Message From the Editor

Did you know that fossil fuel companies are promoting “lower carbon” and “responsibly sourced” oil and gas? Turns out that the oil and gas industry is looking to capitalize off an increasingly-popular socially responsible investing wave that emphasizes the environment. “There is a generation of Millennials around the globe who have written off fossil fuels,” said Chris Romer, co-founder of Project Canary, which offers a responsible-sourced certification it calls TrustWell™. “We need to address the brand problem.” Sharon Kelly reports.

Meanwhile, an aerial view of oil fields across south Louisiana offers a glimpse of the nationwide orphaned well issue. The number of orphaned wells in oil and gas producing states nationwide continues to increase, as does the amount of planet warming methane emissions leaking from them. To deal with the issue, a series of bills have been introduced to grant federal funding to states, giving them the resources to tackle the problem. But is it enough? Julie Dermansky takes a look.

And across the pond, the co-founder of Oxford University Petrochemical Research Centre has just joined the UK’s leading climate science denial group. The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) has appointed Oxford University’s Peter Edwards, professor of inorganic chemistry and former head of inorganic chemistry, to its board of trustees. Campaigners say the appointment showed how closely associated the university remained with those that had an interest in perpetuating the high-carbon status quo. Read more from Rachel Sherrington.

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: editor@desmogblog.com.

Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

P.S. Readers like you make it possible for DeSmog to hold accountable powerful people in industry and government. Even a $10 or $20 donation helps support DeSmog’s investigative journalism.

Fossil Fuel Companies Are Promoting ‘Lower Carbon,’ ‘Responsibly Sourced’ Oil and Gas

— By Sharon Kelly (13 min. read) —

This month, EQT, the nation’s largest natural gas producer, plans to launch a pilot project that will certify it to start selling not just natural gas, but something it calls “responsibly sourced natural gas.”

EQT’s move comes on the heels of a similar announcement from Chesapeake Energy, one of the pioneers of fracking which recently emerged from bankruptcy. Both EQT and Chesapeake will seek certification from outside providers, including a business called Project Canary, which touts its ability to collect data on methane emissions and pollutants from oil and gas wells and offers a certification it calls TrustWell™.

Aerial View of South Louisiana Oil Fields Offers Glimpse of Nationwide Orphaned Well Issue

— By Julie Dermansky (10 min. read) —

In his spare time, David Levy, owner of Petrotechnologies, a company that makes specialty parts for the oil and gas industry, monitors the fossil fuel industry across southwest Louisiana from the sky. He transformed his flying hobby into an act of stewardship by surveying oil and gas industry sites to check for environmental hazards, like oil spills and toppled storage tanks.

Following back-to-back hurricanes last year, Levy took me up with him so I could photograph the storms’ aftermath. We found oil slicks from oil and gas wells scattered throughout the wetlands.

Co-Founder of Oxford University Petrochemical Research Centre Joins UK’s Leading Climate Science Denial Group

— By Rachel Sherrington (3 min. read) —

The UK’s principal climate science denial group the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) has appointed an Oxford University professor with ties to the fossil fuel industry to its board of trustees.

Professor Peter Edwards is Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and former Head of Inorganic Chemistry at the university, as well as a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, Oxford. One of Edwards’ primary areas of research is on developing “technology for fossil fuel decarbonisation to mitigate climate change”, according to his Oxford University profile.

175 Groups Urge Banks Not to Fund Massive ‘Cancer Alley’ Chemical Plant in Louisiana

— By Brett Wilkins at Common Dreams (3 min. read) —

Calling a planned petrochemical manufacturing complex in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” a “textbook case of environmental racism,” 175 organizations from around the world sent a letter to financial institutions Tuesday urging them not to fund, underwrite, or invest in the project, which could cost up to $12 billion.

The letter—led by the faith-based grassroots group RISE St. James—says that Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group’s 2,400-acre Sunshine Project, which is slated to be built in a vulnerable floodplain amid intensifying climate-driven hurricanes and tropical storms, “presents an unnecessary burden for our already-polluted community.”

The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) is a UK-based think tank founded by climate change denialist Nigel Lawson with the purpose of combating what the foundation describes as “extremely damaging and harmful policies” designed to mitigate climate change. The group was established on November 22, 2009, just three days after the first set of “Climategate” emails were released on the University of Tomsk’s server. This week an Oxford University professor with links to the fossil fuel industry joined its board of trustees.

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

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