An Arctic blast striking the Midwest carried over into the eastern U.S., bringing record-low temperatures to parts of New York, Vermont and Ohio on Wednesday, AP reports.
S&P Global Market Intelligence has a great look at the pledges from big power companies — like Duke Energy, Xcel Energy, PSEG — to reach net-zero emissions or 100% zero-carbon generation by 2050.
The problem: The companies don't really know how they'll get all the way there without significant increased development and scaling of technologies like "carbon capture and sequestration, advanced nuclear reactors and battery storage" — and that's likely to need help from the federal government.
Existing and announced policies worldwide won't be nearly enough to rein in carbon emissions, despite the strong growth of climate-friendly energy sources, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.
Why it matters: The IEA's annual World Energy Outlook reports are among the most prominent attempts to model where energy systems are headed in the decades ahead. These big and data-rich studies (this year's weighs in at 810 pages) are widely cited by policymakers, analysts and other stakeholders.
Venice's mayor declared a state of emergency and closed all schools after the highest high tide in more than 50 years hit the city on Tuesday night, according to the New York Times.
What's happening: Sea water rose to around six feet before 11 p.m. on Tuesday, and at least one person has died as a result. Famous tourist locations, like St. Mark’s Square and the crypt of St. Mark’s Basilica, were flooded by more than three feet on Wednesday.
In separate but similar efforts this week, a corporate lobbying campaign and a grassroots interest group are both calling on Washington to pass a carbon tax.
Driving the news: Americans for Carbon Dividends, an industry-backed lobbying group, is launching a six-figure advertising campaign Wednesday promoting a carbon tax whose proceeds are returned to consumers. Separately, nearly 1,000 advocates with Citizens Climate Lobby were on Capitol Hill Tuesday pushing a similar policy.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg says she can attend the United Nations' climate summit in Spain after all — she's due to set sail across the Atlantic aboard an Australian couple's 48-foot catamaran from Hampton, Va., on Wednesday morning.
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said in a court filing Tuesday that he will not file suit to block a subpoena from House impeachment investigators, and will instead refuse to cooperate at the direction of President Trump and the Justice Department.
The big picture: Mulvaney had previously sought to join a lawsuit brought by former deputy national security adviser Charles Kupperman, who has asked a judge to rule whether he should comply with a House subpoena or an order from the president.
Lots of environmentalists like Mike Bloomberg, but there's not likely to be a groundswell of activist support for his potential White House run.
Why it matters: Climate change has long been a major priority for Bloomberg, who for years has poured resources into speeding the closure of coal-fired power plants.
The release of the Saudi Aramco IPO prospectus is putting a fresh spotlight on a big question: the date when global oil demand will peak.
Driving the news: The document released over the weekend includes estimates that demand will grow until around 2035 before leveling off, but that the inflection point could occur by the late 2020s.
Snow cancelled some 1,000 flights at Chicago airports Monday as an arctic blast brings freezing temperatures to tens of millions of people across the U.S. this week, AP reports.
Why it matters: The National Weather Service (NWS) warns "widespread record cold" is possible for much of the country this week. It says 385 cold records could tumble from the Plains to the East Coast through Thursday.
