Brown made note of the fact that even though “the evidence of human causation is incredibly, incredibly strong,” there are still targeted disinformation campaigns with the intention of minimizing public awareness about the dangers of climate change. According to Brown, the reason for the disinformation comes down to the control that the fossil fuel industry has over the United States government.

“We have let the fossil fuel industry run the government in really disturbing ways,” Brown said.

Brown quotes economist and philosopher Adam Smith, who cautioned against “let[ting] merchants run the government.” According to Brown, the current relationship between the fossil fuel industry and the U.S. government is one where the industry has most of the power. 

Brown is careful to distinguish between skepticism and disinformation when it comes to the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists on the public and political discourse on climate change. 

“Skepticism and science [are] good thing[s]… but skeptics…have to play by the rules of science [and] the climate change disinformation campaign [has] not,” he said. “[There were] 20 years of successful propaganda run and planned by public relations firms…consciously trying to undermine the science [on climate change] and it’s worked.”

As a result of this, Brown notes that even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has underestimated the severity of the climate change crisis.

“This is a problem where the more you wait the worse it gets…[scientists] understood [that] in 1970,” said Brown. “There are things that are [currently] happening that are scaring the world’s best scientists.”

Brown also emphasized the inequity present in the global response, stating, “Climate change is a problem that some countries more than other countries are causing… and the countries most impacted have done the least to contribute…yet they are the most hurt.”

The majority of carbon emissions are created by developed nations, yet it is undeveloped nations that suffer the consequences. According to Brown, there is still a lacking sense of compassion about this.

“We have to consider what we are doing to other countries,” he said. “The harm [enacted] to the more vulnerable countries are not mere inconveniences, they’re catastrophic harms.”

Associate Professor and Interim Director for the Center of Global Understanding and Peacemaking Dr. Shannon Haley-Mize found this call for social responsibility to be particularly compelling.

“Climate change is such a pressing issue and something that impacts marginalized communities disproportionately and plays a role in conflict that happens within those communities,” she said. “What I loved about Brown’s focus was that he was shifting it from a question of economics to a question of ethics and responsibility.”

Brown concluded his presentation by once again underscoring the need for ethics in conversations about climate change policy. 

“We need people to see the injustice that is going on…it’s a sense of injustice that will create a social movement,” he said. “My job is not to sugarcoat it, my job is to tell you what I think and to encourage you to think about it.”