| | | | | Welcome! This week, an ode to plug-in hybrids and uncharismatic fauna. But first, can you believe the oil industry's tweets? | |  | | Climate change denial is so 1980s. The fossil fuel industry, after decades casting doubt on the scientific consensus behind climate change, is embracing what researchers call "discourses of delay." Oil and gas companies are touting their support for renewables while doing little to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. It's the very definition of greenwashing. In a recent study analyzing the industry's marketing, researchers studied 25,233 tweets published by the global Twitter accounts of Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, and TotalEnergies between 2009 and 2021. The top tweets plugged solar, wind, hydrogen and biofuel projects, positioning these alongside carbon-emitting natural gas as their climate commitments. But the rhetoric never matched the action. "Large oil and gas companies are using communication strategies about renewable energy to delay the energy transition and obstruct action on climate change," the authors say. | | As they say in Texas, oil companies are all hat and no cattle. The numbers tell the story. The four energy majors — Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP and Shell have devoted less than 1 percent of their capital expenditure to low-carbon investments between 2009 and 2020, according to a separate study in PLOS One. That's inching up, but barely. "We find no evidence to suggest any major has entered the renewables market at a scale that would indicate a shift away from fossil fuels," the authors write. | | Could oil companies one day become climate champions? Perhaps. Ørsted, formerly the Danish Oil and Natural Gas company, once generated 85 percent of its energy from fossil fuels. Today, it's on track to eliminate fossil fuels from its fuel mix entirely by 2025 as one of the world's leading offshore wind developers. But leaving fossil fuels behind took bold commitment. Until oil majors change their business models, don't believe the tweets. Would you like to talk? Join me for a live online chat today at 1 p.m. Eastern. I'll tackle your toughest environmental queries, from lawns to EVs. You can submit questions live or in advance here. See you soon. | |  | | Here's a quick look at how those oil majors are doing on the climate front: Betting big on fossil fuels, no transition in sight. | | | President Biden has called for 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2035. The country is not on track to get there, but some states are closer to the goal than others. | | | Harry Stevens/The Washington Post | | Find out where your state stands in this week's Climate Lab column, and learn about the strategies states are pursuing to decarbonize electricity. | | | Hellbenders, also known as snot otters, are the largest salamanders in North America. They're also in danger. As one of the many species of wildlife overlooked in favor of their charismatic brethren, they're a target of the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to aid "uncharismatic" species, The Washington Post reports. | | | A hellbender at the Bronx Zoo. (Julie Larsen Maher/ Wildlife Conservation Society) | | The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed the most ambitious fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards yet for the nation's cars, pickup trucks and SUVs. The proposed rule would apply to model years 2027 to 2032. | |  | | You had lots of thoughts on my column about how to buy electric cars. One point many of you raised was hybrids: They're great. The market is definitely moving toward all-electric vehicles, but until the country's charging infrastructure catches up, they're an excellent option. Charlie in Montana sang the praises of his 2006 Honda Civic hybrid with 170,000-plus miles that still delivers 50 mpg highway after only one battery replacement. And the new plug-in hybrids allow you to cover much of your daily driving, 20 miles or more, in all-electric mode. Sharon also wrote, disagreeing with me about the advisability of waiting in some cases to buy a new EV. "Our planet can't wait!" she wrote. "Did I mention it's really fun to drive? It's clean, quiet, AND convenient. What's not to like?" And one mea culpa. Ohio residents pointed out that the mascot for Ohio University, one of the climate-friendly universities, is the Bobcat, while the Buckeyes are Ohio State. Go Bobcats! | |  | | From elsewhere: Record marine heat waves are "headed off the charts," reports the Guardian. The feds gave final approval to begin the 732-mile TransWest Express transmission line carrying much-needed, wind-generated electricity from Wyoming to California, reports Reuters. | |  | | Thank you for the many inspiring notes about your climate families. We have off-grid grandparents in northern Michigan, and climate moms and dads digging geothermal heat pumps. Here's one climate dad in action (me) in Tahoe, Calif., with my son on his first cross-country skiing trip. He lasted about 25 minutes. This miraculous snow year in the Sierras will last until July, so we'll be back. | | | See you next Tuesday, Michael Coren, Climate Coach | | Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to get The Climate Coach in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday. | | | | | | | | | |
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