The Petroleum Papers

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Drawing from hundreds of confidential oil industry documents, this investigative work reveals the far-right conspiracy that has hindered efforts to address the climate crisis. Journalist Geoff Dembicki uncovers how American oil companies, which founded the tar sands in Alberta—home to the third-largest oil reserves—ignored climate warnings as early as 1959. Rather than alerting the world to the looming disaster, companies like Exxon, Koch Industries, and Shell launched campaigns denying climate change and promoting the idea that alternatives to oil would harm the economy. They created a global right-wing echo chamber to ensure the continued flow of tar sands into the U.S., contributing to the election of Donald Trump and leaving the Biden administration with a significant climate crisis. Dembicki also highlights the stories of those fighting back: a Seattle lawyer taking on Big Oil, a young Filipina activist who lost family in a climate disaster, and a former Exxon engineer ousted for challenging the status quo. With experts warning that we have less than a decade to control global emissions, this account details how we reached this critical juncture and identifies the politicians and companies responsible.