Yesterday morning, we directed you to a Dr. Ben Franta’s recent study on the American Petroleum Institute’s 1980 “Energy Futures” report, which provides an early example of some of Big Oil’s denial tactics, including industry-funded fake experts, misrepresenting real scientists and the science generally, and only selectively disclosing information.
Little did we know that it would coincide with the release of API’s latest “State of American Energy 2021” report released yesterday. In an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner also published yesterday, API CEO Mike Sommers reassured us that if President Biden “is interested in finding common-sense solutions, [he] has a willing and able partner in the oil and gas industry.” And according to Sommers: “He can’t do it without us.”
It’s been 40 years since API’s deceptive “Energy Futures” report was used to downplay public concern about the fossil fuel industry’s role in the climate crisis. Maybe they’ve abandoned the carefully parsed language of climate denial, and grown and changed organizationally so that the fossil fuel industry can now be a credible and reliable “partner” in seeking the best ways to reduce fossil fuel pollution.
Or… maybe they’re still mostly just trying to dodge the issue and distract people from its severity and causes, pointing back to more of their own materials instead of outside experts to justify their threadbare claims.
The report barely says anything about climate change, for example, aside from the fact that “Even if the United States participated in meeting the aggressive sustainability goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, natural gas and oil would be needed to supply close to half of the world’s energy in 2040.”
Okay but what about 2050? Because by then it’s down to a lot less than half, right API? Like, all the way down, to zero? So yes, gas and oil will “play a foundational role in the world’s energy mix for decades to come.” But then, it’s not going to at all, because if it does, we’re in trouble.
But, API claims, gas is just so uniquely good for the grid, that you need it to back up renewables! This convenient but false narrative is supported by a link out to… API!
And if there were any doubt API was in any way different from the professional liars who worked for Big Tobacco to develop things like the “sound science” propaganda, the report also endorses Trump’s changes at the EPA to “ensure sound analyses” of regulations — again, linking to another API page.
So just like they’ve always done, API is ignoring the climate crisis as it pretends like it’s helping solve instead of causing the problem — a problem that can only be solved when it is replaced.
Can’t do it without you?
Can’t do it without you getting out of the way.