This episode of Going Green explores the politicization of environmental issues and the emerging communication war on climate change. The evolution of media, politics, and corporate interests and its impact on the public's opinion of climate change are detailed. The episode also highlights the creation of the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) and the establishment of the US Green Building Council and its LEED Green Building Rating System.

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Episode Extras - Photos, videos, sources and links to additional content I found during my research.

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Episode Credits:

Production by Gābl Media

Written by Dimitrius Lynch

Executive Produced by Dimitrius Lynch

Audio Engineering and Sound Design by Jeff Alvarez

Archival Audio courtesy of: CSPAN, Demux, CSPAN-O'Neill, CSPAN-Wright, Mother Jones, Slipstream, History, Secular Talk, CSPAN-Byrd-Hagel, Channel 4 News, FORA.tv, The Young Turks

Mr.

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Speaker, on this historic day, the House of Representatives opens its proceedings for the

first time to televised coverage.

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I wish to congratulate you for your courage in making this possible and the committee who

has worked so hard under the leadership of Congressman Charles Rose to make this a

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reality.

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Television will change this institution, Mr.

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Speaker, just as it has changed the executive branch.

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but the good will far outweigh the bad.

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From this day forward, every member of this body must ask himself or herself how many

Americans are listening to the debates which are made.

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When the House becomes comfortable with the changes brought by television coverage, the

news media will be allowed to bring their own cameras into this chamber.

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In the meantime, there is no censorship.

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Every word is available for broadcast coverage and journalists will be able to use and

edit as they see fit.

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solution for the lack of confidence in government...

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Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network, or C -SPAN, is an American cable and satellite

television network.

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As a non -profit public service...

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It televised a live feed of a US House of Representatives session for the first time on

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C -SPAN broadcasts US federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming.

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In its early years, few people watched the channel, but as Representative Al Gore noted,

television would quickly change the institution.

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Newt Gingrich, a Republican from Georgia,

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and a US House representative who was initially overlooked by his party's leadership,

identified C -SPAN as a tool to carve his path to power.

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Gingrich became known for his confrontational manner, described by some as arrogant,

ferocious, and indifferent to the truth.

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His tactics were reminiscent of Joseph McCarthy, who had a meteoric rise in politics

behind sensational and baseless accusations of communism.

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and relentless investigations to attack political opponents during the late 1940s and

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We're going to the fifth investigation of McCarthy.

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There will be a sixth, there will be a seventh and an eighth.

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As long as I continue to try to expose people or traitors to this country, if I would quit

now, I would end with the fifth investigation.

26

But take my word for it, my good friend, regardless.

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And I make you this solemn promise, regardless of what the Senate may do about a censure,

this fight to expose those who would destroy this nation will go on and on.

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With a massive cult -like following, who only trusted his words, McCarthy was untouchable

and one of the most powerful politicians of the time.

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However, questions around his involvement in a blackmail conspiracy that led to the

suicide of one fellow senator and his baseless accusations that the US Army harbored

30

communists eventually weakened his political power.

31

Then,

32

He gradually lost his public popularity and credibility after several of his accusations

were found to be false.

33

But ultimately, his own premature death from alcoholism at the age of 48 brought an end to

this era of political tactics referred to as McCarthyism.

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What allowed McCarthy to engage in these tactics unchecked for a time was what is referred

to as the speech or debate clause in the Constitution, which states,

35

their respective houses, and in going to and returning from the same.

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And for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other

place.

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Prior to 1689, the English Crown often used its power to prosecute and control the courts

to punish or intimidate members of parliament who spoke against it.

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Inspired by this history, the U .S.

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Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause protects Congress members

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from being questioned in court for their legislative actions.

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This safeguard ensures their independence, prevents intimidation by the executive branch,

and avoids distractions from their duties, covering both government actions and private

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lawsuits.

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However, when abused, the clause enables a congressperson to make any false accusations,

engage in sham investigations,

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and intentionally distribute false information for their personal or political benefit.

45

Newt Gingrich, who frequently refers to himself as a student of history, saw a similar

opportunity in the post -Watergate era.

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He weaponized government reforms that were intended to fight corruption to instead attack

his political opponents.

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Now with the direct public audience on C -SPAN.

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He took to the floor of Congress daily

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Not to propose legislation, but to accuse Democrats of corruption, sometimes attacking

fellow legislators by name.

50

To C -SPAN viewers, Gingrich appeared as a strong, dominating force.

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But off -camera, the House chamber was actually empty.

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Representative Jack Brooks, a Democrat from Texas, saw this as an abuse of the cameras and

asked the Speaker of the House, Tip O 'Neill, to have the cameras show the empty seats.

53

Gingrich argued that the speaker was violating the rules, characterizing it as further

proof of democratic corruption.

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Tip O 'Neill, a man of domineering physical stature, a bulky six -foot, three -inch frame,

with his memorable unruly thatch of white hair and bulbous nose, was considered a kind and

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clever man.

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He reportedly navigated rough political waters with a smile.

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trying to avoid the bitterness that was beginning to characterize Washington in the 1980s.

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He famously said, quote, all politics is local, stressing to fellow congressional leaders

that the people sent them there and that it was the government's responsibility to improve

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life of ordinary people.

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Known for his personal charm, political skill, and social programs, he held the longest

uninterrupted tenure as Speaker of the House, 10 years.

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and was regarded as one of the most effective house leaders of the 20th century.

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But in a full chamber, Speaker O 'Neill was compelled to confront Gingrich.

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My personal opinion is this.

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You deliberately stood on that well before an empty house and challenged these people and

you challenged their Americanism.

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And it's the lowest thing that I've ever seen in my 32 years in Congress.

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Mr.

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Speaker, if I may reclaim my time.

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O 'Neill's comments were followed by Representative Trent Lott, would request that O

'Neill's words be taken down from the record, arguing that the language was a personal

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attack, forbidden by House rules.

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The House Parliamentarian struck O 'Neill's words from the record, a rare rebuke of a

sitting speaker.

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The major TV networks picked up the dispute, which was exactly what Gingrich wanted.

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He observed, quote, the number one fact about the news media,

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is they love fights." This exchange exemplified Gingrich's approach, creating

confrontation to turn any disagreement into a national story, elevating his standing.

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Elected to Congress in 1978, Gingrich believed a GOP majority would emerge if the party

nationalized elections, differentiated itself from the opposition, and undermined the

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Democratic Party's reputation.

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He cast himself as a savior in the fight of good versus evil.

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He transformed political rhetoric from policy discussions to vitriol, calling Democratic

speakers of the House crooks, traitors, and thugs.

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Gingrich and his allies accused some Democrats of being communist sympathizers, enraging

and directing his followers' anger with remarks like, the value of the left cripple human

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beings, weaken cities,

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make it difficult for us to in fact survive as a country.

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The left in America is to blame for most of the current major diseases which have struck

the society.

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Some Republicans were disturbed by the shift, but party leaders enjoyed the results.

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Kingridge rose through the ranks to lead a political action committee, or PAC, that was

dedicated to helping his party win elections.

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Under his leadership, the PAC advised others to, quote, speak like newt.

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using words like decay, traitors, radical, sick, destroy, pathetic, corruption, and shame

when referring to Democrats.

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When Democrats regained Senate control in 1986 and Texas Democrat Jim Wright became

Speaker of the House, Gingrich launched a two -year ethics investigation against him,

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partially driven by Wright's opposition to aid for the Nicaragua Contras.

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The investigation involved leaks affecting Wright's family and disrupted congressional

operations.

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On May 31, 1989, Wright addressed the entire House.

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It is intolerably hurtful to our government to qualify members of the executive and

legislative branches.

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or resigning because of the ambiguities and the confusion surrounding the ethics laws and

because of their own consequent vulnerability to personal attack.

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That's a shame.

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It's happening.

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and is grievously hurtful to our society.

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And vilification becomes an accepted form of political debate.

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When negative campaigning becomes a full -time occupation, when members of each party

become self -appointed vigilantes carrying out personal vendettas against members of the

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other party—God's name, that's not what this institution is supposed to be all about.

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When vengeance becomes more desirable than vindication,

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harsh personal attacks upon one another's motives and one another's character drown out

the quiet logic of serious debate on important issues, things that we ought to be involved

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ourselves in.

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Surely that's unworthy of our institution, unworthy of our American political process, all

of us in both political parties.

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must resolve to bring this period of mindless cannibalism to an end.

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There's been enough of it.

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After a standing ovation, Wright went on to announce his resignation as Speaker of the

House, effective upon the election of his successor.

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Kingridge spoke of waging a civil war against liberals, telling supporters at the Heritage

Foundation, This war has to be fought with a scale and a duration and a savagery that is

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only true of civil wars.

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The Heritage Foundation, for its part,

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shifted its focus from changing the government through the executive branch to Congress.

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It published studies like the Imperial Congress, Crisis and the Separation of Powers from

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Contract with America, a legislative agenda advocated by Republicans in the 1994

congressional campaign.

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This tactical and philosophical groundwork formed the foundation of politics from the mid

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Gingrich rose to become the 50th speaker of the House in 1995, and by the time he left

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would affect national discourse for decades.

114

I'm Demetrius Lynch, and this is Going Green.

115

Is this administration rushing headlong into signing a treaty in Kyoto this December?

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The scientific data is inconclusive, even contradictory.

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The economic costs are clear and devastating.

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This treaty would be a lead weight on our nation's future economic growth, killing jobs

and opportunities for generations of Americans to come.

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If any of these groups, the British, the Jewish, or the administration, stop sagittating

for war, I believe there will be little danger of our involvement.

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In the previous episode, we discussed the rise of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

121

I highlighted how historical injustices like discriminatory housing practices have led to

environmental disparities.

122

The episode also covered the formation of the Federalist Society in 1982, a conservative

legal group

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aiming to influence U .S.

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law.

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Finally, I explored the environmental policies of President George H .W.

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Bush, including the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the politicization of

environmental issues, especially climate change.

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If you haven't listened to that episode, I encourage you to go back and listen to all the

episodes of this series in order.

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As we discussed, the 1970s saw a shift in architecture towards sustainable design.

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influenced by the energy crisis.

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By 1989, this evolution led to the creation of the AIA Committee on the Environment to

promote eco -friendly practices.

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Rick Fadriese, a key figure in green building, co -founded the U .S.

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Green Building Council, leading to the development of the LEED certification.

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Meanwhile, fossil fuel interests like ExxonMobil fuel climate change denial, deepening

political polarization.

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rise of political activism in the media further amplify division, hindering climate action

and casting doubt on environmental science.

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And I will get into all of that after the break.

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Episode 7, Counterintelligence.

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The 1970s marked a pivotal moment for environmentalism and architecture, with architects

becoming skeptical of designing the energy -intensive, glass and steel structures of the

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modern era.

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The energy crisis prompted a shift towards passive design, utilizing natural ventilation,

daylight, and local materials to maintain comfortable temperatures without mechanical

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systems.

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This approach aimed to create buildings in harmony with their environment.

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reviving practices used throughout human history.

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In 1989, Kansas City architect Bob Birkenbeil urged the American Institute of Architects,

or AIA, to promote eco -friendly practices.

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However, in the Reagan era, the environmental movement had a hippie image that the men in

the AIA leadership were not prepared to associate with.

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Initially rejected by the board,

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Birkenbeil garnered support from up -and -coming architects from around the country and at

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Critical Planet Rescue Resolution.

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The resolution called for the AIA to act by creating resources that would help architects

design more responsibly and educate clients and the industry about responsible

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environmental actions.

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This led to the creation of the AIA Committee on the Environment, or COPE, which

collaborated with the EPA on environmental research and developed new architectural design

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guidelines.

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By August that same year, the EPA reported to Congress ground -shaking statistics that

transformed the importance of the built environment.

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Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 % of their time indoors.

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concentrations of some pollutants indoors are often two to five times higher than typical

outdoor concentrations.

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And people who are often most susceptible to the adverse effects of pollution, i .e.

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the very young, older adults, people with cardiovascular or respiratory disease, tend to

spend even more time indoors.

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There was a realization that we need to optimize built environments for health

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and sustainability.

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Separately, a physical demonstration of this realization was on display in the foothills

of Arizona's Santa Catalina Mountains.

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A three -acre airtight complex of geodesic domes, arched greenhouses, and pyramids

containing a miniature rainforest, a mangrove, a desert, and a coral reef was constructed

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with the intent to house a team of people

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who would survive within the man -made ecosystem with only the self -contained and

sustained air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat.

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Inspired by one of Buckminster Fuller's most popular works, Operating Manual for Spaceship

Earth, a collective of individuals who split their time between experimental theater,

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farming, furniture making, building a geodesic dome, and even a functioning ship.

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saw themselves as picking up the pieces from the wreckage of civilization.

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The de facto leader of the group, John Allen, once said, Western civilization isn't simply

dying, it's dead.

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We are probing into its ruins to take whatever is useful for the building of the new

civilization to replace it.

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Buckminster Fuller had coined the phrase spaceship earth to describe our planet.

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He felt that all human beings were passengers on spaceship Earth, and like the crew of a

large ship, people had to work together to keep the planet functioning properly.

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First published in 1969, Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth explores humanity's survival

challenges, the impact of automation, and the need for resource efficiency.

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The group began dreaming of merging ecology

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technology into a new form.

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One member, Ed Bass, was a Texas philanthropist who had inherited his family's oil

fortune, but took on ecological causes.

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He used his wealth to seed many of the group's activities.

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With his financial support of $200 million, they created Space Biosphere's ventures.

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In 1984, they announced the project, Biosphere 2.

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which was meant to lay groundwork for future space colonization missions, as well as act

as an environmental and social experiment.

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The goal was to build a closed system and see if humans could not only survive, but thrive

and become self -sufficient.

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The first Biospherians, as they were called, were a team of eight volunteers who would

stay in Biosphere 2 for two years.

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The building was completed, and to much fanfare, the experiment launched in 1991.

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The night before the mission began, Space Biospheres Ventures hosted a dance party for 2

,000 people, including Woody Harrelson and Timothy Leary.

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On the morning of September 26, 1991,

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the eight biospherians paraded around in front of the press wearing blue jumpsuits that

gave an aura of costumes from Star Trek.

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In an interview with Discover Magazine, Carl Hodges, a University of Arizona scientist,

predicted it might turn out to be, the most significant scientific project of all time.

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The ABC News program, Primetime Live, suggested that it might, quote, save the world.

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After the doors closed, however, there were significant challenges.

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Oxygen shortages, crop failures, and ecosystem imbalances.

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Despite initial media excitement and tourism, the project struggled with scientific

credibility and transparency.

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Secret resupplies, equipment failures, and harsh critiques from experts led to its

decline.

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Now here's a plot twist.

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With skyrocketing costs, Ed Bass reached out for help

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from none other than Steve Bannon.

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You may know Bannon now as a far right political operative, chief advisor for Donald

Trump's presidential campaign, or as the executive chairman of conservative media outlet

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Breitbart .com, which during his four year tenure, much of the website's content was

devoted to debunking climate change with articles calling environmental activists, quote,

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pure scum.

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and putting the word science in quotes.

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But in 1993, ran an investment banking firm, Bannon & Company.

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While consulting on the project, Bannon shared, What a lot of the scientists who are

studying global change and studying the effects of greenhouse gases, many of them feel

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that the Earth's atmosphere in hundred years is what the Biosphere 2's atmosphere is

today.

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We have extraordinarily high CO2.

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We have very high nitrous oxide.

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We have high methane.

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And we have lower oxygen content.

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And so the power of this place is allowing those scientists who are really involved in

study of global change, and which in the outside world of Biosphere 1, really have to work

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with just computer simulation.

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This actually allows them to study and monitor the impact of enhanced CO2 and other

greenhouse gases on

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humans, plants, and animals.

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Bannon's involvement in Biosphere 2 was controversial, leading to two of the original

Biospherians breaking into the dome to protest his management, contaminating another

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active experiment.

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Bannon was accused of harassing employees and threatening researchers.

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Despite his short, tumultuous leadership, the project continues under the University of

Arizona, even conducting a six -day mission with a crew of four.

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as recently as 2023.

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Biosphere 2 aimed to pioneer sustainable living and space exploration, but through all the

controversy of the first mission, it was initially seen as a failed experiment with

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minimal scientific value to show for it.

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Whether or not that is the case, it did ultimately expose the difficulties of replicating

Earth's complex ecosystems and how important it is to maintain the one that we have.

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As the Biosphere 2 experiment was underway, building industry leaders beyond architects

were also realizing that we need to optimize built environments for health and

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sustainability.

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In 1992, Rick Fadrizi, a 25 -year employee at Carrier Corp, a provider of HVAC,

refrigeration, fire, and security equipment, was named Director of Environmental

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Marketing.

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His task was to rebrand the company's products as green.

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He accepted the position under the condition that the company actually make its products

more sustainable instead of just saying they were.

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Over the next three years, the move was a success as Carrier increased its market share

and revenues by $700 million, proving that being green and being profitable were not

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mutually exclusive.

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Throughout the 1990s, Bedrizi continued to advance green building initiatives

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becoming a prominent leader in the industry.

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In 1993, his activity garnered an invitation to join Birkenbeil's Coat Committee to

retrofit the White House as a model for efficiency and waste reduction.

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Shortly thereafter, Birkenbeil hosted a meeting at the AIA offices in Washington, DC to

brainstorm a new organization that could accommodate the interests of the emerging

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industry while leaving Coat

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to focus on the science of sustainable architecture, unfettered by the potential conflicts

of interest.

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The 60 plus attendees included Fidrizi, David Gottfried, a real estate developer, and

Michael Italiano, an environmental lawyer.

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The trio volunteered to lead this new initiative, which became known as the US Green

Building Council.

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They discussed the betterment of building through sustainable practices

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and the creation of a Green Building Rating System, which would later be known as the

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED.

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The LEED Green Building Rating System is a third -party certification program to encourage

sustainable practices, design, and development by means of tools and criteria for

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performance measurement and is one of the USGBC's most known contributions aside from its

annual

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Green Build International Conference and Expo, the world's largest conference and expo

dedicated to green building.

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The USGBC grew into a private 501c3 membership based nonprofit organization that promotes

sustainability and building design, construction and operation.

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Its goal is to advance sustainability in the construction sector through lobbying,

training and certification initiatives.

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USGBC's policy platform reflects a holistic approach to green buildings, prioritizing

outcomes that improve public health, create more equitable communities, strengthen

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resilience, support healthy ecosystems, and accelerate buildings as a foundational

solution to the deepening climate crisis.

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Well, I wish I could say it's changing quickly.

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It's taking a very long time, and I don't understand why.

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It's funny, the people that develop LEED buildings, gold platinum buildings, they develop

more of them.

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And somebody has to ask the question, why?

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They didn't do one and then say, well, I don't want to do this ever again.

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I maybe the process was a little onerous.

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you had to have teams get involved to a degree where they complained about a few things.

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But at the end of the day, the teams got better.

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They drove down efficiencies on every level.

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They made the end product a much more successful end product related to the financial, the

economic performance of the building.

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And the owners of those buildings are saying, well, of course I want to do more of these.

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These buildings lease out in record time.

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They have higher tenant retention.

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They're more marketable.

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They have higher net value from the day they open to the day I sell it or if I choose to

sell this asset.

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And so what we are trying to do is we are working with organizations as we have for the

past 10 years, but only now we're starting to see organizations like Fannie Mae offering a

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deep discount in financial rates for organizations that have committed to build a lead.

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platinum or gold building and ultimately have the ability to get it certified.

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It's about certification because if you can't measure it, you in no way can say it's

performing the way you wanted it to.

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The new story is about sustainability.

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Patruzzi's approach differed from others in the environmental movement, emphasizing

incentives for responsible resource use and intelligent design for significant returns on

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investment.

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He was recently quoted saying,

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We are not going to save the planet by chaining ourselves to a fence.

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No disrespect to anyone who's had the guts to do that, but we have to find a way to

incentivize the people who are most against environmental regulation.

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You can act responsibly, use less resources, and use them more intelligently, and your

return on investment and your reward from your shareholders, your board, your employees,

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and your community is tenfold.

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Internationally,

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in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development.

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Informally known as the Earth Summit, 154 countries signed an agreement known as the

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC.

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This would be the UN's process for negotiating an agreement to limit, quote, dangerous

human interference with the climate system, end quote.

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This development was followed by the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, which extended UNFCCC.

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To divvy responsibilities, the treaties established three categories of states, developed

countries, developed countries with special financial responsibilities, and developing

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countries.

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This structure acknowledged different financial capabilities in combating climate change.

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and emphasize the obligation to reduce current emissions on developed countries on the

basis that they are historically primary contributors to the current levels of greenhouse

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gases in the atmosphere.

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Now this is where things get complex.

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The evolution of three sectors, politics, media, and corporate interests, synchronized,

efficiently upending discourse on the subject.

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While incremental efforts to act on climate change continued at home and abroad, there

were forces at play that would hinder widespread adoption.

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In the US, climate change views between the two political parties were not significantly

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But remember, this is the period where the U .S.

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political landscape became polarized, influenced by Newt Gingrich's transformation of the

Republican Party and the shift in focus of think tanks from the executive to legislative

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branch.

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In addition, Climate Action's association to a maligned Clinton administration, was

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today.

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Many climate change deniers think of former Vice President Al Gore, who they loathe when

they hear the words climate change.

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The sentiment seemed to come out of nowhere.

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But in examining the evolution of everything from speech to organizational restructuring,

political polarization paved the runway for denial about climate change.

290

From a foundational level, gerrymandering

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practice of modifying boundaries of electoral districts to favor specific political

interests led to less competitive elections for House representatives, with one party

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holding sway over a particular district for years.

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Fewer swing districts mean that lawmakers are more likely to lose a primary election than

a general election, so they are incentivized to take more extreme positions to beat out

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fellow party members

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on the assumption that this is what primary voters will prefer.

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The evolution of conservative media, supercharged by figures like Roger Ailes, Rush

Limbaugh, and Steve Bannon, amplified harsh political speech and division on various

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topics, including climate.

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The conservative media activism that we know today actually dates back to 1953 as Henry

Regnery, a publisher, gathered some of the brightest minds of the conservative movement in

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a meeting room in New York City.

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Regnery explained to the group, the side we represent controls most of the wealth in this

country.

301

The ideas and traditions we believe in are those which most Americans instinctively

believe in also.

302

Liberalism was ascending at the time while he perceived conservatism to be relegated to

the fringes.

303

Regnery argued that the left controlled institutions, media, universities, and the foreign

policy establishment.

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He believed the right needed a, quote, counterintelligence unit that could fight back.

305

The group that was present held conservative media ventures that included media outlets

like Human Events, Regnery Publishing,

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the Manion Forum, and National Review, among many others.

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Now, Regnery's worldview was shaped by his father, William Henry Regnery, a successful

businessman in textile manufacturing.

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Initially a supporter of Franklin Roosevelt, he soon objected to the growth of the

government's role in the domestic economy and Roosevelt's internationalism that indicated

309

the U .S.

310

could intervene in a European military conflict.

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In 1940,

312

William, along with influential industry figures and well -connected individuals, founded

the America First Committee, an American isolationist movement to pressure the United

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States against entry into World War II.

314

The group rapidly grew to over 1 million members in just a year.

315

Although initially presenting as patriotic, the group faced accusations of being pro

-German, especially after Charles Lindenburg

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through widespread criticism after a speech blaming, quote, the British, the Jewish, and

the Roosevelt administration for trying to draw America into World War II.

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As the major agitators for war, I have included only those whose support is essential to

the war party.

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If any of these groups, the British, the Jewish, or the administration, stops agitating

for war, I believe there will be mental danger of our involvement.

319

I do not believe that any two of them are powerful enough to carry this country to war

without the support of the third.

320

And for these three, as I have said, all other groups are of secondary importance.

321

It also didn't help that over 20 sitting members of the U .S.

322

and House of Representatives that were associated with the group were found to have

colluded with an agent from Hitler's government

323

to launder and spread Nazi propaganda in the US.

324

Notably, this and other parallel plots led to the largest sedition trial in US history and

these actions eventually weakened their support.

325

In the wake of the America First Committee, Henry Regnery, who was also a member of the

committee, used his family's fortune to establish a media empire that catered to a

326

specific audience that shared in his ideologies.

327

those present at Regnery's meeting in 1953, forged close bonds over a shared belief that

political change stemmed not just from ideas, but from spreading those ideas through

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openly ideological communication channels.

329

Their media channels went on to diverge from previous conservative media outlets by

mingling partisanship with news, establishing a new blueprint for media that tapped into

330

the fear

331

anger and grievances of its audience.

332

They aimed to challenge the post -war liberal establishment by vigorously criticizing what

they saw as liberal bias in mainstream media, questioning its claims of objectivity and

333

accuracy.

334

This effort to reveal biases was paired with promoting a conservative viewpoint that

aligned with their ideology, reinforcing its beliefs and gradually persuading more voters

335

to support it.

336

turning their audience into activists and a reliable voting base.

337

By the late 1980s and early 90s, the same model had been adopted by a number of talk radio

personalities, including Rush Limbaugh.

338

The evidence every day, folks, this is, I'm telling you, it is one of the most amazing

sites to behold.

339

There isn't any, there hasn't been any global war, not manmade, there isn't any of any

kind.

340

The number one agent causing it.

341

has increased in volume exponentially c l two and there has been any warning and yet

they're still pushing it if there is no other way to convey got to believe that this is

342

all politics it can only be politics keeping this alive and it is a politics that

intentionally insults the intelligence of people and praise on the stupid and the dumb and

343

the weak intentionally in order to gain popular support

344

and by that i mean they focus on people who have in their own estimation meaningless lives

they're wondering what their purposes why am i here why am i driving this clucker car why

345

can i go to good joe why am i here and then all of a sudden those people here they can

save the planet now that big you go from mattering not at all to being a key ingredient to

346

saving

347

the planet you sign up right then and you do whatever and then you let everybody know

you're doing it so you go buy a Prius and you go support all this madcap crazy stuff and

348

you become an evangel and you are saving the planet and your new life has meaning and

that's what I mean by praying on the weak the dumb the stupid

349

how many times have you heard anybody on td is being interviewed for some achievement some

accomplished for reason and the person usually a hollywood actress but uh...

350

it could be anybody i want to make at different how many times you heard that well that's

what they pray up i want to make you want to make a difference fine you can save the

351

planet now you've helped destroy it we know you didn't mean to

352

but you unwittingly but driving the car you drove or eating mcdonalds or eating whatever

you were destroying the planet but now you can atone you must vote democrats support big

353

government the welfare state and cut back on progress and if you do all that we'll love

you we'll take care of you just vote for us and you can save the planet and that's how

354

they prey on them

355

and they can make a difference.

356

Hitler made a difference.

357

Limbaugh was a master of provocative language.

358

The Rush Limbaugh Show, which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and

359

and boasted more than 5 million listeners weekly by 1990.

360

But the genius lied in Roger Ailes, who took the model to cable television.

361

Ailes

362

a successful executive producer in the 1960s, entered the political arena after meeting

Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon on the set of the Mike Douglas show and

363

being asked to provide his television expertise as the campaign's media advisor.

364

He was also involved in President Reagan's reelection campaign and President Bush's 1988

election.

365

Ailes first pitched the idea of a conservative news network

366

to Nixon and approached Joseph Coors in the 1970s to finance it.

367

But it wouldn't come to fruition until 1996, when Ailes was commissioned by Rupert Murdoch

to create Fox News Channel, a new arm of Murdoch's media empire.

368

Ailes, a conservative populist and nationalist, was thought to transcend traditional

conservatism by using Fox News as his personal megaphone.

369

He built a network news juggernaut that

370

notwithstanding its slogan of fair and balanced, was frequently under fire for mingling

partisanship with news.

371

The effects?

372

When it came to American support for climate action, it went into decline.

373

A 1997 Pew survey showed that the percentage of people who worried a quote, great deal

374

Concerns about pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs declined from 64 % to 61%.

375

Toxic waste contamination of soil and water from 63 % to 59%.

376

Air pollution, 58 % to 47%.

377

The loss of natural habitat for wildlife, 51 % to 46%.

378

loss of tropical rainforests actually went up from 40 % to 44%.

379

But concerns about the greenhouse effect, or global warming, ranked well below other

380

1997.

381

At the corporate level, Exxon and other oil companies made a conscious decision to sow

doubt

382

instead of improving their products and the industry.

383

Again, after thorough internal research, analysis, and confirmation that human activities

impact the climate, ExxonMobil became a leader in campaigns of confusion.

384

In 1989, Exxon helped establish a group called the Global Climate Coalition, which was

charged with the task of casting doubt on climate change.

385

Their capital fueled the rising division that was needed to confuse and distract to

maintain the status quo.

386

The number one focus at the time was the Kyoto Protocol.

387

Exxon Mobil lobbied against it, arguing it was too costly and burdened developed nations

unfairly.

388

This language can be heard through Senators Byrd and Hegel's introduction of a resolution

to the Senate floor.

389

Why is this administration rushing headlong into signing a treaty?

390

In Kyoto this December, the scientific data is inconclusive, even contradictory.

391

The economic costs are clear and devastating.

392

This treaty would be a lead weight on our nation's future economic growth, killing jobs

and opportunities for generations of Americans to come.

393

We need to take global climate issues seriously.

394

Obviously, we agree with that.

395

We in the United States have made tremendous strides in cleaning up our environment.

396

We'll continue to make progress in the future.

397

We are all concerned.

398

about the state of the environment and what we leave to our children and our

grandchildren.

399

But when we take actions that will reduce our children and our grandchildren's economic

opportunities, we must ensure that the benefits are real and that they would justify this

400

very real economic hardship that we would be passing on to these future generations.

401

I do not think the Senate should support a treaty that requires only half of the world.

402

In other words, the developed

403

countries to endure the economic costs of reducing emissions while developing countries

are free to pollute the atmosphere and in so doing siphon off American industries.

404

There are those who say that the United States is responsible for the situation that is

developing.

405

And they claim that the United States should bear the brunt of the burden.

406

But the time for pointing fingers is over.

407

In this particular

408

environmental game, there are no winners, the world loses, and any effort to avoid the

effects of global climate change will be doomed to failure from the start, without the

409

participation of the developing world, particularly those nations that are rapidly

developing and will rapidly increase their carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas

410

emissions.

411

Count me as a global environmentalist.

412

who insists that all nations that spew forth major concentrations of carbon dioxide or

that will be spewing forth major concentrations of carbon dioxide must step up to the

413

plate in these negotiations and make good faith specific binding commitments to control

and reduce these emissions.

414

Industry is fueled in large.

415

In July 1997, five months before the Kyoto meeting, the U .S.

416

Senate passed the Bird -Hagle Resolution stating that,

417

within the same compliance period or B, result in serious harm to the economy of the

United States.

418

Bird -Hagle passed by a 95 to zero vote, achieving ratification and requiring two -thirds

of the Senate to change the resolution, a monumental task.

419

Most American citizens were initially willing to join other countries in setting standards

to improve the global environment

420

and a majority would even pay more for gasoline to reduce global warming.

421

But by December 1997, on the eve of the Kyoto conference, the American public strongly

rejected the notion that the United States should bear more of the burden of repairing the

422

environment than poorer countries, even when considering that these nations have not

caused as much damage as the US.

423

The Republican Party, considered more pro -business,

424

was a natural bridge to defend oil and natural gas interests.

425

Opinions on the issue began to split upon party lines.

426

A 50 % majority of Republicans opposed the Kyoto Protocol, while a 56 % majority of

Democrats were in favor.

427

Ultimately, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted on December 11, 1997 and was initially signed

by 37 nations.

428

Those that did commit were legally bound to reduce their emissions by a certain amount

429

But to the oil company's delight, the United States was not one of them.

430

These collective efforts not only worked in the US, but also stopped other countries such

as China and India from signing the Kyoto Protocol.

431

But it didn't stop there.

432

To minimize future adoptees, the American Petroleum Institute

433

and other fossil fuel interests continue to invest in efforts to sow doubt about climate

science.

434

In fact, in 1998, a team under the American Petroleum Institute called Global Climate

Science Team outlined a roadmap for climate deception.

435

According to the memo, quote, victory will be achieved when average citizens understand or

recognize uncertainties in climate science.

436

Recognition of uncertainties becomes part of the conventional wisdom.

437

Media understands or recognizes uncertainties in climate science.

438

Media coverage reflects balance on climate science and recognition of the validity of

viewpoints that challenge the current conventional wisdom.

439

Industry senior leadership understands uncertainties in climate science, making them

stronger ambassadors to those who shape climate policy.

440

those promoting the Kyoto Treaty on the basis of extant science appear to be out of touch

with reality.

441

While much of the capital for these efforts through the 1990s are unknown, a 2013 study by

Drexel University environmental sociologist Robert Brewell provides a sense of the funding

442

network.

443

The study is the first academic effort to probe the organizational underpinnings and

finances behind the climate denial movement.

444

The study revealed that from 2003 to 2007,

445

foundations associated with the Koch family and ExxonMobil heavily funded climate change

denial efforts.

446

Again, the Koch foundations are created by Charles and David Koch, two sons of Fred C.

447

Koch, who own the majority of Koch Industries, an oil, gas, paper, and chemical

conglomerate, which is the US's second largest privately held company.

448

After 2007, however,

449

publicly traceable funding from Exxon and the Koch Foundation decreased as dark money

sources increased.

450

The way that these funding networks operate is that there are essentially three tiers.

451

At the hidden top, corporate interest money that is distributed through corporate or

family foundations.

452

The second tier are third -party donor -directed foundations like Donors Trusts and Donors

Capital, whose initial funding sources cannot be traced.

453

disguising any biases.

454

Then, the last tier are the organizations that put the funds to use and execute on the

task at hand.

455

The study found that half of the funds to climate denial organizations came from donors

trust and donors capital alone.

456

According to the study from 2003 to 2010, the largest most consistent funding sources for

the climate denial movement

457

have come from several well -funded conservative foundations.

458

Based on Bruhl's research, 140 traceable foundations funneled $558 million to 91 climate

denial organizations to lobby or sway public opinion on climate change and other issues.

459

An example of these efforts to sway public opinion was a nonprofit organization known as

the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine.

460

or OISM, led by climate change skeptic Arthur Robinson.

461

OISM aimed to bolster the climate denial movement with its controversial Organ Petition.

462

Launched in 1998, the petition claimed that over 31 ,000 scientists, including 9 ,000 with

PhDs, rejected the consensus on human -caused climate change.

463

Frederick Saess, a physicist and former tobacco industry lobbyist,

464

supported the petition, lending his name as a former president of the National Academy of

Sciences, despite the Academy publicly distancing itself from his views.

465

At the time, Saece was also chairman of the George C.

466

Marshall Institute, a nonprofit conservative think tank that received extensive financial

support from the fossil fuel industry.

467

Critics have questioned the petition's legitimacy.

468

noting that only 39 signatories were actual climatologists.

469

The petition's credibility was further undermined by instances of prank submissions

including names like Charles Darwin and fictional characters from Star Wars.

470

Moreover, Robinson's scientific reputation is disputed with claims that he has not

published peer -reviewed research in decades and has made dubious assertions such as

471

promoting the health benefits of ionizing radiation.

472

Despite these issues, the Oregon petition continues to be cited by climate change skeptics

as evidence of scientific dissent, illustrating a strategic effort to challenge the

473

overwhelming consensus on climate change and influence public opinion in favor of fossil

fuel interests.

474

However, it wasn't until 2015 that the public would begin to find out about much of

Exxon's engagement in these efforts.

475

The result of an eight -month -long investigation conducted by Inside Climate News was the

book Exxon, The Road Not Taken.

476

The four -decade story draws from uncovered internal files, interviews with former

employees, and other evidence revealing how Exxon led groundbreaking climate research only

477

to later spearhead climate denial.

478

But in 2021, the public finally heard it directly from the source.

479

Did we aggressively fight against some of the science?

480

Yes.

481

Did we join some of these shadow groups to work against some of the early efforts?

482

Yes, that's true.

483

But there's nothing illegal about that.

484

We were looking out for our investments.

485

We were looking out for our shareholders.

486

This is Keith McCoy, Senior Director of Federal Relations at ExxonMobil.

487

who believes he is being headhunted for a new job.

488

In fact, Greenpeace UK is conducting an undercover investigation which revealed him

speaking candidly about Exxon's efforts to undermine climate action.

489

When you have an opportunity to talk to a vector of climate, I liken it to fishing, You

know, have bait, you throw that bait out, you know, it's all these opportunities that...

490

that you use and to use the fishing analogy again just to of reel them in because they're

a captive audience.

491

They know they need you and I need them.

492

You want to be able to go to the chief.

493

And so the chief knows you that you can go to the chief and say, well, we've got this

issue.

494

We need Congressman so -and -so to be able to introduce this bill.

495

We need him to make a floor statement.

496

We need him to send a letter.

497

You name it.

498

We've got that for everything.

499

The next step for fossil fuel and allied interests was to link climate action to liberal

agendas, deepening polarization.

500

Conservative politicians slowly transitioned from understanding climate action as needed,

but having concerns about the financial impacts of solutions, to completely denying that

501

climate change is real.

502

As late as 2008, even Newt Gingrich agreed to film a PSA for climate protection.

503

Hi, I'm Nancy Pelosi, lifelong Democrat and Speaker of the House.

504

And I'm Newt Gingrich, lifelong Republican and I used to be Speaker.

505

We don't always see eye to eye, do we Newt?

506

No, but we do agree.

507

Our country must take action to address climate change.

508

We need cleaner forms of energy and we need them fast.

509

If enough of us demand action from our leaders, we can spark the innovation we need.

510

Go to WeCanSolveIt .org.

511

Together, we can do this.

512

But just that same year, in front of several business executives from the largest

corporations in the world, he displayed more uncertainty.

513

Let's just sort of begin at the beginning with at least the question that historically has

been the most controversial question here, and that is, what degree are human beings

514

contributing to global warming?

515

Why don't we start with you, Mr.

516

Gingrich?

517

No, sorry.

518

Well, I'm not sure that's where I thought you'd start, but let me just say.

519

Because I don't want to that that's the most important question about the environment, as

a historian, I doubt if we know.

520

It is probable that carbon is a risk, and I argue in contract with the Earth that because

I'm a conservative in the traditional sense, which means avoiding stupid risks, I think we

521

should lower the carbon impact on the planet because the truth is we don't know for sure.

522

But I in fact...

523

don't know to what extent the human race contributes to climate change.

524

Let me just make this observation for all of you.

525

The sun is overwhelmingly the dominant contributor to climate.

526

Every 75 ,000 years in the Triassic, which is the first part of the age of the dinosaurs,

we had fundamental changes in how the Earth operated because it would shift where its

527

magnetic pole was and it would shift the amount of radiation it was getting.

528

We've had a very long period of sunspots having an enormous impact on climate.

529

11 ,000 years ago, entire process of the Gulf Stream stopped.

530

In one morning, there was no Gulf Stream.

531

When there was no Gulf Stream, there was no gigantic oceanic conveyor of heat to Europe.

532

When you don't get the Gulf Stream in Europe, you get an Ice Age.

533

For 600 years, you had an Ice Age.

534

And for reasons we don't know, the Gulf Stream started.

535

Now had been there before and it came after.

536

The Ice Age receded.

537

The truth is, nobody knows this stuff.

538

And I'm always dubious when scientists behave as politicians.

539

When you see 11 ,000 scientists sign something, you know it's not science, it's politics.

540

Because science is one person telling the truth and defending it with facts.

541

But science is not 11 ,000 people signing a petition.

542

So my first reaction is, I think we should behave as though global warming is a threat,

and I think we should limit the carbon loading of the atmosphere as an act of prudence.

543

But I couldn't possibly tell you what share of the climate we're creating, and I think

it's an act of hubris on the part of humans to fantasize that they are more important than

544

the sun.

545

By 2012, as a Republican presidential candidate, there was much more opposition on

display.

546

mean, first of all, it hasn't been totally proven.

547

Second, even if it were proven, there are a of different solutions other than cap and

trade and turning over the entire economy to the EPA.

548

I opposed cap and trade.

549

I testified, you can see it Newt .org.

550

We have the video.

551

I testified at the U .S.

552

House.

553

But you can just say to your son, I am opposed to cap and trade.

554

He is safe.

555

And I also am an amateur paleontologist, so I spend a lot of time looking at the Earth's

temperature over very long time.

556

And I'm a lot harder to convince than just looking at a computer model.

557

An August 2024 report showed that climate change deniers now make up nearly a quarter of

the U .S.

558

Congress, 23 senators and 100 House representatives.

559

With today's technology, including social media, efforts to sow doubt about climate

science have expanded beyond politicians.

560

Newt Gingrich fell short in identifying that the news media loved fights.

561

Society as a whole does.

562

It's not for the simple reason of just loving a fight.

563

According to psychologists, our emotions evolve to help us maintain social status in small

communities, making expressing outrage a way to elevate one's standing.

564

This is why expressing outrage often feels rewarding.

565

Now, in today's outrage economy, being divisive and controversial can attract followers,

drive engagement,

566

generate income.

567

Outrage is financially incentivized.

568

However, this fuels division and distracts from real issues that affect everyone.

569

Moreover, division appears to be built into the system of social media and its

uncontrolled spread of anonymous accounts and bots amplify the effect even more.

570

To understand biases emerging from Twitter,

571

A 2021 study by Nature Communications divided 15 Twitter bots into groups based on their

initial alignment with news sources across the political spectrum.

572

Over five months, the bots with more partisan initial sources, especially right -leaning,

gained followers faster and formed stronger echo chambers than centrist bots.

573

Right -leaning bots were also more exposed to low -credibility content.

574

and more likely to follow automated accounts.

575

Meanwhile, left -leaning bots tended to drift towards the political center, consuming and

sharing more conservative content over time, highlighting the impact of initial media

576

exposure on online behavior and political polarization and radicalization.

577

The effects?

578

When it comes to climate,

579

A 2021 Pew Research study showed that Democrats were more likely to rate climate

scientists positively in their understanding of whether climate change is occurring and

580

why, while Republicans have become less likely to give these scientists positive remarks

on these questions.

581

For example, 57 % of Democrats say climate scientists understand quote, very well, whether

climate change is occurring compared with just

582

14 % of Republicans.

583

That 43 point gap was up from a 25 point difference in 2016.

584

But there's a silver lining.

585

Another Pew Research Center study from 2017 analyzed 1 .2 million tweets to determine how

bots influence Twitter content.

586

The study found that suspected bots were responsible for 66 % of all tweeted links.

587

including 66 % of links to news and current event sites.

588

Notably, 89 % of links to news aggregation sites were posted by bots.

589

And just 500 of the most active bots were responsible for 22 % of all links to popular

news sites, far outpacing the 500 most active human users with an estimated 6%.

590

If we can rally around that,

591

and understand the level of automated manipulation that is occurring, there may be room to

come together.

592

Political polarization has left a lasting impact on the environmental movement, hindering

action on climate change due to manufactured confusion and doubt.

593

Fossil fuel interests were wildly successful in their efforts.

594

By the late 1990s, recognition of uncertainties about climate change was now part of the

conventional wisdom.

595

These efforts will continue to reverberate throughout policy debates, even directly

attacking the green building movement.

596

Next time on Going Green.

597

I'm sympathetic to all those poor guys who are running the energy companies.

598

What you've got to do is you've to people fearful about what is on the table, and you've

to get people angry over the fact that they're being misled.

599

Nobody likes being lied to.

600

Nobody likes being told that, this won't hurt.

601

And so that is central to the messaging campaign going forward.

602

Thanks for listening.

603

Going Green is a Spaces podcast story brought to you by Lines.

604

If you learned something from this episode or think it would resonate with the print,

please share it and rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

605

It really helps others find the show.

606

If you have a question, want to submit a correction, or just share whatever is on your

mind, I'd love to hear from you.

607

You can do that at lines .studio slash podcast.

608

That's L -Y.

609

nes .studio slash podcast and listen in to my wrap up episode to hear my response.

610

If you're looking for similar content, Spaces is a proud member of GableMedia, a digital

media platform where you can find even more content like this.

611

Visit gablemedia .com.

612

That's G -A -B -L media .com.

613

And before I go, if you want to see additional photos, videos, clips, and other content

that I found during my research,

614

you can visit lions .studio slash podcast.

615

Talk soon.