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IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Danger is not over yet after deadly, extreme winter storm pummels U.S.; House Republicans overturn ban on mining near Minnesota's pristine Boundary Waters; Judge blocks Trump administration from halting EV charging funds appropriated by Biden; PLUS: Michigan Attorney General's lawsuit accuses Big Oil of operating a 'fossil fuel cartel'... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

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IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): Trump’s Grant Terminations Upheld by Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals; Natural Gas Price Surges Almost 30% as Arctic Blast Grips Much of US; Enviros Charge Administration Violated Laws In Approving Alaska Road; Oregon Court Tosses Old Rule that Allowed Logging on Vast Swaths of US Land; New ExxonMobil Climate Accounting Again Blames Consumers, Not Corporation... PLUS: How Cuts To Federal Climate Funds Could Threaten Polar Vortex Research... and much, MUCH more! ...

STORIES DISCUSSED ON TODAY'S 'GREEN NEWS REPORT'...

• Danger not over yet after deadly, extreme winter storm pummels US:
• US cities face dangerous temps, prolonged outages (USA Today):
  
  At least 43 deaths have been reported in the wake of the monster storm, from Texas to Massachusetts. Many of the deaths were attributed to hypothermia, exposure or activities related to snow removal.
• Deep cold could last days, worsening storm’s impacts: 'I'm just really, really tired' (Washington Post):
  
  Cold weather alerts were in effect for about 210 million people early Monday as forecasters monitor another potential storm.
• Icepocalypse in Oxford Miss (This Is Not Cool)
• Nearly 800K customers still without power from massive, major winter storm (Dr. Andrew Dessler, Balanced Weather)
• Winter storm severely stressed U.S. electric grid:
• Power plant outages surge in Eastern US amid restricted gas supplies and frigid weather (Reuters):
  
  PJM's territory also is hurt by bottlenecks in its transmission system of high-voltage power lines, hindering the transfer from west to east. For example, cheap power in Illinois on Sunday - sometimes dipping into negative prices because of abundant wind energy - could not be moved to help out other sections of PJM...Spot wholesale electricity prices across the U.S. have been elevated throughout the weekend as regional grids strain to meet surging demand.
• Why the Power May Not Go Out Until After the Storm Has Passed (NY Times):
  
  The steady accumulation of snow and freezing rain and a rise in demand for electricity can cause problems long after the sky clears, energy experts said...But PJM has not added many new power plants, batteries and other resources to its system. The Texas grid, by comparison, has added many new large battery storage systems and solar farms.
• Why long-lasting power outages could be a big problem after the storm (Washington Post):
  
  Freezing spells that have crippled gas production. Surges in demand that tax the grid. The buildup of snow and ice that overwhelms transmission lines and stymies crews trying to help restore power. Extended outages that can lead people to make dangerous choices, such as driving on slick roads or using unsafe heat sources inside their homes.
• Electricity grid is holding up despite outages, analysts say (Axios)
• VIDEO: Storm’s Biggest Grid Stress Still to Come (This Is Not Cool)
• FEMA pauses layoffs during disaster, orders 'Don't Say 'ice':
• FEMA pauses termination of disaster workers ahead of winter storm (Scripps News)
• FEMA Destruction Paused As Storm Barrels In (This Is Not Cool)
• Some FEMA employee layoffs put on hold, while reform council renewed (Government Executive)
• Don’t say ‘Watch out for ice’: FEMA warned storm announcements could invite memes (CNN):
  
  The concern is that the word could spark confusion or online mockery, given the ongoing controversy surrounding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement --- also known as "ICE."
• House GOP overturn ban on mining in MN's Boundary Waters:
• U.S. House votes to repeal ban on mining near Boundary Waters (MPR News)
• House votes to repeal ban on mining near Boundary Waters wilderness in Minnesota (Washington Post):
  
  The vote, which was largely along party lines, could pave the way for the Trump administration to reinstate leases and issue permits in the national forest to Twin Metals Minnesota, a Chilean-owned company that intends to mine a portion of the largest undeveloped copper and nickel deposit in the world. The measure also requires Senate approval...Whether the minerals would be ultimately used in the United States is unclear. Twin Metals’ Chilean owner, Antofagasta, sends about 75 percent of its output to Asia.
• Michigan files anti-trust lawsuit against Big Oil 'cartel':
• Michigan lawsuit accuses oil companies of operating ‘fossil fuel cartel’ (WLNS):
  
  "Michigan is facing an energy affordability crisis as our home energy costs skyrocket and consumers are left without affordable options for transportation," Nessel said in a statement. "These out-of-control costs are not the result of natural economic inflation, but due to the greed of these corporations who prioritized their own profit and marketplace dominance over competition and consumer savings."
• VIDEO: Oil companies SUED: AG Nessel alleges conspiracy to block renewables (WMMT)
• Michigan AG sues Big Oil over ‘cartel’ to suppress EVs, renewable energy (MLive)
• VIDEO: Key State Brings Lawsuit – Blames Big Fossil for Blocking Clean Energy, EVs (This Is Not Cool):
  
  Growing list of lawsuits against fossil fuel companies now includes a suit by the Attorney General of Michigan. Particularly relevant in that, due in part to the propaganda from fossil fuel interests, the Detroit Auto industry is now at existential risk due to the postponement and suppression of EV technology.
• Judge overturns Trump's freeze of EV network infrastructure funds:
• Trump team illegally froze EV charger rollout, federal judge rules (MSN/Morning Overview):
  
  The decision also sends a broader message to federal agencies: even in a change of administration, politically charged programs cannot be shelved by fiat. Instead, the court found, the White House and the Department of Transportation must follow the procedures Congress wrote into law before they can slow or redirect money that was already approved.
• Trump administration unlawfully suspended EV charger infrastructure program, US judge rules (Reuters)
• Judge blocks Trump administration from halting EV charging funds (CBT News):
  
  A federal judge ruled Friday that the Trump administration unlawfully suspended funding for a major federal electric vehicle charging program, restoring billions of dollars intended for nationwide infrastructure expansion.

'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

• Trump’s Grant Terminations Upheld by Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (Inside Climate News)
• Natural Gas Price Surges Almost 30% as Arctic Blast Grips Much of US (Bloomberg)
• Enviros Charge Administration Violated Laws In Approving Alaska Road (National Parks Traveler)
• Oregon Court Tosses Old Rule that Allowed Logging on Vast Swaths of US Land (Inside Climate News)
• How Cuts To Federal Climate Funds Could Threaten Polar Vortex Research (NPR)
• New ExxonMobil Climate Accounting Again Blames Consumers, Not Corporation (DeSmog Blog)
• Geothermal a Valuable, But Overlooked Clean Energy Source? (SEJ)
• Why Greenland Matters for a Warming World (NY Times)
• Climate change is accelerating, scientists find in 'grim' report (Yale Climate Connections)
• How Trump's War on Climate Science impacts all Americans (Bloomberg)
• Solar Is Liberation (Rolling Stone)
• Governments legally required to address climate change, global court says (Inside Climate News)
• David Attenborough's 'Ocean' is a brutal, beautiful wake-up call from the sea (AP)
• Wall Street Journal: Clean energy transition is unstoppable (This Is Not Cool blog)
• Can we avoid the enshittification of clean-energy tech? (David Roberts, Volts)
• Stop emissions, stop warming: A climate reality check (Dr. Andrew Dessler, Climate Brink)
• Who Will Care for Americans Left Behind by Climate Migration? (Pro Publica)
• Is the Atlantic Overturning Circulation Approaching a Tipping Point? (The Oceanography Society)
• How Oil Companies Manipulate Journalists (Drilled)
• How To Spot 5 Of The Fossil Fuel Industry's Biggest Disinformation Tactics (Guardian)
• The Oceans We Knew Are Already Gone (The Atlantic)
• How to electrify your life when you rent (The Verge)
• Complete Series: Farmers Under Attack for Supporting Clean Energy (This Is Not Cool blog)
• 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)
• Project Drawdown: 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming (Drawdown.org)

                 

Article Categories: Environment, Minnesota, Republicans, Michigan, FEMA, Green News, DHS, Chevron, Oil, Wind energy, Climate change, Extreme weather, Exxon Mobil, Electric vehicles, Shell Oil, Mining, Public lands, ICE, Pollution, Dana Nessel, Electricity