oil workers

By Greg Muttitt, et. al. - Oil Change International, et. al., September 2016

In December 2015, world governments agreed to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2°C, and to strive to limit it to 1.5°C. This report examines, for the first time, the implications of these climate boundaries for energy production and use. Our key findings are:

• The potential carbon emissions from the oil, gas, and coal in the world’s currently operating fields and mines would take us beyond 2°C of warming
• The reserves in currently operating oil and gas fields alone, even with no coal, would take the world beyond 1.5°C
• With the necessary decline in production over the coming decades to meet climate goals, clean energy can be scaled up at a corresponding pace, expanding the total number of energy jobs.

One of the most powerful climate policy levers is also the simplest: stop digging for more fossil fuels. We therefore recommend:

• No new fossil fuel extraction or transportation infrastructure should be built, and governments should grant no new permits for them
• Some fields and mines –primarily in rich countries –should be closed before fully exploiting their resources, and financial support should be provided for non-carbon development in poorer countries
• This does not mean stopping using all fossil fuels overnight. Governments and companies should conduct a managed decline of the fossil fuel industry and ensure a just transition for the workers and communities that depend on it.

In August 2015, just months before the Paris climate talks, President Anote Tong of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati called for an end to construction of new coal mines and coal mine expansions. This report expands his call to all fossil fuels.

Read the report (PDF).

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, August 17, 2016

A supplement to Eco Unionist News:

Lead Stories:

• Coal Companies Have Mined An Area The Size Of NYC, Now They Have To Clean It Up - By Stephanie Joyce, Wyoming Public Radio, August 13, 2016
• Selling T-shirts, lies, anger to miners left without jobs, hope - By Gary Bentley, Lexington Herald-Leader, August 13, 2016
• Coal isn’t the only fossil fuel in trouble, Rice researcher says - By  David Hunn, FuelFix, August 12, 2016
• The solar transition - By staff, The Next Wave, August 12, 2016; [related]: Climate science: revolution is here - By Paul Rogers, Open Democracy, August 11, 2016
• Bob Murray: MSHA inspections ‘total harassment’ - By Ken Ward Jr, Charleston Gazette-Mail, August 11, 2016
• Oil trades near 1-week low after U.S. stockpiles rise - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 11, 2016
• [related]: Ending $4 billion U.S. oil subsidy would have minor impact, report says - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 8, 2016

Other Carbon Bubble News:

• China doesn’t need any more coal plants - By Fu Sha and Zou Ji, Climate Change News, August 12, 2016
• The view from Canada: ‘The industry is in a tough position’ - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 12, 2016; [related]: Canada’s oil industry not likely to rebound by end of decade: report - By Tania Kohut, Global News, August 4, 2016
• Christy Clark holds fast to market fundamentalism as LNG dreams crumble - By Harjap Grewal, Rabble.Ca, August 11, 2016
• Court upholds Obama's social cost of carbon accounting for federal regulations - By Robert Walton, Utility Dive, August 11, 2016
• How a US energy company tried to sell its failing ‘clean coal’ project to the world - By Zachary Davies Boren, Greenpeace, August 11, 2016
• IEA says global oil demand growth could sink - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, August 11, 2016
• Oregon Finds Switching From Coal to Renewable Energy Is a Bargain - By John R. Platt, Take Part, August 11, 2016
• Chesapeake Energy leaving Barnett, birthplace of shale revolution - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, August 10, 2016
• Peabody Energy Lenders Accept Miner’s Business Plan - By Dow Jones Newswires, Denver Post, August 10, 2016
• Saudi Arabia reports record output on summer demand - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 10, 2016
• Trump keeps pandering to the coal miners - By Ken Ward Jr, Charleston Gazette-Mail, August 10, 2016
• Oil services firms face $110B in debt — and the bill is coming due - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, August 9, 2016
• Kosmos Energy announces $108.3 million net loss for second quarter 2016 - By staff, Oil Voice, August 8, 2016
• Tesla Motors vs. Fossil Fuels: An electrifying showdown - By Matt Pressman, EV Annex, August 7, 2016

Utility Death Spiral News:

• Australian energy markets have echoes of Enron crisis in California - By Giles Parkinson, REnew Economy, August 15, 2016; [related]: SA power prices inflated by generators gaming market, says report - By Sophie Vorrath, REnew Economy, August 11, 2016 | South Australia would face higher electricity bill without wind energy - By Giles Parkinson, REnew Economy, August 9, 2016
• Japan's big 'nuclear restart' overtaken by conservation and renewables - By Jim Green, The Ecologist, August 12, 2016
• New Mexico settlement blocks solar fees proposed by Xcel Energy - By Robert Walton, Utility Dive, August 12, 2016; [related]: Big Victory for Solar Energy in New Mexico - By Earthjustice, EcoWatch, August 11, 2016
• Arizona regulators preserve net metering in UNS case - By Christian Roselund, PV Magazine, August 11, 2016; [related]: Big Win for Arizona Solar Customers - By Earthjustice, EcoWatch, August 12, 2016
• California Has More Solar Power Than You Think—a Lot More - By Bentham Paulos, GreenTechMedia, August 11, 2016
• Facts and Falsehoods in Energy Transition [23] - Dr Jonathan Koomey interviewed by Chris Nelder, The Energy Transition Show, August 10, 2016
• In Corporate March to Clean Energy, Utilities Not Required - By Jan Ellen Spiegel, InsideClimate News, August 8, 2016
• Is Solar Energy Really Too Expensive? - By Jill Richardson, Other Words, August 3, 2016

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, August 10, 2016

A supplement to Eco Unionist News:

Lead Stories:

• Oil and natural gas production jobs in May were 26% lower than in October 2014 - By Robert McManmon, OilVoice, August 5, 2016
• Oil majors’ debt balloons as energy slump persists - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 5, 2016; [related]: How will industry respond after oil’s fall below $40? - By staff, FuelFix, August 3, 2016 | Oil prices flat after two-day rally - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 5, 2016 | ‘The days of $100 oil are gone.’ So what’s next? - By staff, FuelFix, August 2, 2016 | Oil rises after its dip below $40 a barrel - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 2, 2016 | Oil settles below $40 for the first time since April - By staff, FuelFix, August 2, 2016 | Growing oil glut shows investors there’s nowhere to go but down - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 1, 2016 | Oil prices continue to slide - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 1, 2016 | Oil settles above $40 a barrel after falling below threshold in intraday trading - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 1, 2016
• State of The Transition, July 2016: Might the fossil fuel industries implode faster than the clean energy industries can grow to replace them? - By Jeremy Leggett, Jeremy Leggett Blog, August 3, 2016
• Today’s Downturn Sets Markets Up For A Dramatic Oil Price Spike - By Nick Cunningham, OilPrice.Com, August 2, 2016
• Hydrocarbons and the Illusion of Sustainability - By Kent A. Klitgaard, Monthly Review, July-August 2016

Other Carbon Bubble News:

• Bankrupt coal company execs want huge bonuses — but can they clean up after themselves? - By staff, Western Priorities, August 5, 2016; [related]: Bankrupt coal miner Peabody proposes $11.9 million in executive bonuses - By Tracy Rucinski, Reuters, August 4, 2016
• Synergy Resources announces second quarter 2016 net loss of $153.8 million - By staff, OilVoice, August 5, 2016
• Chesapeake misses estimates as gas field writedowns mount - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, August 4, 2016
• Dynegy posts loss while preparing for Texas growth - By Jordan Blum, FuelFix, August 4, 2016
• More bad news for copper price - By Frik Els, Mining.Com, August 4, 2016
• W&T Offshore warns of potential bankruptcy after $121 million loss - By Jordan Blum, FuelFix, August 4, 2016
• Crude-by-rail volumes to the East Coast are declining - By Arup Mallik, OilVoice, August 3, 2016; [related]: Crude-oil train movements down 45% this year - By Andrew Maykuth, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 3, 2016
• Hunger strike pushes South Korea to defer coal plant plan - By Bob Burton, EndCoal, August 3, 2016
• Noble Energy sells record amount of oil — but not at a profit - By David Hunn, FuelFix, August 3, 2016
• Occidental swings to loss in 2nd quarter from year earlier - By David Hunn, FuelFix, August 3, 2016
• Solar Beats Out Coal In UK For 2nd Whole Month Ever - By Joshua S Hill, Clean Technica, August 3, 2016
• Coal Glut, Environmental Pushback Derail West Coast Port Plans - By Timothy Puko and Erica E. Phillips, Wall Street Journal, August 1, 2016
• LNG Investments At Serious Risk If China Succeeds On Shale - By Charles Kennedy, Network for Oil & Gas Accountability and Protection, August 1, 2016
• Wyoming’s ‘clean coal’ plans stir false hopes - By Sandy Buchanan, Last Best News, July 29, 2016
• Two Towns Battle Colorado for Freedom to Ban Fracking - By Kate Stringer, YES! Magazine, July 28, 2016
• US to speed oil, gas permits amid sharp drop in applications - By Matthew Brown, Associated Press, July 28, 2016
• Stuttgart pulls out of fossil fuels - By Melanie Mattauch, Fossil Free, July 20, 2016

Utility Death Spiral News:

• South Australia signalling the death of base-load generation - By Giles Parkinson, REnewEconomy, August 8, 2016; [related]: The solution to Australia’s gas crisis is not more gas - By Alan Pears, The Conversation, August 3, 2016
• Warren Buffett Wins: Elon Musk's Ballot Referendum Blocked by Nevada Supreme Court - By Climate Nexus, EcoWatch, August 5, 2016; [related]: Nevada Supreme Court Blocks Rooftop Solar Referendum - By Julia Pyper, Greentech Media, August 8, 2016 | Nevada Court Rejects Solar Power Ballot Initiative As ‘Inaccurate’ And ‘Misleading’ - By Samantha Page, Think Progress, August 5, 2016 | Nevada Supreme Court rejects net metering ballot proposal - By Krysti Shallenberger, Utility Dive, August 5, 2016 | Nevada Supreme Court rejects rooftop solar referendum - By Danielle Ola, PV-Tech, August 5, 2016 | Future of Nevada solar ballot petition unclear after state Supreme Court hearing - By Robert Walton, Utility Dive, August 1, 2016
• What happens when 1GW of coal capacity suddenly disappears - By Giles Parkinson, REnew Economy, August 4, 2016
• Big coal generators still fear renewables, despite gas boost - By Sophie Vorrath, REnew Economy, August 2, 2016
• Energy companies are dead already, they just haven’t realised it - By Leon Bateman, REnew Economy, August 2, 2016
• 5 Charts That Illustrate The Remarkable LED Lighting Revolution - By Joe Romm, Think Progress, August 2, 2016
• Have we massively underestimated the battery storage market? - By Nigel Morris, REnew Economy, August 2, 2016
• 'It's just wrong': Thousands in limbo as Louisiana's solar tax credits dwindle - By Jennifer Larino, Times-Picayune, August 2, 2016

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, August 2, 2016

A supplement to Eco Unionist News:

Lead Stories:

• The Price Rally Is Over: Capital Drives the Oil Market to Low Prices - By Art Berman, The Petroleum Truth Report, July 27, 2016
• Oil falls to three-month low - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 27, 2016; [related]: Oil Falls to Three-Month Low as Surplus Withstands Supply Drop - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 26, 2016
• The triple bust: Why oil, gas and coal faltered together - By Heather Richards, Casper Star Tribune, July 24, 2016
• Distress in the oil and gas industry: What happened to the price of oil? - By Debbie Young and Ben Davies, DLA Piper, July 22, 2016
• Oil Is Facing The Perfect Storm - By Cassandra Legacy, OilPrice.com, July 14, 2016

Other Carbon Bubble News:

• Chevron posts $1.5 billion loss in second quarter - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 29, 2016; [related]: Chevron reports second quarter loss of $1.5 billion - By staff, OilVoice, July 29, 2016
• Exxon profits plunge nearly 60 percent; lowest since 1999 - By David Hunn, FuelFix, July 29, 2016
• Phillips 66 2nd-quarter profit falls by 50 percent - By Jordan Blum, FuelFix, July 29, 2016
• Baker Hughes cut 3,000 jobs amid $911 million 2nd-quarter loss - By Jordan Blum, FuelFix, July 28, 2016
• ConocoPhillips loss widens as oil prices stay low - By David Hunn, FuelFix, July 28, 2016; [related]: ConocoPhillips reports second-quarter 2016 net loss of $1.1 billion - By Staff, OilVoice, July 28, 2016
• National Oilwell Varco swings to loss - By David Hunn, FuelFix, July 28, 2016
• Shell earnings plunge to 11-year low - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 28, 2016
• Alpha Sells Wyoming Mines To Newly-Formed Company - By Stephanie Joyce, Wyoming Public Media, July 27, 2016; [related]: Alpha emerges from bankruptcy - By Ken Ward Jr, Charleston Gazette-Mail, July 26, 2016
• Coal Dependent School Budgets In Crisis - By Ann Marie Awad, Inside Energy, July 27, 2016
• Life After Coal: One Miner’s Story - By Stephanie Joyce, Inside Energy, July 27, 2016
• Peabody Reaches Deal With Regulators On Outstanding Reclamation Obligations - By Stephanie Joyce, Inside Energy, July 27, 2016; [related]: Advocates gain some ground in Peabody self-bonding fight - By Kari Lydersen, Midwest Energy News, July 26, 2016
• Statoil swings to loss, slashes spending - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 27, 2016
• Tourism Could Save a Uintah Basin Town - By Aimee Cobabe, Utah Public Radio, July 27, 2016
• Weatherford loses $565M despite massive job cuts - By Jordan Blum, FuelFix, July 27, 2016
• Anadarko posts $700 million loss; and that’s an improvement - By David Hunn, FuelFix, July 26, 2016
• BP 2nd-quarter earnings fall 45 percent - By Brian Rausch, FuelFix, July 26, 2016
• Can Trump save coal and support natural gas? - By Ken Ward Jr, Charleston Gazette-Mail, July 26, 2016
• CONSOL sells last of West Virginia mines - By Ken Ward Jr, Charleston Gazette-Mail, July 26, 2016
• New Mexico governor may reconvene Legislature due to budget crunch - By Associated Press, KOB TV NBC 4, July 26, 2016; [related]: NM State Land Office reports 32 percent drop in revenues - By staff, MRT.Com, July 25, 2016
• Valero’s profits tumble 40 percent in 2nd quarter - By staff, FuelFix, July 26, 2016

Utility Death Spiral News:

• Mythbusting: Electricity prices in South Australia - By Andrew Stock, RenewEconomy, August 1, 2016; [related]: Today Tonight’s misleading report on renewables in South Australia - By Sophie Vorrath and Giles Parkinson, RenewEconomy, July 29, 2016; | Frydenberg says renewables not to blame for South Australia energy “crisis” - By Giles Parkinson, RenewEconomy, July 28, 2016 | Attack on renewables fatuous, misleading and ideological - By Giles Parkinson, RenewEconomy, July 27, 2016 | SA renewables frame-up covers for fossil fuels electricity prices heist - By Ben Courtice, Yes2Renewables, July 26, 2016
• Solar, wind, storage and big data: Why energy may soon be free - By Giles Parkinson, RenewEconomy, August 1, 2016
• Australia’s renewable energy policy is short sighted and creating problems - By Giles Parkinson, RenewEconomy, July 28, 2016
• Distributed Generation Is On The Verge Of Disrupting The Power Sector, Says Lux Research - By Joshua S Hill, Clean Technica, July 28, 2016
• Nevada Utility Continues Rooftop Solar War, Opposes Net Metering - By Climate Denier Roundup, EcoWatch, July 28, 2016
• Can Economics Guide the Energy Transition? [22] - Ed Crooks interviewed by Chris Nelder, The Energy Transition Show, July 27, 2016
• Solar Energy Consuming Coal’s UK Market Share - By James Ayre, Clean Technica, July 27, 2016
• When Solar & Wind Prices Are “Too Low” And Solar & Wind Power “Too Dominant” - By Zachary Shahan, Clean Technica, July 27, 2016
• Lawsuit Against FERC Alleges New Rules For Capacity Resources Put Undue Burden On Renewables - By James Ayre, Clean Technica, July 26, 2016
• LePage Proposes End to Solar Net Metering Program - By Fred Bever, Maine Public Broadcasting, July 25, 2016; [related]: Maine's governor proposes an end to net metering - By Peter Maloney, Utility Dive, July 27, 2016

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Greg Muttitt - Oil Change International, July 26, 2016

Today 400 workers on Shell platforms in the UK North Sea went on strike. On behalf of our more than 100,000 supporters, Oil Change International stands in solidarity with these workers.

The striking workers are employed by Wood Group, a contractor to Shell and one of the largest service companies in the North Sea. After two rounds of layoffs, Wood Group sought to unilaterally impose pay cuts of up to 30%, added an additional four to five weeks’ work annually, extended work shifts, and imposed restrictive new limitations on leave. The Unite and RMT trade unions both voted overwhelmingly to go on strike against these harmful changes in pay and conditions.

Oil companies have long ridden roughshod over workers, communities, and the environment. At Oil Change International, we see the fight for fair treatment of oil workers as a critical part of the wider global struggle for responsible, just, and clean energy production.

Everyone has the right to safe working conditions and fair pay. The drop in the oil price is no excuse for highly profitable fossil fuel companies to pass the costs onto workers. As Unite Regional Officer John Boland put it, “For decades, oil and gas companies across the North Sea have made hay while the sun shone and become very profitable on the back of the hard work and dedication of our members. Now that the weather has turned for the industry, they are using the downturn to attack the pay, terms, and conditions of our members.”

We continue to strive for a future in which energy industry workers enjoy decent and stable jobs in a clean energy economy, and are not tied to the profiteering whims of Big Oil. We wish the striking workers every success in holding Wood Group to account and demanding a fair deal.

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, July 27, 2016

A supplement to Eco Unionist News:

Lead Stories:

• Oil heads back to $30/bbl and probably lower - By Paul Hodges, ICIS, July 25, 2016; [related]: Oil falls to 2-month low as drilling increases - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 25, 2016 | Oil heads for weekly loss amid sustained glut - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 22, 2016 | Oil at near 2-month low after U.S. inventories rise - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 21, 2016
• Coal jobs will decline with or without federal regulations - By Paige Blankenbuehler, High Country News, July 21, 2016
• ‘Brexit’ leads to oil-field shutdowns in North Sea - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 19, 2016
• Dispatch from coal country: Advocates and adversaries duel over leasing reform - By Paige Blankenbuehler, High Country News, July 19, 2016
• Many laid-off oil field workers have left industry behind, survey finds - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 19, 2016; [related]: The high cost of layoffs, for workers and companies - By staff, FuelFix, July 25, 2016

Other Carbon Bubble News:

• Gasoline prices likely to continue their decline - By Jordan Blum, FuelFix, July 25, 2016
• Shell to cut 25 percent of deep-water Gulf jobs - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 25, 2016
• ConocoPhillips to shed 1,000 jobs - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 21, 2016
• Bankruptcy Judge Rules Self-Bonding Challenge Can Move Forward - By David Jakubiak, Environmental Law and Policy Center, July 20, 2016; [related]: After court approval, questions linger on Alpha's future - By Heather Richards, Casper Star Tribune, July 17, 2016
• Federal coal leasing needs a major overhaul - By Dan Bucks, High Country News, July 19, 2016
• North Dakota coal plant shuttered over low energy prices - By Robert Walton, Utility Dive, July 19, 2016
• Oil holds near $45 a barrel - By Rob Gavin, FuelFix, July 19, 2016
• Drillers betting that oil rally won’t last - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 18, 2016
• Oil falls after failed Turkey coup - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 18, 2016
• Offshore workers in Wood Group show overwhelming support for strike action - By staff, Unite the Union, July 13, 2016; [related]: Wood Group Dispute - By staff, RMT, July 13, 2016
• A big Northwest clean air victory: 2 old coal plants will be phased out - By Joel Connelly, Seattle Post Intelligencer, July 12, 2016

Utility Death Spiral News:

• Residential solar boom in Utah raises concerns over incentives - By Peter Maloney, Utility Dive, July 25, 2016
• Utilities Ignore Millennials At Their Peril - By Greentech Media, Breaking Energy, July 25, 2016
• Why fossil fuel industry needs South Australia “experiment” to fail - By Giles Parkinson, REnew Economy, July 25, 2016; [related]: Why gas prices jumped to record levels, and 3,200MW of coal went offline - By Giles Parkinson, REnew Economy, July 20, 2016
• The duck is safely afloat in California - By Craig Morris, REnew Economy, July 21, 2016

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, July 19, 2016

A supplement to Eco Unionist News:

Lead Stories:

• Venezuela at the Brink - By Robert Belano and Eduardo Molina, Left Voice, July 16, 2016 [related]: Special Report: Hunger in Venezuela? A Look Beyond the Spin - By Christina Schiavoni and William Camacaro, Food First, July 11, 2016
• Faltering oil recovery prompts warnings of return to $40 - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 15, 2016
• Coal Faces Decline For The Foreseeable Future - By Alejandro Davila Fragoso, Think Progress, July 13, 2016; [related]: Coal’s Collapse Commences … & Conservative “Concern” For Coal Workers Explained - By Zachary Shahan, Clean Technica, July 13, 2016 | Ending the Age of Coal - By Anna, CoalWire, July 12, 2016
• Oil Industry Faces Huge Worker Shortage - By Nick Cunningham, OilPrice.com, July 8, 2016

Other Carbon Bubble News:

• Oil Prices Lower Forever? Hard Times In A Failing Global Economy - By Art Berman, The Petroleum Truth Report, July 15, 2016
• China set to ban all new coal plant development - By Sophie Vorrath, REnew Economy, July 13, 2016
• Glut of fuels offsets falling U.S. crude inventory - By Jordan Blum, FuelFix, July 13, 2016
• The “largest, dirtiest coal plant west of the Mississippi” announces major closures - By Xian Chiang-Waren, Grist, July 13, 2016; [related]: Montana to close two coal units serving Pacific Northwest customers - By Andrew Topf, Mining.Com, July 12, 2016
• C&J Energy Services expected to file for bankruptcy this week - By Jordan Blum, FuelFix, July 12, 2016
• China Oil Demand Fell 2.7% Year over Year in May: S&P Global Platts China Oil Analytics - By staff, OilVoice, July 12, 2016
• Demand for oil in China slipped 2.7 percent in May - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 12, 2016
• U.S. drillers hit record for junk bond defaults - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 12, 2016
• Wyoming in violation with Alpha coal bonding deal - By Mead Gruver, Casper Star Tribune, July 12, 2016
• Glencore to sell Australian coal train fleet within 3 months - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, July 11, 2016

Utility Death Spiral News:

• Battery revolution empowers consumers, unleashes renewables, imperils Big Energy - By Emma Howard, Greenhpeace Energydesk, July 15, 2016
• Did An Entire Region Of The U.S. Just Disincentivize Renewables? This Lawsuit Says Yes - By Samantha Page, Think Progress, July 15, 2016
• Murdoch, Coalition go in guns blazing against wind and solar - By Giles Parkinson, REnew Economy, July 15, 2016
• Nevada clears net metering, retail choice measures for November ballot - By Peter Maloney, Utility Dive, July 14, 2016
• These Deep Red States Are Going Green - By Jeremy Deaton, Think Progress, July 14, 2016
• New Zealand Electricity Authority rules in favor of controversial solar 'tax' - By Ian Clover, PV Magazine, July 13, 2016
• The Role of Development Banks in Energy Transition [21] - Christine Eibs-Singer interviewed by Chris Nelder, The Energy Transition Show, July 13, 2016

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

By Cailynn Klingbeil - Future Perfect, July 2016

Tradespeople working in Canada’s oil sands have created their own organization to provide training in renewable energy. Positioning themselves at the forefront of a bourgeoning industry, they are seeking to realize a vision for a more sustainable future.

Over the six years that Lliam Hildebrand worked in Alberta’s oil sands, he regularly broached a subject around the lunch table that he expected to be taboo: renewable energy. But Hildebrand, a journeyman welder and steel fabricator based in Victoria, British Columbia, found that the topic was front of mind for many workers, himself included.

“I’ve always been environmentally minded, and always had a bit of a personal struggle with working in the oil sands and the contributions to climate change,” Hildebrand says. “I found in the conversations I was having with the tradespeople up there, it was a shared experience… they’re interested in innovation and technology and they care about the future of the planet for their children.”

Hildebrand previously worked at a steel fabricating shop in Victoria, B.C., building pressure vessels for the oil sands and ship loaders for coal terminals. Later, he watched the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth while working on a windfarm weather station at the shop. He realized that tradespeople could play a key role in building renewable energy infrastructure. “I started on a path to try and figure out how to make these things work in sync with each other,” he says.

His lunchtime conversations, combined with the atmosphere in Alberta – falling oil prices have led to massive job losses, while the provincial government has introduced a new climate policy – then encouraged Hildebrand to act.

He formally launched Iron & Earth, a worker-led initiative aiming to train tradespeople in renewable energy, in March 2016. Oil and gas workers have transferable skills, the organization posits, and they want to be part of building a greener energy industry in Canada. So why not help them get supplemental training to join this bourgeoning industry?

“It’s about time Canada starts diversifying our energy grid,” says Hildebrand, now executive director of Iron & Earth. “We can build products we’re proud of and contribute to preventing global warming – and provide greater economic security and energy stability in Canada.”

A shared vision

The organization is led by Hildebrand and four directors – all tradespeople – who have worked or are working in Alberta. More than 450 members from various trades have joined Iron & Earth and expressed interest in training programs, including boilermakers, electricians, pipe fitters, ironworkers and labourers.

Joseph Bacsu, a third-generation boilermaker in Alberta, shared many lunchtime conversations with Hildebrand, and ultimately agreed with his vision. Bacsu also recognized that a transition to green energy could fill a need inherent to oil-related jobs. The boom and bust cycles of the oil sands mean that workers crave consistent employment. “People want the work, they want to be trained, and they want to be called upon when these jobs [in renewable energy] are available. It’s a no brainer,” Bacsu says.

He is now a director of Iron & Earth and has seen many workers, including his father, a 35-year industry veteran, join the organization. “[My father’s] thoughts are the same as mine,” Bacsu says. “If I could be somewhere doing what I’m doing now, but knowing I’m making a better earth, why wouldn’t I?”

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, July 12, 2016

A supplement to Eco Unionist News:

Lead Stories:

• Climate change cost for fossil fuel industry: $33 trillion - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 11, 2016 
• Emulate to Undermine: Utility Industry Propaganda in Action - By ClimateDenierRoundup, DeSmog Blog, July 8, 2016
• Big Coal Just Saw One Of Its Favorite Loopholes Closed - By Mary Ellen Kustin, Think Progress, July 6, 2016; [related]: Coal’s Decline and New Possibilities - By Kailie Melchior, Clean Energy Footprints, July 6, 2016 | Senator Murkowski Makes 180-degree Turn on Whether Taxpayers Should Get Fair Share for Coal Mined on Public Lands - By Jesse Prentice-Dunn, Center for Western Priorities, July 6, 2016
• An oil crash so deep even Exxon is hurting - By David Hunn, FuelFix, July 5, 2016
• In Venezuela’s difficult times the grassroots are stronger - By Tamara Pearson, New Internationalist, July 4, 2016

Other Carbon Bubble News:

• BG Group to cut more than 150 jobs in Houston, close office - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 11, 2016
  
• Drilling ramp up could get snagged on labor problems - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 8, 2016
• Deutsche Bank ditches coal investments - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, July 8, 2016
• Fed: Texas cut 35,000 energy jobs in 2016 through April, but outlook improving - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 8, 2016
• Judge Approves Alpha’s Bankruptcy Plan - By Leigh Paterson, Inside Energy, July 8, 2016; [related]: Alpha Natural Resources, Arch Coal near bankruptcy exit deals - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, July 7, 2016 | Alpha Natural Resources bankruptcy plan gets court approval - By Associated Press, Casper Star Tribune, July 7, 2016
• Oil Prices Down, Investment Down, Supply Up, Energy Efficiency Down - By Joshua S Hill, Clean Technica, July 8, 2016
• Colorado school district crisis linked to coal-firm troubles - By Donna Bryson, Casper Star Tribune, July 7, 2016
• Oil completions fell in second quarter, API says - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 7, 2016
• Oil tumbles to below $46 after U.S. inventory report disappoints - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 7, 2016
• Taking toll of oil’s continued slump - By Chris Tomlinson, FuelFix, July 7, 2016
• By the numbers: Western coal mine layoffs - By Paige Blankenbuehler, High Country News, July 6, 2016
• Drillers write down $200 billion in assets - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, July 6, 2016
• Like many of its members, the World Coal Association is running at a loss - By Bob Burton, EndCoal, July 6, 2016
• Coal baron is trying to elect Trump with old tricks - By Katie Herzog, Grist, July 5, 2016
• Decline in mining sector steepest in state's history - By Matt Murphy, Wyoming Tribune Eagle, July 5, 2016
• New CoalSwarm Report: Collision Course; The Incompatibility of India’s Coal and Renewable Strategies - By Ted Nace, EndCoal, July 5, 2016
• Oil heading to biggest drop in 5 months amid glut - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, July 5, 2016
• US Bank Restricts Future Investment In Coal In Updated Climate Policy - By Joshua S Hill, Clean Technica, July 5, 2016

Utility Death Spiral News:

• Energy incumbents fight changes that could accelerate battery storage - By Giles Parkinson, REnew Economy, July 8, 2016
• Hawaii solar industry reports 39% drop in employment after the end of retail net metering - By Robert Walton, Utility Dive, July 8, 2016; [related]: Large majority of Hawaii solar companies reporting job losses - By Duane Shimogawa, Pacific Business News, July 6, 2016
• Overwhelming majority of Nevadans support ballot measure to overturn PUC NEM ruling - By Danielle Ola, PVTech, July 7, 2016
• California dreaming: Utilities uneasy with regulator's vision to remake their business model - By Peter Maloney, Utility Dive, July 6, 2016

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, July 5, 2016

A supplement to Eco Unionist News:

Lead Stories:

• Paris climate deal needs fossil fuel giants to ‘implode’ - By Tim Radford, Climate Change News, July 4, 2016
• Lord Browne: Big Oil Needs to Invest in Renewables or Face Bankruptcy - By Andy Rowell, Oil Change International, June 29, 2016
• Coal Companies Spent $95 Million on Lobbying Before Bankruptcies - By Jennifer A Dlouhy, Bloomberg, June 28, 2016; [related]: These five coal miners spent $95 million on lobbying before going bankrupt - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, June 28, 2016  

Other Carbon Bubble News:

• Coal Royalty Fraud Loophole Closed, Export Terminal Nixed — Now What? - By Tina Casey, Clean Technica, July 4, 2016; [related]: Now there’s one less way for Big Coal to screw over Americans - By Ben Adler, Grist, July 1, 2016
• Australia’s Coalition government lacks serious plan for future beyond coal - By Hannah Aulby, REnew Economy, June 30, 2016
• EIA: Oil production in continental U.S. has fallen sharply since 2015 peak - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, June 30, 2016
• Stranded assets risk assessment now mandatory for EU pensions - By Nicolo Wojewoda, 350.org, June 30, 2016
• From Housekeepers To Railroad Conductors, Coal’s Crash Takes Its Toll - By Stephanie Joyce, Wyoming Public Radio, June 28, 2016
• Tar Sands Predicted to Grow by 1 Million Bbl/Day by 2025 - By Andy Rowell, Oil Change International, June 28, 2016
• Weatherford to cut 90 jobs in Katy - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, June 28, 2016
• Arch Coal says it could afford to replace self-bonds, if required - By Benjamin Storrow, Casper Star Tribune, June 26, 2016
• Getting by after the gas boom - By Marie Cusick, WITF, June 8, 2016

Utility Death Spiral News:

• California’s duck curve has arrived earlier than expected - By Fereidoon Sioshansi, REnew Economy, July 5, 2016
• SDG&E becomes first California utility to hit net metering cap - By Krysti Shallenberger, Utility Dive, June 30, 2016
• China’s Idled Wind Farms Portend Trouble in Renewables - By Feifei Shen with assistance from Iain Wilson and Ben Sharples, Renewable Energy World, June 29, 2016
• Grid evolution [20] - Eric Gimon interviewed by Chris Nelder, The Energy Transition Show, June 29, 2016
• Here comes the sun: US solar power market hits all-time high - By Matt Weiser, The Guardian, June 28, 2016

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.