Drilled Welcome to the World of Obstruction
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Sep 16, 2025 Join Timmons Roberts, a climate expert from Brown University, Jennifer Jacquet from the University of Miami, Rio de Janeiro's Carlos Milani, and Australian National University’s Christian Downie as they dissect the deliberate political obstruction of climate action. They unveil the tactics of industries like fossil fuels and agriculture that fuel the crisis, while advocating for urgent reforms. Explore the often-hidden influences of think tanks and PR firms that muddy public understanding and discuss how to effectively counteract this obstruction through law and policy.
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Obstruction, Not Ignorance, Explains Inaction
- Political will, not science or tech, is the main barrier to climate action and it has been actively manufactured.
- Understanding obstruction reveals tailored strategies used by powerful industries to block solutions.
Obstruction Is Cross-Sectoral
- Oil and gas are central to obstruction but many other sectors also play major roles.
- Coal, utilities, carmakers, and meat and dairy producers form coalitions across supply chains to resist policy change.
Different Kinds Of Responsibility
- Responsibility for emissions and for obstruction overlap but are distinct and uneven.
- Some firms emit heavily and fund obstruction; others enable information pollution without large emissions.
