Doubt

• This engaging video shows how the strategy to spread doubt and denial about climate change is the same strategy that the tobacco industry used to spread denial of smoking's cancer-causing effects.
• This is an interesting video with a documentary, exposé-like tone.

Positives

• This video can be used as an introduction to the fossil fuel industry's continuing marketing, greenwashing, and propaganda.
• Making the link between tobacco use and the burning of fossil fuels is incredibly powerful. Smoking tobacco is widely seen as harmful. In most social circles, it is frowned upon and culturally unacceptable. Secondhand smoke harms all those around the smoker. This is the same as emissions from burning fossil fuels. However, we as a society are not there yet.

Additional Prerequisites

• Teachers will need to prepare discussion questions or embed the video into a lesson.

Differentiation

• Teachers can integrate this video into language arts curricula when teaching how to evaluate the credibility of sources.
• Students can discuss the questions, "Why do we accept the societal dangers of burning fossil fuels when we don't accept the societal dangers of secondhand smoke?"

• Teachers can also mention current marketing from fossil fuel companies, such as BP's carbon footprint calculator. Students can analyze why BP, a company that sells oil for money, wants consumers to calculate their own carbon footprints.
• A possible extension could be to share this source as well. It's an opinion piece from the BBC where Andrew Simms argues that cars with internal combustion engines should come with health warnings as well. He argues that mandatory warning labels should be things like "cars cause cancer, stroke, and heart disease" and "cars cause climate change."
• Teachers can also follow up with this lesson plan about analyzing letters from different sources with conflicting opinions about teaching climate change.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.