The Guardian reports on a long-forgotten Shell video documentary:
Shell’s 28-minute film, called Climate of Concern, was made for public viewing, particularly in schools and universities. It warned of extreme weather, floods, famines and climate refugees as fossil fuel burning warmed the world. The serious warning was “endorsed by a uniquely broad consensus of scientists in their report to the United Nations at the end of 1990”, the film noted.
The story also notes:
A separate 1986 report, marked “confidential” and also seen by the Guardian, notes the large uncertainties in climate science at the time but nonetheless states: “The changes may be the greatest in recorded history.”
This is consistent with what we already know about ExxonMobil’s knowledge of fossil fuel’s effects on climate change since the late 1970s.
The industry has claimed that it was still uncertain of the effects at the time. In truth, as scientific certainty grew, the oil industry began investing heavily in climate skepticism and denial. As expensive lawsuits loom, one of the industry’s main goals today is to discredit groups revealing this history of unethical behavior.
Much like the tobacco industry before it, the fossil fuel industry still has much to answer for.