Margaret Thatcher was at the height of her premiership when she took to the podium at the United Nations general assembly on the global environment held at the UN building in New York on 8 November 1989, writes BRENDAN MONTAGUE
Scientists had well understood for many decades that adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere could raise global temperatures and cause climate change. But when politicians finally took notice, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was formed, industry began a war with science itself. BRENDAN MONTAGUE investigates
Thatcherism was the implementation of neoliberalism - the school of free market economics led by Friedrich von Hayek. This school claimed economics was a science that should direct society and social policy. But, strangely, Hayek felt science itself should be avoided - as it led to socialism. BRENDAN MONTAGUE reports
Margaret Thatcher was the first world leader to put climate change at the top of the agenda. Lord Lawson, her chancellor then, is now a mouthpiece for climate denial. So how does he explain her political support for the scientific consensus? BRENDAN MONTAGUE investigates
Margaret Thatcher as British Prime Minister would be the first politician of global stature to address the increasingly urgent concerns about climate change, writes BRENDAN MONTAGUE
Scientists were warning about the dangers of climate change even before America discovered and used oil on an industrial scale. Here, we see how in the 1980s it appeared politicians would rise to the challenges it presents. BRENDAN MONTAGUE investigates
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) helped Thatcher's rise to power and when she became prime minister she followed their programme. This success allowed the IEA to fundraise from industry giants—including oil and tobacco. BRENDAN MONTAGUE investigates
Lord Lawson, a leading advocate of Brexit and a climate denier, was responsible for the sale of BP in 1987. BRENDAN MONTAGE recalls how Lawson went ahead with the biggest share sale in human history - on the worst possible day
Fakenomics: Lord Lawson created Britain's privatised energy industry. He now supports their interests by denying the need for robust climate change policies. But he didn't support everyone who worked for coal, oil and gas companies. BRENDAN MONTAGUE reports
Lord Lawson is today the main voice of climate denial in Britain - and 30 years ago he was personally responsible for the British state losing control over our reserves of fossil fuels. BRENDAN MONTAGUE investigates
Prime minister Margaret Thatcher meets free market economist Friedrich von Hayek at IEA. She appoints Lord Lawson and they direct privatisation of British energy interests. BRENDAN MONTAGUE investigates
The finest triumph of the Institute of Economic Affairs was winning Thatcher to free market economics. Their second, decades later, was undermining her attempts to keep climate action on the world agenda. BRENDAN MONTAGUE investigates