About the Western Business Roundtable (WBR)

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The Western Business Roundtable (WBR) is run by energy lobbyists with a history of using astroturf organizations as a means of advancing their client’s interests.

We have previously reported our extensive research on the Western Business Roundtable and Policy Communications Inc.,(the PR/Lobby firm that concocted the WBR), but we thought it worthwhile to summarize and update our findings in light of some anticipated activities we’ve gotten wind of.

The rumor is that the WCB will be releasing an economic impact study on the Western Climate Initiative during the week of February 16th, 2009. As we have reported previously, the WBR is providing their energy industry clients the ability to make life very difficult for the Western Climate Initiative. Considering the history and past strategies employed by Policy Communications Inc., it won’t be much of a shocker if their soon-to-be-released report will attempt to paint an extreme view of economic doom and gloom. And watch them flog the report hard with key reporters.

(If anyone gets a hold of an advance copy I would love to get my hands on it, anonymity guaranteed of course.)

The CEO of both the WBR and Policy Communications Inc. is Jim Sims, and his lobby firm and the groups they have created, have long been part of the energy-industry backed movement to promote the appearance of a “debate” around the role human activity is playing in climate change. For example, on the subject of climate change Sims stated in 2007 that:

“It is fashionable these days to say that the “debate is over” on the science underlying climate change. But in the arena of science, a debate continues to rage on many aspects of this issue.”

Continuing the appearance of a “debate” is one of the oldest PR tricks used by the energy lobby to delay action and sow public doubt around the issue of climate change. For example, a 1998 memo produced by another energy industry lobby for the American Petroleum Institute recommends that:

Victory Will Be Achieved When

– Average citizens “understand” (recognize) uncertainties in climate science; recognition of uncertainties becomes part of the “conventional wisdom”

– Media “understands” (recognizes) uncertainties in climate science

– Media coverage reflects balance on climate science and recognition of the validity of viewpoints that challenge the current “conventional wisdom”

– Industry senior leadership understands uncertainties in climate science, making them stronger ambassadors to those who shape climate policy

– Those promoting the Kyoto treaty on the basis of extent science appears to be out of touch with reality.

Given the acceptance by the vast majority of the world’s leaders that human activity is playing a significant role in global warming, government lobbyists trying to impede progress are using the global warming “debate” tactic less often.

Many groups like the WBR are reverting to the economic frame, claiming that global warming might be a reality, but it’s too expensive to do anything about it and then backing their claims with worst-case-scenario reports that have the appearance of third-party unbiased opinion. No doubt, this message will resonate given the tough economic times we’re in.

Hopefully mainstream media covering the release of the WBR’s report will provide the necessary context that will make it clear to the general public that the report is coming from an organization that was manufactured by an energy lobbyist firm on behalf of their clients. We’ve run across many of WBR’s backers in other work we’ve done, including: Peabody Energy, the American Petroleum Association, Center for Energy and Economic Development (CEED) and the Inter mountain Rural Electrical Association.

According to their website, most of the Executive members and employees of the Western Business Roundtable are staff of Policy Communications Inc. They are:

Jim Sims, President and CEO of the Western Business Roundtable

Britt Weygandt, Executive Director

Holly Propst, Director of Policy

Cody Stewart, Washington, D.C., Representative

I would encourage our readers to contact the media most likely to cover the WBR’s report. It just so happens that we have a list of such media if anyone is interested in helping out. If you are, send me an email at: [email protected].

You can read all the rest of the information about Jim Sims and the other organizations he has created in our research piece here: The Policy Communications Inc. Astroturf Shell Game.


This month we’re giving away FREE copies Nobel Laureate Dr. Andrew Weaver’s new book Keeping Our Cool: Canada in a Warming World.

Go here to find out more details about DeSmogBlog’s monthly book give-away.

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Kevin is a contributor and strategic adviser to DeSmogBlog.

He runs the digital marketing agency Spake Media House. Named a “Green Hero” by Rolling Stone Magazine and one of the “Top 50 Tweeters” on climate change and environment issues, Kevin has appeared in major news media outlets around the world for his work on digital campaigning.

Kevin has been involved in the public policy arena in both the United States and Canada for more than a decade. For five years he was the managing editor of DeSmogBlog.com. In this role, Kevin’s research into the “climate denial industry” and the right-wing think tank networks was featured in news media articles around the world. He is most well known for his ground-breaking research into David and Charles Koch’s massive financial investments in the Republican and tea party networks.

Kevin is the first person to be designated a “Certified Expert” on the political and community organizing platform NationBuilder.

Prior to DeSmogBlog, Kevin worked in various political and government roles. He was Senior Advisor to the Minister of State for Multiculturalism and a Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Asia Pacific, Foreign Affairs for the Government of Canada. Kevin also worked in various roles in the British Columbia provincial government in the Office of the Premier and the Ministry of Health.

In 2008 Kevin co-founded a groundbreaking new online election tool called Vote for Environment which was later nominated for a World Summit Award in recognition of the world’s best e-Content and innovative ICT applications.

Kevin moved to Washington, DC in 2010 where he worked for two years as the Director of Online Strategy for Greenpeace USA and has since returned to his hometown of Vancouver, Canada.

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