The dirty energy lobby has shown time and again that it's willing to do just about anything to push its products and silence its detractors. But what's allegedly happening at McNeese University in Louisiana may be a new low.
What's happening?
McNeese University is one of the top public colleges in Louisiana. It has an over 90-year history of setting young people up for success and boasts a list of notable alumni, including famous musicians, authors, and professional athletes.
However, as the Guardian reported, that superb reputation is now being threatened by the interests of the dirty fuel lobby. The booming liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry has become a major partner of the school, where its unseemly influence is creeping into the classrooms.
The school is building the LNG Center for Excellence. The center will, among other things, conduct LNG research and provide new classrooms for students looking to enter the LNG field.
While providing skills and knowledge related to local industries is not a bad thing, some have raised concerns about the motives behind the new building. Internal emails and documents the Guardian obtained via public records revealed that LNG lobbyists strongly influenced the building's construction, all but confirming those fears.
Perhaps even more concerning is the fact McNeese University has hired a new director who is also a dirty fuel lobbyist. That same director is looking to establish an LNG research center right on campus.
If this makes you feel uneasy, you're not alone. In fact, this sort of private industry influence on public education has its own term: "academic capture."
Why is academic capture concerning?
Academic capture occurs when private companies seize control of academic institutions and use them to push agendas. This most often occurs when certain industries are major funders of a school.
With a dependence on their funding, schools feel huge pressure to align themselves with the funders' agendas. In the case of an LNG academic capture, that might look like climate change denial finding its way into the school's curriculum.
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No way 👎 This should be a major concern for everyone because if corporations can control our education, we're not being educated but rather indoctrinated.
What's being done about academic capture?
A first-of-its-kind academic paper published in September 2024, shared by Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews, examined the dirty energy industry's influence on higher education. It found that corporate interests are compromising our learning institutions.
This can bring accredited attention to the issue and fuel the growing pushback from students and other groups fighting against corporate influence in schools.
As for you, educating yourself about dirty fuel's impact on our planet is a great start. The industry may not want you to find it, but it's out there, and so are some amazing solutions.
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