Scholars at Harvard and George Mason Universities and the University of Bristol in Australia have published a new report about how the fossil fuel companies deliberately misled Americans in order to continue their business model and prolong profits.
Key points from the report:
“1. Internal corporate documents show that the fossil fuel industry has known about the reality of human-caused climate change for decades. Its response was to actively orchestrate and fund denial and disinformation so as to stifle action and protect its status quo business operations.
2. As the scientific consensus on climate change emerged and strengthened, the industry and its political allies attacked the consensus and exaggerated the uncertainties.
3. The fossil fuel industry offered no consistent alternative explanation for why the climate was changing—the goal was merely to undermine support for action.
4. The strategy, tactics, infrastructure, and rhetorical arguments and techniques used by fossil fuel interests to challenge the scientific evidence of climate change—including cherry picking, fake experts, and conspiracy theories—come straight out of the tobacco industry’s playbook for delaying tobacco control.”
Every one of these points is thoroughly explained and well documented. Please read this report and share it with your elected officials at all levels: federal, state, local, and the public service or other commission that regulates utilities in your state.
https://www.climatechangecommunication.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/America_Misled.pdf
