In his book Anointed by Oil, Darren Daucek draws this distinction really along religious lines between the Pennsylvania and Ohio folks like Rockefeller and then the prospectors that you see in Texas. He calls the Rockefeller approach the civil religion of crude and the western approach wildcat Christianity. Dochek says Rockefeller saw his aggressive moves to consolidate control of the oil industry through the lens of Christian faith.
Why has the United States played such an outsized role in the creation of the climate crisis? As a settler nation, the U.S. emerged from the colonizing, capitalist West, but what did America and its cultural peculiarities bring to the party? Part 4 of our series, The Repair, on the climate emergency.
Researched and written by this season’s co-host, Amy Westervelt, produced and mixed by host John Biewen. Interviews with Colin Jerolmack, Darren Dochuk, Melissa Aronczyk, Bob Brulle, and the Rev. Lennox Yearwood.
The series editor is Cheryl Devall. Music in this episode by Lili Haydn, Kim Carroll, Chris Westlake, Lesley Barber, Cora Miron, and goodnight Lucas. Music consulting by Joe Augustine of Narrative Music.
The Repair is supported by Scene on Radio listener-donors, and by the International Women’s Media Foundation.