When you get past the headlines and really dig in on climate, you realize most folks are in the dark on the topic. That was TCC founder Doug McKeige’s discovery 5 years ago and that’s why he started The Climate Capitalist. TCC has now published 129 articles with all the research, interviews, and analysis that entails. Hopefully, this work continues to bring insights and learning to our readers and stimulate progress.
Now, Doug is adding an additional role to his professional mix to help address the most problematic source of greenhouse gas emissions, massive amounts of illegal industrial emissions and pollution from refineries, petrochemical plants, pipelines, steel makers, LNG facilities…. He’s joining the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), a 40 person team of lawyers, scientists, researchers and engineers working to enforce the US Clean Air Act and other environmental laws already on the books. These laws are systemically violated by major industries and polluters across the US. Doug’s focus for EIP will be on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. These states both do the important work of delivering essential products that drive the US economy but also put a heavy burden on their citizens living and suffering with toxic air and water pollution.
Texas and Louisiana also expect to be the hub for facilities for the energy transition like battery manufacturing, carbon capture and ammonia plants. But Texas and Louisiana are already out of compliance with federal air quality standards, and don’t have room for more pollution. To advance the energy transition, there’s a strong case that both new and existing facilities, run by companies like Chevron, Exxon, and Koch Industries, can significantly reduce their emissions and be run more productively with upgraded equipment and better management. However, to date, that hasn’t been the priority. They don’t even do the minimum required because co-opted state regulators and politicians turn a blind eye.
EIP does the deep research to tell the story of what’s happening, brings enforcement actions to stop illegal pollution and challenges permits and regulations that don’t go far enough to protect citizens across the Gulf Coast and the rest of the US. This a small but potent team that dollar for dollar has a huge impact.
EIP’s Executive Director, Jennifer Duggan, commented: “Doug McKeige brings an unusual combination of deep skills and experience, as a talented and successful litigator originating hugely successful cases against big public companies, a career on Wall Street with strong financial and market experience, deep environmental law experience and an understanding, through his work as Editor in Chief of The Climate Capitalist, of the economics, finance and law associated with the transition from a global fossil fuel economy.”
Doug is working for EIP pro bono. If you’d like to help, a donation to EIP may be the most impactful dollars you’ll ever spend on climate:
environmentalintegrityproject.salsalabs.org/donate2024/index.html
