Climate Power Calls for False Big Oil Ads to Come Down
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The ads are fossil fuel interests’ latest attempt to spread disinformation about the Biden administration’s actions to protect air and water.
Washington, D.C. – In a letter to local affiliates, Climate Power today called for television stations in swing states across the country and Washington, D.C., to remove ads paid for by the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers that lie about the Biden administration and deliberately attempt to scare and mislead viewers. The eight-figure ad campaign, expected to run in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, directs viewers to “tell [President Biden] to stop his EPA’s car ban.” However, there is no pending federal “car ban,” and the ads’ claims are false and misleading.
Since there is no such thing as an EPA “car ban,” the petrochemical ad, “Open Roads,” doesn’t include a citation, and its second ad, “All of Us,” instead uses a misleading New York Times article that simply does not exist.
These false ads are the latest in a wide-ranging disinformation campaign launched by Big Oil and fossil fuel interests in swing states that have experienced a robust clean energy boom thanks to President Joe Biden’s clean energy plan. In just the first month and a half of 2024, fossil fuel interests have spent over $21 million in misleading advertising.
“These ads are filled with lies meant to scare Americans about a ‘car ban’ that doesn’t exist – and they should be taken off the air,” said Climate Power Executive Director Lori Lodes. “The Biden administration isn’t banning gas-powered cars or appliances – they’re fighting against corporate polluters to make our air and water cleaner and give Americans more affordable alternatives to fossil fuel. Big Oil knows that and is intentionally misleading Americans to protect their obscene profits.”
Here are the facts:
CLAIM: “President Biden’s EPA is rushing to ban new gas-powered cars.”
FACT: President Biden’s EPA can’t mandate the sale of any cars or limit the sale of certain vehicles. The EPA’s proposed tailpipe emissions rule does not directly require that a certain percentage of vehicles be zero-emission powered by 2032. The rule instead sets emissions standards, and automakers do not have to go electric to meet them – the policy is considered “technology-neutral” and makes our air cleaner.
CLAIM: “Even though some of us drive long distances, live too far from a charger, or can’t afford an expensive electric vehicle.”
FACT: The average EV sold in the U.S. can go nearly 300 miles without a charge, and the five EVs with the highest battery ranges represented 70% of EV sales in 2022. Charging infrastructure is growing rapidly. There are nearly 170,000 public EV chargers now operating across the country, with nearly 900 new chargers coming online every week. EVs are cheaper to own over the long haul than gas-powered vehicles because of lower recurring costs, and thanks to President Biden’s clean energy plan, EV prices are comparable to gas-powered cars.
CLAIM: “Call the White House. Tell President Biden to stop the car ban.”
FACT: There is no so-called “car ban.”
Since the passage of President Biden’s clean energy plan, over 210,000 clean energy jobs have advanced, with over 140,000 jobs in both the EV and battery industries. In the key swing states that AFPM is targeting for their ad campaign, over 52,925 clean energy jobs have been announced.