FYI

Redding CA

Description

Earlier this year, two Sinclair national segments, which aired on dozens of Sinclair-owned or operated TV stations in a majority of states, advocated for increased production of fossil fuels in the United States. These segments pushed the myth that the U.S. had previously achieved “energy independence” during the Trump administration by increasing fossil fuel production, and falsely claimed the Biden administration had reduced production. The reality is that production increased last year after declining during Trump’s last year in office. Now, Sinclair is using its misinformation machine to drag renewable energy and related technologies through the tar sands. Sinclair repeatedly promoted commentary from climate deniers and the fossil fuel industry to undermine renewable energy initiatives On February 10, Sinclair national correspondent Scott Thuman aired criticism from Ben Lieberman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) claiming a shift to renewable energy will make the U.S. dependent on China for the minerals required for renewable technologies. The segment also suggested that the U.S. isn’t producing any of these minerals on its own, with Lieberman saying: “If you do think [electric vehicles] are a good idea, if you do think wind energy is a good idea, you better start thinking about mining as also being a good idea. Because you can’t have one without the other.” What Thuman failed to disclose is that the CEI is heavily funded by the fossil fuel industry and has worked to advance climate denial and oil interests