NPR

Exxon Lobbyist Caught On Sting Video Describes Anti-Climate Moves : NPR

Indiscreet comments made by an Exxon Mobil lobbyist to undercover activists may figure prominently in upcoming congressional hearings about the role of oil companies in the battle against climate change.

Video clips released by the Greenpeace investigation project Unearthed show Keith McCoy, the oil giant's senior director for federal relations, talking frankly about Exxon Mobil's lobbying strategies. Channel 4 from the United Kingdom first reported the comments.

McCoy was tricked by the activists who said they were job recruiters. He talked about working with "shadow groups," supporting a carbon tax that he believes will never happen and influencing senators to weaken climate elements of President Biden's infrastructure plan.

"Joe Manchin, I talk to his office every week," McCoy bragged to the interviewer. He called the Democratic senator from West Virginia a "kingmaker" and discussed how "on the Democrat side we look for the moderates on these issues" in their efforts to stop policies that could hurt the company's business.

July 2, 2021 Morning

Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! Working from home today, which is good because I’ve been staying up too late, although I did find time ⌚ for my morning walk 🚢🏻 before work Two weeks to Last Sunset After 8:30 PM πŸŒ†. Days already are getting shorter, although fortunately in a few weeks when I go to the Finger Lakes that they’ll be longer due to being farther west. Cloudy, damp and 64 degrees in Delmar. ☁️ Calm wind. The dew point is 62 degrees. The skies will clear Sunday around 6 am.

Today will have showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Cloudy 🌦, with a high of 69 degrees at 2pm. 14 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around May 9th. Maximum dew point of 63 at 9am. Light and variable wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light thunderstorm by afternoon. It was sticky. The high last year was 93 degrees. The record high of 98 was set in 1966.

Assuming it’s not pouring rain β˜” by afternoon, I will probably work down at the library πŸ“š for most of the afternoon. I like the faster internet connection and not having to watch the meter. I also want to browse the library and get some summer reading πŸ“– for the first time in a while. It’s been so long since I’ve spent much time in the library, although I guess I was there for a couple of hours last week.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:00 pm with sun having an altitude of 70.4Β° from the due south horizon (-0.4Β° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour πŸ… starts at 7:55 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (296Β°). πŸ“Έ The sunset is in the west-northwest (303Β°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:38 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 27 seconds with dusk around 9:11 pm, which is 11 seconds earlier than yesterday. πŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 9:57 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and thunderstorms 🌩 and temperatures around 61 degrees. The dew point will be 58 degrees. There will be a east breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 15 hours and 14 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 44 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy 🌧, with a low of 56 degrees at 5am. Six degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around June 11th. Maximum dew point of 60 at 6pm. East wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2020, we had mostly clear skies. It was very sticky. It got down to 68 degrees. The record low of 44 occurred back in 1978.

On this day in 1962, The first Wal-Mart store opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas. πŸ›’ I know people talk shit about Wally World but it’s my go to place as it’s convenient, one stop shopping tit has everything I need. Two years later, President Johnson would sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law on the same day. I’ve been doing a lot of though about racism, kind of like millions of other Americans these days.

Tomorrow will have a chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 64 degrees at 2pm. 19 degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 26th. Maximum dew point of 57 at 3pm. Light north wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light thunderstorm by afternoon. It was sticky. The high last year was 83 degrees. The record high of 102 was set in 1911.

Looking ahead to Sunday, Independence Day πŸŽ‡ there is a slight chance of rain showers before 2pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. Very cold Independence Day Weekend, maybe one of the coldest om record. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees. Wasn’t Memorial Day Weekend kind of the same thing?

I am staying in town this weekend. πŸŒ₯ Going to take the Nature Bus 🚍 to Thacher Park assuming that it’s not pouring rain. If we get showers, I’ll hide out under a pavilion or sit up on the deck at the Visitor’s Center where they have the Adirondack Chairs. Not sure what the plans are for independence Day, I could wilderness tent camp locally β›Ί or maybe do a hike somewhere. It’s just going to be so cold but probably clear.

I canceled my therapy session for next week but I have the eye doctor πŸ‘€ in the morning and I’m thinking of heading to the Adirondacks after that. Not sure how long I’ll stay up north although I probably won’t take Monday off unless it’s nice. I would like a nice weekend if in the Adirondacks. I do think a future counseling session would be good πŸ‘¨πŸ»β€βš•οΈbut I need to know what I want to talk about and maybe with a different counselor that takes my concerns more seriously. But I’m also trying to learn some new coping and mental health skills from YouTube.

As previously noted, there are 2 weeks until Last Sunset After 8:30 PM πŸŒ† when the sun will be setting at 8:30 pm with dusk at 9:04 pm. On that day in 2020, we had rain and temperatures between 80 and 65 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 84 degrees. We hit a record high of 97 back in 1900.

Branch Pond Road

Smaller summer harmful algal bloom predicted for western Lake Erie | University of Michigan News

Smaller summer harmful algal bloom predicted for western Lake Erie | University of Michigan News

University of Michigan researchers and their partners are forecasting that western Lake Erie will experience a smaller-than-average harmful algal bloom this summer.

A relatively dry spring is expected to lead to a repeat of last year’s mild bloom, marking the first time in more than a dozen years that mild Lake Erie blooms have occurred in consecutive summers.

This year’s bloom is expected to measure 3—the same size as last year’s bloom—with a potential range of 2-4.5 out of 10 on the severity index, according to the annual Lake Erie forecast released today by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which funds the research. The 2021 bloom is expected to be among the smaller blooms since 2011.