The Dream That Oil Built
The American Dream evokes a familiar image: a house in the suburbs ringed by a white picket fence. What you don’t see are the fossil fuels behind that way of life, with petrochemicals tucked into every corner of the home, from the kitchen counter to the plush couch in the living room. This series takes a deep dive into the connections between climate change and the American Dream — how oil and gas companies led extensive campaigns to tie their industry to a patriotic narrative of comfort and prosperity, and how the fossil-fueled Dream might destroy itself, undermining the promise that each generation can expect a better life than the last.
In This Series
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![Collage of a family looking out at their home, covered by a red square. To the right, smokestack imagery peeking through stripes resembling the American flag.]()
![Collage of a family looking out at their home, covered by a red square. To the right, smokestack imagery peeking through stripes resembling the American flag.]()
The American Dream wasn’t built for climate change
Owning a home is billed as a way to build wealth. For many, it's turning into a trap.
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![Collage of person pumping gas, wading through floodwater, and holding a carton of eggs]()
![Collage of person pumping gas, wading through floodwater, and holding a carton of eggs]()
Exclusive: Most voters believe climate change threatens the American Dream
As the cost of living rises, a poll for Grist from Data for Progress suggests voters are connecting the dots to a warming world.
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![Collage of smokestacks, ad snippets, family beside a car, and woman pulling a pan out of the oven]()
![Collage of smokestacks, ad snippets, family beside a car, and woman pulling a pan out of the oven]()
The hidden history of how Big Oil invented the American Dream
From the family car to the dream kitchen, fossil fuel companies sold a vision of prosperity that depended on their own products. Grist dug up a century of evidence that shows how they did it.
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![A miniature house made of wood with a cutaway to rooms like a dollhouse. The cutaway shows an attitc with insulation, a bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. The house sits on a green screen replaced background with blue skies and clouds.]()
![A miniature house made of wood with a cutaway to rooms like a dollhouse. The cutaway shows an attitc with insulation, a bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. The house sits on a green screen replaced background with blue skies and clouds.]()
Fossil fuels are hiding all over your house. We built a model home to show how.
Tour our miniature dream house to see how oil and gas became part of everyday products.
