Dear EarthTalk: How do oil and gas companies foil efforts by climate activists?

—J.L., via email

June 13. In recent years, many climate activists have protested against oil and gas companies for their role in exacerbating climate change. Recent examples include the ubiquitous “Just Stop Oil” protests, which have shown up from the Louvre Museum to Easter Island. Oil and gas companies defend their actions as necessary for energy security, but critics accuse them of undermining climate progress.

One way energy companies fight climate activists is lobbying. According to Open Secrets, more than $2 billion has been spent on lobbying in the U.S. since 2000, which highlights the huge role lobbying plays and how often policy changes. In this regard, many fossil fuel lobbyists coordinate with lawmakers to push laws that disincentivize climate activism, with some anti-protesting laws carrying 10-year penalties.

Oil and gas companies are working hard to thwart efforts by climate activists to raise awareness about the risks of too many emissions. Credit: Pexels.com.

Mis-information

Another way energy companies fight climate activism is by funding research to shape the public narrative. For decades, people have known the detrimental effects that energy companies have on the environment. In attempts to delay action, ExxonMobil and others have spread misinformation like “climate has changed naturally in the past, so today’s climate change must be natural.” In another example, the Heartland Institute, a free-market think tank, sent packages to 25,000 science teachers every week. The package contained a book written by the organization titled “Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming,” and a DVD that would play a video rejecting the role of humans in the climate crisis.

Legal threats

These companies also use lawsuits and legal strategies to intimidate detractors. One instance involved Chevron when in 2011, it was found guilty of knowingly discharging cancer-inducing waste and chemicals into the northern Ecuadorian Amazon. Despite the initial win for the indigenous and Amazonians, the decision was overruled seven years later at an arbitration court, where many believed Chevron used its financial dominance to its advantage. Today, Chevron has still not paid back Ecuador for the irreparable damage done years ago. While the company seems to have been let off the hook, there are still people who demand justice from Chevron.

With growing environmental sentiment across the globe, more people are joining movements to uncover the ugly truth about oil and gas companies. Next time you fill up your gas from a station, consider where this gas came from. What story hides behind the multimillion-dollar facade that companies keep up to ensure a lucrative business? Cases like the Heartland Institute highlight the lengths to the industry will go to maintain their operations, and it is imperative to stay informed as citizens and customers.

CONTACTS: These Fossil Fuel Industry Tactics Are Fueling Democratic Backsliding, americanprogress.org/article/these-fossil-fuel-industry-tactics-are-fueling-democratic-backsliding/; Chevron’s Environmental Crimes: 13 Years of Evasion and Escalation, amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0214-chevrons-environmental-crimes-13-years-of-evasion-and-escalation;;

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