Axios

KATOWICE, Poland — Al Gore is optimistic the world will effectively address climate change despite being pessimistic on technology many scientists say is critical to that end.

Why it matters: Gore’s remarks, made during an interview with Axios on Wednesday, put him at odds with a number of experts and scientists. A seminal report issued in October by a United Nations scientific panel found the technology, which captures carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, to be critical to keeping global temperatures below a level that would avoid the worst impacts of a warmer world.

A new report finds that a key multilateral initiative to scale up clean energy R&D and demonstration funding, called Mission Innovation (MI), isn't on pace to hit its targets.

What's happening: The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation takes the pulse of the program launched in late 2015, in which a suite of nations, including the U.S., pledged to double the clean energy R&D over 5 years to jointly reach roughly $30 billion.

The Energy Information Administration's new monthly outlook cuts a lot — $11-per-barrel! — from their 2019 average oil price forecast. They now see Brent crude averaging $61 and WTI averaging $54.

Why it matters: Analysts are often playing catch up, and the big revision is a sign of how quickly the oil market can shift, as OPEC and Russia respond to the rise of U.S. shale and analysts weigh signs of softening global demand and other forces.

U.S. investment firm BlackRock owns more coal reserves through its investments in publicly listed companies, shares and bonds in coal plant developers than anyone else in the world, according two new pieces of analysis.

The big picture: The U.S. holds over 35% of institutional investment for the coal industry, the largest share in the world. And in recent years, U.S. investors have started to lag behind leading European institutions when it comes to climate-friendly investing: AXA, UBS and c all have policies in place to restrict investments in thermal coal and offer far less coal-intense index funds.

KATOWICE, Poland — Depending on who you ask, the lack of presence of Democratic politicians and leaders at a major climate-change conference here is either expected or ridiculous.

Driving the news: This year’s U.S. event space, which wrapped up operations Tuesday, is a fraction of the size and scope compared to last year’s at the same United Nations conference in Bonn, Germany.

Senate Democrats on Tuesday elevated West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin as the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee despite fierce opposition from some progressive groups over Manchin’s support for and campaign contributions from coal and oil-and-gas companies.

Why it matters: These critics say Manchin is too close to the industries he will oversee and that he may impede the passage of future bold climate change proposals. Last week, in what may have been an effor to diminish those concerns, Manchin voted against President Trump's choice for a seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over the nominee's views on climate change.

In yet another disconnect between the Trump administration's science findings and its climate policies, a new report released Tuesday found that rapid Arctic climate change has pushed the region into "uncharted territory," with a host of sweeping changes that are transforming the vast area.

Why it matters: The Arctic contains some of the most productive fisheries in the world, and it acts as the Northern Hemisphere's refrigerator, supplying most of the frigid air that invades the U.S., Europe and Asia during winter. As the report lays out, some scientists have shown that the rapidly warming Arctic is altering weather patterns in the mid-latitudes, contributing to deadly extreme events.

This new Energy Department chart provides a helpful way of seeing how electric vehicle adoption in California is far ahead of other states.

The big picture: Cumulative electric vehicle sales in the U.S. recently topped 1 million. According to the pro-EV coalition Veloz, over 500,000 of them were in California, which is by far the nation's largest auto market.

Go deeper: The electric vehicle stakes of GM's restructuring

Rep. Jim McGovern, a senior Democrat, has thrown his support behind the "Green New Deal" committee proposed by Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and backed by a movement of young activists.

Between the lines: Vigorous outside pressure can affect inside baseball in Congress. McGovern, the incoming House Rules Committee chair, voiced support in comments to Sunrise Movement demonstrators who poured into Capitol Hill, and later confirmed it on Twitter. It came on a day when scores of young activists were arrested in demonstrations on Capitol Hill, where they targeted offices of lawmakers including House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

With extreme weather here to stay, from recent heat waves to unseasonable Thanksgiving cold snaps, drastic temperature swings will continue to wreak havoc on the U.S.’ antiquated electricity grid.

Why it matters: In 2017 alone, power outages affected more than 36 million Americans — more than double the 17.9 million who were affected in 2016. Blackouts of all magnitudes have been estimated to cost the U.S. economy between $104 billion and $164 billion per year.

Republican lawmakers in the Trump era are talking about climate change far less than they used to, while Democratic mentions have spiked to new highs, according to an analysis by public affairs software company Quorum.

The big picture: There's always been a divide between Republicans and Democrats on the issue, but this data — measured by the number of floor statements, press releases and social media posts that mentioned climate change — shows that the chasm is growing. And it's happening as new scientific reports and extreme weather events are drawing new attention to the issue.