<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/14/news-corp-gasses-up-green-fossil-fuels-in-a-series-on-future-energy-but-does-it-pass-the-sniff-test>
"In a double-page spread in News Corp Australia’s metropolitan newspapers on
Monday, readers were told how families loved cooking with gas, how gas had been
officially stamped as “green” by the European Union and how coal had a future
thanks to carbon capture and storage.
The news articles, packed with industry talking points about the future of
fossil fuels, were written around a picture of a smiling mum with her two young
sons, one of them sitting cross-legged on a kitchen bench next to a gas stove.
Nowhere were readers told the articles – part of a series running this week
called Future Energy – were sponsored by seven organisations that included a
gas retailer, a gas pipeline company and a project of the black coal industry.
Only a banner in the top right hand corner of the page with a string of logos –
including the South Australian government – suggested there might be something
unconventional going on.
News Corp confirmed the series was being sponsored but said none of the
organisations had any influence over the content, even though many of the
sponsors have featured in the stories.
The main article promoted the use of gas appliances in homes and the views of
various gas industry figures about how important the fuel they sold would be in
the future. The concept of “renewable gas” was also explored.
But at times, the article badly conflated the use of gas in homes for cooking
or heating with the role gas is expected to play in electricity generation.
For example, the article said: “Gas will form a critical plank in the road to
renewable energy, with most states and the federal government ruling out bans
on new home connections despite an assault by Victoria and some councils.”
The first part of this sentence is true in the context of electricity
generation. There is wide agreement among energy analysts that gas-fired
generators will be needed on standby in the future to provide back-up for
solar, wind, hydro and batteries.
But this is different from burning a fossil fuel in your home to cook or stay
warm. The health concerns or the climate impacts were not discussed."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
