Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
Ha, great post title
Tangentially, regarding Germany, they should actually take a look at themselves when it comes to climate change. Namely, one of Merkel's climate advisors is CEO of the Swedish energy giant, Vattenfall:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,496056-2,00.html
Vattenfall is a proponent of coal plants, and Germany is planning to build more of them:
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2007/gb20070321_923592.htm?chan=search
More here (in German):
http://www.greenpeace.de/themen/klima/nachrichten/artikel/klimaschutz_mit_kohle_unmoeglich/
You probably already knew about that stuff.