Clearing the PR Pollution that Clouds Climate Science

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Senators call on Exxon to stop funding climate change denial lobby

In an act of surprising bi-partisanship so close to the mid-term elections, Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.VA) have penned a letter to ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson demanding that Exxon, "end any further financial assistance [to groups] whose public advocacy has contributed to the small but unfortunately effective climate change denial myth." The Senators singled out the Washington lobby group Competitive Enterprise Institute, whose penchant for promoting junk science on climate change has been stoked over the years by over $2 million oily dollars from ExMo.

Of course, ExMo isn't the only one who has provided climate change denial groups with funding over the years, I recently called Ford Motor Company to the carpet on the very issue of continuing to fund the CEI, while promoting all sorts of climate change friendly Ford initiatives. This type of wolf-in-sheeps-clothing typifies the PR technique of "greenwashing:" to create a fancy PR image of being a "sustainable" or "environmentally friendly" company, like Ford has attempted, while at the same time continuing to provide funding to an organization whose goal is diametrically opposed  to the very image you are attempting to create.

Here is an in-depth ABC News piece on the Sens. letter to ExMo.
What's next?

Interesting connection

As most would know, Senator Jay Rockefeller's proper name is John D. Rockefeller IV, great grandson of the founder of Standard Oil - which was broken up in 1911 to include Standard Oil of New Jersey (Exxon) and Standard Oil of New York (Mobil).

Interesting

That's a little ironic!

About the climate cover-up

About the climate cover-up

Democracy is utterly dependant 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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