A newly released report from the House Oversight Committee has shed light on the oil industry’s long history of knowingly suppressing the link between fossil fuels and climate change.
The report, which builds on a previous investigation conducted when Democrats held the majority in the House, includes damning documents that reveal the industry’s deliberate efforts to conceal the truth about climate change.
One such document is an email from an ExxonMobil media relations manager, which references a 2015 joint investigation by Inside Climate News and The Los Angeles Times. The investigation found that ExxonMobil had deliberately pushed back against climate science, and the email appears to concede this fact.
What Big Oil knew about climate change (Credits: The Washington Post)
The media relations manager writes, “It’s true that Inside Climate News originally accused us of working against the science but modified their accusation to working against policies meant to stop climate change, such as Kyoto. I’m ok either way since they were both true at one time or another.”
The report alleges that oil companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP, as well as the American Petroleum Institute lobbying group and the Chamber of Commerce, have modified their strategy over the years from outright denial to “deception, disinformation, and doublespeak.”
The report also accuses these entities of obstructing the investigation, refusing to provide documents and information, and failing to comply with subpoenas.
Several of the oil companies and entities named in the report have pushed back against its characterizations, with an ExxonMobil spokesperson claiming that the report contains “tired allegations that have already been publicly addressed through previous Congressional hearings on the same topic and litigation in the courts.”
Big Oil hearing begins US probe into climate disinformation (Credits: Al Jazeera)
However, the report’s findings suggest a decades-long pattern of deception and obstruction by the oil industry, which has had devastating consequences for the environment and public health.
The report’s release comes at a critical moment in the fight against climate change, as the world grapples with the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources.
The report’s findings serve as a stark reminder of the oil industry’s long history of prioritizing profits over people and the planet, and the need for bold action to hold them accountable.
