Our weekly update to unravel the industry and political spin around the energy debate
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
TELLING THE REAL STORY ABOUT OIL SHALE
Last week, a former elected official and representatives of sportsman and conservation groups flew into Washington, DC. Their mission was to educate members of Congress and the administration about the damage that continued oil shale speculation can have on jobs, drinking water and air quality in the West.
FRACKING INDUSTRY USES MILITARY TACTICS ON CITIZENS
Earthworks uncovered the psychological warfare tactics oil and gas companies are using on Pennsylvania residents who have spoken out about concerns over hydraulic fracturing in their backyards. In one meeting, Matt Carmichael (manager of external affairs for Anadarko Petroleum) went as far as to call these concerned citizens an ‘insurgency.’ Read the full story at CNBC.com.
MEET THE FRIENDS OF FRACKING
When the Huffington Post published the Facebook profile for the fracking industry, it showed that there are some tight connections between energy companies and those tasked with regulating the hydraulic fracturing process. The Checks and Balances Project profiled three individuals who have been friendly to fracking and who have helped green light its use across the nation.
DID YOU KNOW?
EXXONMOBIL, SHELL STILL AREN’T PRODUCING COMMERCIAL OIL FROM OIL SHALE
Despite the fact that companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron have leased upwards of 200,000 acres for oil shale development. None of these companies are able to turn this proto-petroleum rock into commercial oil.
A WELL-FUNDED SUPERCOMMITTEE
According to a new report from Oil Change International and Public Campaign Action Fund titled, Payback Time? The Supercommittee & Fossil Fuel Subsidies, the 12 members of the supercommitee received at least $4.2 million in dirty energy campaign contributions over the past 11 years.
Other key findings show:
- Supercommittee members have at least 35 former or current staffers with revolving door ties to dirty energy interests.
- Subsidies to fossil fuels can be conservatively estimated at $10 billion a year or $100 billion over the last decade.
COMING UP
Friday, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) continues to push for more taxpayer-funded subsidies to industry, this time for oil shale. His bill will be heard in the Energy & Minerals Subcommittee, which he chairs, and aims to throw more money at companies like Shell and ExxonMobil for oil shale speculation. Despite the hype, industry has failed to produce oil from oil shale rock for a hundred years. Join us as we play “Oil Shale Bingo” and listen for the same rhetoric to appear that has been told over the last century.
CONTACT
Twitter: @CandBP | Email: [email protected]
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