A Five Year Timeline of Gas Industry Spin

Gas Industry Public Relations (PR), Spin, Propaganda, and Psyops. Five Years of Spying, Intimidation, and Psychological Operations against US Citizens.
A Five-Year Timeline By William Huston

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2007

2007 American Clear Skies Foundation founded (fake charity funded by Chesapeake) http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Clean_Skies_Foundation

2008

07/08 I find it particularly despicable when these PR folks target children with their propaganda. Like this: Chesapeake Energy publishes "Chesapeake Charlie" coloring and activity book for children.

2009

11/2009 Steve Shapiro: Certus Strategies publishes and presents: "Managing Stakeholder and Community Resistance to the Marcellus Shale Gas Extraction Project" to the Pennsylvania Natural Gas Summit. Inside: The goal of Outrage Management is to: "To engage the objectors and protect the majority from becoming outraged.", in response to both NIMBY outrage and also outrage from landowners who want a better deal: http://media.philly.com/documents/Certus-Strategies-Presentation-Pennsylvania-Natural-Gas-Summit-FINAL1.pdf

2010

1/2010 Kathryn Z. Klaber is made director of a "non-profit" called Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry funded trade association, made up of "40 producing companies and dozens of additional associate members".

4/2010 Aaron Price, Red Dragon, Inc. Produces Gas Odyssey, airs on WBNG-TV without sponsorship ID in violation of FCC rules.

04/2010 Not to be outdone by Chesapeake, Talisman Energy creates the character Talisman Terry, prints coloring book for kids showing rainbows and pretty wells in pristine forests with flowers... (abandoned 7/2011)

7/2010 American Clear Skies Foundation (fake charity funded by Chesapeake) Launches Shale Country. http://www.shalecountry.com

8/2010 George Stark Cabot Oil + Gas PR operative organizes the First Annual PR Picnic. People assaulted for bringing water onsite. Montrose property (school) yet indymedia press were detained by armed private security officers (off duty police, parole officers, deputies, hired as corporate security -- remember the Pinkertons?). They gave out little bottles of water which stated the source was Somerset Wastewater treatment plant. (can't make this stuff up, folks! Check the photo below:) Delicious and Refreshing!

09/2010 A leaked document by the PA Dept of Homeland Security exposed that it had hired ITRR (Israeli private spy agency) to gather intelligence on anti-drilling activist groups, inc. people who watched Gasland, then published bulletins which it sent also to Bravo Group which lobbies in Harrisburg. Here you can see the diverse range of Public Relations activities. Everything from surveillance, infiltrations (this is listed on company literature), and lobbying,. http://www.slideshare.net/arichman3/fusion-center-briefs-final

09/2010 American Clear Skies Foundation producer "Shale Country" producer HARRIET GORDON GETZELS in Binghamton shooting interviews at Binghamton EPA hearings. For some reason she is onstage with Josh Fox here in Pittsburgh, while Josh Fox is talking about a media campaign to discredit Gasland: (Jump to the 9m mark): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjfGM7eH0pA#t=9m

09/2010 Aaron Price shoots various events, which shows up in Aaron's second feature "Marcellus Shale Voices" which airs on WBNG 9/2010 without sponsorship ID in violation of FCC rules.

11/2010 Hey Kids! Who likes CUPCAKES!!!!??? YAYYY!!! Encana produces propaganda film for children, "A Look Underground", where shale gas drilling is modeled with frosted cupcakes and sprinkles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9qr1DiYTPo

2011

04/2011 Energy in Depth, Marcellus Initiative founded, hires Tom Shepstone as it's campaign field director.

05/2011: Exxon/Mobil launches a slick marketing campaign to promote every kind of dirty energy, from shale gas fracking to tar sands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDfVycbnaBc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XQOJipRlJ8

04/2011: "Do not discuss the chemicals.", advises a page from the Landman's Handbook, discovered or leaked, reveals deceptive high-pressure techniques used by unscrupulous land men (redundant?) to dupe or coerce people into signing dis-favorable leases: http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2011/04/lessons-from-landmans-handbook.html

7/2011 EID Marcellus (Tom Shepstone) begins a series which attempts to discredit legitimate foundations doing public-service work, notably Heinz and Park Foundations, which are funding projects to educate people about the shale-gas invasion, which is guaranteed to severely alter the quality of life of people living within the shale-gas "fairway". They suggest that, among other things, that countless autonomous grassroots groups are actually funded by these foundations which are pushing a radical, anti-business, NIMBY agenda. In reality, it is EID Marcellus which should be suspect, as they are paid by the Gas industry to lobby and to issue pro-gas PR (public relations/spin/propaganda), some call this profession, "Shills". They operate by attempts to sanitize disasters, shift the blame, discredit the opposition, and make the industry look swell. http://eidmarcellus.org/blog/heinz-and-park-feed-the-cornell-dragon/2709/ http://eidmarcellus.org/blog/connecting-dots-park-foundation/

10/2011 NY State Sen. Tom Libous admits using "push poll" technique re:fracking on his constituents in his district. "Do you support safe drilling"? It's a propaganda technique disguised as a poll.

11/2011 TX-SHARON (Wilson), purchases a ticket to a conference called "Media and Stakeholder Relations Hydraulic Fracturing Initiative", especially for people who are PR operatives in the Gas Industry to attend. Sharon, who did not hide her identity, used a compact recorder to capture the following: Matt Pitzarella, a Range Resources spokesman speaking to other oil and gas industry spokespeople at the conference last week, said the company hires former military psyops specialists who use those skills in Pennsylvania. Matt Carmichael, manager of external affairs for Anadarko Petroleum, which has nearly 300,000 acres of Marcellus Shale gas holdings under lease in Central Pennsylvania, gave a speech urging industry media spokesmen to read a military counterinsurgency manual for tips in dealing with opponents to shale gas development. Matt Carmichael, Anadarko Petroleum Media & Stakeholder Relations Hydraulic Fracturing 2011 Initiative,

2012

01/2012 http://www.landandlibertyfoundation.org/ Karen Moreau, chair of the NY State Petroleum Council, starts fake charity: Foundation for Land and Liberty and produces, "The Empire State Divide". Another example of a fake charity created to improve the public image of a special interest: gas companies under the guise of protecting "property rights". Whoops... Moreau conveniently omits the threats to property rights, i.e., eminent domain, compulsory integration, forced pooling, routine violations of privacy and trespass (with seismic and other crews), and threats to home rule which occur when the gas industry comes to town.

3/2012 Steve Horn publishes Fracking and Psychological Operations: Empire Comes Home on Truthout: http://truth-out.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=7153:fracking-and-psychological-operations-empire-comes-home

03/2012 Tom Shepstone/EID Marcellus whoppers: No such thing as the Halliburton Loophole (at 17:45) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W1PNJk62Zs#t=17m45s "Shale Gas Fracking will improve the quality of drinking water". "Burning methane creates water." -- This requires explanation. Like much of what Tom says, there is an element of truth to it. While it is true that burning methane creates water vapor, Tom is making the argument that this somehow compensates for removing it from the river and aquifers, that this somehow makes the river whole, which it does not. So let's forget about the 20 tons of chemicals that are introduced into each well for a moment, and the many vectors for introducing these chemicals into local ground waters and aquifers. FIRST-- is the methane burned at the same location where the water was removed? Generally not. So if I create water vapor in NJ, does it help create rain in desert of West Texas from where the gas came? NO NEXT-- is all of the methane burned? NO. I've read estimates that up to 25% of the methane produced from a well is either vented or lost during transmission, or flared off. Approximately 10% of all methane is consumed is never burned at at all, but is used by industry as chemical feedstocks. IN SUM-- Taking water from ground water and aquifers for hydrofracking, and then burning the methane to create water vapor is not a ZERO-SUM game. There are big losses for the environment local to where the gas was extracted. "Most companies in PA are near 100% recycling" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl_5lOVoaVQ I think the intent here is to say the opposite of any legitimate criticism, even if it is ridiculous or absurd, in order to shock and stun the ignorant population (lacking critical thinking skills), into a state of cognitive dissonance, confusion, and submission. This reminds me of Orwell's Ministry of Information, with slogans like War is Peace Ignorance is Strength Freedom is Slavery.

04/2012 Craig Stevens observes that it took 4 years to pit neighbor against neighbor in Dimock. Whereas in Franklin Forks it took about 2 days. They have their PR Playbook down. Craig compares it to military propaganda akin to that developed by Joseph Goebbels a Nazi War Criminal. For example, while the industry people are all from out of state, places like Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming, they label Craig Stevens and Vera Scroggins "outsiders", even though they both live about 5mi away each! I have heard a rumor that Susan Oliver, the WPX PR person featured in these videos, is a retired US Army PSYOPS specialist, as yet have not been able to confirm this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n0oM4R5WKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9dsn-Kx-cw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x90snccaAhE

6/2012 Josh Fox (Gasland) produces "The Sky is Pink", about how the PR industry works. Just generate any response, even if it is absurd or a bald lie, and the mainstream press will report, "the facts are being disupted". THE SKY IS PINK from JFOX on Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/44367635

7/2012 Fracks are your Friend! NY Association of Counties advises NY Towns on Crisis Communications, with a little Freudian Slip. SATIRE (almost): New York State Association of Counties recognizes that when a Pissed Off Super-Majority is banging on your door angry that your town passed a "Frack Me!" resolution under the cloak of darkness, This can be quite a crisis! What to say to quiet the mob? Our public relations experts have prepared this video about how to deny responsibility. For example, Just say, "I don't know!!" Watch the short 3m video for other tips. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me9jyFgdSBw PS: Fracks are your friend!! (@2:15) This video was produced in conjunction with Eric Mower & Assoc. http://www.adhub.com/companies/eric_mower_associates.html Check out one of Eric Mower & Assoc. other clients: GE Energy: http://www.ge-energy.com/ Which their flagship product now seems to be Gas-Fired Power Plants! http://www.ge-energy.com/products_and_services/products/gas_turbines_heavy_duty/flexefficiency_50_combined_cycle_power_plant.jsp So the SAME PR firm which is advising the gas industry, is also advising NY Towns on "crisis management" when the frackers destroy your water and the people are on your door!

That's it for now. PLEASE SEND ME your candidates for best
PR, Spin, Psyops campaigns....!

WilliamAHuston@gmail.com

Coming soon..
...the Gas Industry PR Playbook
How to turn Certainty into Doubt,
Outrage into Submission....
.... exposed!


--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)