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Gaslit

Illustration of a man in suit with hardhat lighting a gas street lamp, which casts a green glow on stream, plants, solar panels, and wind turbines, but outside the light's circle, the background is dark purple and filled with industrial fossil fuel infrastructure and burning trees

About the Series

Gaslit is a regular column by Stella Levantesi that seeks to navigate society’s dysfunctional relationship with fossil fuel disinformation. She’ll be investigating past and present strategies of climate change denial and disinformation, exploring how obstruction on climate policies unfolds, and holding corporations and industry players accountable. 

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In This Series

Analysis
The ABCs of AI and Environmental Misinformation
ByStella Levantesi
on
DeSmog talks with AI researchers about the risks of widespread fake climate content and how to combat it.
Series: Gaslit, Tech vs Climate
Researchers found GPT-fabricated content in Google Scholar mimicking scientific papers on issues including the environment, health, and computing. Credit: DeSmog
Analysis
Inside Big Oil’s Business as Usual: Failure on Climate and Profits from War
ByStella Levantesi
on
A new report shows oil majors fall short of meeting Paris Agreement targets while fueling global military conflicts.
Series: Gaslit
Analysis
A Vaccine for Climate Misinformation
ByStella Levantesi
on
Facts aren't enough to combat false and misleading messaging. Experts suggest an additional strategy.
Series: Gaslit
Analysis
Shareholder Activism Faces Big Oil Obstruction Playbook When Pushing for Climate Action
ByStella Levantesi
on
Experts say investor pressure is “one tool in the arsenal” to fight against fossil fuel companies’ tried and true PR communication strategies.
Series: Gaslit
In May 2021, Chevron shareholders voted 61 percent in favor of a resolution by Follow This, a green shareholder group, calling for cuts in the company’s emissions. Credit: Roo Reynolds/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Analysis
At COP28, the Road to Climate Action Is Paved with Big Oil Loophole Language
ByStella Levantesi
on
The devil is in the details, and at this year’s UN global climate conference, the details start with words like “unabated,” and “operational.”
Series: Gaslit, COP28 Coverage
Fossil fuel leaders are weaponizing the lack of a globally agreed upon definition of “abatement” technologies like CCS, and using the word as a distraction. Credit: (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Opinion
Analysis
Why Polluters’ Greenwashing Works and How to Fight It
ByStella Levantesi
on
Greenwashing has disturbingly persistent effects, which is why countering it is essential.
Series: Gaslit
Corporate greenwashing is on the rise as companies face more pressure to respond to climate change. Credit: Devon Buchanan (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Opinion
Analysis
Hope Amid Climate Chaos: A Conversation with Rebecca Solnit
ByStella Levantesi
on
The writer and activist shares her thoughts on the climate movement's wins, the key difference between optimism and hope, and the "clarifying" violence climate activists face.
Series: Gaslit
Author, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit. Credit: Trent Davis Bailey
Analysis
How the Fossil Fuel Industry Buys Goodwill
ByStella Levantesi
on
From sports to academia to the arts, fossil fuel companies are pouring money on the things we love, in an effort to “not be held accountable” for climate chaos.
Series: Gaslit
Chevron is a sponsor of the San Francisco Giants, an American baseball team. Credit: Jill Clardy (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Analysis
When Extreme Weather Reigns, Disinformation Pours
ByStella Levantesi
on
As heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and flooding hit countries worldwide, climate deniers and those obstructing climate action deny or downplay extreme weather’s climate connection.
Series: Gaslit
Woman and child walk through the flood waters in east Jakarta, Indonesia. Credit: Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan/World Meteorological Organization (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Opinion
Analysis
Climate Deniers and the Language of Climate Obstruction
ByStella Levantesi
on
From narratives about fossil fuels as a solution to climate advocates as out of touch with reality, here’s how the fossil fuel industry and its allies are weaponizing words to delay climate action.
Series: Gaslit
Red spray paint on a white building that says 'I don't believe in global warming' and is reflected in rising water below
Opinion
Analysis
us/The Oil and Gas Industry is Using the War in Ukraine to Profit and Push Its Interests
ByStella Levantesi
on
Activists warn that calls for energy independence are just “peace washing” the fossil fuels that enabled this conflict.
Series: Gaslit
Ukrainian citizens protest in New York City's Times Square against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Credit: JANIFEST Royalty-free editorial photo via Depositphotos.
Opinion
Analysis
How the PR Industry Has Helped Big Oil Transform the Way We Think About the Environment
ByStella Levantesi
on
Powered by fossil fuel funding, PR agents have used astroturfing, “manufactured consent,” and other techniques to furtively shape public perceptions in favor of their polluting clients.
Series: Gaslit
Hand-painted poster reading 'Best gift to our children is a lower carbon footprint' and crowds seated on grassy hill beyond
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