During a recent discussion about the Trump Administration’s war on climate science, some argued that this attitude is rooted primarily in climate denial. I disagree.
For decades, the fossil fuel industry has worked to obscure its role in environmental destruction. Numerous lawsuits—both in the U.S. and abroad—have accused major oil corporations of deliberately misleading the public about the dangers of fossil fuels, downplaying risks, and prioritising profit over the planet.
As outright climate denial became harder to maintain, the fossil fuel industry has shifted tactics. Instead of refuting climate change, they redirected attention to individual choices and behaviour —whether it is our dietary habits, the light bulbs we use, or how often we drive or fly- while continuing to push policies that safeguard their own profits. Even the new U.S. Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, recently acknowledged climate change—though he misleadingly (and I explain here why) framed a warmer world as having both "pros and cons." But that’s not the real issue.
What we are witnessing is not just an attack on climate science, but the increased corporate influence over government policy. It is a systematic dismantling of climate policy designed to keep profits rolling into the fossil-fuel industry a little longer, at the cost of the planet, of course. While the flood of Executive Orders may seem chaotic, there is a clear strategy at play. Many of these moves were outlined in Project 2025- a playbook which also provides some signs of what’s to come.
This 900-page book, a detailed blueprint for a second Trump term, lays out a roadmap for undoing environmental protections at every level. Among its proposals include,
Stripping federal funding for climate science.
Embedding climate skepticism into government agencies.
Gutting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Weakening the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to regulate emissions.
Eliminating financial incentives for clean energy.
Project 2025 even proposes shifting the focus of agencies like the Federal Reserve, Treasury, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) away from sustainable investment and back toward fossil fuel expansion
By limiting available scientific evidence, the administration creates obstacles to future climate regulation, prioritising corporate interests over democratic decision-making. At the same time, it reduces public pressure for action on climate change.
The war on climate science is not just about rejecting evidence—it’s about ensuring that truth never gets in the way of profits.
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Notes:
Assessing ExxonMobil's climate change communications (1977–2014) - IOPscience
The Big Lie: How ExxonMobil Profited from a Plastic Pollution Fantasy
https://theclimatehistorian.substack.com/p/challenging-climate-misinformation-ae8
Music: Sweaty Linen - Surf Ninja 3 (YouTube Audio Library)
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