Public Influence The process of creating doubt within a community is difficult and requires many moving parts in order for it to be effective. If it is done correctly the influence a denial machine has on the public is enormous. These types of machines have previously been used in the tobacco industry, and in today’s world it can be found in the climate change discussion. It all starts with large corporations and trickles down to politicians, cover organizations, the media, and into the laps of ordinary citizens[1]. Koch Industries is a prime example of this. Since 1997 the Koch Brothers have spent over a hundred-million dollars funding climate denial groups[2]. These groups are masked as think tanks and their purpose is to spread false ideals and attack climate change scientists[3]. Large corporations do not only funnel money into denial groups, but they also pay off politicians. Politicians like Mitch McConnell have been paid millions of dollars from oil and gas industries to prevent pro-environmental legislation from being passed[4]. This combination of politicians and denial groups spreading propaganda causes a lot of uncertainty within the public community.
- ^ Dryzek, John; Norgaard, Richard; Schlosberg, David (2012). The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society. Oxford University Press. p. 147.
- ^ "Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine". GreenPeace.
- ^ Dryzek, John; Norgaard, Richard; Schlosberg, David (2012). The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society. Oxford University Press. p. 147.
- ^ "Sen. Mitch McConnell". OpenSecrets.org.