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Message From the EditorNick Cunningham is back with a fresh investigation into NW Natural, the Oregon-based gas utility that’s attempting to raise customers’ rates, in part to cover executive bonuses. This week, he shed light on another thing the company wants the proposed rate hike to cover: A series of booklets aimed at kids that position fossil gas as a clean source of energy. NW Natural offered these free booklets to schools in its service area and claims they promote safety. A coalition of environmental groups say they’re just propaganda. Dive in. A new report released this week dives deeper into how, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the oil and gas industry waged a concerted influence campaign to spread misinformation about the causes of the energy crisis and pursue a longstanding wish list of policy changes that had tenuous connections to the global energy crisis — but were favorable to the fossil fuel industry. Read on. And speaking of Russian oil and gas, three climate activists in Italy had their homes searched last week over their alleged involvement in a March protest against two companies involved in the selling and supplying gas on behalf of Gazprom. “What I’m worried about isn’t what I’m accused of,” one of the activists said. “It’s the deployment of forces; it’s the fact activists are getting the signal that they [these companies, the police, the government] can come and do what they want to us.” Stella Levantesi reports. Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: editor@desmog.com. Executive Director P.S. Our powerful public interest journalism is funded by our generous donors. If you’d like to help, can you chip in $10 or $20 right now? Italian Activists’ Homes Searched by Police Following Gazprom Protests— By Stella Levantesi (3 min. read)—The homes of three Italian climate activists were searched by the Italian police last week over their alleged involvement in March in a protest against fossil gas in Milan, Italy. The search warrant, shared with DeSmog by one of the activists, alleges that the activists spray painted and vandalized the side of a building, headquarters of the companies Centrex and Weedoo, both of which are involved in the “sale and supply of gas and energy on behalf of Gazprom” a Russian state-owned fossil fuel company, the warrant says. The warrant states that the search is motivated by the assumption that “electronic devices” found may help “identify the accused” or contain “propagandistic material” tied to their “criminal conduct.” READ MOREGas Utility Sends Kid-Friendly Activity Books to Oregon Schools— By Nick Cunningham (8 min. read) —Oregon gas utility NW Natural offered free activity booklets in English and Spanish to schools in its service territory last year. The booklets target kids as young as kindergarten with games and puzzles that position fossil gas as a clean source of energy. The utility claims the materials relate to safety, and as a result, the company is trying to get ratepayers to cover the costs of the campaign. But a coalition of environmental groups opposing the move argue that the school booklet initiative was instead a propaganda campaign aimed at influencing children. READ MOREOil and Gas Industry Seized on War in Ukraine to Water Down Climate Policy, Report Shows— By Nick Cunningham (6 min. read) —While Russia dropped missiles on Kyiv and laid siege to the port of Mariupol in late February, the oil and gas industry took advantage of the war in Ukraine to spread misinformation about the causes of the energy crisis in order to apply political pressure and pursue a longstanding wish list of policy changes, according to new research. Energy prices soared in the aftermath of the Russian invasion. In response, the oil and gas industry waged a concerted influence campaign that blamed the Biden administration’s climate policies for undermining American energy independence and for causing a spike in prices, according to a report from InfluenceMap, a corporate watchdog group. READ MORERevealed: the PR Firm Behind the UK’s Net Zero Backlash— By Adam Barnett (4 min. read)—A well-connected public relations specialist who runs an anti-BBC pressure group and campaigned for a “hard” Brexit is working with climate science denial groups to oppose the UK’s net zero target, DeSmog can report. The finding sheds new light on a network of PR agencies, right-wing politicians and think-tanks working to drum up opposition to climate policies as part of a broader drive to cut regulation and boost production of fossil fuels. READ MORE‘The Mask Slipped’: HSBC Criticised For Suspending Exec While Still Pumping Billions into Fossil Fuels— By Adam Barnett (2 min. read)—HSBC has been accused of double standards after suspending an executive who said investors “need not worry” about climate change, while continuing to plough billions of pounds into fossil fuels. The British bank this week suspended the head of responsible investing at its asset management division after he gave a speech saying climate risks were exaggerated, asking: “Who cares if Miami is six metres underwater in 100 years? Amsterdam has been six metres underwater for ages and that’s a really nice place.” READ MOREFrom the Climate Disinformation Database: Amy Oliver CookeAmy Oliver Cooke formerly worked at the Independence Institute‘s Energy and Environment Policy Center as director and executive vice president. She joined the John Locke Foundation as CEO in 2020. According to her profile at the Independence Institute, “Amy began working in energy policy in 2010. She is one of the few state-level, free market energy policy experts, and is famous for her provocative messaging like ‘Mothers In Love with Fracking’ and ‘I’m an energy feminist because I’m pro-choice in energy sources,’ which the eco-left called ‘hands down the worst kind of feminism’.”
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