‘Get your dirty hands off our kids’: fossil fuel industry’s presence in schools and sports clubs sparks concern

The Greens and David Pocock have backed calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the alleged “petro-grooming” of children after an investigation exposed the extent of the fossil fuel sector’s presence in schools, sports clubs and other educational institutions. The resources minister, Madeleine King, has defended industry sponsorships of grassroots and elite sports and said it was fortunate so many companies were prepared to support clubs. A new report from climate advocacy group Comms Declare identified at least 260 industry-backed programs or sponsorships that were reaching children and teenagers from early childhood centres and schools to sporting clubs, museums and career pathway programs. Examples included an education program at the Queensland Museum, sponsored by Shell and its subsidiary Queensland Gas Company, that produced learning materials for young students and free professional development courses for teachers. A school’s Stem program sponsored by a major fossil fuel company encouraged pupils aged eight and nine to build models of offshore drilling activities using bread, Vegemite and sprinkles. Often, the report said, educational materials backed by fossil fuel sponsorship would accentuate the supposed personal steps people could take to reduce emissions, while underplaying the role of major corporations in producing and selling fossil fuels. …