Message From the Editor

This week, an explosive new report finds that the plastics industry has misled the public for decades about the viability of recycling plastic, promoting reuse despite the fact that mechanical recycling was not feasible – perpetuating the plastic waste crisis the world faces today.

“The plastics industry has ‘sold’ plastic recycling to the American public to sell plastic,” according to the report by the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI), a nonprofit organization that advocates for legal action to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.

Petrochemical companies and the plastics industry have known of the technical and economic limitations that make plastics unrecyclable for more than half a century, and “have failed to overcome them,” the report states. “Despite this knowledge, the plastics industry has continued to increase plastic production, while carrying out a well-coordinated campaign to deceive consumers, policymakers, and regulators about plastic recycling.”

And Michaela Herrmann holds a Q&A with democracy professor Dana R. Fisher in advance of her new book ‘Saving Ourselves: Climate Shocks to Climate Action’. She seeks to answer the question ‘what will it take for the world to finally rally around rapid, sustained climate action?’

Building upon years of research on activism, democracy, and climate politics, Fisher explores the state of the climate movement today to understand how radical direct action is evolving as the climate crisis worsens. She draws upon years of data gathered from climate protests as early as COP6 in 2000 and lessons from the world’s response to COVID-19 to understand how civil society has responded to 30 years of ineffectual international climate negotiations.

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Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

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Image credit: RawPixel on Flickr

Report: Plastics, Oil Industry Deceived Public on Recycling Use for More Than 50 Years

— By Adam M. Lowenstein (5 min. read) —

An explosive new report finds that the plastics industry has misled the public for decades about the viability of recycling plastic, promoting reuse despite the fact that mechanical recycling was not feasible – perpetuating the plastic waste crisis the world faces today.

“The plastics industry has ‘sold’ plastic recycling to the American public to sell plastic,” according to the report by the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI), a nonprofit organization that advocates for legal action to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable. In a statement, CCI claims the study, called “The Fraud of Plastic Recycling: How Big Oil and the plastics industry deceived the public for decades and caused the plastic waste crisis,” includes “evidence that could provide the foundation for legal efforts to hold fossil fuel and other petrochemical companies accountable for their lies and deception.”

Q&A: ‘Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action’

— By Michaela Herrman (13 min. read) —

What will it take for the world to finally rally around rapid, sustained climate action? 

Professor Dana R. Fisher answers this critical question in her new book, Saving Ourselves: Climate Shocks to Climate Action. 

Building upon years of research on activism, democracy, and climate politics, Fisher explores the state of the climate movement today to understand how radical direct action is evolving as the climate crisis worsens.

Fossil Fuel Advocates Spread Disinfo About Canada’s False Advertising Bill

— By Taylor Noakes (4 min) —

A member of the Canadian parliament has proposed a ban on misleading fossil fuel advertising. 

Taking inspiration from Canadian government bans on tobacco advertising that went into effect in the 1990s, New Democratic Party (NDP) MP Charlie Angus has proposed private members bill C-372, An Act respecting fossil fuel advertising.

Are Europe’s Farmers Protesting Green Reforms? It’s Complicated

— Rachel Sherrington (8 min. read) —

Across France, Italy and Belgium last week thousands of farmers descended on capital cities to express their deep discontent with the European food system.

The scenes were dramatic. Parked tractors brought traffic to a standstill in Paris, and on Thursday burning piles of hay and debris sent up huge, dark plumes of smoke in Brussels. The protests show no sign of slowing down and are expected this week across Italy, Slovenia and Spain.

Canadian LNG Will Stall Asia’s Shift to Renewables, Energy Experts in Asia Say

— By Geoff Dembicki (4 min. read) —

Oil and gas companies have for years marketed fracked gas from B.C. as a global climate solution, with some industry boosters even going so far as to call Canada’s supply of the fossil fuel the “cleanest in the world.”

But an impending flood of liquefied natural gas exports from western Canada to Asia could make it harder for countries there to achieve their national climate targets and contribute to tens of thousands of additional deaths due to air pollution. 

From the Climate Disinformation Database: Prager University

Prager University, branded PragerU, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservative media organization founded in 2011 by radio talk show host and author Dennis Prager and his business partner Allen Estrin. As noted on its website, “Prager University is not an accredited academic institution and does not offer certifications or diplomas.” According to a Rewire profile, “Dennis Prager, has historically fought against what he describes as ‘liberal’ evils—marriage equality, feminism, and multiculturalism.” The profile suggests that PragerU targets middle school and high school children.  According to PragerU’s 2014 annual report, a priority is to develop relationships with educators in “in college, high school, middle school and homeschools.” PragerU’s “Environmental Science” course is dominated by videos of prominent climate change deniers including Alex Epstein, Bjorn Lomborg, Patrick Moore, and Richard Lindzen.

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