Exxon's Own Scientists Confirmed Climate Change—In the 70s

The oil and gas giant took climate change seriously.
Exxon's Own Scientists Confirmed Climate Change—In the 70s

Before Exxon spent millions funding climate change deniers, the oil and gas giant took a less ... let's say, unreasonable approach to climate science. A multi-part investigation from Pulitzer Prize-winning InsideClimate News lays out how Exxon's own research confirmed the link between fossil fuels and climate change way back in the 1970s. The first part of InsideClimate News' investigation is out today.

Exxon's own scientists spoke about climate change with certainty. According to a later account, senior company scientist James Black told Exxon's Management Committee in 1977, "In the first place, there is general scientific agreement that the most likely manner in which mankind is influencing the global climate is through carbon dioxide release from the burning of fossil fuels." In 1977!

A couple years later, according to InsideClimate News, Exxon funded a three-year research project aboard the company's Esso Atlantic supertanker. The tanker traveled halfway around the world taking carbon dioxide measurements to suss out how atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolved into the water. Exxon also hired scientists to create climate models.

Then the energy industry had a few lean years in the mid 80s. And then, in 1988, the public woke up to the problem of climate change when NASA's James Hansen testified before Congress. Exxon decided it had to go on offense about climate change, and well, the rest is recent history.

Part two of the InsideClimate News' investigation will be out tomorrow.