US oil company donated millions to climate sceptic groups - Polidicks

[quote] A Greenpeace investigation has identified a little-known, privately owned US oil company as the paymaster of global warming sceptics in the US and Europe. The environmental campaign group accuses Kansas-based Koch Industries, which owns refineries and operates oil pipelines, of funding 35 conservative and libertarian groups, as well as more than 20 congressmen and senators. Between them, Greenpeace says, these groups and individuals have spread misinformation about climate science and led a sustained assault on climate scientists and green alternatives to fossil fuels. Greenpeace says that Koch Industries donated nearly $48m (£31.8m) to climate opposition groups between 1997-2008. From 2005-2008, it donated $25m to groups opposed to climate change, nearly three times as much as higher-profile funders that time such as oil company ExxonMobil. Koch also spent $5.7m on political campaigns and $37m on direct lobbying to support fossil fuels. In a hard-hitting report, which appears to confirm environmentalists' suspicions that there is a well-funded opposition to the science of climate change, Greenpeace accuses the funded groups of "spreading inaccurate and misleading information" about climate science and clean energy companies. "The company's network of lobbyists, former executives and organisations has created a forceful stream of misinformation that Koch-funded entities produce and disseminate. The propaganda is then replicated, repackaged and echoed many times throughout the Koch-funded web of political front groups and thinktanks," said Greenpeace. "Koch industries is playing a quiet but dominant role in the global warming debate. This private, out-of-sight corporation has become a financial kingpin of climate science denial and clean energy opposition. On repeated occasions organisations funded by Koch foundations have led the assault on climate science and scientists, 'green jobs', renewable energy and climate policy progress," it says. The groups include many of the best-known conservative thinktanks in the US, like Americans for Prosperity, the Heritage Foundation, the Cato institute, the Manhattan Institute and the Foundation for research on economics and the environment. All have been involved in "spinning" the "climategate" story or are at the forefront of the anti-global warming debate, says Greenpeace. Koch Industries is a $100bn-a-year conglomerate dominated by petroleum and chemical interests, with operations in nearly 60 countries and 70,000 employees. It owns refineries which process more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day in the US, as well as a refinery in Holland. It has held leases on the heavily polluting tar-sand fields of Alberta, Canada and has interests in coal, oil exploration, chemicals, forestry, and pipelines. The majority of the group's assets are owned and controlled by Charles and David Koch, two of the four sons of the company's founder. They have been identified by Forbes magazine as the joint ninth richest Americans and the 19th richest men in the world, each worth between $14-16bn. Koch has also contributed money to politicians, the report said, listing 17 Republicans and four Democrats whose campaign funds got more than $10,000from the company. Greenpeace accuses the Koch companies of having a notorious environmental record. In 2000 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fined Koch industries $30m for its role in 300 oil spills that resulted in more than 3m gallons of crude oil leaking intro ponds, lakes and coastal waters. "The combination of foundation-funded front groups, big lobbying budgets, political action campaign donations and direct campaign contributions makes Koch Industries and the Koch brothers among the most formidable obstacles to advancing clean energy and climate policy in the US," Greenpeace said. A spokeswoman for Koch Industries today defended the group's track record on environmental issues. "Koch companies have consistently found innovative and cost-effective ways to ensure sound environmental stewardship and further reduce waste and emissions of greenhouse gases associated with their operations and products," said a statement sent to AFP by Melissa Cohlmia, director of communication. She added: "Based on this experience, we support open, science-based dialogue about climate change and the likely effects of proposed energy policies on the global economy."[/quote] Source- [url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/30/us-oil-donated-millions-climate-sceptics[/url] Surprise surprise.

Haha, oh wow.

Well a business will protect it's vested interest. I'm not saying it's right though...

It seems that the discussion about climate change has been [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img] [I]oiled up[/I]

Oops. No wonder the issue has been so embr[i]oiled[/i] in controversy [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img]

Those are some [I]slick[/I] investigators. [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img]

koch has a big building in wichita this one time they draped a massive american flag over the side it was like 6 stories tall lol

Looks like they got... [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img] [i]Kocht in the act[/i]

What a crude tactic.

[QUOTE=Mingebox;21079998]What a crude tactic.[/QUOTE] [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img]

Seems that investigation [i]struck oil[/i]. [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img]

Looks like this has turned into a... [I]smear[/I] campaign [img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img]

Oil companies funding bogus research groups that produce "findings" contrary to those that are being used by governments to slap them with new climate regulations? No, please, tell me it isn't so!

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;21080107]Oil companies funding bogus research groups that produce "findings" contrary to those that are being used by governments to slap them with new climate regulations? No, please, tell me it isn't so![/QUOTE] stop being so melodramatic.

It's about time someone [I]spilled [/I]the beans on the those [I]slick [/I]cooperate executives who were [I]shell[/I]ing out money to "researchers"

This is literally a goldmine for puns... But it is good to see this confirmed, and it would be fun if the investigated the other side and found exactly the same thing.

[QUOTE=Baldr;21080533]But it is good to see this confirmed, and it would be fun if the investigated the other side and found exactly the same thing.[/QUOTE] That oil companies are funding climate research? Why would they do that?

[QUOTE=JDK721;21080184]stop being so melodramatic.[/QUOTE] That's exactly what's going on. They're paying people to produce bullshit "science" because the actual scientists have exposed just how unbelievably destructive to the planet they are. Just like big tobacco paid people to produce bullshit "science" on why cigarettes aren't addictive.

[QUOTE=Baldr;21080533]This is literally a goldmine for puns... But it is good to see this confirmed, and it would be fun if the investigated the other side and found exactly the same thing.[/QUOTE] Yep, we definitely don't need a planet that uses renewable energy sources only. Ideally we'd all love to live in a planet covered in thick smoke, regardless of global warming.... :downs:

[QUOTE=TH89;21080557]That oil companies are funding climate research? Why would they do that?[/QUOTE] More like electric car company's funding campaigns and other stuff to make oil companies look worse than they really are.

[QUOTE=Baldr;21080606]More like electric car company's funding campaigns and other stuff to make oil companies look worse than they really are.[/QUOTE] What electric car companies? I don't think there's any electric car companies that are successful enough to actually afford to mount a campaign like that. You should watch the documentary "who killed the electric car" which explains why we don't see any popular electric cars today.

[QUOTE=rieda1589;21080593]Yep, we definitely don't need a planet that uses renewable energy sources only. Ideally we'd all love to live in a planet covered in thick smoke, regardless of global warming.... :downs:[/QUOTE] I'm for a greener world but against making things look worse than it really is to accomplish it.

[QUOTE=Baldr;21080606]More like electric car company's funding campaigns and other stuff to make oil companies look worse than they really are.[/QUOTE] You best be prepared to cite credible sources for that statement.

[QUOTE=Mingebox;21079998]What a crude tactic.[/QUOTE] What a crude tictac.

[QUOTE=TH89;21080633]What electric car companies? I don't think there's any electric car companies that are successful enough to actually afford to mount a campaign like that. You should watch the documentary "who killed the electric car" which explains why we don't see any popular electric cars today.[/QUOTE] Will do.

this really shouldn't be a revelation to anyone

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;21080670]You best be prepared to cite credible sources for that statement.[/QUOTE] [url]http://planetark.org/ark/56633[/url] to name one.

[QUOTE=Baldr;21080741][url]http://planetark.org/ark/56633[/url] to name one.[/QUOTE] A group of UN scientists making a minor error is hardly evidence that they're being bribed by imaginary "electric car companies" [editline]07:56PM[/editline] Look at it this way--climate change is a real problem. That is well agreed on by climate scientists--just read any science journal and there will probably be articles about it. Climate scientists spent EIGHT YEARS under Bush trying to get his administration to do something about it, and Bush basically rewarded them by saying they were wrong and cutting their funding. Finally with Obama we got a president who acknowledges the scientific findings and makes SOME effort to do something about it, and the oil companies respond by hiring people to say that it's all a government conspiracy to scare us. If you're looking for a Big Bad, you're looking in the wrong direction.

[QUOTE=Baldr;21080741][url]http://planetark.org/ark/56633[/url] to name one.[/QUOTE] Making a minor mistake due to a failure to completely review and evaluate a source does not equal "Electric car companies hire people to produce false research."

[IMG]http://i44.tinypic.com/2ywe6md.jpg[/IMG] Alright alright, both of you are making some good points. Maybe I should look around a bit more before making such conclusions.