Behind the Carbon Curtain: The Energy Industry, Political Censorship, and Free Speech

by Jeffrey A. Lockwood

Exploring censorship imposed by corporate wealth and power, this book focuses on the energy industry in Wyoming, where coal, oil, and gas are pillars of the economy. The author examines how governmental bodies and public institutions have suppressed the expression of ideas that conflict with the financial interests of those who profit from fossil fuels. He reveals the ways in which university administrations, art museums, education boards, and research institutes have been coerced into destroying artwork, abandoning studies, modifying curricula, and firing employees. His book is an eloquent story of the conflict between private wealth and free speech.

Providing more of the nation's energy than any other state, Wyoming is a sociopolitical lens that magnifies the conflicts in the American West. But the issues are relevant to any community that is dependent on a dominant industry--and wherever the liberties of citizens and the ethics of public officials are at risk.

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2017

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lockwood presents a damning account of the censorship of art, science, journalism, and citizen protests perpetrated by energy companies in Wyoming. Given that income from energy / mineral extraction accounts for at least 2/3rds of the state's budget and the majority of high-paying jobs, these companies exert an exorbitant amount of influence on the political and cultural discourse. And, in Wyoming as in virtually all other realms of human endeavor in which a group possesses disproportionate power over others, the powerful seek to entrench their power and stifle any criticism of imbalances or abuses.

Wyoming is the top coal producing state in the country, eight in oil, ninth in natural gas, high up on wind, and number one on uranium. Given it's small and dispersed population (lowest population country, second lowest density after Alaska, and that's hardly fair given all that space up there occupied by the armored bears), Wyoming is the largest net exporter of energy in the country. Many call it an 'energy colony' of the US, given how much of the land is owned by the federal government and leased out to oil and gas companies. And many people don't own the mineral rights under their own property, due to the stock raising homestead act, which gave white settlers deeds to surface rights for bringing portions of Wyoming into 'production' in the early 1900's. One hundred years later the owner of a piece of property might be surprised to find that they have no recourse when an oil company leases the rights to drill on their property from the federal gov't, spewing toxic chemicals into their air and ground water in the course of fracking or poorly sealing a finished well.

Energy companies seem to see themselves as the paternalist organizations that keep the lights, endless products on the shelves, and America's economy growing so long as drilling continues unhindered. To a person holding this view I can see the origin of the perspective that any attempts to undermine their work, credibility, or ethics is an assault on American progress. Of course, such a perspective rarely permits reflection on what America is progressing towards in its purported endless economic growth, and whether the abettment of that progress is even ethical or desirable. And so energy companies and their political defenders seem to feel no compunctions about attempts to suppress free speech and free expression which is used to criticize energy production or raise alarms over the scientific evidence demonstrating the serious environmental damage it causes to ecological health (including human health). And given the massive concentration of wealth (many of these international companies have larger revenues than the GDP's of most countries) and influence (b/c of the aforementioned dependence of WY on energy extraction for jobs and state revenue), it's not even very hard for them to oppress the rights of various citizens, scientists, and journalists.

The people of WY who are most effected by the energy produced to light cities in far away states live in poor rural areas and small towns, have no political power (given that so many WY politicians are in the pockets of the energy companies and actively work against their citizens' health), and are easily outmaneuvered by high powered lawyers hired by billionaire oil companies. Scientists or artists associated with the University of Wyoming who level criticism or offer data quickly find themselves without funding (since a large portion of the University's funding is supplied directly or indirectly from energy) or fired for endangering the University's vampiric cash cow. The accounts that Lockwood offer are well researched, thoroughly documented, and presented with a well-developed sense of irony. That politicians and CEO's who proudly voice their support for libertarian ideals of freedom would attempt to eviscerate the rights of Wyoming citizens is not an irony Lockwood misses pointing out, repeatedly. Lockwood employs some rather hyperbolic but rhetorically effective strategies to highlight the misdeeds of these powerful players. Alternatively comparing energy companies to repressive Communist regimes in Russia (the carbon curtain) or China (making comparisons to Tiannamen square), an army waging a metaphorical war of misinformation on the public, cigarette companies /smokers producing second hand smoke, the mafia putting out a hit, and farmers selectively breeding politicians/university administration that don't 'bite the hand that feeds it'.

Lockwood's writing is often a bit hyperbolic and on several occasions becomes confusingly garbled with the back and forth of he-said-she-said in a complex cast of interconnecting players. Nevertheless, this is an enormously important issue and this book lays out several case studies of corporations undermining our democracy to solidify their profits. The past several decades have shown an increasing trend of empowerment of corporations via the mirrored weakening of civic society and our political institutions. As Lockwood points out at the end of his book (referencing Michael Sandel's excellent work on the morality of markets), this is in large part driven by the commoditization of every aspect of our society. It's now acceptable for corporations to buy free speech. By making large donations to universities they feel they can dictate what sorts of research is or is not performed (never mind the fact that they receive trained workers and highly profitable new technologies from these universities). By donating to public art institutions, they feel they have the right to dictate what sorts of art are and are not acceptable for public display and engagement. By donating to politician's reelection funds, they feel that they should be able to influence what laws are passed in their favor and what regulations are not passed to control them (hmm this last one might not be an inhibition of free speech so much as outright corruption and bribery).

Lockwood also points out the disturbing shifting baseline around free speech, and how today it seems so much less contentious that companies should have a say in what research is done or art displayed with money that they freely donated. It's the equivalent of a fascist Santa dictating how children can play with the toys they receive at Christmas. Yet this is increasingly the norm - we have come to accept that corporations are people and that money influences elections. This is not so different from politicians' and corporations' strategies to shift public perception of misinformation by repeating it so frequently that it is perceived as, if not true then at least worth serious consideration. The insidious serpent of censorship is slowly constricting the life's breath from our democracy. And if we don't act against it strongly at every turn (exhausting as it is), then they'll win and we'll be back to the days of robber barons and immigrants fed into meat grinders to be sold as sausage.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started out a bit like a rant and throughout the book he wold go on tirades. I found his not so subtle suggestion that people who believed in creation or had a problem with funding the Robert Maplethorope art as beneath honest and open dialog insulting.

I found the book overall to be a compelling look at how money and politics corrupt communities and open and honest dialog. Lockwood laid out a clear and compelling pattern of corruption, greed, and bad if not criminal behavior. He also showed a pattern of people acting in and against their best interests at the academic, political, and community level. Polluting the environment is clearly bad for everyone and especially hard hit are those that live in those communities closest to the source of pollution. Researchers, Professors, and Administrators are hurt by editing their thoughts and actions. Long term concerns are often overshadowed by the short term consequences.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book a better review, as the overall message and many of the anecdotes are important. I'd still recommend reading the book, but skip the final chapter to spare yourself the moral hand-wringing of a condescending academic, and grit your teeth as you read through the 100th bad simile as they come at the end of every paragraph. If you can do that, this is a book worth reading that brings to light a reality worth understanding more deeply.

[Ashley Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this eye-opening book, written by a previous writing professor of mine at the University of Wyoming, containing stories of artists, scientists, educators, and even mere citizens who have or had their free speech censored by the intermingling power of the energy industry and the government.

[Patrick Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any Wyoming resident.

[Rhiannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-researched, disturbing documentation of how deeply connected energy development and politics are throughout Wyoming.