors (E&E News)
• Where Groundwater Levels Are Falling, and Rising, Worldwide (NY Times)
• Canada: Coastal GasLink Trial on Hold as Court Probes Police Excessive Force (Inside Climate News)
• Scientific Breakthrough May Save Northern White Rhino Through Surrogacy (Washington Post)
• Tribes, Greens Ask US Court To Block $10B Transmission Project In Arizona (AP)
• Biden Pauses LNG Approval Process (This Is Not Cool blog)
• Why The War In Ukraine Is Bad For Climate Science (NPR)
• Migratory Bird Rule Likely Shelved Until After November Election (Bloomberg)
• How to electrify your life when you rent (The Verge)
• Complete Series: Farmers Under Attack for Supporting Clean Energy (Climate Crocks)
• These are the places most at risk from record-breaking heat waves as the planet warms (CNN)
• Feeling Overwhelmed About Going All-Electric at Home? Here’s How to Get Started (Inside Climate News)
• Feeling Hopeless About the Climate? Try Our 30-Day Action Plan (The Revelator)
• Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration (Pro Publica)
• Exxon’s Snake Oil: 100 years of deception (Columbia Journalism Review)
• VIDEO: A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (The Intercept)
• Project Drawdown: 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming (Drawdown.org)
• An Optimist’s Guide to Solving Climate Change and Saving the World (Vice)