As the brightness level go out during last calendar month ’s cold elasticity , Texas politicians turned to blab points from Alex Epstein , a regular on the climate denial circumference , to explicate their way out of the hatful . NBCreported Thursdaythat Epstein ’s propaganda found its way into the inbox of Gov. Greg Abbott and that the chairman of a powerful regulatory commission in the United States Department of State overstate them .
e-mail obtained by the group Documented and seen by Earther show that Epstein , the founder of the denier group Center for Industrial Progress and the author of a 2014 book called The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels ( yes , really ) , contacted Gov. Greg Abbott ’s top dog of faculty on Feb. 16 as the spiraling force crisis transfix the state . National medium also began turning their attention to the state ’s woes as thegrid failed to adjoin requirement .
“ The TX blackouts will be a gravid topic today , ” Epstein wrote , including a link to a Twitter screw thread with his “ high - level take ” on the blackout that incorrectly argued “ the root cause of the TX blackouts is a interior and state policy that has prioritized the acceptation of undependable wind / solar free energy over reliable energy . ” ( “ If you agree I hope you share it , ” he add . )
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a news conference.Photo: LM Otero (AP)
While Abbott did not share Epstein ’s tweet thread ( pitiful ! ) , he did go on Sean Hannity ’s show a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. later toproclaimthat the dimout happening in devoid - market place happy Texas “ shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly good deal for the United States of America , ” and noting that “ it just evidence that fossil fuel is necessary . ” This fly in the face of inquiry around the blackouts and science showing the danger of fossil fuel to human wellness and the planet .
It was n’t just Abbott being treated to Epstein ’s talking points . The same day Epstein sent his e-mail , Wayne Christian , a fellow member of the Railroad Commission of Texas , which determine the oil and gas industry in the country , retweeted Epstein ’s original thread . Less than a week later , emails show , the communications director for the Railroad Commission send on a exercise set of Epstein babble out points with the open telephone line “ FYI ” to the communications director of the Texas Oil and Gas Association , an industry lobbying group .
https://gizmodo.com/the-texas-think-tank-giving-cover-for-this-week-s-repub-1846307715
For anyone who ever douse a toe into the swamp of clime denial , it ’s whole unsurprising that Epstein ’s talking points ended up in the inboxes of elect functionary . There ’s an enormous Rube Goldberg machine of clime disaffirmation organizations and someone operating in Texas and beyond , who feed talking point back and off to each other — and to elected officials — that then become weaponize in metre of crisis . Epstein is a member of that ecosystem that continues to shape public policy .
Take the industriousness - fund Texas Public Policy Foundation , which , as wereported last calendar month , was interfering during the blackouts pushing the false line that renewables were totally responsible for the blackout . The grouping has routinely hosted Abbott and other prominent pol at its one-year conference . TPPF ’s Life : Powered projection was created entirely to advertise the idea that fossil fuels “ advance the human condition , ” a key message of Epstein ’s 2014 book of account , and one that major dodo fuel companies like Peabody Energy have lead off touting as a justification for their continued existence . Epstein himself has been a speaker at a2017 TPPF conferencethat it co - hosted with the Heritage Foundation .
This type of denial is straight funded by the oil and gas diligence . NBC account that Abbott ’s auxiliary did n’t answer to interrogation on whether he pass the talking points along to his party boss — but even if Abbott had n’t see Epstein ’s billet specifically , he still has wholeheartedly charge forrader with further the pretended mind that frosty lead turbines were creditworthy for the brownout . Abbott , who has get hundred of thousands of dollar sign from private oil and gasolene donors , is one ofseveral Texas politicianswhose pockets were line by the industry , who have links to organizations like TPPF , and who have continued to order blame for the blackout on wind energy .
The propaganda Epstein , TPPF , and others in the denialist industry put together eventually drip it out of the denial echo chamber and into mainstream media . And because these groups are nonprofits or think tank , their outlandish claims have an strain of authority .
“ disregardless of your thoughts on climate change , last month ’s storm made distressingly readable that clime catastrophists have an oversize influence on public insurance policy , ” Texas Railroad Commissioner Christian write in aWall Street Journal opinion pieceon March 19 . In the same composition , he subsequently link to a TPPF / lifetime : power paper on renewable vigour subsidies . Epstein has alsoauthored a petitionto final stage investment in “ unreliable vigour ” and subsidy for wind and solar — echoing recent legislation author by state senators tokneecap renewables — which Epsteinthen promoted on his own feed .
The symbiotic relationship is how climate deniers cease up satisfy up the inboxes and shaping the talking points of elect official . And it ’s pretty clear that the lies will continue as long as the dodo fuel industry keep its pocketbook capable .
EnergyGreg Abbottrube goldbergSean Hannity
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