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For years, Energy In Depth has exposed how out-of-state anti-fracking groups have parachuted into our communities to push misinformation while pretending to be “local” groups. Lately this phenomenon has been taken to a whole new level by the “Keep it in the Ground” movement. These activists would have you believe that they are a “local” grassroots campaign fighting to stop fossil fuel development, but in reality, their group is spearheaded by a number of deep-pocketed national anti-fracking groups and the Guardian’s “Keep it in the Ground” movement, which was launched in the United Kingdom.

Over the past few months, after declaring that stopping development on federal lands is the next “key fight,” “Keep it in the Ground” has staged a number of local stunts in Ohio and Colorado to protest the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) mineral leasing program. However, and in spite of these campaign efforts, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management decided last week that they intend to move forward with oil and gas development on federal lands, stating, “We go out of our way to make all of these oil and gas lease sales open to the public.”  BLM Director Neil Kornze also added, “The BLM is proud of the role we play in supporting responsible energy development on public lands.”  This makes sense considering that the data show that oil and gas development on BLM-managed lands support 291,000 domestic jobs and over $77 billion in economic output.

Latest iteration of failed international divestment campaign

Despite the fact that “Keep it in the Ground” protestors pretend to be “local” concerned citizens, the movement is anything but.

In fact, the “Keep It in the Ground” movement is part of t...