DESMOG’s “How the Koch Network’s ‘Social Change’ Strategy is Built to Kill the Electric Car” brilliantly lays out the various entities that are spending a lot of money to ensure continued dependency on fossil fuel. At the top of this is Koch Industries, the ‘second largest private company in the U.S’, a conglomerate of several companies, including those focused on fossil fuel extraction, production, and distribution.

This article is a must-read – it will help explain the long-term and pervasive strategy that is employed at many levels of society in order to suppress or block the expansion of renewable energy and electric vehicles. The strategy, the ‘structure for social change’, involves:

• The creation of intellectual raw material, using researchers at universities;
• application of oil industry-protecting ideas into solution and policy proposals; and
• implementation of proposals, e.g., doubt messaging and oil industry-friendly policies, using activist groups.

There is much to learn about the strategy being employed by groups intent of prolonging our dependency on fossil fuel, the amount of money that is being used to support the strategy, and the manifestations of these efforts on things like removing EV and renewable energy incentives, reducing vehicle efficiency standards, introduction of EV surcharges, and the doubt messaging. Read more.

We, of course, can do our part to fight back. We do this with our actions and words. When we choose an electric vehicle over a gas car, we’re contribute to the renewable future momentum. When we actively share our new-found EV experience with family, friends, and strangers, we increase the momentum even more. Let’s make every week, Drive Electric Week!

Speaking of Drive Electric Week – join us at The Home Depot this Saturday, SEP 21, from 9am-1pm, to celebrate!