Natural disasters

• The West Coast’s air quality has been among the worst in the world, with wildfires releasing previously unseen levels of carbon dioxide and particulate as they burn more than 5 million acres and cast their smoke as far as New York City and Europe. According to Europe’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service satellite observations, the fires’ intensity has been up to hundreds of times higher than the 2003-19 average, resulting in the first wildfire emission increase in the United States since 2015. 

• During President Donald Trump’s visit to a wildfire-plagued California, he rejected that climate change is at the root of the West’s ongoing state of disaster and instead blamed poor forest management, saying “I don’t think science knows” what is actually happening in the state. Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden gave a speech in Wilmington, Del., calling for the curbing of greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.

• As slow-moving Hurricane Sally made landfall on the Gulf Coast, governors of four states urged evacuations in light of flash flood and storm surge warnings. While more than a quarter of U.S. offshore oil production initially closed down, by Friday at least 30 offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as other energy producers and exporters, had begun rebooting.

• In the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, a group of senators from both sides of the aisle introduced a bill that would provide tax relief to individuals and businesses impacted by natural disasters, including August’s derecho in the Midwest, recent West Coast wildfires and hurricanes in the Gulf states. The legislation would apply to individuals and businesses in areas deemed disaster areas by the president from July 1 through 60 days after the bill’s enactment.

Trump administration

• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decided to open the country’s electric markets to operators aggregating small-scale power sources like renewable technologies. The federal power generation rules have typically put these smaller sources, which utilize sources like rooftop solar or building efficiency programs, at a disadvantage to traditional power plants.

Oil and gas industry

• The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies said that the coronavirus pandemic will take a longer toll on global energy demand than previously suspected, reducing projected demand by 9.5 million barrels per day and marking a 9.5 percent fall as compared with 2019.

• More than 250 environmental and Indigenous groups wrote letters asking the heads of Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips and Hilcorp Energy Co. not to participate in the federal government’s auction of drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Their argument resembles that of a previous lobbying campaign that convinced five of the country’s largest six banks to forswear financing oil development projects in the refuge, where the Trump administration has slated 1.56 million acres for auction later this year.

Climate change

• Two major glaciers in Antarctica are breaking away from their restraints and threatening to speed sea-level rise substantially, according to a satellite image analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers already contribute to about 5 percent of sea-level rise globally, and their loss could prompt the West Antarctic ice sheet to collapse, potentially causing up to 10 feet of sea level rise.

• House Democrats released a mammoth energy package put forth as a response to climate change, and even though it has not had a hearing or passed through the typical legislative hurdles, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said the chamber will vote on it this week. Among other things, the bill would lead to additional investment into research and development and would promote energy efficiency in homes, schools and other buildings.

• The Senate and House are both in session.

• On Monday at 10 a.m., EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will speak at an American Enterprise Institute event about “the policies behind environmental progress.”

• National Clean Energy Week will take place Monday through Friday, and will include events organized by a steering committee of clean energy associations and other organizations.

• Climate Week NYC will take place Monday through next Sunday.

1) What’s causing climate change, in 10 charts
David Roberts, Vox

2) House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill

3) Two major Antarctic glaciers are tearing loose from their restraints, scientists say
Chris Mooney, The Washington Post

4) Countries Need to Invest $55 Trillion to Reach Emissions Target
Rajesh Kumar Singh, Bloomberg

5) Business Roundtable endorses market-based climate policy
Zack Colman, Politico

6) California Fires Are Emitting Record Amounts of Carbon Dioxide
Laura Millan Lombrana and Akshat Rathi, Bloomberg

7) Trump Considers Cash Aid for Refineries Denied Biofuel Waivers
Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Bloomberg

8) A Secret Recording Reveals Oil Executives’ Private Views on Climate Change
Hiroko Tabuchi, The New York Times

9) New Climate Maps Show a Transformed United States
Al Shaw et al., ProPublica

10) With dozens missing in possible ‘mass fatality incident,’ Oregon struggles to combat wildfires
Richard Read et al., Los Angeles Times