The ‘Prestige Problem’ Making Fossil Fuels Powerful

A Matter of Degrees

Fossil fuel companies are tapping into America’s “best and brightest” at top banks, public relations and advertising firms, law firms, and strategy consulting firms.

These organizations supply critical services to keep the fossil fuel industry humming: creative work, strategy, legal representation, financing. They’re services that oil and gas companies need to remain powerful.

In this episode (our first of the second season!) Dr. Katharine Wilkinson and Dr. Leah Stokes explore the different ways this “prestige problem” influences America’s white-collar workforce. And they’ll explore efforts to push back.

Katharine speaks with Camila Bustos, the co-founder of Law Students for Climate Accountability. She also speaks with Jamie Henn, director of Fossil Free Media.

Resources:

• Law Students for Climate Accountability scorecard
• NY Times: How One Firm Drove Influence Campaigns Nationwide for Big Oil
• DeSmog: The Climate-Conflicted Directors Leading the World’s Top Banks

Follow our co-hosts and production team:

• Leah Stokes
• Katharine Wilkinson
• Stephen Lacey
• Jaime Kaiser

A Matter of Degrees is a production of Post Script Audio. For more episodes and transcripts, visit our website.