The imperative to counter fossil fuel industry disinformation for public health

The Lancet Planetary Health 2026 Open access

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Authors: Shweta Narayan, Mark Conway, Linda Rudolph, Jeni Miller, Natalia Linou, Jayalakshmi Shreedhar
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101435
Cited by: 3
References: 1

Abstract

As the Los Angeles fires scorched communities and choked the skies, the destructive forces of climate-driven disasters became hard to deny. Yet, amidst the devastation—scorched neighbourhoods, overwhelmed hospitals,1 toxic air,2 and mounting public health risks—a torrent of disinformation3 spread, deflecting attention from the root cause of these escalating events. Fossil fuel interests seem to have been actively spreading doubt about the role their industries play in intensifying extreme weather4 by pushing misleading narratives and downplaying the link between fossil fuel emissions and climate change.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics Risk Perception and Management

Publication details

Journal / source
The Lancet Planetary Health
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
10
Issue
3
Pages
101435–101435
Publication date
1 March 2026
Language
EN