Greenhouse gas emissions are shrinking the stratosphere and the reduction could affect satellite operations and navigation systems, a study has found.The layer of the atmosphere, which sits above the
From Denial to Ambiguity: A New Study Charts the Trajectory of ExxonMobil’s Climate Messaging
The researchers analyzed language in public and internal documents and found that the oil giant used “the subtle micro-politics of language to downplay its role in the climate crisis.”
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Fossil fuel companies’ messaging on climate change has revolved around some common refrains: Energy demand must grow to alleviate global poverty, so fossil fuels are critical to economic growth. Technological innovation is key to limiting emissions, and consumers can do their part by using energy efficiently.
New research shows that these arguments were carefully cultivated over the course of decades by ExxonMobil, which beginning in the early 2000s shifted away from outright obfuscation of climate science and turned instead to more nuanced language that nevertheless, the research argues, still served to muddy public debate.
iPolitics By iPolitics. Published on May 13, 2021 12:00pm
The Lead
Colonial Pipeline announced on Wednesday that it has resumed operations six days after a ransomware attack prompted the largest U.S. pipeline to shut down. The closure caused fuel shortages across the U.S. and saw several states, including Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida, declare a state of emergency.
Colonial halted 2.5 million barrels per day of shipments of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel last Friday, after what is being described as the most disruptive cyberattack ever on U.S. energy infrastructure.
The FBI has accused a criminal gang called DarkSide of the ransomware attack. The group, believed to be based in Russia or Eastern Europe, has not come forward to take responsibility for the Colonial hack, but on Wednesday DarkSide claimed to have breached systems at three other companies, including an Illinois tech firm. BBC News has that story.
Carbon emissions are shrinking the stratosphere
Scientists warn that the stratosphere could lose 4% of its thickness by the end of the century.
Reset
The stratosphere, the second layer of the atmosphere as you go upward, is 400 meters thinner than it was in the 1980s. The culprit has been identified as greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study that estimated the stratosphere will lose another kilometer by 2080 if current growing emissions trends continue unabated. This could significantly hamper satellite operations, GPS navigation, and radio communications, the authors of the new study warned.
The paradox of stratospheric cooling
Due to the copious amounts of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, the planet’s climate system has been significantly altered. Earth’s surface is now a full one degree Celsius hotter, on average, than it used to be during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Likewise, carbon emissions absorbed by the ocean have severe