Tag Archives: department of energy

1988 Exxon Memo on the Greenhouse Effect

Summary This document, revealed through a Los Angeles Times investigation, features statements by Joseph M. Carlson, an Exxon spokesperson. In the document, Carlson states that the “greenhouse effect” may be one of the most significant environmental issues of the 1990’s and that the main greenhouse gases are by-products of fossil fuels. Carlson admits that the […]

1980 National Commission on Air Quality Carbon Dioxide Workshop

Summary This pair of documents is a transcript of a 1980 meeting held by the National Commission on Air Quality (NCAQ), as first reported by Nathaniel Rich’s New York Times Magazine article “Losing Earth.” The meeting, requested by Congress, was held to discuss the societal implications of climate change in order to address problems “from increased […]

1977 Exxon Memo About DOE Environmental Advisory Committee Subgroup Studying CO2 Effects

Summary October 31, 1977 Exxon memo from Henry Shaw to John W. Harrison about a meeting Shaw recently attended (October 15, 1977) in Atlanta. The meeting was part of the Department of Energy’s Environmental Advisory Committee addressing carbon dioxide questions. Dr. Alvin Weinberg of the Institute of Energy Analysis chaired the committee. The October 15 […]