Climate Cover-Up

The well-written, name dropping "Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming" is a book that exposes oil companies and others that pay millions of dollars to clutter messages that bring awareness of climate change and global warming to the public. The author, James Hoggan, along with Richard Littlemore, dissects the key players when it comes to great PR and the attempt to persuade, or as the book is titled “cover-up,” climate change.

This book is important to read if someone is interested in how PR is operated on both ends of the spectrum. On one end, you have these organizations bringing awareness to the public on the dangers or climate change. And on the other end, there are companies that are forming Astroturf organizations, which are aimed to confuse, persuade and manipulate the public. It is critical to understand the difference between good PR and spinning. Spin doctors often gives PR practitioners a bad reputation.

Chapter 1 in "Climate Cover-Up" resonates with me the most because it sets the tone for the book. It discusses the difference between lemmings and lifeguards - lifeguards are individuals who are suppose to prevent humans from destroying themselves. The chapter also discusses the role of the media when it comes to the topic of global warming, which is currently a trendy topic.