Global Warming Deniers

After commenting on Jeff Jacoby's OpEd, a regular reader and friend sent a link to The Center for Public Integrity. It should be noted that the friend was a faithful reader of the Right-Wing Global Warming Deniers Club, but is a recent devoted CONVERT, much like the recently reformed smoker, she has done far more research and read more scientific data than one could imagine.

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ExxonMobil offered $10,000 for pseudo-scientific papers to dismiss Global Warming, deny culpability and simply raise doubts in the minds of the public.

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The funding and support of phony groups to mislead and misinform has delayed addressing national energy policy, which is particularly significant since the US has ~ 5% of the world's population and consumes 25% of the world's resources. The US produces 25% of the world's pollution. The US has the highest per capita energy consumption -- most of it wasted.

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The following are excerpts from the Center for Public Integrity (emphasis mine), but worth reading in their entirety:

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Among the other groups that have lost funding, according to ExxonMobil’s corporate giving reports, are these other groups involved in conservative challenges to climate science:
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Federal Focus: A nonprofit research and education foundation that focuses on science policy.
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The Advancement of Sound Science Center, The Free Enterprise Education Institute, and the Free Enterprise Action Institute: All were or are run by prominent skeptic Steven Milloy.
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The Institute for Study of Earth and Man, at Southern Methodist University, in Texas: The Institute promotes education and research in geology, archeology, anthropology, energy, and environmental sciences.
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The International Republican Institute: Seeks to advances freedom and democracy worldwide by developing political parties, civic institutions, open elections, good governance, and rule of law. IRI is affiliated with the Republican Party and is chaired by its presidential nominee, Senator John McCain. It and a Democratic counterpart receive most of their funding from the U.S. government.
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The Media Institute: Describes itself as “a nonprofit research foundation specializing in communications policy and the First Amendment.”
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The Reason Foundation and the Reason Public Policy Institute: The foundation seeks to promote “libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets, and the rule of law.”
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The Heartland Institute: A libertarian think tank that sponsored the conference on global warming in March.
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A few months ago, ExxonMobil also announced it would de-fund the Capital Research Center, which advocates private alternatives to government regulation; The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, which works on food, water, environmental, and energy policy; The Frontiers of Freedom Institute, founded by former Republican Senator Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming, whose mission is to promote conservative public policy based on free enterprise principles; The George C. Marshall Institute, which conducts technical assessments of scientific issues with an impact on public policy; and The Institute for Energy Research, a nonprofit that conducts intensive research on government regulation of global energy markets.
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ExxonMobil's Jeffers said. “There is no disputing that good evidence shows that the climate has warmed. Our position is that the risk of man being involved in it warrants action in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Everybody has learned more. The thinking has evolved.”

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