Drilled Weaponizing False Equivalence
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Sep 11, 2018 Oil companies manipulated media to create false narratives of scientific uncertainty about climate change, hindering efforts to address CO2 emissions. Industry used contrarian scientists and advertorials to shape public opinion and oppose climate policies, exploiting weaknesses in U.S. media system.
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Media Manipulation and False Equivalence
- Oil companies exploited media weaknesses, particularly false equivalence, to manipulate public perception of climate change.
- This involved giving equal weight to climate scientists and those denying climate change's existence or human impact.
Contrarian Scientists and Alternative Explanations
- Industry-funded "contrarian" scientists offered alternative climate change explanations, like solar radiation or natural shifts.
- Willie Soon, a prominent example, argued for the solar radiation theory, despite its debunking, and downplayed polar bear endangerment.
Oil Companies' Awareness of Flawed Theories
- Oil companies knew that contrarian theories were flawed, as revealed by a 1996 Global Climate Coalition draft primer.
- This primer debunked theories like solar variability's significant impact, yet companies continued funding scientists promoting these theories.