Biden’s LNG Freeze 🌿 What Big Oil Knew 🌿 Mining Near the Grand Canyon

Hi, Everyone!

I’m Amanda Magnani, a Brazilian (photo)journalist and OptOut News’ climate editor. Every other week, I bring you the most important climate news from our network—with an extra serving of decolonial perspectives. ✨🌿

But First: Have you checked our first Global South Corner of 2024? In it, I talked to Argentinian journalist Belén Lopez about how the country’s new president is handling the climate crisis. Let us know what you think and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

🌿🌿🌿

Last week, the Biden administration announced a freeze to all new LNG (liquified natural gas) projects across the country. According to Gas Outlook, the permitting process is set to undergo major reviews and as many as 16 new LNG projects could be delayed. The U.S. is currently the world’s largest natural gas exporter, and could double its capacity by the end of the decade. But as Biden enters his reelection campaign, he’s set to weigh the climate impacts of exporting LNG before approving new terminals, Grist reports.

If you want to learn more about the impacts of the natural gas industry, don’t forget to check out our podcast An LNG Project Threatens a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Canada, in partnership with Gas Outlook.

It came as no surprise that Big Oil has known about the devastating environmental impact of burning fossil fuels for decades. There are new documents to prove it. De Smog reports that the industry had been sponsoring climate science—and been warned about the potential climate impacts of CO2—at least since 1954. Also according to the files, nearly two decades later, Shell accepted responsibility for harms caused by its products through a  journal article. These files could now play a key role in climate lawsuits against Big Oil, WhoWhatWhy reports.

Meanwhile, Native lands in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon are still facing the threat of uranium mining, despite a proclamation last year from the Biden administration aimed at protecting millions of acres of canyons, cliffs, and plateaus. The company responsible for the activity is Colorado-based Energy Fuels Resources, which hopes to explore 2 million pounds of uranium over the next three to six years, Grist reports.

🌿🌿🌿

And More:

🛢️ “Sunrise Movement Climate Protesters Invade Trump Rallies,” by The Majority Report.

🛢️ “SCOTUS to hear oral argument on Rio Grande Case,” by Source NM.

🛢️ “Climate plan’s out. Now comes the hard part: Paying for it,” by Maryland Matters.

🛢️ “Agriculture built these High Plains towns. Now, it might run them dry,” by South Dakota Searchlight.

🛢️ “How California’s Solar Ironworkers Got Rid of Tiers,” by Jacobin.

🛢️ “EPA approves permits for controversial carbon sequestration fertilizer project,” by Indiana Capital Chronicle.

🌿🌿🌿

Decolonizing Climate Change

🌱 “Climate is a Justice Issue,” by Planet Critical.

🌱 “Yurok, Klamath & Karuk Native tribes celebrate historic dam removals,” by Your Call Podcast.

🌱 “Walt Bresette, Ojibwe leader and environmental hero, in Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame,” by Wisconsin Examiner.

🌱 “Governor’s plan connects dots between housing and transportation as part of Colorado climate action,” by Colorado Newsline.

🌿🌿🌿

Around the World

🇨🇳 China: “China’s Belt & Road Initiative boosts SE Asian renewables,” by Gas Outlook.

🇨🇭 Switzerland: “As a Swiss Glacier Melts, a Trove of Invaluable Climate Data Is Being Lost,” by Yale Environment 360.

🇵🇪 Peru: “Meet the Young Peruvians Fighting in Court for Climate Action,” by The Nation.

🇸🇩 Sudan: “In Sudan’s Civil War, Farmers Are Grieving Their Land and Loved Ones,” by Atmos.

🇨🇦 Canada: “LNG Canada May Detonate World’s 6th Largest ‘Carbon Bomb,’ Expert Warns,” by DeSmog.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland: “Scotland’s Renewable Output More Than 100 Percent of Demand,” by Yale Environment 360.

🌿🌿🌿

To Lighten Your Heart

💚 “Benefiting Society with Translational Water Research,” by EOS.

💚 “Meet the communities trying to take over their local electric utility,” by Grist.

💚 “‘It only makes sense’: Houses of worship adding solar arrays,” by Michigan Advance.

💚 “Hot? Hungry? Step inside these food forests,” by Grist.

🌿🌿🌿

That’s all for now, folks! If you have any questions or suggestions, hit me up at amanda@optout.news.

Obrigada and have a great week!

The OptOut Media Foundation (EIN: 85-2348079) is a nonprofit charity with a mission to educate the public about current events and help sustain a diverse media ecosystem by promoting and assisting independent news outlets and, in doing so, advance democracy and social justice.

Download the app for Apple and Android.
Sign up for OptOut's free newsletters.
Learn more about OptOut.
Merch

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Mastodon, and Facebook.