Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction

The document contrasts scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change with the activities of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). It asserts that ALEC, funded by fossil fuel interests, promotes misinformation to state legislators to block EPA regulations and repeal renewable energy standards.

• Scientific consensus, supported by the IPCC and peer-reviewed literature, establishes that climate warming is unequivocal and primarily caused by human activities. The IPCC reported in 2014 that it is extremely likely (95-100% probability) that over half of the global average surface temperature increase from 1951 to 2010 resulted from anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations and other forcings. Additionally, carbon dioxide levels have risen by 40% since pre-industrial times, mainly due to fossil fuel emissions.
• The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) engages in disinformation campaigns to sow doubt about climate science among state legislators. ALEC's Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force provides a venue for fossil fuel interests to lobby legislators and distribute 'model legislation' designed to oppose EPA carbon standards and roll back renewable energy standards (RES).
• ALEC's activities are supported by major fossil fuel corporations and trade associations. Membership in the Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force between 2010 and 2011 included BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Peabody Energy, and Shell, as well as the American Petroleum Institute (API), American Gas Association (AGA), and the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE).
• ALEC has actively influenced state-level policy to oppose federal climate regulations and renewable energy mandates. In 2011, ALEC claimed credit for 13 states adopting resolutions against EPA greenhouse gas regulation. In 2014, RES rollback bills passed in Ohio and Wisconsin after ALEC promoted model legislation to repeal such standards.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2015). Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/ALECquote2015.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction. 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/ALECquote2015.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction |date=March 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/ALECquote2015.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2015climate, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Climate Science vs. Fossil Fuel Fiction}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/03/ALECquote2015.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }