How Canadian Big Oil Hijacks Your Google Searches

What happens when you search Google for "net zero," "carbon tax," or "climate action"? According to a newly published peer-reviewed study, Canada's oil sands industry bought Google search ads targeting exactly those kinds of climate-related searches. The researchers call it "algorithmic interception": strategically placing industry messaging where Canadians are looking for independent information. In this interview, University of Ottawa communications professor Patrick McCurdy explains how his team analyzed more than 1,100 paid keywords and over 15,000 organic search terms used by Pathways Alliance (now the Oil Sands Alliance). We discuss what they found, why it matters for public debate, and why AI search tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini may become the next battleground. We also examine how industry messaging around net zero, carbon capture, and emissions reductions compares with actual emissions trends, and why regulating digital greenwashing is becoming increasingly difficult. Topics covered: How Google search advertising shapes public opinion "Algorithmic interception" explained Net zero, carbon capture, and industry messaging Greenwashing in the age of AI Why transparency matters for public policy The future of AI search and generative engine optimization (GEO) Read the paper here: [insert link] #OilSands #Google #Search #ClimateChange #Greenwashing #ArtificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #Canada #Energy #NetZero #CarbonCapture #PublicPolicy #PatrickMcCurdy #EnergiMedia