theguardian.com
Big Oil's Early Climate Warnings
Documents reveal that major oil companies were warned about climate change as early as 1954, yet actively worked to downplay these findings.
English
United Kingdom
Climate ChangeScienceUkEnergy SecurityClimatePollutionOilIndustry
ShellChevronExxonmobilBpAir Pollution Foundation
Rebecca JohnGeoffrey SupranLauren B HitchcockCharles David Keeling
- When were major oil companies first alerted to the planet-warming effects of fossil fuels?
- Newly unearthed documents reveal that major oil companies were warned about the climate-warming effects of fossil fuels as early as 1954, through the Air Pollution Foundation.
- What was Caltech's involvement in the early research, and how did the oil industry respond?
- Caltech's 1954 proposal, which warned about the potential climate impact of CO2, was shared with oil industry members, but the foundation later downplayed this information.
- What was the role of the Air Pollution Foundation in relation to the oil industry and pollution regulation?
- The Air Pollution Foundation, primarily funded by the Western States Petroleum Association, initially claimed to address smog but actively countered pollution regulations.
- What is the significance of these newly unearthed documents in relation to the broader context of climate change and corporate responsibility?
- These findings add to growing evidence that major fossil fuel companies have known about the climate-changing effects of their products for decades, yet actively worked to suppress this information.
- How do the actions of the oil industry compare with those of the tobacco industry in terms of downplaying the negative effects of their products?
- The oil industry's early efforts to downplay the climate effects of their products, starting in the 1950s, parallel tactics used by the tobacco industry.