Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reached $7 Trillion in 2022, an All-Time High
Yale E360
AUGUST 31, 2023
Global subsidies for fossil fuels reached $7 trillion in 2022, an all-time high, according to the International Monetary Fund. Read more on E360 →
An A to Z of Fossil Fuel Industry Deception
Union of Concerned Scientists
MAY 10, 2023
This year has brought new evidence of what major fossil fuel companies knew and when about the role their products play in climate change, as well as what they did in spite of what they knew. They enable us to strengthen our balance sheet and high grade or diversify our portfolio.
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Fossil Fuel Companies Make Billions in Profit as We Suffer Billions in Losses: 2024 Edition
Union of Concerned Scientists
APRIL 17, 2024
Last year, I wrote that fossil fuel companies made billions of dollars in profit during 2022 as people around the world suffered billions of dollars in damage from climate and weather related disasters. The history of colonization that still shapes the land to this day also played a role.
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Bankrolling the Burn: Why Climate Scientists are Taking on Fossil Fuel Financiers
Union of Concerned Scientists
OCTOBER 1, 2024
While at least one event provided a platform for oil and gas industry greenwashing, others centered people directly affected by fossil fuel-driven climate change who are holding bad actors accountable. I had the honor of moderating one of the latter events, Scientists & Activists vs. Fossil Fuel Finance.
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Fossil Fuel Companies Make Billions in Profit as We Suffer Billions in Losses
Union of Concerned Scientists
FEBRUARY 21, 2023
The world’s biggest fossil fuel companies recently released their 2022 earnings reports, revealing record-breaking profits last year; just five companies–ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron, and TotalEnergies–reported a total of nearly $200 billion in profits. billion, respectively, during 2022. billion and $35.5
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Fossil Fuel Disinformation Threats Aim to Hinder Meaningful Action at COP28
Union of Concerned Scientists
DECEMBER 8, 2023
Yet, driven by vested interests in the fossil fuel industry , misleading narratives aim to distort and hinder meaningful climate commitments. Fossil fuels are the problem It’s pretty simple: the burning of fossil fuels is the main driver of climate change. billion tons of the 40.5
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The Fossil Fuel Industry Continues Producing Heat-Trapping Emissions that Drive Climate Change
Union of Concerned Scientists
APRIL 4, 2024
A new dataset released by InfluenceMap provides information on heat-trapping emissions traced to the 122 largest investor and state-owned fossil fuel companies in the world. Fossil fuels are the main driver of climate change and the terrifying effects of it that we see happening across the world.
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How Major Carbon Producers Drive Sea Level Rise and Climate Injustice
Union of Concerned Scientists
MARCH 18, 2025
In a new study released today, UCS attributes substantial temperature and sea level rise to emissions traced to the largest fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers. Every delay in phasing out fossil fuels will burden future generations who need to adapt to rising seas and recover from loss and damage due to sea level impacts.
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Clean Energy Saw as Much Investment as Fossil Fuels for the First Time in 2022
Yale E360
JANUARY 27, 2023
trillion in investment globally last year, matching investment in fossil fuels for the first time ever, according to a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Solar, wind, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies saw a record-high $1.1 Read more on E360 →
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Disinformation Alert: Fossil Fuel Interests Preparing to Deploy False Claims about New EPA Rules
Union of Concerned Scientists
APRIL 27, 2023
Fossil fuel power plant owners are facing increased accountability for their air and water pollution, including from a new round of environmental and public health protections that are being rolled out by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We’ve heard these lazily disingenuous narratives before.
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Storm Elliott Knocked Out Fossil-Fuel Power. We’ve Been Here Before.
Union of Concerned Scientists
JANUARY 24, 2023
Utilities and grid operators prepared for the storm as it was coming down the pike, but they still underestimated the energy demand it would trigger, as well as the number of outages at fossil fuel power plants—mainly natural gas-fired, plus some coal-fired plants.
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How Transmission—Not Gas—Will Bolster Winter Grid Reliability: A Look at MISO South
Union of Concerned Scientists
JANUARY 6, 2025
Investor-owned utilities want to protect the bottom line of their fossil fuel power plants and stave off competition from low-cost renewables that would be aided by transmission, even if those cleaner solutions would help ratepayers and boost grid reliability.
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2024 Year in Review: Clean Energy Progress Steeped in Solar and Storage
Union of Concerned Scientists
DECEMBER 30, 2024
Policy drivers State leadership has been important in driving the development and adoption of clean energy for decades, and remains key to accelerating the move toward clean energy and away from fossil fuels. It also means, per the Solar Energy Industries Association, that at full capacity, U.S.
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Good News—and Bad—about Fossil Fuel Power Plants in 2023
Union of Concerned Scientists
MARCH 23, 2023
And fossil fuel power plants may not stick to their retirement schedules for a variety of reasons. Note: this is adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars and is based on the amount those plants emitted in 2021, the EIA’s most recent year of finalized data. A bit more on those reasons later. What can be done?
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Andean glaciers have shrunk more than ever before in the entire Holocene
Real Climate
MARCH 19, 2025
This unprecedented warming, which began in the 19th century and has so far reached around 1.31.4C , is almost entirely driven by human activity – primarily the burning of fossil fuels. In Germany, only four glaciers remain, following the disappearance of the Southern Schneeferner glacier in September 2022.
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The Year in Water, 2022
Circle of Blue
DECEMBER 13, 2022
The Year in Water, 2022. Sharpening the Shark’s Teeth By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – December 13, 2022. The strength of the shark’s teeth and the breadth of the bite were on full display in 2022. Though vivid, the shark metaphor is an inadequate frame for some of 2022’s defining water stories. Brett Walton.
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We Need to Change Our Assumptions About Gas Plant Reliability
Union of Concerned Scientists
NOVEMBER 18, 2024
Gas plants failed at a scale that jeopardized grid reliability for large regions of the United States during severe winter storms in 2011 , 2014 , 2018 , 2021 , and 2022. Even with the clean energy transition well underway, gas plants will be around for a while as we phase out fossil fuels.
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What’s Up With Water—September 13, 2022
Circle of Blue
SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
This week’s episode of What’s Up With Water covers what to expect at COP27, new research on the link between water and the fossil fuel industry in Texas, and an update on Jackson, Mississippi’s failing water system. The post What’s Up With Water—September 13, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue.
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Victory! Canada ends financing for international fossil-fuel projects in 2022
Enviromental Defense
NOVEMBER 11, 2021
Joining an ever growing list of countries from around the world, Canada pledged to end public financing for overseas fossil-fuel projects in 2022 and instead prioritize the clean energy transition. This sends an important signal to investors and people around the world that the sun is setting on fossil fuels.
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Climate Change in 2022: Multiple Billion-Dollar Disasters and Unbearable Human Costs
Union of Concerned Scientists
JANUARY 10, 2023
In 2022, the nation experienced 18 disasters with costs exceeding a billion dollars each, and together these disasters caused at least 474 deaths. Together these disasters cost at least $165 billion, making 2022 the third most costly year on record. You can watch her powerful speech here ). Indeed, the math is unrelentingly clear.
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Victory! Canada ends financing for international fossil fuel projects
Enviromental Defense
DECEMBER 21, 2022
Earlier this month the Government of Canada delivered on a key climate promise and released new rules which end public funding for fossil fuels abroad, starting January 1, 2023. If all signatories follow through on their pledge with integrity, it will directly shift $38 billion a year from fossil fuels to clean energy. .
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A 100% Renewable Energy Future is Possible, and We Need It
Union of Concerned Scientists
APRIL 19, 2022
The shift from fossil fuels in the 100% RES scenario reduces the amount of harmful air pollution from power plants much more than in our “No New Policy”/business-as-usual scenario. Similarly, communities now tied to fossil fuels need support in moving beyond that dependence. And our modeling shows renewables’ power.
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As the Climate Crisis Worsens, the Federal Government in Canada Continues to Give Billions in Funding for Fossil Fuels.
Enviromental Defense
MARCH 27, 2024
New analysis from Environmental Defence reveals that despite federal government promises, funding to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries remains high Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – New analysis released today by Environmental Defence reveals Canada’s federal government provided at least $18.6
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Western Wildfires are Burning Through Local and State Budgets
Union of Concerned Scientists
MAY 22, 2023
For years, fossil fuel companies have socialized the costs of their pollution while privatizing the benefits. Since local and state governments are on the frontlines of paying for worsening wildfires, they should also be on the leading edge of holding fossil fuel companies accountable. Source: Statista 2023.
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Ask a Scientist: The US Has to Do More to Meet Its Carbon Emissions Reduction Goals
Union of Concerned Scientists
NOVEMBER 16, 2023
It also will save US consumers money because they will spend less on fossil fuels. First, decarbonizing the electricity sector mainly with wind and solar to replace coal and fossil gas. Second, replacing fossil fuels with clean electricity in the transportation, building, and industrial sectors.
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Renewables Have Pulled Ahead of Coal. What’s Next?
Union of Concerned Scientists
APRIL 24, 2023
There’s good news in the recently released official data on electricity generation in the United States in 2022: renewable energy has continued to grow, coal power has continued to drop, and renewables are now firmly ahead of coal for the first time ever. percent of the 2022 generation, and small solar 1.4 It supplied 10.5
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California AG Launches Investigation into Fossil Fuel and Petrochemical Industries for Plastic Pollution
Law and Environment
MAY 27, 2022
On April 28, 2022, the California Attorney General launched an investigation into the “fossil fuel and petrochemical industries for their role in causing and exacerbating the global plastics pollution crisis.” See our previous coverage on the NY and MA AG’s investigations.
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What’s Up With Water — May 10, 2022
Circle of Blue
MAY 10, 2022
Burning fossil fuels has caused heat-trapping gases to accumulate in the atmosphere. The post What’s Up With Water — May 10, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. Wheat harvests have dropped by up to 50 percent in some areas, worsening fears about global food shortages amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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The Stream, October 19, 2022: California City Approaches Water Supply Peril in Next Two Months
Circle of Blue
OCTOBER 19, 2022
Mine Cleanup Law Weakened by Coal’s Decline — Reclamation is a flashpoint for the partisan divide over fossil fuels. The post The Stream, October 19, 2022: California City Approaches Water Supply Peril in Next Two Months appeared first on Circle of Blue. . — Brett Walton, Interim Stream Editor.
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Guest Blog: Fossil Fuel Promotion in City Facilities? Not in My Municipality
Enviromental Defense
MARCH 11, 2024
Will the City of Ottawa ban fossil fuel promotion in City facilities? Fossil fuel advertisements indeed contradict the City’s policies on climate. City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and committed to a full phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050. It’s possible. And who knows?
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A Good Day to Drop Big Oil
Legal Planet
OCTOBER 4, 2024
But it also includes deals with lesser-known utility companies that generate electricity predominantly from fossil fuel-burning power plants and that sell fossil gas directly to consumers. The Giants meanwhile were the recipient of the 2022 “Green Glove Award,” which celebrates the team with the “highest waste diversion rate.”
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Report: 2022 Energy Progress Lags Despite Renewables Growth
Environment + Energy Leader
JUNE 27, 2023
The Statistical Review of World Energy reveals a turbulent 2022 for global energy, including energy price increases, steady fossil fuel dependence, and increased emissions
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What’s Up With Water – June 14, 2022
Circle of Blue
JUNE 14, 2022
It’s rated for about 1,300 megawatts — roughly the size of a large fossil fuel plant — but now the dam can only produce 800 megawatts. The post What’s Up With Water – June 14, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. He said that Glen Canyon Dam is now operating at about 60 percent of its designed hydroelectric capacity.
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Global fossil fuel emissions set to rise by 1 per cent in 2022
New Scientist
NOVEMBER 10, 2022
This year will see a smaller jump in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels compared with 2021, driven partly by the continuing recovery of aviation following covid-19 travel restrictions
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The State of the Air in 2024? Not Great
Union of Concerned Scientists
MAY 13, 2024
The air quality for this report was calculated using data reviewed by EPA from 2020, 2021, and 2022. That means it includes the extreme wildfires exacerbated by the fossil fuel industry that burned more than 4% of California in 2021 and 2022. come from burning fossil fuels and pesticide use, and ultrafine particles (PM0.1)
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Solutions to Rising Cost of Climate Change in California Should Include Passage of Prop 4
Union of Concerned Scientists
AUGUST 26, 2024
And we know that as our climate warms further—driven by burning fossil fuels—the risk of large wildfires will only grow. This alarming finding clarifies the significant role and responsibility of fossil fuel companies to not only stop their harm moving forward, but also to address damage they have already done.
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Driving on Electricity Is Now Much Cleaner than Using a Gasoline Car
Union of Concerned Scientists
MAY 30, 2024
Even where the grid still has significant fossil fuel-powered generation, EVs are a cleaner choice. In the grid region that serves most of Texas, driving the average EV produces emissions equal to an 82 MPG gasoline car, despite over 60% of electricity generation coming from fossil fuels.
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Danger Season in South America: Climate Change Brings Unbelievable Record Heat
Union of Concerned Scientists
FEBRUARY 23, 2023
In fact, a recent study examined parts of this heat wave—from late November up until December 11, 2022—and found that climate change made the event 60 times more likely. By holding these companies accountable, we would finally stand a chance to get off of fossil fuels the way we need to and limit how bad danger season will get.
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Our Overdependence on Methane Gas is Costly: We Need Policymakers to Pass Clean Energy Legislation Now
Union of Concerned Scientists
MAY 31, 2022
Many of my colleagues have already described the various ways we’ve gotten into this elevated fuel price mess, why doubling down on fossil fuels at this moment is a horrible idea, and why doing so would not improve our current or future economic, geopolitical or environmental problems. How Did We Get Here?
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Top 5 Climate Reasons To Reduce Driving, Even With Electric Vehicles
Legal Planet
MARCH 9, 2023
As the California Air Resources Board noted in the 2022 scoping plan appendix, even with a goal to have only zero-emission vehicles sold in the state by 2035, approximately 30 percent of light-duty vehicles on the road in 2045 will still burn fossil fuels. The less of that we burn through reduced driving, the better.
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Ask A Scientist: What Energy Solutions to the Climate Crisis Are Within Reach?
Union of Concerned Scientists
AUGUST 13, 2024
Paul Arbaje is an energy analyst in the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists and an expert on electricity policies and reforms that reduce fossil fuel use and reliance. The energy enthusiast who owns their own homes can take further steps toward making their homes completely free of direct fossil fuel use.
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Danger Season Underscores Need for Strong EPA Power Plant Carbon Standards
Union of Concerned Scientists
JULY 31, 2023
The destruction we see today is a direct result of decades of dependence on fossil fuels, enabled by decades of deception and obstruction on the part of the fossil fuel industry, and prolonged by decades of inaction on the part of policymakers who have been in their thrall.
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GERMAN ELECTRICITY TO GET DIRTIER IN 2022, NEW ANALYSIS FINDS
Environmental Progress
JANUARY 4, 2022
Germany is expected to increase its fossil fuel consumption for electricity generation in 2022, if its weather conditions and electricity demand are similar to 2021, a new analysis from Environmental Progress finds. Emissions from Germany’s power sector could thus rise from 244 million tons in 2021 to 264 million tons in 2022.
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DOE’s New Hydrogen Hubs Program Comes With Risks—And Opportunities
Union of Concerned Scientists
APRIL 11, 2022
As a result, when today’s fossil fuel end uses can be directly electrified via renewables instead, such as for heating in buildings , it is overwhelmingly a better decarbonization path. Background on the hydrogen hubs program.
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