We have seen some ads recently that cause us to wonder whether the stated facts are true, half true or simply not true at all. These ads pertain to our Colorado energy policies, so we thought it important to dig in to see the facts behind the PR.
We have written before about writing and opinion pieces that appear to be from individuals that are in fact talking points fed to willing writers paid by certain industries. That is largely the case with the so called studies done by the fossil fuel industry in the 1970s, funding researchers in exchange for misleading conclusions. Our article “Science Denial and Deception Fueled the Climate Crisis” published November 17, 2023, in the Estes Park Trail Gazette went into detail about this. In that article, we wrote of “The Climate Deception Dossiers” including one about the creation of “astroturf” (fake grassroots) organizations. This is the vibe we are getting from some recent ads, so this article looks into whether the declared “factual” statements are true.
The advertisements in question are from an organization named Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development (CRED). According to a fact-checking article by Colorado Public Radio in 2013, the non-profit is funded by Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Noble Energy Inc. Their promotional material claims that fossil fuels strengthen communities, and keep our air clean, among other claims. One interesting thing that happens continually as we navigate this site is that when we follow the question “What is in fracking fluid?” the site leads us nowhere. Many “links” just circle us back to the 3 “facts” they want you to know: the number of jobs supported by the industry in Colorado; the tons of emissions reduced with new technology; the dollar amount contributed to Colorado schools by oil and natural gas. (The website does finally have some details on the “What is fracking” page.)
Another ad funded by the American Petroleum Institute is fact-checked on March 8, 2024, in a segment of 9 News produced by Marshall Zelinger. Among the many extreme exaggerations of statistics, the ads reference 300,000 jobs supported by the industry while Department of Labor statistics attach about 20,000 jobs total to the industry, a 1500 percent difference in claims of Colorado jobs supported by the industry.
On October 20, 2021, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) produced a thorough report in which they “documented four basic disinformation “plays” in the state: The Fix: The industry manipulates government officials or processes to inappropriately influence policy to its financial advantage; The Diversion: The industry manufactures uncertainty about science (including economics) and facts where little or no uncertainty exists; The Screen: The industry buys credibility through alliances with academia, professional societies, and trusted local organizations or messengers; The Fake: The industry creates, supports, or promotes questionable scientific and economic analyses and tries to pass them off as facts or legitimate research.”
The 40-page report includes fact-checking details of CRED and other industry propaganda, the use of astroturf organizations and misleading information via “greenwashing.” For example, page 14 of the report fact-checks the claim that the oil and gas industry is “the cornerstone of prosperity” in the state of Colorado. In fact, the sector is “ a notoriously unstable, boom and bust enterprise that accounts for roughly 1 percent of Colorado jobs. At the same time, it offloads onto the state and its communities innumerable externalities, such as air pollution, fouled waters, and abandoned mines.”
Further, the industry has hired people to harass petition gatherers, and created astroturf organizations with names similar to legitimate environmental organizations to confuse voters. The greenwashing campaigns make claims that fossil fuels are clean energy.
This is just a small sampling of the ongoing attempts by the fossil fuel industry to convince us that regulating their industry is bad for our economic health. One very recent event was just reported by Jesse Paul of The Colorado Sun on April 29, 2024. “Colorado governor, Democrats reach long-term air quality and transit deal with oil and gas industry, environmentalists” The first paragraph of the article states “Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats in the legislature unveiled a deal Monday with the oil and gas industry and environmentalists to tighten the state’s air quality regulations and raise millions of new dollars for transit projects in exchange for all sides pausing their pursuit of other legislation or ballot measures for the next several years.”
As Coloradans, we must stay vigilant about the use of propaganda to manipulate our votes. Page seven of the UCS report notes that between the years 2012 and 2016, the fossil fuel industry spent in excess of $80 million dollars to influence outcomes in a state “with a population of just over 5 million people.” There is a lot of money being spent to spin the facts.
Thomas Beck, AIA, NCARB, is an architect based in Estes Park, Colorado, who has been deeply involved in
sustainable building practices since he was a student at CU Boulder in the 1970s.
www.twbeckarchitects.com
