Study details US beef industry's historical campaign against climate science

A new study found that a US beef industry group campaigned against established science regarding the role of cows in climate change between 1986 and 1996. The group's tactics included commissioning academic experts to produce favorable statistics and mounting a public relations campaign to question global warming and methane science. John Kerr, a Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, commented that industry attacks on climate science have persisted since that time.

The findings detail how an industry group attempted to derail climate science and avoid accountability for the agricultural sector. This historical examination of corporate efforts to undermine scientific consensus relates to ongoing discussions about environmental regulation and corporate responsibility.