Who makes more money?
1. Oil companies
2. Climate scientists
If you “follow the money” you might come to the opposite conclusion.
And, it's worth noting that even Exxon—the company that spent billions on "think tanks" and other moves to undermine the idea of climate change for almost 40 years—has said that it believes the "risk of climate change is real" and they support the Paris accord, and policy options such as a carbon tax.
From Exxon's
blog Energy Factor:
....ExxonMobil welcomes any well-meaning and good faith attempt to address the risks of climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global issue and requires global participation and actions. Lawsuits of this kind — filed by trial attorneys against an industry that provides products we all rely upon to power the economy and enable our domestic life – simply do not do that.
It is important to recall how this began. The lawsuits filed against ExxonMobil and other companies seek billions of dollars from our shareholders – millions of ordinary people, mostly in the U.S., who’ve invested in our company. Of course we must defend ourselves against these types of suits.
I want to use this opportunity to be 100 percent clear about where we stand on climate change. We believe the risk of climate change is real and we are committed to being part of the solution. That is why we have invested $8 billion since 2000 on energy efficiency and emissions reduction.
It’s also why we support the Paris accord, policy options such as a carbon tax, and are working on new game-changing technologies to meet energy needs while managing the risk of climate change. These technologies include biofuel from algae, carbon capture and storage, and new ways to reduce the amount of energy needed in manufacturing.
Of course, the company still spends millions to undermine climate action, spending at least $690,000 in grants to climate science denier groups in 2019, and it has spent nearly
$1 million in contributions to congressional campaigns helmed by science deniers. And, as this document notes, ExxonMobil spent nearly $37 million from 1998 to 2019 toward groups like the US Chamber of Commerce, the American Enterprise Institute and the Manhattan Institute, who routinely attack climate science, or arguing against policy prescriptions.
Notably, groups fueled by the Koch family—who are heavily invested in oil and gas—spent another $175 million during the same period.
But, sure, let's spend time haranguing a teenage girl about her sharp criticism of Boris Johnson, rather than acknowledge that oil and gas companies spent millions undermine climate science, and are only know pushing for some action because they've figured out the business model and know they can gish-gallop away any real action.