Decades of Deception: How Oil Companies Sold Us on Natural Gas

The fossil fuel industry has been deceiving Americans for decades by labeling natural gas as 'clean', according to a new report from the Center for Climate Integrity. The report reveals that oil and gas companies have known since the 1960s that methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas.

An internal Shell report from 1966 noted that methane gas was released in 'embarrassingly large quantities' at oil fields, while a review sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute in 1968 linked methane seepage to oil fields. In response, fossil fuel companies sponsored and promoted their own research, founding entities like the Gas Research Institute to create an appearance of objectivity and change the narrative.

The gas industry launched a public relations campaign in 1971 called 'GAS, CLEAN ENERGY FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW', which was effective in changing public perception. By the 1990s, natural gas-extraction infrastructure had expanded dramatically with the advent of fracking, with companies building that infrastructure eligible for 'green' fuel subsidies and tax breaks.