A network map of the social media connections between key players in the U.S. energy, plastics and agrichemicals industries. Image courtesy of Kinol et al. (2025).
A recent study reveals a strong connection between three fossil fuel-based industries — oil and gas, plastics, and agrichemicals — and their use of social media to deny climate change and delay climate action.
Energy, plastics and agrichemicals all rely on the same feedstock: fossil fuels. The biggest energy companies sell oil and gas predominantly; most plastic is a byproduct of natural gas; and nearly all synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are made from fossil fuels.
