US oil company donated millions to climate sceptic groups, says Greenpeace

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

US oil company donated millions to climate sceptic groups, says Greenpeace
Report identifies Koch Industries giving $73m to climate sceptic groups 'spreading inaccurate and misleading information'
John Vidal guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 30 March 2010 15.32 BST

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.


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/30/us-oil-donated-millions-climate-sceptics

[Soylent Brice]

1. color me shocked.

K&R

[BrklynLiberal]

2. I am surprised they merely tried to buy their way in, and did not go gunning after

people..literally.

[ck4829]

3. Koch Industries is also behind the Tea Parties and the Americans for Prosperity (for the rich)

[SpiralHawk]

4. Typical Republicon Family Values strategery

...anything but the truth...

[SpiralHawk]

5. Where is the US corporate media on this story?

Jeez - what a pack of corporate, knee-bent prevaricating poltroons they are...

[Moostache]

6. And in other news...

"WE LANDED ON THE MOON!?!?!? ALRIGHT!!!"

Not to be too snarky, and I guess confirmation in official channels is beneficial to some extent; but seriously, if you don't already KNOW this has been going on forever then there is little hope for you I'm afraid. The question is not whether or not these bastards like the Koch brothers are sociopaths and liars, it is how do we counter act their influence and wake up people from their general stupor?

[defendandprotect]

7. ...and ExxonMobil is still at it, of course -- !!

[DuckyCase]

8. Isn't this common knowledge?

[DuckyCase]

9. On a side note...

I've actually spoken with several people who claim that government funded research is untrustworthy and corporate funding is fine. Even when George Bush was President, they claimed that NASA was involved a a Socialist conspiracy. One of them actually claimed that Bush couldn't do anything about NASA because it was created under Kennedy.