What big oil is hiding from you with Cindy Taff and Stephanie Honchell Smith

This episode of TED Tech dives into the hidden history of climate denial and the untapped potential of geothermal energy, revealing how the fossil fuel industry deliberately obscured climate science for decades while simultaneously building the very infrastructure that could now power a clean energy revolution. Host Sherelle Dorsey frames the narrative around two powerful stories: Cindy Taft, a former Shell executive who left the oil industry to found Sage Geosystems and develop next-generation geothermal technology, and historian Stephanie Honchell Smith, who details the oil industry’s systematic campaign to sow doubt about climate change starting in the 1970s. The episode exposes how oil companies used PR tactics borrowed from the tobacco industry, funded think tanks, attacked scientists, and manipulated public discourse to delay climate action—despite internal knowledge of the dangers of fossil fuels. Yet, amid this legacy of deception, there is hope: Taft’s work proves that the drilling expertise, engineering talent, and global infrastructure built by the oil industry can be repurposed to harness the Earth’s deep heat, offering a reliable, 24/7 clean energy source. The episode closes with a call to action: we have the tools to solve the climate crisis, but only if we act with urgency and demand accountability.