Message From the Editor

There’s a lot of misinformation flying around about the coronavirus pandemic and the risks it poses. And as Sharon Kelly has found, some of that is coming from groups with a history of climate science denial.

Just before COVID-19 closures and cancellations started ramping up in the U.S., Julie Dermansky was taking photos in the Permian Basin, one of the busiest oil patches in America. There, it’s easy to see how much patriotism gets mixed with support for the fracking industry, which is expected to receive various bailouts from the Trump administration despite its financial struggles that predate the recent oil price war and pandemic.

One of the major environmental challenges even oil companies have acknowledged is their methane problem. Justin Mikulka dives into why ExxonMobil, which has released huge amounts of methane, is now proposing rules for reigning in this potent heat-trapping gas.

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: [email protected].

Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

Meet the Climate Science Deniers Who Downplayed COVID-19 Risks

— By Sharon Kelly (9 min. read) —

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019, which causes the disease COVID-19, was officially a “public health emergency of international concern.” At the time, there were cases confirmed in 19 countries and deaths in China had reached 170.

The very next day, the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) published an article titled, “Coronavirus in the U.S.: How Bad Will It Be?”

“Is coronavirus worse than the flu?” it began. “No, not even close.”

A Faltering Fracking Industry, on the Verge of a Bailout, Mixes Patriotism and Oil in the Permian

— By Julie Dermansky (6 min. read) —

Signs equating patriotism with the oil and gas industry are abundant in the Permian Basin, one of the United States’ most prolific oil and natural gas plays.

There, the messages on billboards, trucks, and the sides of rest stops suggest that supporting the industry that’s one of the largest contributors to the climate crisis is a matter of American pride.
Some American politicians have celebrated the fracking boom of the past decade for contributing to both the notion of U.S. energy independence and the nation’s transformation into a dominant player in the world’s oil and gas market.

Exxon Now Wants to Write the Rules for Regulating Methane Emissions

— By Justin Mikulka (10 min. read) —

ExxonMobil is a company capable of contradictions. It has been lobbying against government efforts to address climate change while running ads touting its own efforts to do so.

And while the oil giant has been responsible for massive methane releases, Exxon has now proposed a new regulatory framework for cutting emissions of this powerful greenhouse gas that it hopes regulators and industry will adopt. As Exxon put it, the goal is to achieve “cost-effective and reasonable methane-emission regulations.”

So, why is Exxon asking to be regulated?

Shell's Latest Annual Report: More Greenwashing?

— By Dana Drugmand (8 min. read) —

Two years after internal documents surfaced showing that Royal Dutch Shell, like ExxonMobil, knew about climate dangers decades ago, the oil giant released its latest annual report outlining its business strategy and approach to addressing climate change. Despite clear warnings from scientists, global health experts and even central banks of impending climate-driven crises, Shell’s report largely sends a message that everything is fine and the company’s “business strategy is sound.”

That is not to say that Shell is ignoring the challenges facing it and other oil majors. But overall Shell appears to be toeing the line between saying it is responding to the climate challenge and inevitable energy transition on the one hand, and maintaining its core oil and gas business model on the other.

How Technology Can Combat the Rising Tide of Fake Science

— By Chris Impey, University of Arizona (5 min. read) —

Science gets a lot of respect these days. Unfortunately, it’s also getting a lot of competition from misinformation. Seven in 10 Americans think the benefits from science outweigh the harms, and nine in 10 think science and technology will create more opportunities for future generations. Scientists have made dramatic progress in understanding the universe and the mechanisms of biology, and advances in computation benefit all fields of science.

On the other hand, Americans are surrounded by a rising tide of misinformation and fake science. Take climate change. Scientists are in almost complete agreement that people are the primary cause of global warming. Yet polls show that a third of the public disagrees with this conclusion.

From the Climate Disinformation Database: American Enterprise Institute

American Enterprise Institute (AEI) is one of the richest and most influential think tanks in the U.S., having received significant funding from conservative foundations and large corporations, including the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and ExxonMobil. AEI fanned the flames of a conspiracy theory that claims COVID-19 was developed for biological warfare, and the think tank has defended fossil fuels and downplayed the climate crisis.

Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database or our new Koch Network Database.