Climate Change

Trump's EPA Slips in One More Rule to Stifle ScienceJanuary 5

Environmental Group Opposing Udall as Biden's Interior SecretaryDecember 11

Richmond Bill “Perpetuating” Fossil Fuel Industry, Dem Staffer SaysNovember 22

Last Gasp of the Angry White ManNovember 2

The Trump administration is literally killing the lungs of North America. John Iadarola and Viviana Vigil break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Instagram: instagram.com/thedamagereport/ Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/27/climate/trump-election-climate-noaa.html "WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has recently removed the chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the nation’s premier scientific agency, installed new political staff who have questioned accepted facts about climate change and imposed stricter controls on communications at the agency. The moves threaten to stifle a major source of objective United States government information about climate change that underpins federal rules on greenhouse gas emissions and offer an indication of the direction the agency will take if President Trump wins re-election. An early sign of the shift came last month, when Erik Noble, a former White House policy adviser who had just been appointed NOAA’s chief of staff, removed Craig McLean, the agency’s acting chief scientist. Mr. McLean had sent some of the new political appointees a message that asked them to acknowledge the agency’s scientific integrity policy, which prohibits manipulating research or presenting ideologically driven findings." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksOctober 30

Trump embarrasses himself ever more talking about environmentalism. John Iadarola and Brett Erlich break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Instagram: instagram.com/thedamagereport/ Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fact-checking-trump-biden-2nd-2020-presidential-debate/story?id=73750341 "President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden faced off in the second -- and final -- presidential debate of 2020 Thursday night in Nashville, Tennessee. The topics included fighting COVID-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security and leadership. Below, ABC News fact checks what both candidates said throughout the 90-minute debate, moderated by NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksOctober 23

Amy Coney Barrett gives absolutely no insight to her stance on climate change at the pointless Supreme Court confirmation hearing. John Iadarola and Jayar Jackson break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport? sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amy-coney-barrett-climate-change_n_5f8639aac5b6c4bb5470bdb1 "Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett stood up again for not standing up when asked about climate change at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. During a leading line of questioning from Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) aimed at showing that Barrett has “thought about the world,” as he phrased it, she said she did not have a personal stance on climate change. “Do you have some opinions on climate change that you’ve thought about?” Kennedy asked her. “You know, I’m certainly not a scientist,” President Donald Trump’s nominee responded. After Kennedy encouraged her to elaborate, she said: “I mean, I’ve read things about climate change. I would not say that I have firm views on it.”" #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksOctober 14

The California wildfires have reached historic numbers. John Iadarola and Jayar Jackson break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/06/first-time-it-wont-be-last-climate-activists-warn-californias-first-gigafire-shape "California on Tuesday reached a frightful new milestone, with the state recording the first gigafire in its history as the raging August Complex blaze spread to over one million acres. At 1.006 million acres, the northern California wildfire is now burning an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, according to The Guardian. CalFire reports the blaze is the largest in state history, at more than double the size of the July 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire that burned nearly 460,000 acres." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksOctober 7

Inhofe's Rival and Others Blast Him and EPA After TYT ReportOctober 6

EPA Grants Oklahoma Control Over Tribal LandsOctober 5

EPA Set Secret Deadline for Oklahoma Tribes to Fight Loss of SovereigntySeptember 18

Earth breaks a dangerous record for the first time in the last 34 million years. John Iadarola and Gary Chambers break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/15/first-thing-trump-says-science-doesnt-know-whats-causing-wildfires "Good morning. Smoke from the record-breaking wildfires in the western US has reached almost as far away as Hawaii and Michigan, while four west coast cities now rank in the top 10 for worst air quality in the world. In Oregon, where 10 people are dead and 22 still missing, state prisoners say guards have responded to unrest with pepper spray which exacerbates existing respiratory problems." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksSeptember 15

Trump shocks scientists with possibly his most idiotic comment yet. John Iadarola and Gary Chambers break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/15/first-thing-trump-says-science-doesnt-know-whats-causing-wildfires "Good morning. Smoke from the record-breaking wildfires in the western US has reached almost as far away as Hawaii and Michigan, while four west coast cities now rank in the top 10 for worst air quality in the world. In Oregon, where 10 people are dead and 22 still missing, state prisoners say guards have responded to unrest with pepper spray which exacerbates existing respiratory problems." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTuSeptember 15

Earth is starting to look more like Mars. John Iadarola and Francesca Fiorentini break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksSeptember 14

Ominous photos from the California wildfires raise questions about the future of climate change. Emma Vigeland and Michael Shure break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://abcnews.go.com/US/hundreds-thousands-acres-burn-california-oregon-wildfires-continue/story?id=72920648&cid=social_twitter_abcn "At least eight people in Oregon, California and Washington are dead as a result of the devastating wildfires ravaging the West Coast and the destruction and death toll are only anticipated to get worse, according to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. There are 37 active fires, with more than 672,000 acres burned in the state as of early Thursday morning, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. The Oregon wildfires have chewed through about 500 square miles since Monday. Tens of thousands of residents remain evacuated and the fires have destroyed thousands of structures in their paths, according to authorities." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksSeptember 10

Oklahoma Governor Pushing to Undo Tribal Sovereignty RulingSeptember 3

Oklahoma Governor Asked EPA to Strip Tribes of Environmental AuthorityAugust 29

Hurricane Laura brings ‘unsurvivable’ storm surge, devastating the Gulf Coast. John Iadarola and Michael Shure break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-laura-category-4-winds-storm-surge-damage-texas-louisiana/ "Hurricane Laura is the strongest storm to ever make landfall along the western Louisiana and northern Texas coast, bringing catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding as it hit as a Category 4 storm. But what determines how much devastation a hurricane produces, and what hazards cause the most damage, varies from storm to storm." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksAugust 27

What will the Green New Deal look like under Joe Biden? John Iadarola and Varshini Prakash break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/climate-action-podesta-prakash/ “At the 2019 Republican Retreat, Donald Trump promised his allies that he would make this election about climate change: “I want to bring them way down the pike,” he said, “before we start criticizing the Green New Deal.” At his Tulsa rally in June, and in many of the campaign “speeches” he’s given since then, the president’s long riff on the climate proved he hasn’t forgotten the promise he made to Republicans. Trump’s obsession with the Green New Deal—from his fixation on the completely debunked notion that windmills cause cancer, to his nonsense about cows and hamburgers, to his racist and misogynistic ramblings about Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who introduced the Green New Deal Resolution—is much more central to his reelection effort than it appears at first glance. #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksAugust 25

Mass amounts of tear gas sprayed in Portland are poisoning the city's water supply. John Iadarola and Jordan Uhl break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.salon.com/2020/08/24/so-much-tear-gas-has-been-sprayed-on-portland-protesters-that-officials-fear-its-polluted-the-water/ “Police in Portland peppered protesters with tear gas on Monday as they assembled outside of a police station, following a weekend of ongoing demonstrations against police racism and in favor of defunding the police. Their actions continue a history of Portland police using tear gas on demonstrators tracing as far back as May. Portland made headlines last month after federal law enforcement began detaining protesters, even though it was unclear if all of those detained had been involved in illegal activity. Protesters and activists alike are fearful for the long-term effects of being exposed to chemical weapons. As the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality noted previously, there is no scientific precedent for the long-term exposure of tear gas on humans, as it is not meant to be used often. And the amount of the caustic gas, reportedly the variant known as CS gas (which one Portland police official insisted was different than tear gas), sprayed in downtown Portland is similarly unusual — nearly every night since the week of George Floyd's death on May 25, tear gas has coated the sidewalks and drains." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksAugust 25

The greatest minds in climate activism bring you ‘Winning The Green Deal’. Buy it today! John Iadarola and Varshini Prakash break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Buy ‘Winning The Green New deal’ here at Shop TYT: https://shoptyt.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/winning-the-green-new-deal-why-we-must-how-we-can Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/climate-action-podesta-prakash/ “At the 2019 Republican Retreat, Donald Trump promised his allies that he would make this election about climate change: “I want to bring them way down the pike,” he said, “before we start criticizing the Green New Deal.” At his Tulsa rally in June, and in many of the campaign “speeches” he’s given since then, the president’s long riff on the climate proved he hasn’t forgotten the promise he made to Republicans. Trump’s obsession with the Green New Deal—from his fixation on the completely debunked notion that windmills cause cancer, to his nonsense about cows and hamburgers, to his racist and misogynistic ramblings about Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who introduced the Green New Deal Resolution—is much more central to his reelection effort than it appears at first glance. #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksAugust 25

Trump’s trash fire is distracting us from this! John Iadarola and Emma Vigeland break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/climate/trump-methane-climate-change.html “"WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is expected in the coming days to lift Obama-era controls on the release of methane, a powerful climate-warming gas that is emitted from leaks and flares in oil and gas wells. The new rule on methane pollution, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, has been expected for months, and will be made public before Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously to avoid publicly pre-empting the official announcement. The rollback of the methane rule is the latest move in the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to weaken environmental standards, which has continued unabated during the coronavirus pandemic. In April, the E.P.A. weakened rules on the release of toxic chemicals from coal-fired power plants, loosened curbs on climate-warming tailpipe pollution and opted not to strengthen a regulation on industrial soot emissions that have been linked to respiratory diseases, including Covid-19. In July, President Trump unilaterally weakened one of the nation’s bedrock conservation laws, the National Environmental Policy Act, limiting public review of federal infrastructure projects in an effort to speed up the permitting process for freeways, power plants and pipelines. However, this and any other regulatory changes put forth by the Trump administration in the latter half of 2020 could be quickly undone in the first half of 2021, if, as polls now suggest, Joseph R. Biden Jr. wins the White House and Democrats take control of the Senate. That’s because of a Senate procedure known as the Congressional Review Act, which gives lawmakers 60 legislative days to overturn major new regulations issued by federal agencies. In the early days of the Trump administration, Republicans used the procedure to undo 14 Obama-era rules. The E.P.A.’s new methane rule eliminates federal requirements that oil and gas companies must install technology to detect and fix methane leaks from wells, pipelines and storage sites. E.P.A. officials say the new, weaker methane rule is needed to free the oil and gas industry from what they call crippling regulations at a moment when companies are suffering from plummeting prices and falling demand driven by a sharp global economic slowdown. The weakening of the rule, however, has been in the works for more than a year. Environmentalists called the move another blow by Mr. Trump to the planet’s warming climate, coming behind reversals of rules on climate-warming carbon dioxide pollution from tailpipes and power plants, and the United States withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement. Oil and gas companies have had mixed responses to the rollback. Some major companies have spoken out against the weakening of methane regulations — joining some automakers, electric utilities and other industrial giants that have opposed other administration initiatives to dismantle climate change and environmental rules. But smaller, independent oil companies are expected to applaud the rule as a welcome measure of relief when many are struggling to stay afloat. Most climate change regulations target carbon dioxide, which is produced by burning fossil fuels and is the most damaging greenhouse gas. Methane, which is a close second, lingers in the atmosphere for a shorter period of time but packs a bigger punch while it lasts. By some estimates, methane has 80 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide in the first 20 years in the atmosphere. Methane currently makes up nearly 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. A significant portion of that comes from the oil and gas industry, although other sources include cattle and agriculture. In August, Andrew Wheeler, the head of the E.P.A., made public a draft of the methane rule, saying at the time that it “removes unnecessary and duplicative regulatory burdens from the oil and gas industry.” Peter Zalzal, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund, an advocacy group, called the new rule “a deeply misguided action” that “is manifestly inconsistent with the agency’s legal obligations, and with the science that shows methane is a dangerous pollutant.” Lee Fuller, a vice president at the Independent Petroleum Producers of America, which represents smaller oil and gas companies, said that “the burden of the rule falls overwhelmingly on smaller, independent companies.”" #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksAugust 11

In Battleground States, Republicans Run at Odds with Their Voters on Climate ChangeJuly 23

Miami and the state of Florida face the threat of permanent flooding over the next 20 years as a result of climate change. John Iadarola and Mario Alejandro Ariza break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/mario-alejandro-ariza/disposable-city/9781541788466/ "A deeply-reported personal investigation by a Miami journalist into the present and future effects of climate change in the Magic City-a watery harbinger for coastal cities worldwide.Miami, Florida, is likely to be entirely underwater by the end of this century. Residents are already starting to see the effects of sea level rise today. From sunny day flooding caused by higher tides to a sewer system on the brink of total collapse, the city undeniably lives in a climate changed world. In Disposable City, Miami resident Mario Alejandro Ariza shows us not only what climate change looks like on the ground today, but also what Miami will look like 100 years from now, and how that future has been shaped by the city’s racist past and present. As politicians continue to kick the can down the road and Miami becomes increasingly unlivable, real estate vultures and wealthy residents will be able to get out or move to higher ground, but the most vulnerable communities, disproportionately composed of people of color, will face flood damage, rising housing costs, dangerously higher temperatures, and stronger hurricanes that they can’t afford to escape. Miami may be on the front lines of climate change, but the battle it’s fighting today is coming for the rest of the U.S.–and the rest of the world–far sooner than we could have imagined even a decade ago. Disposable City is a thoughtful portrait of both a vibrant city with a unique culture and the social, economic, and psychic costs of climate change that call us to act before it’s too late." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksJuly 14

SCOTUS decision outs Trump's violation of the Endangered Species Act, delaying Keystone XL pipeline construction. John Iadarola and Viviana Vigil break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/07/24-hours-3-dirty-pipelines-delayed-supreme-court-rejects-trump-effort-greenlight "The Supreme Court late Monday upheld a federal judge's rejection of a crucial permit for Keystone XL and blocked the Trump administration's attempt to greenlight construction of the 1,200-mile crude oil project, the third such blow to the fossil fuel industry in a day—coming just hours after the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the court-ordered shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline. While the ruling was not a total victory for the climate—the high court said other pipeline projects can proceed as environmental reviews are conducted—green groups applauded the delay of Keystone XL construction as further confirmation of their view that the Canada-owned pipeline will never be built thanks to legal obstacles and fierce grassroots opposition." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksJuly 7

The Supreme Court rejects Trump’s effort to greenlight the Keystone XL pipeline. Climate wins for now. John Iadarola and Viviana Vigil break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/07/24-hours-3-dirty-pipelines-delayed-supreme-court-rejects-trump-effort-greenlight "The Supreme Court late Monday upheld a federal judge's rejection of a crucial permit for Keystone XL and blocked the Trump administration's attempt to greenlight construction of the 1,200-mile crude oil project, the third such blow to the fossil fuel industry in a day—coming just hours after the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the court-ordered shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline. While the ruling was not a total victory for the climate—the high court said other pipeline projects can proceed as environmental reviews are conducted—green groups applauded the delay of Keystone XL construction as further confirmation of their view that the Canada-owned pipeline will never be built thanks to legal obstacles and fierce grassroots opposition." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksJuly 7

A Rare Green Victory on Capitol HillJuly 2

Siberia and the arctic are literally on fire! Like 100.4° F and also on fire! John Iadarola and Francesca Fiorentini break it down on The Damage Report. Follow The Damage Report on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/ Help build the Home of the Progressives http://tyt.com/JOIN Subscribe to The Damage Report YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 Follow The Damage Report on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/27/warning-sign-major-proportions-number-siberian-forest-fires-increase-fivefold-week "The number of fires in the vast north Asian region of Siberia increased fivefold this week, according to the Russian forest fire aerial protection service, as temperatures in the Arctic continued higher than normal in the latest sign of the ongoing climate crisis. The news of the increase comes a week after the small Siberian town of Verkhoyansk reported a high temperature of 100.4° F on June 20, a reading that, if confirmed, would mark the hottest day ever recorded in the region. "While fires are common at this time of year, record temperatures and strong winds are making the situation particularly worrying," the European Union's Earth Observation Programme, which is monitoring the situation, said in a statement." #TheDamageReport #JohnIadarola #TheYoungTurksJune 29

Why No Green Stimulus Money?June 16

Today on the show we'll hear from author and founder of the Small Planet Institute Frances Moore Lappé. Plus Moumita Ahmed and I talk about the ongoing protests in New York and across the country.June 15

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