PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 10, 2023
An epidemic of propaganda has created a broken society in which Americans are constantly abused, gaslit and conned. The playing field for lying about climate change has become an industry of its own. Many have the impression global warming is something scientists have only lately realized is important. In the 1970s Exxon’s senior scientist warned that doubling CO2 gases in the atmosphere would increase global temperatures by 2 or 3 degrees. Exxon decided to ignore science, cancel research projects and invest in “spin.” The integrity of climate scientists was attacked. These days greenwashing distracts the public from the harm their products cause. We should have no more denying climate change. No more lying. Global heating is supercharging extreme weather at an astonishing speed. All over the planet people are losing their lives and livelihoods because of more frequent heat waves, floods, wildfires and droughts triggered by the climate crisis. The truth is that fossil fuel emissions are the cause. ~ T. Nelson Thompson, retired maritime environmental and energy technical adviser