In 1996, Exxon Biomedical Sciences’ D. J. Devlin gave a presentation titled “Purported Impact of Climate Change on Human Health.” This presentation was part of the Global Climate Coalition’s Science and Technology Assessment Committee’s October 1996 conference call. The meeting minutes were submitted during discovery in Green Mtn. Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Jeep v. Crombie and Central Valley Chrysler-Jeep, Inc. v. Witherspoon.

The presentation discussed the impacts of climate change on human health. Emphasizing “key knowledge gaps,” it eschewed evidence that changes in global temperature could negatively impact natural regulatory systems, or make epidemics, like malaria, more likely. Devlin targeted the “Advocates’ Hypothesis” by questioning the data, emphasizing “predictive models [as] largely unvalidated.” He suggested “potential next steps” as identifying “scientific leaders with ‘diverse’ views,” fostering debate. The final bullet concluded, “Promote Concept of Relative Risk … Significance of Climate Impacts vs. Other Disease Factors.”

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