Greenhushing 🌿 Endangered Species Act 🌿 Methane Emissions Fee

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. ✨🌿

Before we begin, I have an important announcement. Starting now, our Global South Corner will have a different format. Instead of being a written section here, it will be published as a 60 second video on our Instagram account on the odd Wednesdays, when you don’t receive this newsletter (yes, I know today is Thursday). This way, you will have something to look forward to every week! So don’t forget to follow OptOut on Instagram and to email me at amanda@optout.news with any inquiries or suggestions on what you would like to see addressed in the new Global South Corner!

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Greenwashing is no longer the only concern when it comes to how companies communicate their climate initiatives. A new report has shown that “Greenhushing," where companies deliberately hide their climate goals and progress, is now a widespread practice, Grist reports. Most commonly found among the greenest companies, the big reasons behind it are 1) compliance with new regulations and 2) avoidance of public scrutiny. In a time when we should learn from each other, Greenhushing is holding back climate progress.

But we also have news to celebrate. As the Endangered Species Act, signed by former president Nixon in December 1973, reached its 50th anniversary, Daily Montanan reported that 99% of species protected have been saved from extinction. One of its most important prerogatives was conserving the ecosystems these species depend on.

Another important milestone was the Methane Emissions Fee, announced by the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on January 12th. Set to be imposed on oil and gas producers, the fee will start at $900 per metric ton of methane this year and rise up to $1,500 from 2026, according to Gas Outlook.

In the meantime, fossil fuel based power plants across the country are planning to store gas onsite as a way to improve reliability after in the wake of performance failures during Winter Storm Elliott in 2022. That solution, however, is far from ideal  as 70% of those failures were unrelated to fuel availability. Moreover, natural gas infrastructure is expensive and unreliable, raising concerns about costs and safety, South Dakota Searchlight reports.

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And More:

🛢️ “Democratic legislator wants to fill environmental justice council vacancies,” by Virginia Mercury.

🛢️ “This Journalist Is Uncovering the Dirty Side of Fast Fashion,” by The Nation.

🛢️ “Time for Pennsylvania to speed up the transition to clean energy,” by Pennsylvania Capital Star.

🛢️ “Congressional office agrees to investigate ‘zombie’ coal mines in Kentucky,” by Kentucky Lantern.

🛢️ “Hydrogen tax rules draw fire from industry,” by Alabama Reflector.

🛢️ “Climate changing: Research shows times for ‘prescribed burns’ in the West shifting,” by Idaho Capital Sun.

🛢️ “Clean energy jobs are coming to West Virginia, but who’s going to work them?” by Mountain State Spotlight.

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Decolonizing Climate Change

🌱 “Since time immemorial, we have shared this land with wolves and bears. They deserve our protection.” by Idaho Capital Sun.

🌱 “Climate Change is ‘Baking’ Elderly Prisoners,” by Atmos.

🌱 “A conversation about environmental justice on MLK Day,” by Your Call Podcast.

🌱 “What is 'Half-Earth' Socialism?” by The Majority Report.

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Around the World

🇨🇦 Canada: “Canadian LNG project inks 20-year deal with Shell.”

🇧🇩 Bangladesh: “Bangladesh gas production plummets to decade-low.”

🇳🇬 Nigeria: “Nigeria-Germany gas deal raises decarbonisation concerns.”

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To Lighten Your Heart

💚 “Why We Need New Words for Nature,” by Atmos.

💚 “Yes, climate activism can win,” by Heated.

💚 “A huge battery has replaced Hawaii’s last coal plant,” by Grist.

💚 “Pittsburgh is a poster child for climate-conscious planning,” by Public Source.

💚 “How to build renewables without threatening biodiversity? Carefully.” by Grist.

💚 “Nourishing Roots in the Birthplace of Environmental Justice,” by Atmos.

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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.

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