Message From the Editor

On January 1, Julie Dermansky rang in the new year by capturing some powerful images of Shell’s Norco Manufacturing Complex and Valero’s St. Charles Refinery in Louisiana. As the plants belched emissions skyward, the river in front of both complexes was shrouded in fog.

2023 marks 10 years that Julie has been reporting from the Gulf Coast for DeSmog. Her longevity in the region and commitment to this work allows her to notice the more subtle ways that global warming may be impacting the region — like the fact that on January 1 while she was shooting those photos, it was 73º Fahrenheit, well above the average for that time of year.

Over the past decade, she’s also been able to follow the fossil fuel industry’s buildout along the Gulf Coast — an issue we’ll be watching closely this year — as well as the industry’s evolving greenwashing and gaslighting tactics.

I’m excited about what this year holds for DeSmog. We have some big projects on the horizon, and are continuing to grow our global team. In the short term, we’ll have more stories from the Gulf Coast by Julie and others in the weeks to come. Stay tuned for those, and if you have thoughts about our recent coverage, drop me a line!

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: editor@desmog.com. Want to know what our UK team is up to? Sign up for our UK newsletter.

Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

P.S. Our powerful public interest journalism is made possible by our generous donors. Can you donate $10 or $20 right now to support our team?

Image credit: Julie Dermansky

Heard of “Net-Zero Oil” or “Carbon Negative” Bioenergy? In 2023 You Will

— By DeSmog (7 min. read) —

Last year, we chased ambitious stories all along the climate spectrum. We investigated allegations of workers exposed to radioactive oilfield waste, reported from the frontlines of climate-fueled extreme weather and climate migration, expanded our coverage of the climate impact of agriculture, followed the ongoing buildout of LNG, and sent a team to COP27, among other things.

This year, we’ll continue chasing major climate stories around the globe and exposing the people and groups fueling denial and delay. Below, a handful of DeSmog writers dive into the issues they’ll be watching in 2023.

2022 in Photos: Gaslighting by the Fossil Fuel Industry and Its Supporters

— By Julie Dermansky (7 min. read) —

Photos I shot in 2022 for DeSmog capture damage from extreme weather events and the continued expansion of the fossil fuel industry — the dominant industry causing global warming. In recent years, the industry shifted from persistent science denial to presenting itself as a leader of climate solutions, embodying Merriam-Webster’s word of the year “gaslighting.”

2022 Was a Big Year for Climate Action in the Courts

— By Dana Drugmand (9 min. read) —

It was another busy year in the courts for climate-related cases. From challenges to fossil fuel and petrochemical expansion to climate lawsuits against Big Oil and national governments, there were notable victories for climate action and accountability in 2022. There were also some setbacks, for instance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s limitation of the U.S. EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some of the highlights.

A Window into Louisiana’s Continued Embrace of the Fossil Fuel Industry

— By Julie Dermansky (8 min. read) —

I live in South Louisiana on the front lines of the climate crisis and cover the fossil fuel industry and impacts related to the warming planet, so facing gaslighting is a regular occurrence for me.

So it resonated with me that Merriam-Webster dictionary chose “gaslighting” as the word of the year. This year saw a 1,740 percent increase in lookups for gaslighting, according to a post by the dictionary company, which defines gaslighting as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.”

Editor’s Pick: Top DeSmog UK Stories of 2022

— By Hazel Healy (6 min. read) —

From rogue Tory backbenchers to North Sea profits for Putin, in the past year the DeSmog UK team has kept tabs on the people, money and PR machines that work to block action on climate change.

It was a tough call to select the highlights, but here you have my Editor’s pick of our Top 10 – in no particular order – chosen for going deep, originality, capturing the political moment, scoring victories for the climate movement or straight-up popularity.

From the Climate Disinformation Database: James Inhofe

Sen. James (Jim) Inhofe was the senior senator from Oklahoma and a member of the Republican Party. According to OpenSecrets.org, Inhofe has received almost $2 million in political contributions from the coal and oil industry. Koch Industries is Inhofe’s top contributor, having contributed at least $105,150 since 1989. Murray Energy is the second-largest, at over $90,000. In 2003, the Natural Resources Defense Council reported Inhofe had scored zero with the League of Conservation Voters since 1997 and “was the only senator to oppose Everglades restoration, and once compared the Environmental Protection Agency to the Gestapo.” Inhofe has made regular speeches rejecting mainstream climate science, and has consistently voted in favor of big oil companies on oil-related bills.
Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database and Koch Network Database.