A couple weeks ago we were talking about the power of stories, myths, memes, and brands, and how they shape the world around us. I asked which ones have defined the climate world we see. (here's my video on YouTube and LinkedIn)

A reader shared the book Merchants of Doubt, which traces how oil and gas marketing since the 1950s built stories that neutralize the threat of carbon dioxide and climate change.

Check out this gallery of examples: an ExxonMobil ad from the 90s about unsettled science, and BP’s 2004 full page carbon footprint ad that turns a systemic problem into an individual one. Fast forward to today. In the letter we wrote to President Trump about the DOE critical review of greenhouse gas emissions, the first chart in that report says the world is getting greener from rising CO2 and even shows roots growing at 700 ppm. It skips back a generation. This stuff is bogus, but it is effective.

I still see the results of these investments at COP28 and COP29 when people have not heard that carbon removal is needed. These stories stick in lawmaker's minds and blocks policies that would put us on the path to decarbonization, carbon removal, a stable climate, and real budgets for innovating to reverse climate change.

So what can we do? Seize the memes of reversing climate change.

Create new memes, myths, and legends that tell what is real and what actually helps the planet. Get creators on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Bring in big marketing companies. Put a strong climate meme in a full page New York Times ad.

If you want to join this, hit reply. We have an AirMiners #memes channel and a private #meme-lab. If you make memes, maybe in crypto or Pokémon, or even if you worked on those oil ads, come help make memes that change the world for the better. For background, read Merchants of Doubt and the Guardian piece that shows the ads I mentioned. More updates soon.

Tito

P.S. I'm in New York for Climate Week! I'll be at the big Carbon Removal Community reception tonight, come say hi! (and use https://www.cdr-shops.com by Dirk Paessler to remove your emissions)

P.P.S. Here's an AI vision of a meme by Dirk Paessler in the New York Times - let's make this real: