"Operation Attack"

October 23, 2023 6:00 AM

NPR and the Climate Information Center report on how, in the '60s, gas utilities and the American Gas Association started using public relations firm Hill and Knowlton and industry-funded scientists to sway public opinion.

Spoiler, they're still doing it.

posted by box (12 comments total)

Now we're cooking with gas!
posted by thecaddy at 6:14 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

You mean a thing that's become a right-wing shibboleth has a long history of health concerns that were purposefully swept under the rug by an industry so they could make a ludicrous profit?

(On that note, it's kind of surprising Republicans haven't been as defensive of tobacco of late. Is it because that culture war has already been lost, or is it because overseas profits are just too enormous to not care about how few people are smoking domestically?)
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:22 AM on October 23, 2023 [11 favorites]

I have a gas stove that's still hooked up, but I haven't used it in over a year. I just use induction burners and a countertop convection oven for now. Not so long ago it would have been unthinkable to do without a gas stovetop. Now I just need to get the stove disconnected and hauled away...
posted by Surely This at 6:59 AM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]

The great youtube channel Climate Town has a hilarious and informative take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX2aZUav-54
posted by bitslayer at 7:36 AM on October 23, 2023 [6 favorites]

Reading this I was struck by how easy it was for the AGA funded research to get mindshare over the independent research. I think there's something similar with the tobacco play as well.
It's so easy to spread disinformation when people WANT to hear the falsehood. Everyone is looking for a reason they don't have to quit smoking or change stoves. Smoking is fun! Gas stoves are easier to cook on!
I don't know, maybe it's not a big factor. But it seems like to a certain extent these PR firms are just telling people what they want to hear.
posted by keep_evolving at 8:41 AM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]

What a surprise!
posted by Windopaene at 11:25 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

In January The Sporkful podcast covered this. The podcast archive isn't available now but the transcript is.
posted by DanSachs at 12:07 PM on October 23, 2023

I'm actually surprised by how relatively uncommon gas stoves are where I live despite nearly all homes having a natural gas line for their furnace. It was, for a long time, considered a sort of fancy, rich person thing to have a gas stove. More people in that wealth class now tend to lean toward induction for both environmental and health reasons, it seems, so it is fascinating (but, somehow, unsurprising) to me that this has become yet another culture war issue south of the border.
posted by asnider at 1:04 PM on October 23, 2023

On the other hand, our local natural gas provider does have the "Blue Flame Kitchen" that they've been using as a propaganda tool for -- wow -- almost 100 years, sharing recipes and, according to their website, "...help[ing] homemakers get the best results when using natural gas."

It's much less prominent than it used to be, but I remember they used to have segments on the news all the time when I was a kid.
posted by asnider at 1:16 PM on October 23, 2023

"A former chemical engineer in the coal industry, Dearden has been writing letters and showing up at council meetings this year, urging B.C. municipalities to change the term natural gas to "fossil gas" in official documents." [cbc]
posted by porpoise at 4:38 PM on October 23, 2023 [2 favorites]

"methane gas" is probably sufficient, no? if you want to make the climate connection. but sure,
posted by eustatic at 5:28 PM on October 23, 2023

Methane gas may be accurate, but "... powered by farts" works for me
posted by scruss at 7:16 AM on October 24, 2023