MAKE LYING BAD AGAIN
Let’s think about how progress works for a second… Decades ago, ski gear was heavy, uncomfortable, and far from the high-performance equipment we use today. Innovation didn’t stop because the old gear got the job done; we kept improving it to be lighter, safer, and more efficient. Well, breaking news… The same goes for energy. And yes, we know that a lot of the gear’s evolution is thanks to oil and gas… But just because fossil fuels powered the past doesn’t mean they’re the best choice for our future.
Transitioning to renewable energy is not just about reducing pollution, it’s about securing a livable future. Renewables like solar and wind are already cheaper than fossil fuels in many parts of the world, providing clean, abundant energy without the devastating climate and health impacts of coal, oil, and gas. Investing in renewables creates jobs, stabilizes energy prices, and reduces our dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets. Although no solution is without some negatives, we need to keep iterating to build a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable world.
This seems possible right? But it’s hard for the average citizen to understand why an industry that has made us so prosperous, given us an above average lifestyle and has made North-America an economic force in the world is now bad for us. Why would we give that up? Why wouldn’t we go back to an industry that has given us all that?
Because as scientists have proven long ago it’s making us sick, causing natural disasters, threatening the outdoor recreation industry that we love so much as well as wrecking our Canadian winter lifestyle as we know it. We’ve known this for decades now but for the reasons that Auden Schendler outlines in his book Terrible Beauty, we’ve been bamboozled.
The good news though, is that there is a way to transition out of this that could give us the same prosperity without the negative side effects.
Exposing the Fossil Fuel Industry’s Longstanding Misinformation Campaign
For decades, the fossil fuel industry has known the truth about climate change. Their own scientists, as early as the 1950s, accurately predicted that burning fossil fuels would warm the planet. In 1977, Exxon researchers projected that continued reliance on coal, oil, and gas would increase global temperatures by about 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels by…. well, today. And they were exactly right. But instead of acting on this knowledge, the industry buried it.
Summary of all global warming projections reported by ExxonMobil scientists in internal documents between 1977 and 2003 (gray lines), superimposed on historically observed temperature change (red).
Source: The Harvard Gazette
Why? Because acknowledging the truth would have threatened their bottom line. Instead of warning the public, fossil fuel companies funneled millions into disinformation campaigns designed to mislead policymakers and delay action. They attacked climate science, funded politicians who opposed regulation, and created an illusion of doubt where there was none. The result? Decades of inaction that have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe.
The "Crying Indian" and the Art of Deflection
The fossil fuel industry’s propaganda wasn’t just about sowing doubt—it was about shifting blame. One of the most infamous examples is the 1971 "Crying Indian" ad, funded by the beverage and packaging industries but conveniently embraced by fossil fuel interests. The ad showed a Native American man (an actor of Sicilian heritage) shedding a tear over pollution, implying that only individual choices—littering, wastefulness, personal consumption—were the root cause of environmental degradation.
It’s pretty damn clever: create a product, generate demand for it, and then place the blame on consumers not just for consuming it but also for the impacts that come with it. By making the crisis about personal responsibility instead of systemic change, corporations evaded accountability. They told people to recycle and drive hybrids while they continued extracting and burning fossil fuels at an unprecedented rate. The reality? No amount of LED light bulbs or Prius purchases will solve the climate crisis as long as fossil fuel companies continue business as usual.
The Cost of Their Lies
Had the world acted when scientists first sounded the alarm, we could have transitioned to renewable energy at a measured, sustainable pace. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter called for the U.S. to generate 20% of its electricity from renewables by 2000. That goal was completely achievable, but instead of investing in clean energy, the fossil fuel industry fought to keep us locked into a carbon-heavy economy. Now, decades later, we are scrambling to decarbonize at an urgent, breakneck speed as wildfires, floods, and heatwaves devastate communities worldwide.
The Path Forward
Of course, individual action matters and we shouldn’t go and throw garbage out our car windows, but the fossil fuel industry wants us to believe that our only choices are individual ones. Real climate action means holding the biggest polluters accountable and demanding systemic change. Governments must stop subsidizing fossil fuels and invest in clean energy solutions. And we, as citizens, need to see through corporate greenwashing and demand policies that move us away from fossil fuels.
But just like you don't go from your couch to your biggest adventure overnight, climate action starts with small, intentional steps. Real change often begins at the local level. Communities have the power to push for clean energy projects, like the wind farms in Alberta that have created jobs and cut emissions, or solar programs in Nova Scotia helping households lower their energy bills. These regional solutions show what’s possible when people come together.
Instead of seeing this as a task too big for one person, think of it as a collective journey—starting in your own backyard. By advocating for better policies in your community where you and your family can benefit from them, you’re also building momentum for broader climate solutions, and those wins ripple outwards.
We have known the truth for nearly a century. The time for delay is over. The time for action is now.
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