The Greening of Planet Earth

The Greening of Planet Earth is a half-hour-long video produced by the coal industry, which argues that rising CO2 levels will be beneficial to agriculture, and that policies intending to reduce CO₂ levels are therefore misguided.^[1] The video argues that rising CO₂ levels both directly stimulate plant growth and, as a result of their warming properties, cause winter temperatures to rise, thereby indirectly stimulating plant growth.^[2] It was produced in 1991 and released the following year. A sequel, entitled, The Greening of Planet Earth Continues, was released in 1998.^[3] The video was narrated by Sherwood Idso.^[4] After the video was made, it was distributed to thousands of journalists by a coal industry group.^[5] The video became very popular viewing in the George H. W. Bush White House and elsewhere in Washington, where it was promoted before the 1992 Earth Summit,^[4] and, according to some reports, became especially popular with then-chief of staff John H. Sununu.^[6]

Funding

Funding for the video was provided by the Western Fuels Association, which paid $250,000 to produce it.^[4] It was produced by the Greening Earth Society, which was created by the Western Fuels Association and with which the Association shared a business address.^[7]

See also

• CO2 fertilization effect
• Greenwashing

References

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