Science, Skeptics and Non-State Actors in the Greenhouse

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the strategies of non state actors in the politics of climate change. The paper develops several conjectures about the relationship between the IPCC, science skeptics, and the arguments of industry interests. It then examines preliminary evidence for the claim that the presence of an international knowledge institution such as the IPCC has implications for the uses of scientific information and choice of audience for organized political interests, particularly those representing the fossil fuel industry.