Rolling Stone magazine has published an expose of the irresponsible disposal of radioactivity material from fracking wells. It is a scandal and a shame, and can be attributed to the intentional blindness of regulators in local, state and federal agencies. Responsible management of this radioactive waste would impose significant cost to the producers- costs that now are borne by the people who live near the well. We must pay for this ‘externality’ in the present. Listen in.

The reading list

• Rolling Stone on radioactive fracking brine
• Why wastewater is radioactive
• DeSmogBlog on casing blowouts, with a nice graphic explaining the fracking process

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Listen to Prof. Nathan Phillips of BU speak about why he is in the 4^th day of a hunger strike protesting the injustice happening in Weymouth. Please call Governor Baker and Commissioner Suuberg and say “I am calling to urge you to meet the three demands that will allow the ongoing hunger strike of Nathan Phillips to cease.” The Governor’s number is 617-725-4005, and Commissioner Suuberg’s is 617-292-5500x71098. Follow @NathanPBoston and #Hunger4JusticeMA.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

In his State of the Commonwealth address, Governor Baker announced a “Net Zero by 2050” climate goal. It is good that the state is setting a path, but the ambiguity around the definition of net-zero leaves lots of area for wiggle. We discuss.

https://soundcloud.com/massclimateaction/net-zero-of-what-the-climate-minute

The reading list

• Commonwealth Mag on Baker's SOTC
• Altemous' response in Commonwealth
• Can Theoharides save the TCI?
• WRI: 6 questions on Net-Zero
• CarbonBrief: The problem with Net Zero
• Heated World points out Trump's magic solutions as stalking horse for "Climate Restoration"
• MIT on danger of "Trillion Trees"
• BTW, CEC is running out of money
• EarthWhile on Senate bills
• CBSLocal on Senate bills
• Climate-Xchange summary of Senate bills
• McKibben on BioMass amendments
• A guide to calling your senator on the climate legislation

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

The utilities have committed $9B of your monthly payments to upgrading gas pipes. The new idea is to replace underground gas lines with ‘just the right temperature’ water lines. Then ‘heat pumps’ can cool or warm your home, instead of dangerous methane gas. It’s so crazy it just might work! We discuss.

The reading list:

• The Herald points out our gas leak problems
• WBUR connects the dots between gas infrastructure and geo-thermal
• The non-profit HEET is the catalyst for this concept
• The GWSA background
• Policy Brief on why gas is incompatible with the GWSA, and heat pumps are
• Nathan Philips on the Climate Minute calling out the $9B we have to spend
• Heat pump technology

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

A Federal Appeals Court rejected a case brought by children demanding a right to a stable climate. We discuss this case, called Juliana, and the general state of legal action on climate.

The reading list

• Legal-Planet on the Juliana ruling
• CNBC on the Exxon ruling in NY
• NYT on the Netherland's court ruling
• NPR on granting personhood to rivers

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Exxon needs JP Morgan Chase more than Morgan needs Exxon. If the money pipeline from the banks to the fossil fuel majors ever shut down, new oil exploration would stop almost overnight. That’s why Blackrock’s letter and McKibben’s arrest are so important. We review.

The reading list:

• What is a "Stock?"
• What is a "Stranded Asset?"
• McKibben on Divestment in December 2018
• McKibben's classic predicate for “Do the Math!"
• 350's "Keep it in the ground" campaign
• McKibben's "soon-to-be-classic" predicate for the anti-finance campaign
• The Climate Minute on fossil fuel finance from September 2019
• Blackrock quivers
• Jane Fonda and McKibben on Fire Drill Fridays
• The "#StopTheMoneyPipeline" campaign

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Climate hawks went to Beacon Hill last week to press for climate action. We debrief on events.

The reading list

• The invitation to this past week's event
• Announcement of Jan 14 event from 350MA
• UU Massachusetts Action on climate
• Massachusetts Power Forward
• A PDF of the MPF legislative agenda
• Climate X-change roundup describing the hearings and bills
• A PDF of MCAN's legislative agenda
• Sign up for the MCAN Legislative Action Team
• Sign up for the Climate-XChange weekly policy Roundup
• The Schoolhouse Rock video "I'm just a bill"

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

The Green New Deal will play a role in our politics in 2020. A new bill before Congress shows a good example of how it will be implemented. We lay out what to watch for as the year progresses.

The reading list:

• The Markey-Cortez GND resolution. Only 14 double-spaced pages. Worth a read.
• The New Deal
• FDR on Socialism
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism_(disambiguation)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism
• $150B in 2019
• We found $2T to fight in Iraq, from nowhere, so why not a GND?
• Cortez gives a 'concrete' example of the sorts of bills that make up the GND.
• The Hill reports on the Cortez bill

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Climate change is causing huge wildfires in Australia. We discuss.

The reading list

• Michael Mann on the fires in Australia
• Murdoch news companies push disinformation
• Kolbert in New Yorker on Australian fires
• InsideClimate news story
• Why stop Adani?
• Africa pays the price
• InsideClimate on NE coal train protests
• Earthwhile on coal
• No Compressor website for Weymouth
• Virginia Compressor ruling
• Protecting the Planet by Mariah Tinger
• How to help Australia fires

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

The Transportation and Climate Initiative recently announced a Memorandum of Understanding (or MOU) between the 12 Northeastern states that have joined the group. We discuss the implications.

The Reading List:

• Home of the TC&I
• Georgetown U is the 'convener'
• com reports on the recent announcement
• TCI MOU from Dec 17 2019
• Informative slides from the 12/17 webinar announcing the TCI MOU
• The Western Climate Initiative
• MA House Bill H3008
• INPUT FORM to send comments to TCI

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre