At least 123 current members of Congress – 23 percent of 535 entire member – traverse or doubt the existence of man - caused clime change , allot to a Modern report . If you want to understand this movement , it might be worth give chase the money : politician who go against the scientific consensus on mood change have gain over $ 52 million from the fossil fuel industriousness over their career .
To reach these findings , theCenter for American Progressanalyzed statements by sitting members of the 118th United States Congress to watch their persuasion on human - caused mood change .
clime modification denialism is not always explicitly in - your - human face . Instead , political leader might undervalue the influence of human activity on Earth’sevidently change mood . Alternatively , they might roleplay down the need for the US to address the trouble , alternatively blaming extraneous adversaries or incorrectly arrogate “ there ’s nothing we can do about it ” .
The tactics can be insidious , but they in the end undermine action against human - repulse climate change and go against theoverwhelming scientific consensus .
The good news is that climate change denial has ostensibly decreased among US politicians over the retiring few years . The number of straight-out climate deniers in Congress has dropped from 150 in the 116th Congress , to 139 in the 117th , and 123 in the late 118th Congress . Of the 90 newly elected or appointed member of the 118th Congress , just 18 are clime denier .
Although on the decrease , these belief are still unrepresentative of the wider US population . A study issue in February 2024 in the journalScientific Reportsestimated that just 14.8 percent of Americans do not believe in climate change ( although the bots on social mediamight suggest otherwise ) .
The new report highlights some links between financial backing from the fossil fuel industry and climate change denial . Per the news report , one of the spectacular clime - doubting politicians in the US , Texas Senator Ted Cruz , has obtain over $ 5 million in " total career fogy fuel contributions . "
Cruz has antecedently made several statement that have essay to minimize the influence of human activity , like the use of fossil fuel , on climate change . In 2018 , for illustration , hesaid : “ Of course the climate is changing . The mood has been change from the morning of time . The mood will change as long as we have a planet globe . "
The link between fossil fuel money and clime change denial is n’t clear - cut , however . Senator Mitt Romney has received over $ 9.7 million in entire calling fogey fuel contribution , but he is not categorized as a clime denier . Among the 10 politicians who have received the most fossil fuel contributions , only two are climate deniers .
The Center for American Progress account contend that their finding show how " Big Oil " is seek to embarrass Union climate policy by spreading misinformation and influencing politicians . The dodo fuel giants have beendoing this since the 1970s , the report says , and they ’re still at it .
“ elect officials and the fossil fuel industriousness must be have accountable for their misleading and deceptive statements on mood change , ” Kat So , a campaign manager for Energy and Environment Campaigns at the Center for American Progress and author of the report , said in astatement .
“ Their refusal to go for scientific consensus and continued spread of misinformation are a major obstruction to addressing the clime crisis , ” said So .
