Am. Behav. Sci. http://doi.org/k5r (2013)

Fossil-fuel corporations and conservative organizations in the USA have jointly campaigned to dismiss anthropogenic global warming since it appeared on the public agenda in 1988. To this end, the conservative movement has produced a range of material, including books, challenging the credibility of climate science.

Riley Dunlap, of Oklahoma State University, and Peter Jacques, of the University of Central Florida, analysed the relationship between conservative think-tanks and 108 English-language books published in 2010 that dispute anthropogenic global warming. They found a link for 78 of the books, with most of the others being self-published. They also examined the national origins of the books and the background of their authors and editors, finding that the dismissive campaign has spread from the USA to other countries, and that an increasing number of the books are written by people with no scientific training. Seldom subjected to peer review, the books employ both unproven and disproven claims that challenge climate science. Despite their lack of scientific credibility, the books receive considerable attention.