Even Though Their Own Scientists Knew They Were Wrong, Fossil Fuel Industries Sowed Doubt on Climate Change Causes
By Susie Madrak Friday Apr 24, 2009 2:00pmInterestingly enough, the public relations industry does indeed have a code of ethics. It would be nice to see environmental groups push to have those who took part in this campaign ejected from any professional associations.
As to the officials of those companies? Decent people should shun them - but only because I'm a pacifist and would never advise you to storm their houses with pitchforks:
For more than a decade the Global Climate Coalition, a group representing industries with profits tied to fossil fuels, led an aggressive lobbying and public relations campaign against the idea that emissions of heat-trapping gases could lead to global warming.
“The role of greenhouse gases in climate change is not well understood,” the coalition said in a scientific “backgrounder” provided to lawmakers and journalists through the early 1990s, adding that “scientists differ” on the issue.
But a document filed in a federal lawsuit demonstrates that even as the coalition worked to sway opinion, its own scientific and technical experts were advising that the science backing the role of greenhouse gases in global warming could not be refuted.
“The scientific basis for the Greenhouse Effect and the potential impact of human emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 on climate is well established and cannot be denied,” the experts wrote in an internal report compiled for the coalition in 1995.
The coalition was financed by fees from large corporations and trade groups representing the oil, coal and auto industries, among others. In 1997, the year an international climate agreement that came to be known as the Kyoto Protocol was negotiated, its budget totaled $1.68 million, according to tax records obtained by environmental groups.
Login or Register to post comments.
is not a climatologist, or any kind of scientist whatsoever
...and yet I'm allowed to write and speak the language.
Any other points you'd like to make Mr. Lame Troll?
Read twice, post once?
Just another fly-by from a "new member". One would think they would make a better effort after going to all the trouble to sign up.
But you still seem to wear Pampers!
.
n/t
... and the key differentiator. A normal Pampers would not be able to hold the volume of defecation the original poster produces on a single seating....
troll but you'll have to do better than that...like bring up the question why Waxman at the last minute refused to let the Queen's own climate advisor testify after he was invited. You'll have to get used to the one opinion fits all around here if you want to continue to post.
Sometimes it takes someone smart enough and knowledgeable enough about how the "Congress game" is played to turn the tables on these bastards.
Screw you, Mr. Barton. Beautiful filibuster, Al.
This is a perfect illustration of why we need stiff regulations on industry. They couldn't care less if we live or die tomorrow if there's a buck to be made today. Never have, never will.
... unfettered capitalism. They keep holding up socialism as some sort of demon economic system, but given the two extremes I'll take socialism (though the sweet spot is somewhere in between, though close to socialism than many would like to admit).
What's amusing is that so many of these "free market" ideologues are also conservative Christians. Jesus was a socialist.
That's why they nailed him to a tree.
;)
... thus it is not far fetched they also have no issue believing in an invisible being up there controlling everything else.
Any person with an once of sense , knew d... well they were lying. Just as Bush and his criminal mob has lied about every d... then they have done or told the American citizens...
They lied to go with war with Iraq , lied about illegal spying on American citizens, lies about Saddam and Iraq having ties to 911 & terrorist, Lies about where our tax money went they they gave to the no bid contractors like Halliburton , lies about the financial institution's Corruption,, you name it and they lied about it...
Now we have a president with orders for Emanuel which wants to let bygones be bygones , instead of upholding our constitutions , rights , laws and democracy and prosecuting torture , treason , illegal spying and bring a transparent government and it's control back to the American citizens were it belongs....
Americans might not believe or know it but Emanuel and his staff are creating Obama's policies... with the help of their friends of Israel..
A couple of years ago, Mother Jones had a timeline of the FOOLKING'S lies. No timeline for the sockpuppetmaster, tho.
BushCo has left behind on overflowing plate of issues to address, and this one will have to wait. But this is another form of crimes against humanity. One day, some of these oil execs and their cronies will pay. Maybe we boil them in their oil?
The elected officials no longer listen to a word from the citizens of this country anymore. Israel has more input to our elected officials ears then any of us.
If you check their actions and policies you will find that the majority of them are for their benefit not ours in fact they are destructive to us as a whole...
Just who do you believe our government is using to illegally spy on us,,, and what kind of power does that also give them over our government....
>And yet, they've refused to learn anything from the Tobacco industry's outrageous claims
.
n/t
imperative: Spread the hegemonic propaganda.
In the Corporate State, that means serving the commercial interests of their extremely wealthy, extremely powerful, extremely grateful clients.
Public Relations is what they call it. But every word is propaganda for the Corporate STATE...
woody,
... But it's not Fascism when America does it, NO?
Whoring is what I call it.
not in the good way!
Can i just say - what a total creap that guy is and who does he think he's fooling - dead man talking.
BTW - Well done Mr. Gore. He really slows the pace down nicely, and if the republicans slow down to match they're doomed.
These global warming deniers don’t get out much during the day, do they? If they’d simply take note of the world that surrounds them they’d eventually STFU.
I can raise a family of four inside of Al Gore's Carbon Footprint.
But hey, if it's gospel to you, then by all means, believe.
"Do as I say, not as I do."
leader in Washington that says Clean Coal is the way to go. Can't remember which one is in favour of it though.
a "political leader" from West Virginia, Wyoming, Montana . . you get the idea.
to tie every unrelated topic back to Obama.
I don't have to tie anything to Obama. It's all there for anyone to see that can open their eyes, instead of drinking Democratic Party Koolaid. Be a real liberal Tyler, and stop defending these hypocratic *ssholes. Didn't you tire of the last 8 years of lies? And yet you want to give everything this admin does a free pass?
Some people prefer the old standards like "the Jews" or the "commies". For some reason CC feels all the world's ills must be laid at the feet of Obama. Apparently we're all too blind and ill-informed to see what is obvious only to him. Tyler you clearly aren't feeling sufficient hatred of the new president to be considered a liberal. Hatred is, after all, liberalism's distinguishing feature is it not?
the Democratic Party, doesn't cut it. What, you weren't sick and tired of the Bush policies after 8 years either? Or are those policies all of a sudden OK, cuz a Dem prez is doing them?
It isn't hatred Peter. It's called reality. If you want to sit around and whistle Zip-a-dee-do-da out your butthole whilst chanting "yes we can" instead of actually paying attention to the republican policies in Dem's clothing, well then I guess you really do prove the support of Bush even up to the end.
It's far easier to point at the messengers than to actually pay attention to the message. Some partisans act like they have ADD.
exactly right concerned ,the botts are falling in line behind the the bush programs now because barack obamas keeping them going, it seems that faschisims okay now why? because we now have a guy that speaks well , has a kennedy esq family , looks great in a one thousand dollar suit, gives you the crumbs from bail out moneys where the rich bastards get richer[ trickle down policys] insists that we have to win and fight bushes wars on terriorists[ people who are just tired of assholes in cammo busting down thier doors at night and kicking thier familys around] spouting the corporations sloagans [ clean coal tecknology] was elected only because the repigs ran two throw away candadates because they get what they want under an obama administration anyway! supression of criminal prosicution of the bush administration, allso obama has crawfished on every promiss hes made ,fisa ect ect, now hes backing off of revisiting and correcting the nafta give aways, what dont they understand ? we were took, obama is a manchurian candidate and a one term wonder , and yet the obama water carryers cant see the the fecies that the corporations shoved up thier noses, oh look folks obamas got a nice doggie from kennedy , one more promiss broken , one more dog in a pound somewhere that will be euthinised !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What will it cost if we don't address it? And who gives a shit about the Cowboys and the Patriots?
http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=510
According to the Hirsch Report, any REAL mitigation of Peak Oil should be done 20 years in advance, 10 at minimum. Evidence is pointing at we are at or just past peak, or it is within the next few years. Basically, we're THERE. mmmmm'Kay? So, basically we're screwed. You cannot ramp up alternative energy systems fast enough at this point to mitigate the loss of energy in the system as a whole, so we're looking at energetic contraction. And that means the industrial hell beast is going to demand it from any source.
That means Fossil Fuels, especially COAL.
So, unless you are willing to immediately shift back to the lifestyle of 1909 or earlier, you can kiss your little biosphere good bye.
Chumps.
Me? I'm just standing here saying "I TOLD YOU SO." I get great satisfaction in self-righteousness when all the well-meaning liberal dipsticks are schlepping their butts to the mall in their SUVs to get things they "need".
Here's a clue you're NOT going to like:
We are going to burn every barrel of oil and every ton of coal and every ounce of uranium until the production of those resources ceases to be energetically viable (as in it takes more energy to pull it out than you get from using it) environment be damned.
Don't like it? Tough. don't like it? THEN DO SOMETHING YOU LAZY FAT F*CK. DO IT NOW.
My job is to tell you that.
There's a bunch of websites on this, here are a few of my Favourites:
PEAK OIL LIVING
THE OIL DRUM
THE ENERGY BULLETIN
Now, get to work and stop whining.
I resemble that remark.
Let me be clear that I voted for Obama. I agree that this is going to be a problem. I frequent the Peak Oil sites as well and they scare the hell out of me.
I have mixed feelings about Gore, but clearly Smokey Joe is an idiot. The Peak Oil criticism of Gore is that he doesn't want Americans to make any sacrifices - continue driving cars in suburbia with alternative hydrogen, rather than walk and use bicycles and work close to home.
Obama has sounded a similar theme, saying "We will not apologize for our way of life" at his inauguration. Yes we should! We caused basically 25% of this problem! Similar to Cheney's statement that "our way of life is non-negotiable".
Even if Clean Coal can be perfected - there would still be mountaintop removal and coal ash spills to deal with. So Coal could never by definition be 100% "clean".
I recommend seeking out James Howard Kunstler on this topic as well (peak oil).
Can anyone tell me why all these Republicans seem to look like giant infants? Seriously-- they've almost all got the same pudgy, pasty, asexual look about them.
and probably the same mold within that mill.
the hookers don't care what they look like.
well it was a hoot when youalls douchbag, got on tv and smiled like he was serious and said thiers no reason we cant creat five million jobs with clean coal, wtf obama been smokeing!?
Don't tell them that their own party supports the same industries as the Repubs. It makes them mad.
yeah i know concerned but some bodys got to tell them ,might as well be......................you .....and me! it was interesting to see obama shill for some of the power corporations who bought his ass , he! he! clean coal and even he doesnt believe that !what a pos!
when talking to a male texan republican, always use a football analogy; never, and i mean never one that involves scandal otherwise he will assume it is a personal attack, especially if said texan republican has been implicated in a previous scandal.
well actually, i liked that; it seemed to make barton interested, even in his own drawling words
...but I did see something with Al, he did his famous "I suffer fools" sigh...from the debate....and it was never more justified.....
What a total dumb ass. Spit in his face Al! These texas politicians are a group in their own. Pompous, self-righteous, head-swollen ignoramouses. Dumber than a pile a shit, and damn proud of it! God, that is one f*cked over state with their representation.
Can we ALL vote on whether to have them secede or not???
and I challenge anyone with even half a brain to thrive in this state. I assure you, it cannot be done--unless you are willing to be a Bush Bot.
If you are smart, enthusiastic, and--God forbid--optimistic, the dominant drones (conservative 'Christian' Texans; aka Bush Bots) will do everything in their power to squash you.
For example, I am on the fast track to become a teacher. I made a perfect score on the Big Test that teachers are required to pass here in Texas (the director of my program told me she had never seen a perfect score in her twenty plus years in her current position), and I have excelled in the rest of my training. Yet, because 80% of my students failed their TAKS practice test, I have been forced to resign my first official teaching position. I was told that "you're too intelligent to teach these kids"('these kids' meaning, I can only presume, the predominantly Latino population--as if they are too dumb to learn anything from a "smart teacher"?!?)
I will leave this postion knowing two things quite clearly:
1) My kids love me, and they have learned a great deal more from me than just math.
2) I must nourish a healthy dose of cynicism, so that I can readily perceive the deceit and hypocrisy I'll find in most any administration with whom I will work in the future.
duplicate
karl rove, delay, numb-nuts bush, etc, etc.
It is about time the truth is allowed to stand in its "power." During the Bush regime, lies, well crafted propaganda, and stonewalling was the norm. Now, since President Barack Obama is in charge of our "first" office, the truth is again leading our country in the way most Americans are familiar with.
In his own right, Al Gore is a very powerful speaker -- in the same light as Obama. He knows how to put words together in a way that would result in a sound verbal intellectual ass whipping. Joe Barton will think twice before he addresses Gore again.
Joseph
..about Carbon Dioxide? KO had a video of Bachmann speaking (shutter), more like droning, on and on, about how carbon dioxide was natural, it occurred in nature, every time you breathe, carbon dioxide is not the bad gas those green-people think it is. I'm not quoting accurately but that she was talking instantly forces you to ponder whether she knows what she's talking about and this rant proved, once again, she does not know wtf she's talking about.
When it comes to environmental issues, I've noticed all of the different definitions that exist for pollution. Indeed, town to town, state to state, laws that define pollution all use different words, which to me would seem confusing and counter-productive as no one would be on the same page with someone else. I prefer to consider pollution the unnatural transfer of materials through an ecosystem. That is to say, too much of anything is not necessarily a good thing. So, Ms. Bachmann, please pay attention: you see, carbon dioxide may be natural but it has un-natural sources. So, if you contribute to the amount of carbon dioxide in the environment, by burning fossil fuels for instance, by the above definition, you are polluting and its an issue. Because you see, water too, is a natural occurring substance but when there's too much water, there's a flood and that's not good is it? (I know that's rather simplistic but consider who I'm trying to reach.) To say that it can't hurt you, well, I would suggest you try locking yourself in an air-tight room for a while and see whether or not you pass out and possibly die from, lack of oxygen replaced by an increase in the carbon dioxide fraction of air as a result of your breathing when you exhale carbon dioxide. And, while that answers your silly little tirade about how carbon dioxide is harmless, it still doesn't accurately portray carbon dioxide's role in global warming and this is going to be a little tougher but many have come to understand that this is the way it is and no matter what you say about it, you're wrong. It is the presence of too much carbon dioxide (and other gases) that is blocking the release of heat energy into space, warming the planet. And no, just because its cold in April, that doesn't mean there's no such thing as global warming.
Would the GOP please shut up, please shut up?
great post, surfjac,
Let's ask Bachman...if her house was burning down, would she just let it burn and say, "Oh, fire is a natural thing, so we shouldn't do anything about how it's affecting our lives", or should we actually do everything we could to stop it's effects?
carbon emissions. How else can you deal with it unless it is on everyone's mind and can be quantified.
Put a price on it. The market supposedly will correct the problem.
Gore's filibuster served to get facts in the record, unchallenged, I might add. No one refuted the substance of his statements.
Here in Texas, Smokey Joe Barton is well known for opposing efforts to clean up the ozone in places like Dallas and Tarrant county.
Keep it up Republicans. Go ahead and claim that global warming proponents claim that climate change is responsible for every single evil in our world, including keeping the Cowboys from winning football games. Only one of his staff members seems to have laughed at this "joke". I like how Al just calmly sits there with the look of reason on his face.
You just make yourself look ridiculous and out of touch just like your global warming denier buddy Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. Good job.
I think "ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee" means he is supposed to be the most senior and respected Republican on that Committe.
Really, you can't find a single Republican who believe in Global warming to fill that role?
"The gentleman from Texas"? How about moron?
That brown smear on the end of Joe Barton's nose is where slipped out of the oil executives' ass. What a fucking industry tool.
Login or Register to post comments.