We discovered much too late that ExxonMobil scientists knew fossil fuels were fueling global warming as far back as 1975. Documents from the Goliath corporation show that management covered up this information, and initiated and sustained a public relations campaign denying global warming. Profits and share value were more important than anything else. It turns out the U.S. electric utility industry recognized as early as 1968 that burning fossil fuels would lead to increased warming, yet later opposed efforts to shift away from coal, according to a new report.
The lengthy report from the Energy and Policy Institute uses reams of archival documents to demonstrate that utility industry representatives knew as far back as 1968 that burning fossil fuels could trigger “catastrophic effects” on the climate.
The report also claims that, despite continued research and consensus on climate throughout the 1970s and 80s, the industry continued to make investments in coal, joined coalitions and lobbying groups to oppose climate action and fund climate denier scientists.
“Nearly 50 years after scientists began to warn the electric utility industry about climate change, some utilities continue to stand in the way of real progress in addressing the problem,” the report said.
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