The Black Thread
The Black Thread is a new documentary podcast unravelling Norway’s complex relationship with prosperity, identity, and responsibility in a warming world.
Despite being legally bound to global climate goals, acknowledging the growing risks of climate change, and cherishing its self-image as a responsible, nature-loving champion of human rights…Norway continues to drill for oil.
Over the past half-century, oil has woven itself into the fabric of Norwegian life – from culture to politics, from education to everyday identity.
But what happens when the story of oil as prosperity, pride, and progress collides with the realities of the climate crisis?
Guided by experts, campaigners, journalists, and industry insiders, The Black Thread explores how the contradictions at the heart of Norway’s identity and reputation are sustained, and how Norwegians try to make sense of them.
The Black Thread is a collaboration between Communicating Climate Change and Klimakultur, a Norwegian non-profit focused on building knowledge and community around climate, nature, and justice.
Listen to The Black Thread on Drilled Media now!
The Black Thread is written and narrated by Dickon Bonvik-Stone
Produced and edited by Live Sollid Schulerud
Executive Producer is Vigdis Bonvik-Stone
Artwork is by Ania Rzymyszkiewicz
Episode 1: Meet the Norwegians
In the first episode, we meet the Norwegians and explore how social norms and cultural values shape their identity as a good, caring, and nature-loving people. We also learn what happens when those values come into conflict with the reality of Norway’s outsized impact on climate change, and discover how and why oil influences peoples’ response to this dilemma.
References:
Kari Norgaard’s book “Living in Denial”: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262515856/living-in-denial/
The survival of dugnad. Exploring the meanings and adaptabilities of dugnad as a concept and function in contemporary Norwegian society: https://munin.uit.no/handle/10037/22707
Norwegian commons: a brief account of history, status and challenges: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/20073129358
The Norwegian Trekking Association: Trekking as Constituting the Nation: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01426397.2011.651112
Thomas Hylland Eriksen’s Norwegians and Nature: https://bearstrong.net/tekst97/samfunn/theriksen/nature/
Friluftsliv: The Scandinavian Philosophy of Outdoor Life: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01426397.2011.651112
Info on Norwegian oil production: https://www.norskpetroleum.no/en/
Scale of Norwegian oil activity: https://www.oslo.kommune.no/english/welcome-to-oslo/norwegian-society/the-norwegian-oil-fund/
Second highest consumption in Europe: https://www.ssb.no/en/priser-og-prisindekser/artikler-og-publikasjoner/norway-has-second-highest-consumption-level-in-europe
Climate denial in Norway: https://www.sciencenorway.no/climate-change-ntb-english/eu-study-one-in-four-norwegians-do-not-believe-that-climate-change-is-caused-by-humans/2048474
The value of “The Oil Fund”: https://www.nbim.no/no/
Whose Expertise and Whose Knowledge Matter? Influencing Wind Power Decisions in Norway: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17524032.2024.2341931
Episode 2: Petroganda
In the second episode of The Black Thread, we drill into “petroganda” – the pervasive phenomenon of oil industry manipulation that a growing number of experts and commentators suggest is at work in Norway – shaping support for the country’s oil industry, influencing culture and politics, and guiding the information that the public receives, or doesn’t receive, about the relationship between oil and climate change.
We’ll explore these claims, hearing from those who study and observe the industry, as well as those working within it, about how the story of oil in Norway is told – and who is shaping it.
References:
Drilled Media petroganda narratives: https://drilled.media/news/petroganda-narratives
KodeKraft programming for kids: https://kodekraft.no/
Norwegian Petroleum Museum: https://www.norskolje.museum.no/en/om-museet/
Design specs for “Norway’s coolest classroom”: https://interiorogmobler.no/uploads/images/NIL_ROM_M%C3%98BLER_2022_vitensenter_equinor_koderom.pdf
Mapping networks of oil industry influence: https://oilchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mapping-the-network-of-Norwegian-oil-and-gas-interests_vF.pdf
The state of mis- and dis- information in Norway: https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-note-on-norway-and-climate-disinformation-klimakultur-2025.pdf
About the EnergyTown game: https://www.klimakultur.no/nyheter/e-is-for-equinor/
Wind power is a small portion of business: https://www.klimastiftelsen.no/publikasjoner/equinor-a-broad-energy-company
European Broadcasting Union’s “Climate Journalism That Works”: https://www.ebu.ch/files/live/sites/ebu/files/Publications/strategic/open/News_report_2023_Climate_Journalism.pdf
Equinor sponsorships information: https://www.equinor.com/about-us/sponsorships
Episode 3: Challenging the Narratives
In the third episode of The Black Thread, we explore where the facts do and don’t match up to the stories being told by Norway’s fossil fuel industry, amplified by it’s government, and legitimised through a wealth of public outreach.
We hear experts challenge some of the most familiar narratives that keep Norwegian oil and gas pumping, while industry voices will explain the logic behind their rhetoric.
References:
Quote on not reducing supply side: https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/a-note-on-norway-and-climate-disinformation-klimakultur-2025.pdf
Ketan Joshi’s CCS analysis: https://ketanjoshi.co/2024/11/24/2024-ccs-update-the-revolution-refuses-to-arrive/
Norwegian Government’s Climate Strategy: https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/c10a1b2783d44009b16e97f4e2580113/en-gb/pdfs/the-governments-climate-strategy-for-the-foreign-s.pdf
Largest oil exploration offering: https://www.upstreamonline.com/exploration/norway-launches-largest-ever-offering-of-exploration-acreage/2-1-1817398
Develop, not dismantle the industry: https://www.energiogklima.no/meninger-og-analyse/debatt/oljen-ma-avvikles-ikke-utvikles
Job losses insight: https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/sysselsetting/artikler/fa-vendte-tilbake-til-petroleumsnaeringene-etter-oljekrisen-i-2014
Northern Lights press release: https://www.equinor.com/no/nyheter/20250825-forste-co2-lagret-i-northern-lights
Overstated CCS claims: https://www.desmog.com/2024/10/28/norways-equinor-admits-it-over-reported-amount-of-carbon-captured-at-flagship-project-for-years/
Norwegian Climate Foundation report on economic welfare: https://www.klimastiftelsen.no/publikasjoner/leting-etter-olje-og-gass-effekter-pa-norsk-okonomisk-velferd
Zero Carbon Analytics - Europe doesn’t need more oil and gas from Norway: https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/archives/energy/on-thin-ice-norways-fossil-ambitions-and-the-eus-green-energy-future
The “big lie” of blue hydrogen: https://www.desmog.com/2021/09/10/the-big-lie-of-blue-hydrogen-starts-with-ignoring-basic-economics/
Blue hydrogen bubble bursts: https://oilchange.org/publications/bubble-burst-why-norways-blue-hydrogen-fantasy-is-over-before-it-started/
About green hydrogen: https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/production/green-hydrogen-is-clearly-favoured-shell-and-partners-cancel-blue-h2-project-in-norway/2-1-1714412
“Climate-friendly oil” is greenwashing: https://www.dn.no/innlegg/energi/oljeproduksjon/klima/norsk-olje-bra-for-klimaet-er-gronnvasking/2-1-1705599
Episode 4: Norway Beyond Oil
In the final episode of The Black Thread, we look forwards, imagining Norway’s future. We explore how Norway might begin to loosen oil’s grip on its politics and identity, and hear how different voices envision aligning the country’s actions with its values, its reputation, and the realities of a changing climate.
References:
People Against Fossil Power’s Ski World Cup action: https://www.folkmotfossilmakta.no/ski-vm-1
Norwegian national news covers action and connects the dots: https://www.nrk.no/sport/skistjerner-og-aktivister-sammen-om-klimaavtale-_-golberg-mener-timingen-var-darlig-1.17335201
“What is Norwegian Energy Culture?” from Klimakultur: https://www.klimakultur.no/media/eylk4u5n/norwegian-energy-culture.pdf
Learn more about Nordic Animism: https://nordicanimism.com/
About the conflict at Reparfjorden https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/miljoaktivister-haper-fordefjordsaken-blir-vendepunkt-for-repparfjord-1.17525570
About the conflict at Fosen: https://naturvernforbundet.no/fosen-kort-forklart/
About the conflict at Melkøya: https://sametinget.no/aktuelt/sametinget-anker-melkoya-dommen-til-lagmannsretten.38225.aspx
Science Center rejects fossil fuel partnerships: https://www.bt.no/btmeninger/debatt/i/3MMnRM/mener-vitensentrene-ikke-burde-la-seg-stoette-av-equinor
Read the Indigenous People’s Protocols: https://aippnet.org/indigenous-peoples-unanimous-agreement-defining-just-transition-provide-principles-protocols-eliminate-harm-renewable-energy-green-development/
Norwegian citizens’ assembly on sustainable consumption: https://www.knoca.eu/news/norwegian-government-announces-citizens-assembly-on-sustainable-consumption
Rethinking Economics Norway discusses recent post-growth events in academia and civil society: https://rethinkeconomics.org/blog/2025/07/04/beyondgrowthnorway/
Bergen climate festival: https://www.varmerevaterevillere.no/
Klimakultur’s Petroganda festival in Oslo: https://www.klimakultur.no/nyheter/petrogandafestivalen-2025/
Beyond Oil Conference in Bergen: https://www.uib.no/en/cet/173079/beyond-oil-2025-changing-climate-futures