The Enablers: The Firms Behind Fossil Fuel Falsehoods

Climate One

Social Sciences, News Commentary, Science, Earth Sciences, News

4.7 • 585 Ratings

🗓️ 11 February 2022

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

For years, fossil fuel companies have claimed to support climate science and policy. Many have recently pledged to hit net zero emissions by midcentury. Yet behind the scenes they fight those very same policies through industry associations, shadow groups, and lobbying – all while spending vast sums on advertising and PR campaigns touting their climate commitments. This week we focus on the PR and law firms helping fossil fuel companies delay the transition to clean energy while claiming they are on the side of climate protection. Guests: Benjamin Franta, PhD candidate in History of Science, Stanford University. Jamie Henn, founder and director, Fossil Free Media Kathryn Lundstrom, sustainability editor, Adweek Christine Arena, former Executive Vice President, Edelman; founder, Generous Films Michaela Anang, law student, UC Davis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hear that? It's your big McDonald's hunger calling, because the big arch is back, and this time it's here to stay with juicy beef, cheddar cheese and that big arch sauce.
0:09.9	Hungry, you are now. Order delivery on the McDonald's app.
0:15.0	Serve from 11am, upcharges and fees apply to delivery orders. Subjects availability, price and participation may vary.
0:20.6	This is Climate One. I'm Greg Dalton. Many large corporations... and fees apply to delivery orders. Subjects availability, price and participation may vary.
0:27.1	This is Climate One. I'm Greg Dalton. Many large corporations dedicate huge budgets to their image,
0:32.5	selling the story they want the public to take in. Fossil fuel companies are some of the biggest spenders. When you actually peel back the glossy advertisements and messaging from the industry,
0:39.3	the real numbers show that practically they're spending more on burnishing their image
0:43.6	than they actually are changing their business plans.
0:46.3	For years, fossil fuel companies have claimed to support climate science and policy.
0:51.9	Many have recently pledged to hit net zero emissions by mid-century. Yet behind
0:56.9	the scenes, they fight those very same policies through industry associations, shadow groups, and
1:02.6	lobbying, all while spending vast sums on advertising and PR campaigns touting their climate commitments.
1:10.4	This week, we're looking at some of the entities that
1:12.5	help these companies slow the transition away from fossil fuels, starting with public relations
1:17.8	and law firms. Many of these groups are now facing their own pressure to drop their fossil fuel
1:23.2	clients. First, let's get some historical perspective. Climate 1's Arianna Brocious takes it from here.
1:31.0	Dr. Benjamin Franta has a Ph.D. in Applied Physics and is also a PhD candidate in history at
1:36.0	Stanford. Through years of research, he and others have uncovered just how long fossil fuel
1:41.8	companies have known their products could hurt the climate,
1:44.7	and how long they avoided telling anyone about it.
1:48.6	Franta found one key example of this for more than 60 years ago in a Delaware archive.
1:53.7	It was a speech given by Edward Teller, the famous physicist, who worked on the hydrogen bomb,
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