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fossil free media
Trump Nominates Devon Energy Exec to Lead DOE's Fossil Energy Office
Feb 06, 2025
President Trump nominated Kyle Haustveit, an executive from Devon Energy, one of America's largest natural gas producers, to lead the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy – the very office responsible for reviewing and approving liquefied natural gas export applications.
"This nomination represents a brazen attempt to hand control of America's energy export decisions directly to the fossil fuel industry. By nominating a gas industry executive to oversee LNG export approvals, President Trump is essentially just asking the fox to guard the henhouse. Devon Energy and other major gas producers stand to profit enormously from unrestricted LNG exports, even as the Department of Energy's own analysis shows these exports would increase domestic gas prices by over 30%.
The Office of Fossil Energy needs leadership that will carefully weigh the economic and environmental impacts of these export decisions on American communities - not an industry insider whose company has a direct financial stake in rubber-stamping every application. We call on the Senate to reject this nomination and demand a nominee who will prioritize American consumers over industry profits,” said Cassidy DiPaola, Communications Director for Fossil Free Media.
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Six-Figure Ad Campaign Calls on Big Oil to Pay for California Fires
After Trump visits California, new ad campaign from Fossil Free Media supports the growing call to “Make Polluters Pay” for the damage they’ve caused
Jan 28, 2025
Fossil Free Media launched a six-figure advertising campaign in California this Friday to support the growing demand that Big Oil companies pay their fair share for the Los Angeles wildfires and other climate disasters that are costing taxpayers billions of dollars every year.
The California ad campaign, Make Polluters Pay, is highlighting stories of real people who have faced irrevocable harm from the effects of extreme weather while major oil companies rake in billions and fuel climate disasters.
"These companies spent decades burying climate science, poured $30 million into killing accountability legislation last year in California, and now want taxpayers to foot the bill for $250 billion in fire damage,” said Cassidy DiPaola, the communications director for the Make Polluters Pay campaign. “That's not just unfair – it's unconscionable. California needs a climate superfund law to ensure polluters, not working families, pay for the crisis they created."
The ad campaign supports a growing call to “make polluters pay” for the Los Angeles wildfires and other climate disasters. In the last week, more than 40,000 people have signed a petition calling on California public officials to pass a “climate superfund bill” that would raise billions of dollars from Big Oil to pay for recovery and resiliency efforts in the state. A superfund bill was introduced last legislative session in California, since then similar policies have passed in New York and Vermont.
Some of the stories told in ad campaign include:
- The Howes, a family who lost their home to a wildfire in California
- Zion, a 7-year-old boy in Los Angeles who has suffered from the effects of pollution
Wildfire smoke is 10 times more harmful to children’s respiratory health than other types of air pollution, so children living through these increasingly frequent wildfires, like Zion, can develop lifelong health problems.
While these Californians suffered, the fossil fuel industry mounted one of the largest lobbying campaigns in state history to defeat previous climate accountability legislation, with the bill appearing in 76% of Chevron and Western States Petroleum Association's lobby filings. At least 34 major oil producers joined the effort to block the measure. Now, even before any new bill has been introduced this session, these same companies have launched aggressive social media campaigns opposing climate accountability – all while Los Angeles burns.
Climate change has made California hotter and drier, making it easier for fires to start and spread. This is causing a larger area to be burned every year. The area burned by wildfires in California annually is now five times bigger than in the 1970s - nearly all of this increase is due to climate change.
California fires are growing in severity and in devastation as a result of fossil fuel pollution. People have suffered unspeakable losses. The ads call for holding these polluters accountable and making them pay for the damage they’ve caused.
The six-figure ad buy will run on streaming television, YouTube, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as digital platforms.
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New Study Confirms LNG is Worse for Climate Than Coal
"This should be the final nail in the coffin for the false narrative that LNG was somehow a climate solution”
Oct 03, 2024
A peer reviewed study published today provides conclusive evidence that liquefied natural gas (LNG) has a larger greenhouse gas footprint than coal, dealing a major blow to claims that LNG can serve as a "bridge fuel" to a clean energy future.
The study, conducted by Dr. Robert Howarth of Cornell University, found that the total lifecycle emissions of LNG are 33% higher than coal when analyzed over a 20-year timeframe. Even over a 100-year period, which understates methane's short-term climate impact, LNG's emissions are equal to or greater than coal.
"This should be the final nail in the coffin for the false narrative that LNG was somehow a climate solution," said Jamie Henn, executive director of Fossil Free Media. "This now peer reviewed paper demonstrates that LNG is worse for the climate than coal, let alone clean energy alternatives. Approving more LNG exports is clearly incompatible with the public interest."
The study comes as the Biden administration is conducting a review of the climate and environmental justice impacts of new LNG export facilities. In January, President Biden announced a pause on approvals for new LNG export terminals pending this assessment.
Key findings from the study include:
- LNG has a larger climate impact than any other fossil fuel, including coal. Its greenhouse gas footprint is 33% greater than coal when analyzed using a 20-year global warming potential.
- Upstream methane emissions are the largest contributor to LNG's climate impact, accounting for 38% of total emissions.
- The energy-intensive process of liquefying natural gas adds significantly to its greenhouse gas footprint.
- Even the most efficient LNG tankers result in substantial methane emissions that offset their improved fuel economy.
Climate advocates are calling on the Biden administration to make its pause on new LNG export approvals permanent in light of this new evidence.
"The science is clear: there's no place for LNG in a clean energy future," said Cassidy DiPaola, Communications Director at Fossil Free Media. "It's time to double down on truly clean alternatives like wind, solar, and energy efficiency."
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Fossil Free Media Launches Nationwide "Make Polluters Pay" Billboard Campaign
Stark visuals tie extreme weather to fossil fuel industry, call for accountability
Aug 05, 2024
Fossil Free Media is launching a nationwide billboard campaign for their Make Polluters Pay campaign starting the week of August 5th. The campaign, in partnership with the Sunrise Movement, will feature billboards in California, New York, Arizona, and Philadelphia, with plans to expand to Florida and Louisiana in September.
Building on the success of last year's viral billboard campaign, this year's effort features even bolder visuals and messaging. The billboards feature dramatic images of climate disasters specific to each state, such as the Paradise fires in California and Hurricane Ida's impact in New York. Bold text overlays the images with phrases like "Brought to you by Big Oil" and "Superstorms: Sponsored by Big Oil."
The campaign aims to cut through the fossil fuel industry's carefully crafted public image and expose the direct link between their operations and the escalating climate crisis.
"Interestingly, when we tried to place billboards in Houston, Texas, we encountered significant resistance," said Cassidy DiPaola, Communications Director and spokesperson for the Make Polluters Pay campaign. "Billboard owners there weren't willing to work with us, citing concerns about upsetting their oil and gas industry clients. They even asked if we could make the message 'more positive' and avoid using the term 'Big Oil.' This pushback starkly illustrates the fossil fuel industry's influence and the fear they instill, even in the advertising world."
The Make Polluters Pay campaign is a national effort, championed by groups like Fossil Free Media, Sunrise Movement, Yellow Dot Studios, and Climate Power to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for climate damages through legislation, lawsuits, and public pressure. The campaign simultaneously promotes state-level climate superfund bills and supports climate liability lawsuits against major oil and gas companies.
“Oil and gas companies are desperate. They see their public support imploding. They see a growing list of local and state governments suing them for climate change. Whether it's billboards or protests or TikToks, there is mounting pressure for politicians to take on Big Oil and fight for our generation to have a livable planet,” said Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director, Sunrise Movement.
"For over half a century, Big Oil knew about the catastrophic consequences of burning fossil fuels," DiPaola said. "Instead of warning the public, they orchestrated a massive disinformation campaign, prioritizing profits over people and the planet. This willful deception has accelerated the climate crisis and extreme weather we're facing today, and it's past time they were held accountable."
Climate superfund bills would require fossil fuel companies to pay into dedicated funds for climate adaptation and resilience based on their historic greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, climate liability lawsuits seek to recover billions in damages from oil and gas companies to fund critical resilience projects.
"We're attacking Big Oil's impunity from multiple angles," DiPaola explained. "Whether through superfund legislation or in the courts, our message is clear: it's time for polluters to pay for the damage they've caused."
The momentum for both strategies is building rapidly. Vermont became the first state to sign a climate superfund bill into law this May, with New York poised to follow suit after passing similar legislation through both chambers in June. On the litigation front, over a quarter of Americans are now represented in climate liability lawsuits against major oil and gas companies, with Puerto Rico becoming the latest jurisdiction to file suit in July.
“There is so much disinformation from Big Oil about extreme weather change and causes from fossil fuel pollution. Oil companies could take action but they like money. A lot. Unfortunately for them, we like the planet. A lot. So we're focused on fighting against them with satirical videos, funny billboards and anything else to hold them accountable for their constant pollution and lies," said Staci Roberts-Steele, Managing Director and Executive Producer, Yellow Dot Studios
The billboard campaign comes as Vice President Kamala Harris ramps up her presidential campaign, bringing renewed attention to her history of investigating fossil fuel companies as California's Attorney General.
"Vice President Harris has a track record of holding Big Oil accountable, from her time as California's AG to her calls for DOJ investigations on the campaign trail," DiPaola noted. "If elected president, she would have unprecedented power to make polluters pay for the damage they've caused."
Recent polling shows strong public support for making fossil fuel companies pay for climate damages. A Data for Progress/Fossil Free Media survey found that 66% of likely voters support laws requiring major oil and gas companies to pay a share of climate costs, with backing from 81% of Democrats and 61% of Independents.
The Make Polluters Pay billboard campaign aims to capitalize on this momentum and increase public pressure for accountability. Fossil Free Media plans to expand the campaign to additional states and explore other creative messaging tactics in the coming months.
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