The phrase “climate change” gained prominence partly due to fossil fuel industry tactics aimed at reducing the urgency and emotional impact of the issue. In the late 1980s and 1990s, the fossil fuel industry, influenced by strategic PR campaigns, sought to shift the narrative away from “global warming,” which sounded more alarming and specific, to the broader and less emotionally charged term “climate change.” This rebranding effort, aligned with the work of political consultants such as Frank Luntz, aimed to make the problem appear less imminent and less tied to human-caused impacts. Luntz explicitly advised framing the issue with softer language to avoid alarming the public or prompting urgent policy action. Additionally, fossil fuel companies employed public relations strategies to create doubt about the scientific consensus on climate change and emphasize uncertainty. They worked to position themselves as socially responsible and trustworthy while subtly influencing public perception to downplay the risks associated with fossil fuels. By reframing the conversation, the industry was able to delay meaningful climate policies while continuing business as usual. The industry’s tactics are now widely seen as part of a broader disinformation campaign, similar to strategies used by tobacco companies in earlier decades, which relied on misdirection and carefully constructed messaging to protect their financial interests at the expense of public health and environmental safety . [[James Hansen]] is a very important and inspirational figure in the fight against climate change. But this audiobook is tedious, at least in parts. It’s a shame as there is valuable information in there. Instead, I recommend The Modern Scholar lectures by Michael McElroy "[[Global Warming - Global Threat]]". These are clear, concise, interesting and well delivered by this Harvard professor. Also available on Audible are "The vanishing face of Gaia" by James Lovelock and "Global climate change" by Pilkey and Pilkey. Both are excellent books and blessedly short. Finally, for an interesting discussion on the [[Psychology]] of climate change denial and indifference try George Marshall's book "Don't even think about it". # Climate change denial Nothing angers me more than people like this who try to undermine the catastrophic impact of climate change