A few weeks ago, I
wrote about ExxonMobil's funding of think tanks, religious groups, media outlets and other organizations, to spread doubt about the reality of global climate change ("it's a theory, not a fact").
I came across this gem. It's a chart that tells which groups got how much money from ExxonMobil, the lies they spread, and interesting facts about each group.
Some examples from that chart:
1. Acton Institute for the Study of Religious Liberty. Received $155,000 from ExxonMobil. They say that carbon dioxide caps are "a misguided attempt to solve a problem that may not even exist." One of their advisors is an AEI fellow (American Enterprise Institute).
2. The Advancement of Sound Science Center received $40,000 from ExxonMobil. Guess who runs it? FoxNews.com's columnist Steve Milloy.
3. The American Enterprise Institute bagged a staggering $960,000 from ExxonMobil. Their publications include "Don't Worry, Be Happy" in 2004, basically saying that global climate change is just something us crazy, hysterical environmentalists have blown way out of proportion. The real President of the US Dick Cheney is one of their former senior fellows.
4. The Heritage Foundation received $340,000 from ExxonMobil. They say: "For the next several decades, fossil fuel use is key to improving the human condition."
In all, ExxonMobil donated $8 million to these groups and others like them.
Click on the link and check out the rest of the chart, as well as the text on the sidebar. This is fantastic work.
Now, here's your challenge, Kossacks:
Come up with as many GOP pseudoscience connections as you can. For example, Rick Santorum has worked with the Discovery Institute, which is the strongest proponent of "intelligent design". Here's something he wrote for them, in which he says:
Where biological evolution is taught, the curriculum should help students to understand why this subject generates so much continuing controversy, and prepare them to be informed participants in public discussions.
There are many, many more. Dig around on the internets and post your findings in the comments. My goal is to create a master chart of connections. Who knows, it might be useful someday... maybe in 2006.