The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reported earlier today that Exxon-Mobil paid a total of $16 million to 43 front groups so that they would cause the public to ignore the scientific consensus behind global climate change.
Here is a link to the press release, which I quote and discuss below.
ExxonMobil has adopted the tobacco industry's disinformation tactics, as well as some of the same organizations and personnel, to cloud the scientific understanding of climate change and delay action on the issue.
Of course, we know how long it took the federal and state governments to take action against Big Tobacco. We need to make sure that the public knows how thoroughly it has been hoodwinked.
Aside from retaining several well-known global warming deniers, such as Patrick Michaels and Sallie Baliunas, Exxon-Mobil has shamelessly funded junk science, including papers that have been rather thoroughly discredited:
Baliunas is best known for a 2003 paper alleging the climate had not changed significantly in the past millennia that was rebutted by 13 scientists who stated she had misrepresented their work in her paper. This renunciation did not stop ExxonMobil-funded groups from continuing to promote the paper.
When thirteen scientists tell you that you're wrong, you're wrong. When an echo chamber continues to promote the discredited report to the public as accepted theory, that is an action that borders on criminal.
The UCS found evidence that, not content with twisting science for its own obscene profits, Exxon-Mobil even misrepresented its own actions:
ExxonMobil has used the laudable goal of improving scientific understanding of global warming—under the guise of "sound science"—for the pernicious ends of delaying action to reduce heat-trapping emissions indefinitely.
Of course, an Exxon-Mobil exec's idea of "improving scientific understanding" does nothing of the sort, just like any action undertaken by the Bush Administration. Oh, speaking of them, the UCS doesn't forget about connections between Exxon-Mobil and the White House:
... the oil company, like the tobacco industry in previous decades, has
[snip]
- used its access to the Bush administration to block federal policies and shape government communications on global warming
Surprised? I didn't think so. It is nice, though, to see official recognition of what we had suspected for so long.
The press release ends, as any good press release should, with a call to action, and it is a zinger:
"Consumers, shareholders and Congress should let the company know loud and clear that its behavior on this issue is unacceptable and must change."
I have linked, above, to the press release; from that page, you can read the full report. I would have quoted from the report, but wanted to get this on DKos as quickly as possible.