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Fri, 2008-08-01 11:37Richard Littlemore
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Canadian "Friends of Science" Linking to U.S. Political Campaign

The organizer of a Calgary fundraising event for Republican Senator Sam Brownback has told the Globe and Mail that he also plans to divert some of the income to Friends of Science, a Canadian "not-for-profit" group that is already facing accusations of interfering illegally in the Canadian electoral process.

It is against U.S. law for Canadian citizens to financially support U.S. political campaigns, so Canadians cannot donate directly to Senator Brownback. It is, as yet, unreported how Friends of Science intends spend any income generated from this new source, but the organization has a history of financing highly political advertising campaigns during the course of an election.

Read more: Canadian "Friends of Science" Linking to U.S. Political Campaign
Mon, 2008-07-07 17:19Richard Littlemore
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UCalgary Audit Censorship Overruled

The Alberta Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has forced the University of Calgary to re-release part of an audit report, overruling censored information about a university payment to a PR firm that helped prepare and distribute a climate change denial video.

The audit report - censored and uncensored versions of which are attached - states that the University of Calgary paid APCO Worldwide more than $170,000 for "advice regarding video production, promotion of the video, distribution of the video, media relations services and other services." These payments violated university policy on several levels and are also suspected of having broken federal tax laws.

Read more: UCalgary Audit Censorship Overruled
Wed, 2008-04-23 16:47Richard Littlemore
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Friends of Science: Facts from the Coal Industry's Favourite Scientist

There are few people in the climate change denial industry who have Pat Michaels' demonstrated willingness to cuddle up to big coal.

So, it's no surprise that the discredited Friends of Science chose Michaels as keynote speaker for the Friends' Fifth Annual Luncheon Event.

Read more: Friends of Science: Facts from the Coal Industry's Favourite Scientist
Fri, 2007-11-02 08:04Richard Littlemore
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Friends of Science Caught in the Gauntlet

The Friends of Science - the nearly bankrupted Canadian climate change denial organization - comes under fire in the University of Calgary student newspaper, the Gauntlet, which asks a few pointed questions about why the university has not done more to sever the frequent (and financial) associations between Friends and the school.

Most particularly, Jon Roe at the Gauntlet suggests that Professor Barry Cooper, a political scientist who has promoted the connection and helped hide the oily source of the Friends' declining revenue , should be held accountable for having damaged the university's reputation by his actions.

Read more: Friends of Science Caught in the Gauntlet
Thu, 2007-08-16 15:49Kevin Grandia
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Friends of Science "educational funding" facing U of C audit?

UPDATE: sent this email to the University of Calgary today requesting an update. I'll let you know what I hear back.  

 

According to this email exchange (pdf.) posted to sourcewatch, it looks like the University of Calgary is considering an audit of the controversial 'Science Education Fund' that was used to fund the oil-industry backed so-called 'Friends of Science.'

The exchange is dated back to March, 2007 with no further updates. I've sent off an email to the University of Calgary requesting an update.

If any of our readers has an update, send me an email at desmogblog [at] gmail.com.

Read more: Friends of Science "educational funding" facing U of C audit?
Sat, 2006-08-12 06:13Jim Hoggan
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Oil Companies Funding Friends of Science, Tim Ball takes the brunt

A Globe and Mail feature article by Charles Montgomery today  has delivered what should be a death blow for the climate change denial and anti-Kyoto attack group, the Friends of Science.

The G&M says that FOS has taken undisclosed sums from Alberta oil and gas interests. The money was funneled through the Calgary Foundation, to the University of Calgary and on to the FOS though something called the “Science Education Fund.”

All this appears to be orchestrated by Stephen Harper’s long-time political confidante and fishing buddy, U. Calgary Prof Dr. Barry Cooper. It seems the FOS has taken a page right out of the US climate change attack group’s playbook: funnel money through foundations and third party groups to “wipe the oil” off the dollars they receive.

This comes as no surprise considering the FOS has been linked to some of the most notorious oil money-backed scientists in the US, including Drs. S. Fred Singer, Sallie Baliunas, Sherwood Idso, Willie Soon, Robert C. Balling and Pat Michaels.
Read more: Oil Companies Funding Friends of Science, Tim Ball takes the brunt
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