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Clearing the PR Pollution that Clouds Climate Science

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Bill Miller

13 November 07

Gore takes post with investment firm; vows to donate salary to climate protection

Al Gore has taken a partnership in Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, one of several Silicon Valley venture-capital firms with an eye toward financing alternative energy start-ups, so-called clean-tech companies.

John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins who is a strong advocate for the development of alternative energy technologies, said Gore would help the firm, one of Silicon Valley’s largest, attract innovative start-ups — an advantage in the firm’s competition with other venture capitalists.

Paul Kedrosky, a venture capitalist and author of the blog Infectious Greed, said Gore’s new role could benefit start-up companies by providing guidance through the political process.

Gore said he would donate his undisclosed salary to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a nonprofit policy foundation.

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#132050

Paul S. +0; Wed, 2007-11-14 22:03; No mention by the

Paul S (not verified)

No mention by the Goremei$ter what he will do with his stock options.

#140825

John Mashey. +0; Sat, 2007-12-15 16:04; More on Doerr

John Mashey (not verified)

DeSmogBlog folks might want to take a look at John Doerr's talk at a May 2007 TED conference:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/128

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is one of the world's top VC firms and Doerr one of the top VCs:
http://www.kpcb.com/team/index.php?greentech
http://www.kpcb.com/team/index.php?John%20Doerr

John is very smart, and very rich. [Was at Intel; $$ in companies like Sun, Intuit, Amazon, Google.]

This is 18 minutes long, and if you watch, make sure you watch the last minute, and you can assess whether John believes what he's saying or not.

One must always calibrate the mix of what a VC says about a market segment or portfolio company:

1) Are they doing something that they really believe in?
2) Or are they just flogging something so they can make more money?

[I hear VC pitches for companies often, so I have an opinion on this one.]

I've heard John talk a few times locally, and talked to him at parties a few times. Like everybody, he goofs on occasion (Segway), but nobody around here (Silicon Valley) ignores him.

Disclosure: I have no connection with KP. I have a little money in one of John's portfolio companies, Bloom Energy, but via a different VC firm.

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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