Students of American political history and those old enough to remember the early 70s Watergate scandal will recall the memorable question posed by then-Tennessee Republican Senator Howard Baker.

“What did the President know, and when did he know it?” asked the senator, who was vice-chair of what was known as the Watergate committee.

Reporting over the past few months by Inside Climate News, the Los Angeles Times, and reporters from the Columbia University school of journalism might be similarly headlined: “What did EXXON know, and when did it know it?”

And more to the point, what was it saying to the public, to the investment community, and to regulatory officials, about the subject – fossil fuels and climate change.

This month’s “This Is Not Cool” video for Yale Climate Connections reviews the issue as it’s been evolving since the initial Inside Climate News reports.