George Monbiot's articleThe Denial Industry in today's Guardian highlights the efforts that Exxon has made to finance the global warming denial industry which is something we most of us were aware of at some level. However he also highlights how their strategy was borrowed from the steps that the tobacco industry, specifically Phillip Morris, took to counter the 1992 EPA report Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking (pdf). We would still be blissfully unaware of Phillip Morris's tactics had it not been for the settlement of a class action suit against the tobacco companies which forced them to publish their internal documents.
Subsequent to the release of the EPA report Phillip Morris hired the public relations firm APCO. Their advice concluded that:
Subsequent to the release of the EPA report Phillip Morris hired the public relations firm APCO. Their advice concluded that:
"No matter how strong the arguments, industry spokespeople are, in and of themselves, not always credible or appropriate messengers".
The message was clear. In order to counter scientific arguments the case had to be presented by a "neutral" body with no apparent links to the industry.
Phillip Morris spent 225K USD (a snippet to them), through APCO, to set up the independent sounding Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC) (150K USD of this went to APCO for their fees).
In addition to the link in strategy between what Exxon is doing and Phillip Morris has done there is a link in cross funding. TASSC has received funding from Exxon as well as from Phillip Morris and has spread the money around. One of the recipients has be the web site (I won't give a link) www.junkscience.com the rabid global warming denial site that right wingers always seem to point you to when they want to "prove" global warming ain't happening. The web site is run Steve Milloy who also writes an on-line "Junk Science" column for Faux News.* Fox has continued to employ him even though they have been made aware of the funding he receives from Exxon and Phillip Morris. They have not informed readers of this conflict of interest.
According to Monbiot Exxon and Phillip Morris money also goes to many of the conservative think tanks who also, to lesser or greater degrees, spread the message that global warming isn't real including: Among them are some of the world's best-known "thinktanks": the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the Hudson Institute, the Frontiers of Freedom Institute, the Reason Foundation and the Independent Institute, as well as George Mason University's Law and Economics Centre. He adds that he "can't help wondering whether there is any aspect of conservative thought in the United States that has not been formed and funded by the corporations."
It is beholden on the media to ensure that the "opinions" and "research" that is disseminated by these corporate funded groups is exposed for what it is, propaganda, and that it should not be allowed credibility. It is beholden on all of us to ensure that the difference between serious, scholarly peer reviewed science from reputable sources and this corporate financed pabulum is highlighted at every opportunity.
Phillip Morris spent 225K USD (a snippet to them), through APCO, to set up the independent sounding Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC) (150K USD of this went to APCO for their fees).
In addition to the link in strategy between what Exxon is doing and Phillip Morris has done there is a link in cross funding. TASSC has received funding from Exxon as well as from Phillip Morris and has spread the money around. One of the recipients has be the web site (I won't give a link) www.junkscience.com the rabid global warming denial site that right wingers always seem to point you to when they want to "prove" global warming ain't happening. The web site is run Steve Milloy who also writes an on-line "Junk Science" column for Faux News.* Fox has continued to employ him even though they have been made aware of the funding he receives from Exxon and Phillip Morris. They have not informed readers of this conflict of interest.
According to Monbiot Exxon and Phillip Morris money also goes to many of the conservative think tanks who also, to lesser or greater degrees, spread the message that global warming isn't real including: Among them are some of the world's best-known "thinktanks": the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the Hudson Institute, the Frontiers of Freedom Institute, the Reason Foundation and the Independent Institute, as well as George Mason University's Law and Economics Centre. He adds that he "can't help wondering whether there is any aspect of conservative thought in the United States that has not been formed and funded by the corporations."
It is beholden on the media to ensure that the "opinions" and "research" that is disseminated by these corporate funded groups is exposed for what it is, propaganda, and that it should not be allowed credibility. It is beholden on all of us to ensure that the difference between serious, scholarly peer reviewed science from reputable sources and this corporate financed pabulum is highlighted at every opportunity.
Today's article is an extract from Monbiot's new book Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning.
*Neither the junk science website nor the Faux News column should not be confused with the Guardian weekly feature Bad Science which is worth reading.
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