Message From the Editor

In a major investigation, DeSmog analyzed ​​more than 3,000 social media posts by major European fossil fuel and energy companies, such as Royal Dutch Shell. We found that nearly two-thirds of those posts present a “green” image of the company, despite the majority of their business activity remaining in fossil fuels. As one expert said, “This is greenwashing 101, and it’s utterly misleading.” Get the full story here.

Revealing the sprawling influence of the fossil fuel industry is essential to holding industry and leaders accountable for the climate crisis. That’s why DeSmog’s latest investigation explores the ties between those making decisions at the top of the world’s insurance companies — which are under pressure to halt support for fossil fuel firms as the climate destabilizes — and major polluting industries. Spoiler: There are quite a few connections. Take a look at what we found.

Finally, you might have heard about the recent wild price spikes for natural gas from the UK to the U.S. As Sharon Kelly explains, this has been an Achilles’ heel for the natural gas industry for years, but around a decade ago, the fracking industry convinced America that its technology would bring abundant gas and stable prices. However, the U.S. now sits more exposed than ever to the fossil fuel’s wild price swings. Yet oil and gas advocates want you to blame anyone but them. Read more here.

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 pursue ambitious investigations and insightful research and analysis. Can you spare $10 or $20 to support DeSmog’s investigative journalism right now?

Revealed: Two Thirds of Online Posts from Six Major European Fossil Fuel Companies ‘Greenwashing’

— By Rachel Sherrington (15 min. read) —

Nearly two thirds of social media posts put out by six major European fossil fuel and energy companies since the end of 2019 present a “green” image of the company, despite the majority of their business activity remaining in fossil fuels, reveals new analysis by DeSmog.

The findings add to campaigner concerns that fossil fuel companies are promoting a misleading image of their business models as the need to decarbonize the economy becomes increasingly urgent.

Investigation: Majority of Directors of World’s Top Insurance Companies Tied to Polluting Industries

— By Rachel Sherrington (13 min. read) —

Just over half of all directors at 30 of the world’s largest insurance companies have affiliations to polluting companies and organisations, reveals an investigation by DeSmog, including several individuals holding senior roles at some of the world’s largest energy companies.

The findings raise concerns over a potential pervasive conflict of interest on the boards at a time when the international insurance sector is under pressure to halt its support for the fossil fuel industry.

Price Spikes Puncture Fracking’s Promise to Keep Natural Gas Prices Low

— By Sharon Kelly (12 min. read) —

Natural gas’s notorious price volatility has been making a comeback — in a big way.

The UK is experiencing a natural gas price surge so severe that the government stepped in to prevent a cascade down the supply chain that threatened to create food shortages. In the U.S., deals to sell natural gas this winter carry a price tag that’s roughly double or triple the costs in recent years, with a few traders placing bets that U.S. prices could multiply again, hitting $40 per thousand cubic feet (mcf), up from about $5 now. Major bank Citi said it won’t rule out $100/mcf for cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this winter, a tab for the supercooled form of the fossil fuel that’s used to ship it between continents which dwarfs even today’s record-setting heights.

Mariner East 2 Pipeline Charged with 48 Environmental Crimes in Pennsylvania

— By Nick Cunningham (5 min. read) —

On October 5, the Pennsylvania Attorney General unveiled criminal charges against the Mariner East 2 pipeline, a long-distance natural gas pipeline that traverses the state.

Stemming from a grand jury investigation, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced 46 environmental crimes, plus an additional two charges that were referred to his office by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Texas Oil Regulators Profit from the Companies They Oversee

— By Nick Cunningham (5 min. read) —

The top oil and gas regulators in Texas are not only too cozy with the industry, but they personally profit from the companies they are supposed to oversee, according to a new report.

Vague ethics laws, lack of enforcement, and a campaign finance system soaked in fossil fuel cash all combine to make the Texas Railroad Commission a “captive agency,” argue Commission Shift and Texans for Public Justice, two watchdog groups, in their new report.

PennEast Pipeline Cancelation Could Signal ‘End of an Era’ for Unnecessary Fossil Fuel Projects

— By Nick Cunningham (5 min. read) —

A major natural gas pipeline in Pennsylvania was canceled this week in the face of a thicket of legal obstacles and intense local opposition. The cancelation may punctuate what could be the end of a decade-long pipeline building frenzy in the U.S. as federal regulators begin to heed calls from activists and local communities to increase scrutiny over unneeded pipelines crisscrossing the country.

The PennEast pipeline would have carried Marcellus shale gas from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River and to Mercer County, New Jersey. But the developers of the project canceled it on September 27, citing its inability to obtain state-level water quality permits from New Jersey. The decision came three months after the company won a case before the U.S. Supreme Court related to the corporation’s ability to seize state land using eminent domain authority.

Climate Advocates Voice Concerns Over Fossil Fuel Handouts in Stalled Infrastructure Legislation

— By Julie Dermansky (7 min. read) —

“Blah, blah, blah … Build back better. Blah, blah, blah …” Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist, said this week, taking a jab at President Biden’s signature legislative agenda, which is currently imperiled by disagreements within his own party. The pair of bills — a $1 trillion infrastructure package that passed the Senate with bipartisan support and the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act filled with social and climate program expansions — purports to take on climate change, but Thunberg dismissed the legislation in her comments during the opening session of the Youth4Climate event in Milan, Italy, on September 28. She added, “This is all we hear from our so-called leaders: Net zero by 2025. By 2050! Words that sound great, but so far have led to no action.”

From the Climate Disinformation Database: Steve Koonin

Steve Koonin is a university professor and founding director of NYU’s Center for Urban Science and Progress. From 2009 to 2011, Koonin was Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy under President Barack Obama. He has also worked as Chief Scientist for oil giant BP, and in an April 2017 Wall Street Journal op-ed titled “Climate Science Is Not Settled,” Koonin advocated for a controversial “red team-blue team” approach to examining the consensus on climate science. On October 1, he joined the American Enterprise Institute as a nonresident senior fellow “focusing on climate science and energy policy studies.”

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