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Clearing the PR Pollution that Clouds Climate Science

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A little taste of Inhofe's Committee of Misinformation

 

It is an early Christmas gift indeed to be writing on what will most likely be Sen. Jim Inhofe's last kick at the climate change misinformation can. Tomorrow morning, the Committee for Public Works and the Environment will hear testimony on the media's reporting on the issue of climate change. Thanks to DeSmog's vast information network and army of DeSmog Detectives, we have received advanced copies of the all of the testimony, but I think we'll just give you a teaser today.

Attached is the testimony of Dan Gainor who has absolutely no background in climate change and boasts a Master's Degree in Production Design. Mr. Gainor is a staffer at the Business and Media Institute, a subsidiary mouthpiece of the ExxonMobil funded Media Research Centre.

The introductory paragraph sets the tone for Gainor's unsubstantiated rant on the unfair treatment fringe scientists get from the media:

"Thank you Mr. Chairman, Senators, ladies and gentlemen. We’re here to discuss the media coverage of the climate change debate. But there’s only one problem, there is almost none of that debate actually in the media."

Of course, Gainor is compeletely incorrect according to this 2004 study by actual, real live researchers (attached), who found that, "of 636 stories published by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal between 1988 and 2002. They found that 53 percent of these articles “gave roughly equal attention to the views that humans contribute to global warming and that climate change is exclusively the result of natural fluctuations.”

The rest of Gainor's testimony pretty much speaks for itself. Same old song and dance, and hopefully the last for Gainor and his ilk in front of the Senate Committee on the Environment.

AttachmentSize
Gainor testimony.pdf16.54 KB
Boykoff.Boykoff.GEC_.2004.pdf377.93 KB
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#142861
Aaron G. +0; Mon, 2007-12-24 13:57; Let's tighten the noose on
Aaron G (not verified)

Let's tighten the noose on this guy. Direct email correspondence with a voter can be found at:

http://www.rethos.com/news/view/908-Senator-Jim-Inhofe-s-response-to-global-warming

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About the climate cover-up

About the climate cover-up

Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.

There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.

Although all public relations professionals are bound by a duty to not knowingly mislead the public, some have executed comprehensive campaigns of misinformation on behalf of industry clients on issues ranging from tobacco and asbestos to seat belts.

Lately, these fringe players have turned their efforts to creating confusion about climate change. This PR campaign could not be accomplished without the compliance of media as well as the assent and participation of leaders in government and business.



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Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy. The Desmog project is our answer to industry PR spin.

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