Fossil fuel production is undoubtedly contributing to climate change, but the Big Oil industry has a decades-long track record of hiding the truth and avoiding responsibility in order to maintain its power, revenues, and reputation. Since the 70s, fossil fuel companies have known about the consequences of continuing with their business as usual, and since then, they have mounted a disinformation campaign to obstruct climate action.
Their strategies range from sowing doubt about the facts and scientific consensus, to attacking the messenger, delegitimizing climate activists, lobbying, financing climate deniers, greenwashing and misleading advertising to, more recently, developing delay tactics and arguments such as “fossil fuel saviourism”.
Stella Levantesi is a climate journalist and author, covering climate disinformation, obstruction narratives to climate action, the role of the media in communicating the climate crisis, and more. We’re looking forward to her talk at The Drop, which will uncover Big Fossil tactics and propaganda.