Episode 22: Episode 22: Lies Lies Lies. The rise of climate contrarianism with Richard Black

Did you catch the BBC drama The Trick? If not, it is still on BBC iPlayer (apologies for non-UK friends). It shows the birth of the arch denialist group the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) in 2009 from the point of view of a scientist who was unlucky enough to get enmeshed in their campaign to discredit the science of global warming. It’s a great watch with elements of thriller, drama and even love story.

Today it’s clear the GWPF is still very active in the run up to COP26 in its attempts to make sure the UK Net Zero plans come to nothing and to ensure the international talks are a failure, putting all our lives at risk.

The group never declare their funders but it’s clear they are acting covertly on behalf of big oil and other vested interests. 

Their focus now is on delaying domestic and international transformation to meet net zero targets. And their tactics are no longer denial of the science.

In this podcast, the first for many months, presenter Jessica Townsend and Tom Hardy from the Media Tell The Truth group look at the launch of the GWPF back in 2009 and find that their tactics were there from the beginning: bending the truth, using connections in right wing media, and raising doubts on every aspect of moving forward with the race to decarbonise.

We talk to Richard Black a long-time BBC environment correspondent, and the author of Denied: The Rise and Fall of Climate Contrarianism. 

Show credits:

Producer and presenter: Jessica Townsend

Editor and presenter: Tom Hardy