Message From the Editor
Another week of the Trump presidency, another week of turmoil for people who care about the planet. In a late Friday night purge, Trump fired more than a dozen independent inspectors general (IGs) from federal agencies, including the chief watchdogs of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of the Interior.
These officials safeguard against fraud, abuse, and conflicts of interest.
Then we found out that Trump is packing the EPA with oil, gas, and chemical lobbyists. DeSmog’s Sharon Kelly shows what happens when the very people appointed to protect public lands, resources, and the environment prioritize the interests of Big Oil, coal, and gas.
Kelly uncovered a slew of hidden emails that show Trump’s Interior nominee, Doug Burgum, hosted a “VIP dinner” for oil, gas, and coal executives last year – which would have been a significant conflict of interest if that happened just months later when Burgum was tapped to head Interior.
During his Senate confirmation hearings, Burgum also touted the “benefits” of “clean” coal and carbon capture and storage as if they could save our polluted environment. But, obviously, they’re both false solutions and blind alleys for a clean energy future.
“It’s reckless for someone who is seeking a cabinet position to throw around fictional solutions to a very real problem, said Sierra Club’s legislative director in a statement after Burgum’s testimony, Kelly writes.
Is this what we want for our climate future? More false solutions?
It seems the new administration does. As Trump stocks his staff with fossil fuel advocates like Burgum, a court case in London shows how far oil and gas producers are willing to go to discredit their environmental opponents. Rebecca John and Geoff Dembicki report on how an Israeli private eye wanted by U.S. authorities for allegedly carrying out a hack-and-leak operation against climate activists for ExxonMobil is fighting against his extradition back to New York.
The private investigator is using what some are calling a “bizarre” defense: His attorneys are arguing that he shouldn’t be extradited because the charges against him are politically motivated. Coming to his defense? The president of the conservative U.S. think tank, the Capital Research Center (CRC), which for years publicly argued that the science of climate change is faulty and uncertain.
But we all know better. At its core, this scandal reveals the dishonesty of the climate denial machine. It's not just about denying science anymore; it's about distorting reality, attacking transparency, and undermining people working to protect our planet.
DeSmog remains committed to exposing these sorts of manipulative narratives that shift attention away from the urgent need for climate action, so please share far and wide.
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Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director
P.S. Readers like you power our journalism dedicated to climate accountability. Can you donate $10 or $20 right now to support more of this essential work?
Credit: PLOS Climate
Trump Interior Nominee Doug Burgum Hosted ‘VIP Dinner’ for Oil, Gas, and Coal Execs Last Year, Emails Show
— By Sharon Kelly (6 min. read) —
North Dakota’s Rainbow Energy – which plans to mix coal, crypto, and carbon capture – among those invited to the former governor’s table.
Climate Denial Group Aided Legal Defense of Alleged Exxon Hacker-for-Hire
— By Rebecca John and Geoff Dembicki (5 min. read) —
Lawyers defending private eye Amit Forlit against extradition to the U.S. cite a group that’s argued climate change isn’t “settled science.”
Mapped: Donald Trump’s Transatlantic Anti-Green Network
— By Adam Barnett (8 min. read) —
Politicians, donors, think tanks, and media outlets in the UK and U.S. are working increasingly closely to scupper climate policies and promote fossil fuel extraction.
Alberta’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ Enforcement Strategy Doesn’t Apply to Polluters
— By Mitch Anderson (4 min) —
Regulators have clearly demonstrated they are prioritizing continued oil production over public safety.
The Coming Climate Uncertainty Conundrum
— By Rupert Read (5 min. read) —
It’s time to prepare for the ‘Chaoscene.’
From the Climate Disinformation Database: Capital Research Center (CRC)
Capital Research Center (CRC) was founded in 1984 by Willa Johnson to “study non-profit organizations, with a special focus on reviving the American traditions of charity, philanthropy, and voluntarism.” Prior to founding CRC, Johnson was senior vice president of the Heritage Foundation, the group behind Project 2025. In 2020, CRC’s investigative researcher Hayden Ludwig wrote: “The lust for power is at the heart of environmentalism. Fearmongering is simply the quickest way to convince Americans to surrender their freedom—hence, the ever-looming ‘climate crisis’ that’s been hanging over our heads since the 1970s.”
Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database, Ad & PR Database, and Koch Network Database.
