The Evolution of Climate Change– How the Fossil Fuel Industry Delayed Climate Action in the Late 20th Century
Open Access
Author:
LeVan, Avery
Area of Honors:
History
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Gary Scott Cross, Thesis Supervisor Cathleen Denise Cahill, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
climate change global warming fossil fuels fossil fuel industry oil and gas industry Exxon climate action government regulation climate science climate history climate industry
Abstract:
This thesis frames the issue of climate change in the United States as it evolved pertaining to three players: the scientific community, the government, and the fossil fuel industry (on which there will be a special focus). Specifically, it tracks each player’s understanding of the issue as it developed. Furthermore, it examines the ways in which each eventually attempted to shape public opinion to advance their goals. For the scientific community, this meant signaling the need for government action. For the government, this meant staying in office. For the industry, this meant delaying climate action for as long as possible. This thesis explains why, despite key actors having understood the problem since the 1960s, no action was taken to effectively solve climate change for 60 years. In doing so, this thesis adopts a narrative approach, beginning at the emergence of the issue in the late 1950s and covering its many facets chronologically up to the turn of the millennium.
