Drilled

In the 2015 case Juliana v. United States, 21 young adults sued the United States for knowingly driving and exacerbating climate change. In 2021, the 9th Circuit declared that the young people did not have a standing to bring the case—but the Juliana 21 weren't done. It's been mandated back to district court where the plaintiffs are preparing for another round.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guardian journalist Chris McGreal breaks down ExxonMobil's attempt to claim lawsuits that hold the company accountable for climate disinformation amounts to a conspiracy against its free speech rights. Reach Chris's story here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the fossil fuel industry has successfully framed environmentalists as silly, radical, elitist, or out of touch. And for too long, the climate movement has bought into this framing, self-flagellating for caring about nature and buying into the false divide between humans and nature. It's time to rethink what it means to be an environmentalist.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the climate crisis collides with the unraveling of American democracy? Max Berger, a longtime progressive organizer who helped incubate the Sunrise Movement and worked with both Cori Bush and Elizabeth Warren, discusses movement building and the climate crisis.(Check out Scene on Radio's climate season here: http://www.sceneonradio.org/the-repair/)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In several countries around the world, including Ecuador, New Zealand, and the U.S., some people are trying to protect the planet using a legal concept called “rights of nature”—infusing the law with Indigenous understandings of Mother Earth.Listen to the complete Scene on Radio season: http://www.sceneonradio.org/the-repair/Check out Degrees podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/degrees/id1536627537 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Groundbreaking new research from Brown University's Dr. Robert Brulle shows just how much oil companies have spent on PR in recent decades, and tracks how PR firms helped to architect climate obstruction. PR whistleblower Christine Arena joins with Dr. Brulle to discuss his research and the many tentacles of the influence industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a new study, sociologist Robert Brulle examined which PR firms work for the various industries obstructing climate action. Only one firm was in the top 3 for every single segment. Listen to find out which one, and learn about some of their other contributions to the world of spin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the rest of the world is beginning to realize that fracking comes with more downsides than upsides, Australia is readying itself for a fracking boom, eyeing basins on Indigenous land.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melissa Aronczyk, media studies scholar at Rutgers University, is one of my go-to sources on all things disinformation. In this episode, she walks us through the history of environmental PR and how it's shaped the broader disinformation system we're all grappling with today. This history is also the subject of Aronczyk's new book, with co-author Maria Espinoza, A Strategic Nature (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/a-strategic-nature-9780190055356?cc=us&lang=en&) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reporter Katie Worth has been researching climate education in the United States for years, forming the basis of her new book Miseducation. Here's what she's uncovered.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last five episodes, we've tracked how long the fossil fuel industry has been investing in schools, why, and what impact it's had. Now it's time for the most important question: What can we do about it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's our full interview with Stanford researcher Ben Franta to discuss fossil fuel influence at universities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By the time students reach college, Big Oil's education strategy reaches it's largest phase: direct influence on curricula and research at the university level.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to high school, where the fossil fuel industry's efforts to shape Americans' thinking on economics and policy ramps up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Donziger, the attorney who's been on house arrest for more than two years on a contempt charge that arose as a result of his work on the Chevron-Ecuador case, was sentenced Friday October 1st. Judge Loretta Preska handed down the maximum sentence, six months in jail. She also denied bail. Donziger's legal team is appealing both the conviction and the denial of bail, and he remains at home on house arrest pending those appeals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the 1920s, oil companies have been creating music, activities, books, movies, and more to shape how American elementary-school aged kids think about our society, economy, and environment. Read more: www.earther.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before climate change appeared on the scene, fossil fuel companies were in America's classrooms, shaping young minds. Dharna Noor and Amy Westervelt explore how Big Oil got into the education game, why it worked so well for them, and how the industry limits how Americans are allowed to think about the environment and the economy.Additional resources:The ABCs of Big Oil: Why the Fossil Fuel Industry Infiltrated SchoolsPre-order Kate Worth's book, Miseducation.Check out the Frontline report on the Marshall Islands.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alongside Earther reporter Dharna Noor, this multi-part series will explore the fossil fuel industry's influence in schools—shaping our understanding of environmental problems and narrowing the scope of solutions to consider. Find complementary posts and bonus content on Earther. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frontline communities are facing a whack-a-mole problem: as one facility gets shut down, another pops up. In many ways, the plastic problem itself is a whack-a-mole issue catalyzed by progress in shifting away from fossil fuels in the transport and building sectors. How can policy makers and activists predict and prevent these sorts of problems?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigative journalism project UnEarthed, funded by Greenpeace in the United Kingdom, captured ExxonMobil execs talking through the company's climate playbook. We share an unpublished part of the report, in which a former Exxon lobbyist details the company's, and wider industry's, plans on plastics.Additional resources:Watch the ExxonMobil videoRead the storySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just as the fossil fuel industry was starting to worry about demand for single use plastics, along comes a global pandemic that they could leverage to push more of it. And they did! But was it enough to save them entirely?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diane Wilson couldn't keep Formosa Plastics out of her Texas town, but down the coast in St. James Parish, Louisiana, Sharon Lavigne is fighting like hell to keep the petrochemical giant out.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the fracking boom lead to a plastics boom? We examine how the gas and plastics industries have embedded themselves in society through the story of one petrochemical company operating on the Gulf Coast and two women, one in Louisiana, one in Texas, taking them on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 6 explores the natural gas industry in three parts, following he story of Formosa Plastics to explain the direct connection between the fracking boom and plastics surge. Formosa Plastics is a company so notorious for environmental violations that it moved operations abroad, to the American South, to capitlize on weaker regulations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Donziger went to trial for the criminal contempt charge that's kept him on house arrest for 600 days and counting. Paul Paz Y Mino of Amazon Watch brings us an update.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harvard science historian Naomi Oreskes reveals how the fossil fuel companies use language targeted specifically to downplay the reality of climate change and shift responsibility entirely onto consumers. Geoffrey Supran, the lead author on the study, joins to discuss.Additional Resources:Rolling Stone See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study out from Harvard University sheds light on the health impacts of transitioning from coal to other combustible fuels. These findings are important for climate policy, particularly the fact that biomass is a huge contributor to air pollution despite representing only a small percentage of energy generation. The study also finds that natural gas still contributes significantly to air pollution and its associated health impacts.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first Congressional hearing on Earth Day 2021 is focused on fossil fuel subsidies. The elimination of such subsidies was written into Biden's infrastructure bill, and House Democrats want to make sure it stays there. Today's hearing will detail what those subsidies are, why getting rid of them is critical to climate action, and how the government can pull it off without raising the cost of living for average Americans.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Donziger is set for trial May 10, but his lawyers have already filed a motion to dismiss, claiming vindictive prosecution. Reporter Karen Savage provides an update.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can ecosystems have legal rights similar to corporations? We talked about rights of nature a bit in the Ecuador-Chevron season—the Latin American country was the first in the world to integrate the concept of rights of nature in its Constitution. Now the Constitutional Court is reviewing its first rights of nature case. United States communities are pursuing the idea as well, and the fossil fuel industry is trying to block rights of nature laws from ever passing. Josh Boaz Pribanic and Melissa Troutman, co-founders of Public Herald join to talk about their new documentary on the rights of nature, Invisible Hand.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Biden Administration's Build Back Better plan includes progressive wish list items, but the left is pushing for more. The THRIVE Act, reintroduced by Senator Markey and Representative Dingell is what they're pushing towards and Peoples Action Climate Justice director Kaniela Ing joins to walk us through the asks, and what he's hearing from folks on the ground.Additional Resources:THRIVE AgendaSenator Markey, Rep. Dingell Reintroduce THRIVE Resolution to Build Back Economy Following Coronavirus PandemicSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, local activists and legislators have been fighting the Enrbidge natural gas compressor in Weymouth, Massachusetts, arguing it poses serious health risks to a community already overburdened by pollution. The project was approved by FERC in 2019, built and became operational in 2020. Then it had an emergency shutdown. And another. Now FERC is considering the unprecedented move of re-thinking its permit, a decision that could have broad ramifications.Additional resources:Why A Federal Order In The Weymouth Compressor Case Has The Natural Gas World WorriedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across the United States, fossil fuel-backed anti-protest laws are reshaping the rights to protest and to free speech. 14 states have based new laws, and are passing through statehouses in several more states, including six different bills in Minnesota, the only state with a big pipeline fight this year: Line 3. Researcher Connor Gibson joins to talk us through how this all started and where it's at.Additional resources:States Quietly Pass Laws Criminalizing Fossil Fuel Protests Amid Coronavirus Chaos4 More States Propose Harsh New Penalties For Protesting Fossil FuelsIncreasing penalties for damaging energy infrastructureA refinery lobbyist told Kansas legislators that his anti-protest bill has "nothing to do with protest"     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a report makes oil and gas companies—and the politicians they help elect—this mad, you know the author is on to something. Researcher Sean O'Leary, with the Ohio River Valley Institute, talks about his new report, which found that the local economic benefit of fracking to communities in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia gas corridor was slim to none.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stanford researcher Ben Franta joins to talk about a bombshell new discovery: the American Petroleum Institute not only knew about climate change back in the 70s, it started pushing climate denial as early as 1980. Read Ben's article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09644016.2020.1863703  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Donziger remains under house arrest and collecting the Ecuadorian settlement seems impossible, so what happens next? We explore what this case says about accountability, the power of oil companies, and the options that remain for Ecuadorians seeking justice. Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chevron pushes its fight against the Ecuadorian judgement, while Steven Donziger loses his RICO appeal and faces disbarment and contempt charges.Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) case gets underway, corruption charges against the United States and Ecuadorian judges surface. Support us on Patreon.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chevron's legal team shocks the Ecuadorian plantiffs with a massive racketeering claim in the United States, alleging fraud, witness tampering, and bribery. Support us on Patreon.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chevron's attorneys go after Joe Berlinger, the filmmaker behind Crude, the documentary about the Lago Agrio case. They subpoena his outtakes, kicking off a years-long First Amendment battle.Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new Carbon Tracker report finds that the fossil fuel industry is pinning its hopes on a plastic boom. Try as it might, demand isn't materializing. The report's author, Kingsmill Bond, joins us.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York District Court Judge Loretta Preska has denied repeated requests to delay Steven Donziger's criminal contempt trial, leaving him without legal representation. He'll stand trial Monday November 9, after which he could face six months of jail time. Reporter Karen Savage updates on the latest and we hear from attorneys Lauren Regan and Ronald Kuby about the precedent this ruiling sets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lago Agrio case takes a bizarre turn with a sting operation, United States subpoenas, and accusations of frad and bribery before a verdict is finally reached. Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Ecuadorian plaintiffs gain press, public support, and an endorsement from the country's president, Chevron kicks things up a notch, bringing in new lawyers and a PR firm to rewrite the story. Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In September 2009, Chevron filed an international arbitration claim against the Ecuadorian government over the Lago Agrio case. In the years since, Chevron has pointed to the decisions of the arbitral panel as akin to court decisions, but they're not one in the same—arbitral tribunals exist to help companies protect their profits and are largely conducted in secret. Marcos Orellana explains how this shadowy system impacts global climate action. Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fight for justice in Ecuador's Amazon moves to the courtroom, while an election changes the political landscape and a global PR war kicks into high gear.Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the Amazon's oil conflict come about in the first place? We go back to the 1960s, the early days of oil colonialism in Ecuador, when the partnerships between oil men and missionaries began and disrupted Indigenous communities. Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In August 2019, an American lawyer was placed under house arrest while awaiting trial for criminal contempt, stemming from a decades-long case that began with polution in the Amazon. The cas has since spanned continents and courtrooms while the victims—indigenous tribes in the Ecuadorian Amazon—continue to seek justice. This is season 5: La Lucha En La Jungla.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TheTrump administration proposed a rule that would make it harder for financial managers to investment retirement funds in environmentally or socially responsible ways. The fossil fuel industry praised the rule, noting that the divestment movement has become a serious problem and reduced its access to capital. Journalist David Sirota broke that story and joins us to explain. PLUS: a sneak peek of season 5 of Drilled.Check out David's newsletter. Support us on Patreon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FBI arrested Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Larry Householder for racketeering or, as the state attorney general put it, "bribery, that's what it was." Private utility FirstEnergy paid politicians, including Householder, to pass a corporate bailout to keep coal and nuclear plants open while blocking renewables. Leah Stokes, University of California Santa Barbara political science professor and author of Short Circuiting Policy, explains how it all went down.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.