They fought for clean air. They didn’t know they were part of a gas industry campaign

Residents around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach were paid to show support for natural gas trucks at community hearings

Diesel truck pollution from the busiest port complex in the United States has fouled the air in nearby neighbourhoods in southern California for decades. So when port officials asked for feedback on cleaning up that pollution, hundreds of people weighed in.

Los Angeles and Long Beach officials hoped residents would help them decide whether to require zero-pollution electric trucks or instead promote vehicles powered by natural gas, a fossil fuel.