"ExxonMobil has manufactured uncertainty about the human causes of global warming just as tobacco companies denied their product caused lung cancer," said Alden Meyer, the Union of Concerned Scientists' Director of Strategy & Policy. "A modest but effective investment has allowed the oil giant to fuel doubt about global warming to delay government action just as Big Tobacco did for over 40 years."
-----------
Anyone interested in looking beyond the FoxNews headline on the so called 'climate gate' will see the clear fingerprints of the fossil fuel industry playing the same PR games and attempting to cloud science with propaganda. The US corporate media has dutifully pushed a false controversy in the run-up to the COP summit. Fortunately it seems most folks are trusting the world scientists over Rush Limbaugh.
There is no conspiracy theory here, it's quite simple and maniacally logical. The multi-billion dollar oil/coal industry profit-model is entirely built by taking fossilized carbon out of the ground and putting it in the sky. Thus some have decided their best business strategy is to do everything they can to disrupt efforts to reduce fossil carbon based emissions.....even if it means putting quarterly profits ahead of climatic stability. Corporate media is the natural conduit for that campaign.
Not all of the energy companies are digging in to a fossil-based energy future but unfortunately the ones with the most money and political influence are. Historically, they are quite effective at such campaigns while the scientists are simply not built for spin-wars. This time however, much of the public is not biting on the same tactics that have worked in the past. Sunshine is great disinfectant...let's keep a bright light on science and sensibility. Let the spin burn-off.
-Jake
Posts
