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The Western Business Roundtable (WBR) [6]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 [7] 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 [8] during the week of February 16th, 2009. As we have reported previously, [9] 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 [10]stated in 2007 that:

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 [11] recommends that:

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 [12] 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: desmogblog@gmail.com [13].

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. [14]

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Go here to find out more details about DeSmogBlog’s monthly book give-away. [17]