Despite the fact that the relationship between fossil fuel burning and climate change has been a scientifically recognized fact for decades, and that 89% of the global population demands greater climate action, policies to curb global warming are progressing at an alarmingly slow pace. This paradox is the central focus of an analysis conducted by over 100 scientists from the Global Network of Social Science on Climate at Brown University, whose work is presented in the book “Climate Obstruction: A Global Assessment,” available for free. The study reveals that climate inaction is not due to a lack of knowledge or social support, but rather to a complex web of economic and political actors who deliberately obstruct the ecological and energy transition. According to the authors, climate obstruction is not the work of a single actor, but of a sophisticated ecosystem that seeks to perpetuate the fossil model. The book, coordinated by Timmons Roberts, Carlos Milani, Jennifer Jacquet, and Christian Downie, relies on internal documents, research, and case studies to demonstrate that obstruction goes far beyond denying science. It includes tactics such as greenwashing, spreading conspiracy theories, media manipulation, regulatory capture, and promoting false technological solutions. Oil companies, agribusiness, utilities, think tanks, public relations agencies, and large tech companies make up this web, supported by governments and politicians. Federico Merke, a PhD in Social Sciences and professor at the University of San Andrés, emphasizes that obstruction is a coordinated system that deploys tactics to avoid regulations that affect their interests. It is not just classic denialism, but a constellation of strategies: delaying, diluting, sowing economic fear, and co-opting the climate discourse. According to the book, the global far-right acts as an amplifier of obstruction, eroding international cooperation and promoting conspiratorial narratives that displace technical debate. Media and digital platforms also play a key role, amplifying misinformation through “false balances” and algorithms that prioritize misleading content, benefiting large tech companies economically. The analysis shows how the fossil industry follows a three-step strategy: denying science, delaying political action, and diluting regulations. Examples like Repsol's greenwashing in Spain illustrate how companies present themselves as part of the solution while maintaining their fossil model. Furthermore, the dominant narrative shifts responsibility to the consumer, absolving corporations of accountability. Obstruction relies on narratives of economic collapse, false solutions like carbon capture, and the defense of fossil fuels as the only path to development. Agribusiness also contributes by maintaining high demand for meat and diverting attention from corporate and state responsibilities. In the Global South, obstruction is reproduced when elites depend on fossil or agro-export sectors, even though these countries suffer the most from the consequences of climate change. Examples like the railway expansion in Brazil, which ended up driving deforestation, show how “green” policies can be co-opted to perpetuate extractivism. States, far from leading the transition, often become natural opponents to climate policies due to their dependence on fossil royalties, as seen in Brazil and Argentina. In Latin America, repression of climate activism is common, reinforcing the obstruction ecosystem. The book does not limit itself to diagnosis: it proposes mechanisms to counteract obstruction, such as climate litigation, regulations against greenwashing, transparency in corporate lobbying, reforms in international processes, and public denunciation campaigns. These actions aim not only to curb pollution but also to dismantle the misleading discourses and practices of corporations. In conclusion, the authors assert that combating obstruction is as crucial as reducing emissions. It is not enough to design good climate policies; it is essential to dismantle the architecture that blocks them. Source: elsaltodiario.com