Historical Documents Reveal Fossil Fuel Industry’s Early Knowledge of Climate Impact

Newly unearthed documents expose that the fossil fuel industry, as far back as 1954, funded research indicating the role of their products in causing climate crises and global warming. The revelations stem from research conducted by Charles Keeling at the California Institute of Technology between 1954 and 1956, backed by a coalition involving fossil fuel and automobile industry leaders. Notably, this research led to the development of the Keeling Curve, a pivotal graph depicting the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations linked to fossil fuel usage.

The Southern California Air Pollution Foundation, partially funded by entities like the American Petroleum Institute and automakers Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, played a role in financing this research. The documents unveil that major fossil fuel corporations were cognizant of the impending climate crisis as early as 1954, challenging previous notions that this awareness only emerged in the 1970s.

University of Miami climate accountability researcher Geoffrey Supran asserts, “These new documents wind back the clock another half-decade on the oil industry’s long history of climate knowledge and deceit.” The revelations underscore the industry’s awareness of the detrimental effects of its products for over 70 years, a stark contrast to their public stance of denial and obfuscation.

Keeling’s initial proposal in 1954 indicated researchers’ intent to study changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations due to fossil fuel combustion. The research director, Samuel Epstein, highlighted potential consequences for climate, photosynthesis rates, and ocean carbonate equilibration.

The fossil fuel industry’s suppression of climate research, as exposed by these documents, has had profound global impacts. The industry’s denial and manipulation of climate knowledge contribute to the ongoing climate crisis, resulting in severe consequences for both human and animal populations worldwide.

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