If we’re going to complete our “incredible transition” away from fossil fuels, it’s gonna take more than insanely high gas prices. We’re gonna have to change the language of energy, too.
But how do we go about such a monumental task? Well, that’s where Vox comes in. They’ve got this all figured out:
1/ The end of natural gas has to start with its name.
For over a century, the gas industry has marketed natural gas as "clean," "renewable," and "responsible," reports @rebleber.
But all of those labels mean the same thing: Methane. pic.twitter.com/YxrfAReYaB
— Vox (@voxdotcom) May 24, 2022
And there’s nothing “natural” about methane! Except, you know, for the natural part.
Curious, where does it come from if it’s not natural?
— Joe Pilot, MD (@JoeSilverman7) May 24, 2022
The Progressive Left's War on Words continues. Now natural gas isn't "natural" because….it's methane?
Methane, of course, is an entirely natural substance — it's not like it was created by humans — it's just that Progressives don't like it. https://t.co/4K1VqrHKgP
— Matt Cover (@MattCover) May 24, 2022
It was created by humans in that humans produce a lot of it. In fact, every single person who works at Vox is a source of methane gas. They probably produce more than the average person, if you really think about it.
And Vox loves the smell of methane, at least when it comes out of their own butts.
2/ Gas has never been "clean," explains @rebleber. "It's a dangerous and explosive substance."
But the oil and gas industry isn't ready to lose its biggest marketing advantage as it tries to dodge climate scrutiny from regulators. https://t.co/0LCts5UZS3
— Vox (@voxdotcom) May 24, 2022
3/ The language has influenced consumer choices and political decisions.
Polls reveal that most Americans are more likely to view natural gas more favorably than other fossil fuels and see it as a solution for climate change. https://t.co/0LCts5UZS3
— Vox (@voxdotcom) May 24, 2022
4/ Countries around the world have "encoded policies that incentivize continued gas production and consumption, even as 100 of them joined a voluntary Global Methane Pledge to slash methane by 30 percent in the next decade," @rebleber writes.https://t.co/0LCts5UZS3
— Vox (@voxdotcom) May 24, 2022
5/ The stakes have only grown as increased gas production looks to surpass coal as the dominant fuel, and as the concentration of methane in the atmosphere soars, with human activities mostly to blame.
Learn more: https://t.co/0LCts5UZS3
— Vox (@voxdotcom) May 24, 2022
So now Vox is mad that natural gas might become a more popular fuel source than coal? Man, there’s just no pleasing some people.
if we're going to rename natural gas, we should rename nuclear, too. I suggest "magic rock power" https://t.co/4vNZ0QCk1p
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) May 24, 2022
*Clean* magic rock power. And if Vox were actually interested in cleaner energy, they’d be writing explainers every single day extolling the virtues of nuclear power.
But no. They’re too busy trying to make “deadly death gas” (or something along those lines) a thing.
This article is so bad from so many perspectives: bad energy analysis, bad political strategy, bad from a “let’s not be the annoying scold everyone hates” POV. https://t.co/oO5KKnFK7I
— Lisa (@liftplowblade) May 24, 2022
But if Vox is good at one thing, it’s being the annoying scold everyone hates.
Yeah because the one thing the left needs is to argue about language more https://t.co/4ukklfZ65W
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) May 24, 2022
Heh.
Actually, though, Vox’s mind-numbingly stupid piece is kinda worth it in the end, if only because it gifted us with this glorious thread from Ben Dreyfuss:
One of the reasons activists are the most annoying people on earth is that they earnestly say things like “this language is too dangerous to have around” pic.twitter.com/6z5Yxhs6tt
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) May 24, 2022
Oh yeah I’m sure calling it “fossil gas” is really the secret weapon. pic.twitter.com/HtqBMc8XhZ
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) May 24, 2022
Imagine being the dickhead who calls natural gas “fossil gas” and then is constantly asked “what’s that” and has to explain “it’s natural gas”
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) May 24, 2022
This is genuinely hilarious.
Language is supposed to efficiently communicate meaning. If you’re constantly having to explain what you mean by your language choice, you’re using it wrong.
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) May 24, 2022
This is actually the stupidest quote I’ve ever read in my entire life. “What should we call it? I don’t know. But we shouldn’t call it whatever they want to call it.” pic.twitter.com/QGOTGLcZqd
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) May 24, 2022
“What do you want for dinner?”
“I don’t know”
“How about Chinese”
“No”
“Italian”
“No”
“Mexican”
“No”
“Ok why don’t you make a suggestion”
“My suggestion is I don’t want to go wherever you want to go”— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) May 24, 2022
Perfect.
Once again, I am imploring the left to actually acknowledge open political disagreement and engage instead of blithely pretending everything is a branding problem. https://t.co/cNN5UNCMUi
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) May 24, 2022
Yeah, but what fun would that be?
***
Related:
Join the conversation as a VIP Member