Close For years, big oil companies (also known as Big Oil) have been doing their very best to defame and discredit environmentalists' attempt to create a greener source of energy. (Photo : ambquinn on Pixabay) Because of the fear of making their main source of income obsolete, some, often with connections to the fossil fuel industry, strongly oppose taking stronger action on climate. Many such detractors use common oil-industry talking points in their arguments. These points have been developed in collaboration with PR firms and lobbyists to undercut clean energy policies and prolong dependence on fossil fuels. They are also utilizing their social media reach to successfully push their agenda to weaken and oppose any meaningful legislation to tackle global warming.