Oil companies acknowledged fossil fuel impact on climate 70 years ago
- In the 1950s, California experienced a significant smog crisis leading to public protests and increased research on air pollution.
- Documents reveal that oil companies, particularly through the Air Pollution Foundation, aimed to control public perception and obscure the risks of CO2 emissions.
- The oil industry has a long history of using deceptive practices to influence scientific research and block climate regulations.
In the 1950s, California faced a severe smog crisis, prompting public protests and research activities to understand its causes. The Western States Petroleum Association, representing oil companies, convened meetings where it directed the Air Pollution Foundation to disseminate biased findings that downplayed the dangers of carbon dioxide emissions. Confidential memos indicate that oil industry leaders sought to influence scientific research to protect their interests, resulting in reports that misrepresented the potential long-term impacts of CO2. This strategy, formed about 70 years ago, laid groundwork for modern-day denials about climate change, illustrating the industry's history of using front groups to block environmental regulation and delay climate action.