Clearing the Smoke on Fossil Fuels — The Health Imperative for a Countermarketing Campaign
Abstract
- This Perspective calls for a large-scale public health countermarketing campaign to expose and combat the fossil fuel industry’s disinformation strategies paralleling those used by the tobacco industry. The authors outline the massive health burden of fossil-fuel-derived air pollution, including premature deaths, chronic diseases, and disproportionate effects on marginalized communities. Despite overwhelming scientific consensus, fossil fuel companies continue to expand production while employing misleading messaging, greenwashing, and manipulative lobbying to stall climate action. Drawing lessons from successful anti-tobacco efforts, the authors propose a coordinated strategy that includes media campaigns, transparency about health harms, product labeling, revoking subsidies, and regulations against deceptive advertising. They argue that only by truthfully confronting the fossil fuel industry can we shift the public narrative and mobilize support for urgently needed policies to protect both planetary and human health.
Keywords:
fossil fuels
climate change
air pollution
public health
disinformation
countermarketing
tobacco industry analogy
environmental justice
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