In the late 1950s, a significant collaboration took place that would change our understanding of climate science forever. Charles David Keeling, a climate scientist, collaborated with scientists from the U.S. Weather Bureau and NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory to measure CO2 levels in the atmosphere. This collaboration began in 1958 and led to the development of the Keeling Curve, a graphical representation that shows the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration over time.
Before this landmark achievement, Keeling’s early climate science research was funded by the petroleum and automobile industries at the California Institute of Technology between 1954 and 1956. This funding came from major automobile and oil companies such as Ford, Chrysler, American Motors, and General Motors. These companies contributed around $158,000 (in today’s value) towards Keeling’s work.
The Southern California Air Pollution Foundation, created to address smog in Los Angeles, also financed Keeling’s research. This indicates that the industries were aware of the potential environmental impacts of fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry funded some of the earliest climate science research, including Keeling’s work. This indicates their awareness of CO2’s potential impact on the climate as early as 1954.
Interestingly, despite being aware of the potential climate impacts, many members and sponsors of the foundation launched a multi-million dollar campaign against climate policies and promoted the denial of climate science. This activity reveals a stark contradiction. The fossil fuel industry was actively involved in the inception of modern climate science, only to later publicly deny this science and fund efforts to delay action on the climate crisis.
The fossil fuel industry’s suppression and denial of climate research have led to devastating effects on human and animal populations. The climate crisis, which they helped to uncover, is already resulting in an estimated 4 million early deaths.
The evidence clearly shows that the fossil fuel industry was not only aware of the potential environmental impacts of their products but was actually instrumental in the early research that identified these issues. Despite this, they chose to deny and suppress the science, leading to a delay in action on the climate crisis. This story serves as a sobering reminder of the power and influence of major industries, and the devastating impact this can have when used irresponsibly.
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