The Biggest Lie About Climate Change

TL;DR

Exxon knew about the dangers of climate change in the 1980s but chose to ignore the information for the sake of growing their business, leading to a global crisis.

Transcript

This, is the story of how your safety and future finances were robbed without you ever really noticing. Back in the 70s, Everyone was like (peace), but there was also the creation of an energy company called Exxon. They were obsessed with what we are still obsessed with now; innovation. So, the oil company Exxon, decided to invest in science. Scien... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🔬 Exxon's own scientists were the first to discover the links between fossil fuels and climate change in the early 1980s.
• 👨‍💼 Rather than addressing the issue, Exxon chose to prioritize business growth and spread climate change denial.
• 🖤 The oil industry's campaign of denial resulted in a lack of public knowledge and limited action to address climate change.
• 🥺 Public perception of climate change was influenced by funded denial campaigns, leading to skepticism and underestimation of the problem.
• 🤢 The lack of action on climate change has resulted in severe consequences, such as rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
• 🍰 Oil companies' short-sighted focus on profit has put future generations at risk and caused significant environmental damage.
• 🥹 Legal actions and policies like the Green New Deal are being proposed to hold oil companies accountable and address the climate crisis.

Questions & Answers

Q: When did Exxon's own scientists first discover the links between burning fossil fuels and climate change?

Exxon's scientists discovered the link in the early 1980s and presented the findings to the company's executives.

Q: Why did Exxon choose to ignore the information about climate change?

As the price of oil was decreasing, Exxon prioritized business growth and decided to downplay the scientific evidence to avoid potential regulation.

Q: How did oil companies contribute to climate change denial?

Oil companies, including Exxon, funded campaigns and advertisements to cast doubt on the scientific consensus of climate change and spread misinformation.

Q: What impact did climate change denial have on public perception?

By funding denial campaigns, oil companies successfully influenced public opinion, leading to a lack of awareness and an underestimation of the threat of climate change.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the 1980s, Exxon's own scientists discovered the link between burning fossil fuels and climate change.

• Despite knowing the catastrophic effects of their actions, Exxon chose to prioritize business growth and began spreading climate change denial.

• The oil industry's campaign to deny climate change led to a lack of public knowledge and limited action to address the issue.