Able Quote by Noam Chomsky
![“If [climate change ] became a serious proposal in the United States, there would be a huge propaganda onslaught by the business community, the energy corporations and many others, to try to frighten the population into opposing it - claiming that if they have it, all sorts of terrible things will…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/209/noam-chomsky-42_able_if-climate-change-became-a-serious-propo_1999017.jpg)
“If [climate change ] became a serious proposal in the United States, there would be a huge propaganda onslaught by the business community, the energy corporations and many others, to try to frighten the population into opposing it - claiming that if they have it, all sorts of terrible things will happen, like you won't be able to heat your home, or whatever the story is.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture “The Politics of Climate Change” at University of Arizona, 2010
He warns that powerful interests would launch a massive propaganda campaign to frighten the public against climate action, using fear tactics about personal inconvenience.
In simple terms: Business groups would spread fear to block climate policies.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and question fear‑based arguments.
Themes
politics
media
environment
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
environmental
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- activism
- media literacy
- community discussions
Key Concepts
propaganda
fear tactics
public opinion
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence do you see of fear‑based messaging?
- How can you verify claims about climate impacts?
A Different Perspective
Not all climate concerns are exaggerated; legitimate issues exist.
![“It turned out that [Bill] Clinton had authorized Texaco to illegally ship oil to the military junta [in Haiti] during a time when we were supposedly opposing the military junta and supporting democracy instead.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1df/noam-chomsky-42_bills_it-turned-out-that-bill-clinton-had-auth_3172119.jpg)
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
