William O’Keefe

William F. O’Keefe

Credentials

Background

William O’Keefe is the former CEO of the George C. Marshall Institute, before it became the CO2 Coalition in 2015. He also sat as an inital Board Member of the CO2 Coalition.2 โ€œBoard Members,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute. Archived August 15, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jDCXl 3 Gayathri Vaidyanathan. โ€œADVOCACY:Think tank that cast doubt on climate change science morphs into smaller one,โ€ ClimateWire, December 10, 2015. Archived February 26, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/d7APw 4 โ€œAbout,โ€ Co2 Coalition. Archived September 4, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Xo0M9

O’Keefe served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the American Petroleum Institute (API) from 1974 to 1999. API โ€represents all aspects of Americaโ€™s oil and natural gas industry.โ€5 โ€œAbout API,โ€ American Petroleum Institute. Archived January 28, 1999. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/yF5Y2 6 โ€œABOUT API,โ€ American Petroleum Institute. Archived March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/sp7US

He has worked for a variety of think tanks and industry groups in executive capacities, and has worked as a registered lobbyist for industry groups on climate change and energy issues including oil giant ExxonMobil and API.7 Lobbying Disclosure Act Database search. Performed March 25, 2017. Archived .xlsx on file at DeSmog.

According to his archived profile at the Marshall Institute, O’Keefe previously sat on the board of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), and was president of the now-defunct Global Climate Coalition (GCC) (of which API was a member). He has also been a director at the Kennedy Institute, and the U.S. Energy Association. He was formerly the Senior Vice President of Jellinek, Schwartz and Conolly, Inc. and Chief Administrative Officer of the Center for Naval Analyses.8 โ€œWilliam O’Keefe,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute. Archived September 28, 2013. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Abs0q

Lobbying

O’Keefe is founder and president of the lobbying firm Solutions Consulting, for which he served as a registered lobbyist for ExxonMobil Corporation from 2001 to 2005. He was also a registered lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute (API) according to data from OpenSecrets.org. According to the Marshall Institute’s 2009 form 990, Solutions Consulting also โ€œprovided consulting servicesโ€ to the George C. Marshall Institute.9 โ€œLobbying Registrationโ€ (PDF), Clerk of the House of Representatives, June 10, 2004. Retrieved from The United States Senate Lobbying Disclose Act Database. PDF on file at DeSmog. 10 โ€œO’Keefe, William F,โ€ OpenSecrets.org. Accessed March 25, 2017. Archived data on file at DeSmog.

A query of the United States Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act Database reveals the following from a search for the lobbyist name โ€œo’keefe, williamโ€:11 Lobbying Disclosure Act Database search. Performed March 25, 2017. Archived .xlsx on file at DeSmog.

Registrant & Client NameAmount Reported
American Petroleum Institute
AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
1999$1,572,855
2000$460,000
2008$1,270,000
SOLUTIONS CONSULTING
ADA CONSULTING SERVICES$0
2003$0
2004$0
EXXON MOBIL
2001$0
2002$0
2004$20,000
2005$0
Grand Total$3,322,855

According to original filings, O’Keefe lobbied for ExxonMobil primarily on issues relating to โ€œclimate change,โ€ โ€œenergy legislation and climate change provisions,โ€ and โ€œenergy.โ€12 Lobbying Disclosure Act Database search. Performed March 25, 2017. Archived .xlsx on file at DeSmog.

Stance on Climate Change

October 11, 2015

Writing at the Marshall Institute, William O’Keefe claims the debate on whether humans are causing climate change is not settled:13 William O’Keefe. โ€œSenator Whitehouse Whitewashes Climate Change Reality,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, October 11, 2015. Archived March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VZYCe

โ€œAdvocates assert that the hypothesis that increased atmospheric carbon dioxideโ€”CO2โ€”from fossil fuel use will lead to unacceptable increases in global temperatures is no longer open to debate. A review of the evolution of our understanding of the climate system and human influence on it makes clear that neither climate science nor human influence are settled.โ€14 William O’Keefe. โ€œSenator Whitehouse Whitewashes Climate Change Reality,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, October 11, 2015. Archived March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VZYCe

2001โ€“2005

The Huffington Post wrote that O’Keefe โ€œhas moved from the ‘there is no problem’ phase directly into the ‘itโ€™s too late’ phase.โ€ In 2001, O’Keefe had declared:15 Carl Pope. โ€œThe Heat Is On,โ€ The Huffington Post, October 3, 2005. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fFNHo

โ€œWe have no capacity to influence Mother Natureโ€16 Carl Pope. โ€œThe Heat Is On,โ€ The Huffington Post, October 3, 2005. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fFNHo

In 2005, he said that it was too late to do anything about climate change:17 Carl Pope. โ€œThe Heat Is On,โ€ The Huffington Post, October 3, 2005. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fFNHo

โ€œWe arenโ€™t going to put the carbon dioxide genie back in the bottle. Thereโ€™s no going back. There is too much fossil fuel, itโ€™s too cheap, and itโ€™s too easy to get.โ€18 Carl Pope. โ€œThe Heat Is On,โ€ The Huffington Post, October 3, 2005. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fFNHo

Key Quotes

October, 2015

Speaking of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 in Paris, O’Keefe wrote at the Marshall Institute:19 William O’Keefe. โ€œClimate Radicalism,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, October 5, 2015. Archived March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/x9e9U

โ€[โ€ฆ] the climate problem that the COP seeks to solve is not real. It is an image that does not conform with the real world or the climate that we actually experience.โ€20 William O’Keefe. โ€œClimate Radicalism,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, October 5, 2015. Archived March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/x9e9U

August 28, 2015

Writing at the Fuel Fix blog (cross posted at the Marshall Institute), O’Keefe declares:21 William O’Keefe. โ€œCommentary: Climate Industryโ€™s Annual Meeting,โ€ Fuel Fix, August 28, 2015. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XtQuU 22 โ€œClimate Industryโ€™s Annual Meeting,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, July 28, 2015. Archived March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/blaIh

โ€œWhile the annual meetings of the climate establishment are likely to continue there is growing evidence that the climate is not behaving as the models say it should have and the fact that CO2 is a nutrient that makes our lives better because of plant and crop growth.โ€23 William O’Keefe. โ€œCommentary: Climate Industryโ€™s Annual Meeting,โ€ Fuel Fix, August 28, 2015. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XtQuU

June 30, 2004

Writing at United for Jobs, O’Keefe described the Climate Stewardship Act as a โ€œTrojan horse.โ€24 Bill O’Keefe. โ€œA CLIMATE CHANGE TROJAN HORSE,โ€ United for Jobs, June 30, 2004. Archived August 16, 2004. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8gNPR

โ€œThe sponsors of this legislation, Senators McCain and Lieberman, believe that it is a cost-effective way using market forces to respond to the serious climate change threat caused by human activity. In fact it is none of these and their statements about the seriousness of the climate change threat goes well beyond the current state of scientific knowledge,โ€ O’Keefe wrote.25 Bill O’Keefe. โ€œA CLIMATE CHANGE TROJAN HORSE,โ€ United for Jobs, June 30, 2004. Archived August 16, 2004. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8gNPR

June 1, 2001

Writing at the George C. Marshall Institute about the Kyoto Protocol, O’Keefe declared:26 William O’Keefe. โ€œCandor about Kyoto,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, June 1, 2001. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/M8gsS

โ€œThe President said what most people familiar with this issue already knew: Kyoto is flawed and will not work.โ€27 William O’Keefe. โ€œCandor about Kyoto,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, June 1, 2001. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/M8gsS

November, 1998

O’Keefe presented at a congressional hearing, saying the Kyoto protocol was driven by โ€œpseudo factsโ€ and โ€œdoomed to failure,โ€ Oil and Gas Journal reported.28 โ€œAPI: U.S. oil industry recognizes climate change risk,โ€ Oil & Gas Journal, November 2, 1998. Archived March 25, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

โ€œFortunately, we have sufficient time to craft a course of action based on facts, hardheaded analysis, and objective assessment of the climate risks,โ€ he said.29 โ€œAPI: U.S. oil industry recognizes climate change risk,โ€ Oil & Gas Journal, November 2, 1998. Archived March 25, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

According to O’Keefe, the risks of climate change are โ€œmore moderate and in the more distant future than the Kyoto Protocol implies.โ€30 โ€œAPI: U.S. oil industry recognizes climate change risk,โ€ Oil & Gas Journal, November 2, 1998. Archived March 25, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

He said, the protocol would โ€œwaste society’s scarce resources and divert them from actions that would be far more beneficial.โ€31 โ€œAPI: U.S. oil industry recognizes climate change risk,โ€ Oil & Gas Journal, November 2, 1998. Archived March 25, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

1997

ThinkProgress reports that two years after the IPCC had declared that a โ€œbalance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate,โ€ and nations gathered in Kyoto, Japan, O’Keefe was among the dissenters:32 Joe Romm. โ€œThe A.P. Slams U.S. Deniers in 2,000-Word Essay: ‘The American โ€˜Allergyโ€™ to Global Warming: Why?‘,โ€ ThinkProgress, September 28, 2011. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nmsfT

โ€œThe statement that weโ€™ll have continued warming with an increase in CO2 is opinion, not fact,โ€ Oโ€™Keefe told reporters in Kyoto.33 Joe Romm. โ€œThe A.P. Slams U.S. Deniers in 2,000-Word Essay: ‘The American โ€˜Allergyโ€™ to Global Warming: Why?‘,โ€ ThinkProgress, September 28, 2011. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nmsfT

June 28, 1996

According to research documents from Ozone Action, O’Keefe stated that we should wait to take action on climate change:34 โ€œGCC About All,โ€ Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 35 Kelly Sims. โ€œGone Completely Crazy,โ€ Ozone Action. Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

โ€œWe could wait 20 to 25 years to take action until scientific uncertainty is lessened.โ€36 โ€œGCC About All,โ€ Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 37 Kelly Sims. โ€œGone Completely Crazy,โ€ Ozone Action. Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Key Deeds

June 6, 2017

Writing at InsideSources, a news site describing itself as an alternative to โ€œconventional wisdom,โ€ O’Keefe cites a free-market and industry-funded think tanks to claim that renewable energy like wind and solar energy โ€œsurvive only because of subsidies.โ€38 Wiliam O’Keefe. โ€œEnergyโ€™s Unintended Experiment,โ€ InsideSources, June 6, 2017. Archived June 27, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/E75eH 39 โ€œAbout InsideSources,โ€ InsideSources. Archived June 27, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/92fDI

He quotes the American Enterprise Institute’s (AE) Benjamin Zycher who said that solar power โ€œis not cost-competitive with conventional electricity, and cannot survive without massive subsidies.โ€ Notably, AEI is one of the most heavily-funded climate change denial organizations. In addition to over $3 million in funding from ExxonMobil, AEI has received over millions of dollars from the secretive donor groups DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund.40 Wiliam O’Keefe. โ€œEnergyโ€™s Unintended Experiment,โ€ InsideSources, June 6, 2017. Archived June 27, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/E75eH

The other group cited by O’Keefe include the Global Warming Policy Forum (a subsidiary of the Global Warming Policy Foundation), which advocated for methane as an alternative fuel.41 Wiliam O’Keefe. โ€œEnergyโ€™s Unintended Experiment,โ€ InsideSources, June 6, 2017. Archived June 27, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/E75eH

January 7, 2017

Writing at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, William O’Keefe voiced his support of President Donald Trump‘s choice of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.42 โ€œWilliam Oโ€™Keefe: Rex Tillerson brings substance to the State Department,โ€ Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Nx6Tg

โ€œThe facts that Mr. Tillerson has led ExxonMobil and been successful in negotiating with Vladimir Putin are being used by some to suggest that he should not be confirmed when, in fact, those facts are strong reasons for confirmation,โ€ O’Keefe wrote.43 โ€œWilliam Oโ€™Keefe: Rex Tillerson brings substance to the State Department,โ€ Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Nx6Tg

โ€œMr. Tillerson would bring that integrity to the task of being secretary of state, and his management and global track record could breathe life and efficiency into a department that is often characterized as slow-moving and ponderous.โ€44 โ€œWilliam Oโ€™Keefe: Rex Tillerson brings substance to the State Department,โ€ Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Nx6Tg

May 25, 2017

O’Keefe claimed that the signing of the Paris agreement on climate change โ€œ has focused too much attention on how individual countries will meet their obligations,โ€ writing at The Hill. According to O’Keefe, โ€œenergy povertyโ€ is the real problem, and what he contends is a โ€œcontinued debateโ€ on climate science is a distraction:45 William O’Keefe. โ€œA focus on climate change ignores energy poverty,โ€ The Hill, May 25, 2016. Archived March 26, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/YEk1b

โ€œThe continued debate over carbon dioxide emissions and whether climate science is settled diverts attention and resources from addressing the serious energy poverty problem that we know how to solve: getting adequate and affordable energy to the world’s least well-off and helping them improve their standard of living,โ€ he concluded.46 William O’Keefe. โ€œA focus on climate change ignores energy poverty,โ€ The Hill, May 25, 2016. Archived March 26, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/YEk1b

January 15, 2016

Climate scientist Michael Mann re-posted an email open letter that was sent by John Droz of the American Tradition Institute (now E&E Legal) and forwarded by Will Happer of the CO2 Coalition. Mann writes on Facebook that the letter โ€œreads like a who’s who of climate change contrarianism, with many of the most notorious industry-funded climate change deniers listed.โ€ William O’Keefe is listed among the initial signatories of the letter, which supports Lamar Smith‘s probe of climate change scientists.47 โ€œSeveral colleagues have notified me of the following email [โ€ฆ],โ€ Michael E. Mann via Facebook, January 19, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

December, 2015

In an undercover investigation by Greenpeace UK, investigators posed as representatives for a (fictional) Middle Eastern oil company seeking a report that would outline the benefits of CO2 while keeping the sources of the funding secret. In the email chain, Will Happer defers to his colleague William O’Keefe at the CO2 Coalition for advice:48 โ€œEmail-Chain-Happer-O-Keefe-and-Donors-Trust,โ€ Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Contributed by Damian Kahya, Greenpeace. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

โ€œI am trying get [sic] another mysterious client to donate funds to the CO2 Coalition instead of compensating me for my writing something for them,โ€ Happer wrote to O’Keefe.

O’Keefe suggested funnelling funding through Donors Trust, a secretive group that has been described as the โ€œdark money ATMโ€ of the conservative movement in the US.49 Andy Kroll. โ€œExposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement,โ€ Mother Jones, February 5, 2013. Archived July 24, 2015.

โ€œWe are under no obligation to identify donors, except to the IRS but I think that is just organizations,โ€ O’Keefe responded in an email. โ€œWhen people ask the IRS or a firms 990, the donor list is redacted. If the person participates in the Donors Trust, he/she can make the notation through that and have complete confidentiality.โ€50 Andy Kroll. โ€œExposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement,โ€ Mother Jones, February 5, 2013. Archived July 24, 2015.

April 1, 2015

After the George C. Marshall Institute received a letter, along with 99 other organizations and corporations, from Senators Edward Markey (D-MA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) , O’Keefe responded with an official letter to the Senators on behalf of the George C. Marshall Institute.51 William O’Keefe. โ€œResponse of William Oโ€™Keefe to Senators Markey, Boxer and Whitehouse on Institute Climate Research,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, April 1, 2015. Archived March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uQ0Q6

He wrote that it was โ€œclear that the Instituteโ€™s views have been consistent, scientifically based, and independent of funding sources.โ€ In the letter, he also claims that โ€œ[climate] models remain a poor substitute for empirical evidence and the testing of hypothesis by rigorous adherence to the scientific process. We do not reject the reality of global warming and climate change, but do reject the hypotheses that increases in CO2 have and are having a detrimental impact. Indeed, CO2 is a nutrient, not a pollutant.โ€52 โ€œDear Senators Markey, Boxer, and Whitehouseโ€ (PDF), George C. Marshall Institute, April 1, 2015. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

June 16, 2010

Writing at the โ€œPlanet Panelโ€ at The Washington Post, O’Keefe responded to the question โ€œShould EPA keep pressing ahead with new greenhouse gas rules, or should it accept Congress will shape the future of any mandatory limits on carbon dioxide?โ€53 William O’Keefe. โ€œEnergy policy is beyond EPA’s mission,โ€ The Washington Post, June 16, 2010. Archived March 26, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/aq8ck

โ€œClimate policy is energy policy and that is beyond EPA’s mission and competence.54 William O’Keefe. โ€œEnergy policy is beyond EPA’s mission,โ€ The Washington Post, June 16, 2010. Archived March 26, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/aq8ck

โ€œGovernment agencies have a hard enough time with their assigned missions without attempting to perform ones that are beyond their expertise and competence.55 William O’Keefe. โ€œEnergy policy is beyond EPA’s mission,โ€ The Washington Post, June 16, 2010. Archived March 26, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/aq8ck

โ€œEPA knows, as does Congress, that the Clean Air Act was never intended to cover regulation of CO2. [โ€ฆ]โ€56 William O’Keefe. โ€œEnergy policy is beyond EPA’s mission,โ€ The Washington Post, June 16, 2010. Archived March 26, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/aq8ck

September 30, 2005

Speaking at the Annual Meeting Of The Society Of Environmental Journalists, O’Keefe declared:57 โ€œClimate Policy: A Reality Checkโ€ (PDF), George C. Marshall Insitute Policy Outlook (September, 2005). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

โ€œFor almost two decades, the climate debate has been dominated by advocates and environmental ministries, primarily those from the European Union. They used the image of a distant environmental apocalypse caused by human activity to fashion an unsustainable and unachievable treaty and to demonize any one who questioned their orthodoxy. That orthodoxy holds that climate science is settled, that humans are the major cause of warming in recent decades, and that there is only one way to avoid a climate-induced apocalypse later this century. That one way is to drastically reduce green- house gas emissions to levels 60% below 1990 levels by 2050. That orthodoxy is not built on observation, measurement, validation, and objective analyses, which are the bases of scientific information and sound policy.โ€58 โ€œClimate Policy: A Reality Checkโ€ (PDF), George C. Marshall Insitute Policy Outlook (September, 2005). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Talking about climate models, he describes them as โ€œ instruments of mischief,โ€ that have โ€œnot been validated.โ€59 โ€œClimate Policy: A Reality Checkโ€ (PDF), George C. Marshall Insitute Policy Outlook (September, 2005). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

In his conclusion, he suggests climate change skepticism should be looked upon more favorably by journalists. โ€œHealthy skepticism makes good journalism and is recognized as a virtue. In the climate debate, unfortunately, it has been treated as a vice. It should not be,โ€ he said.60 โ€œClimate Policy: A Reality Checkโ€ (PDF), George C. Marshall Insitute Policy Outlook (September, 2005). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

February 10, 2005

William O’Keefe was a panelist at a CEI event titled โ€œThe Kyoto Protocol and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion on the Future of International and U. S. Climate Policyโ€ that examined what Kyoto would mean for future climate policy in the U.S.61 โ€œThe Kyoto Protocol and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion on the Future of International and U. S. Climate Policy,โ€ CEI Events and Appearances. Archived April 26, 2006. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/wfPMu

June 3, 2004

In his capacity as President of the Marshall Institute, O’Keefe made remarks at the EPA Science Forum in 2004. In his concluding statements, he advocates for adaptation as opposed to prevention when it comes to climate change:62 โ€œThe Challenge of Making Climate Science Policy Relevant,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute Policy Outlook (June, 2004). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

โ€œUntil we have better information and analytical capabilities, a higher premium also should be placed on adaptation planning,โ€ O’Keefe wrote. โ€œNothing we do in the short run is going to
change the atmospheric concentration profile over the next few decades.โ€63 โ€œThe Challenge of Making Climate Science Policy Relevant,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute Policy Outlook (June, 2004). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

He also focuses on the supposed uncertainty regarding man’s role in climate change as a reason to postpone climate action:64 โ€œThe Challenge of Making Climate Science Policy Relevant,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute Policy Outlook (June, 2004). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

โ€œIt should be self evident that until we better understand natural variability, feedbacks, climate sensitivity, cloud formation, water vapor, solar variability, and ocean currents, we cannot adequately understand the extent of human influence or the appropriate actions to mitigate it,โ€ he wrote.65 โ€œThe Challenge of Making Climate Science Policy Relevant,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute Policy Outlook (June, 2004). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

January 6, 2004

Pointing to a โ€œreviewโ€ conducted by prominent climate change deniers Sallie Baliunas and Willie Soon, O’Keefe writes about the supposed โ€œscientific uncertaintyโ€ around climate change.66 William O’Keefe. โ€œClimate debate isnโ€™t about action, itโ€™s about knowledge,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, January 6, 2004. Archived March 5, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FpQrh

โ€œThis is just one example of scientific uncertainty. There are many others demonstrating that the science of climate change is far from settled. Neither I nor anyone else knows whether over the course of this century the climate will be a scientific curiosity or a serious ecological threatโ€, he writes. โ€œIf it becomes a serious threat, todayโ€™s so-called renewable energy sources may not be the best solutions.โ€67 William O’Keefe. โ€œClimate debate isnโ€™t about action, itโ€™s about knowledge,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, January 6, 2004. Archived March 5, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FpQrh

He goes on to suggest that renewable energy sources are not a feasible solution. โ€œThe potential of a renewable-based economy may seem boundless, but it has real practical limits,โ€ he wrote. He concludes: โ€œOur nation should not be frightened into adopting unknown and unproven technologies until they can contribute to healthy economic growth and until we better understand the impact of human activities on our climate system.โ€68 William O’Keefe. โ€œClimate debate isnโ€™t about action, itโ€™s about knowledge,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute, January 6, 2004. Archived March 5, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FpQrh

December 4, 2002

William O’Keefe promoted the Global Climate and Energy Project of Stanford University as a โ€œa welcome collaboration between academia and the private sector that holds the promise of shedding much-needed light on the debate on global warming.โ€69 William O’Keefe. โ€œA global climate and energy project,โ€ International Herald Tribune, December 4, 2002. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection CEQ 12 06 media6 (page 53). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

In the article, O’Keefe also dismisses the Kyoto Protocol:70 William O’Keefe. โ€œA global climate and energy project,โ€ International Herald Tribune, December 4, 2002. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection CEQ 12 06 media6 (page 53). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

โ€œThe draconian and poorly thought out restrictions in Kyoto would stifle economic growth in the worldโ€™s most advanced nations, while allowing the full-throttle economies of emerging giants like China, India, Indonesia and Brazil to continue spewing carbon dioxide emissions at will,โ€ he wrote. The Standford project would โ€œseek to provide the kind of clean energy alternatives that will allow all nations to dramatically reduce man-made greenhouse gas emissions,โ€ he adds.71 William O’Keefe. โ€œA global climate and energy project,โ€ International Herald Tribune, December 4, 2002. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection CEQ 12 06 media6 (page 53). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The Global Climate and Energy Project’s founding sponsors included ExxonMobil, General Electric, Schlumberger, and Toyota. The four sponsors planned to invest $225 million into Stanford and other institutions working on the project.72 The Lamp Number 2 (2008 – PDF). ExxonMobil. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

April 4, 2002

O’Keefe was a guest on NPR’s โ€œMorning Editionโ€ discussing the IPCC, and then IPCC Chairman Robert Watson:73 โ€œIpcc,โ€ NPR, April 4, 2002. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

According to O’Keefe, representing the George C. Marshall Institute, Watson was too quick to blame industry for global warming.74 โ€œIpcc,โ€ NPR, April 4, 2002. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

โ€œI believe that Bob Watson and some of his colleagues have reached a conclusion about the state of science which we don’t believe is justified.โ€75 โ€œIpcc,โ€ NPR, April 4, 2002. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

The program mentioned that ExxonMobil, for whom O’Keefe was also a lobbyist at the time, also criticized Watson’s proposed regulations on industry, sending a memo to the White House the previous year asking that Watson be replaced.76 โ€œIpcc,โ€ NPR, April 4, 2002. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

June 9, 2000

According to ExxonSecrets, Bill O’Keefe went on NBC Nightly News where he criticized the Clinton Administration’s report, โ€œNational Analysis of the Long Term Consequences of Global Warming.โ€77 โ€œFACTSHEET: WILLIAM OKEEFE,โ€ ExxonSecrets. Accessed March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/0KjkC

โ€œEverybody who has read the full document comes to the same conclusion. That it is a document that is designed to scare, not to enlighten, to mislead, not inform. And that’s unfortunate,โ€ he said.78 โ€œFACTSHEET: WILLIAM OKEEFE,โ€ ExxonSecrets. Accessed March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/0KjkC

December, 1997

In a report titled โ€œAstroturf Troopersโ€œ Mother Jones (MJ) reported that William O’Keefe kickstarted the Global Climate Coalition (GCC) in 1996 when he hired former lobbyist Susan Moya to set up a national network of โ€œgrassrootsโ€ groups that included industry-funded groups across the states. MJ found that GCC was โ€œ coordinating a secret coalition of extreme right-wingers and astroturf groupsโ€”fake grassroots lobbyists funded by conservative foundations and corporations.โ€79 Keith Hammond. โ€œAstroturf Troopers,โ€ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive. Is URL: https://archive.is/uqFvL

While Moya denied the existence of the astroturf network, an internal memo (page 1, page 2) obtained by Mother Jones suggested otherwise. Mother Jones wrote that โ€œsome of the corporate-funded astroturf groups named in her memo, including Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy and People for the West, confirmed that they were part of Moya’s network of ‘state grassroots leaders,’ and that they received this memo.โ€80 โ€œAstroturf Memo, page 1,โ€ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived November 1, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/eVd8Z 81 โ€œAstroturf Memo, page 2,โ€ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived November 2, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Nk3vS

Representatives named in the memo as โ€œavailable for contactโ€ included:82 โ€œAstroturf Memo, page 2,โ€ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived November 2, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Nk3vS

NameOrganization
Eric LichtAlliance for America
Diane SteedCoalition for Vehicle Choice (CVC)
Ron DeforeCoalition for Vehicle Choice (CVC)
Jeff MillerCoalition for Vehicle Choice (CVC)
Bruce VincentAlliance for America
Steve MillerThe Center for Energy & Economic Development
Susan ChristyPeople for the West
Michael CoffmanSovereignty International
Cindy MorphewTexas Oil & Gas Association
Floy LilleyUniversity of Texas @ Austin
Randy EmingerThe Center for Energy and Economic Development
Lydia RobertsonCVC-Arkansas
John FedericoCVC-Kansas
Don MorrisonCVC-Missouri
Bob LinderwoodCVC-Ohio
Pat NolanCVC-Tennessee
Chuck CushmanAmerican Land Rights Association
Senator Malcolm Wallop (former)Promises of Freedom Institute
H. Sterling BurnettNational Center for Policy Analysis
Peggy M. VenableTexas Citizens for a Sound Economy
Duggan FlanakinEnvironmental Compliance Reporter, Inc.
David R. PinkusSmall Business United of TX
Carole Keeton RylanderTexas Railroad Commission
Steve ReevesGreater Houston Partnership
Carol JonesTexas Citizens for a Sound Economy
Genie ShortTexas Citizens for a Sound Economy

November 10, 1996

The American Petroleum Institute hosted a presentation titled โ€œClimate Change: International Economic Implicationsโ€ during its 1996 Annual Meeting. William F. O’Keefe, at the time executive vice president of API and chairman of the Global Climate Coalition, was among the speakers at the session.83 โ€œAPI Presents Session on Warming, Economic Impact,โ€ IAC Newsletter Database. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection api-presentation-speaker-1996.

August 4, 1996

O’Keefe wrote an article in The Houston Chronicle where he warns against any binding international agreement to combat greenhouse gas emissions.84 โ€œDrimcgrawhill Press Kyoto 96,โ€ Retrieved from DocumentCloud.

โ€œThis comes at a time when the scientific community remains sharply divided over the timing, extent and consequences of climate change,โ€ he wrote.85 โ€œDrimcgrawhill Press Kyoto 96,โ€ Retrieved from DocumentCloud.

According to O’Keefe, โ€œMassive energy taxes would, of course, cost millions of American jobs.โ€86 โ€œDrimcgrawhill Press Kyoto 96,โ€ Retrieved from DocumentCloud.

August 3, 1996

Responding to a July 21 editorial that had been titled โ€œHow to Cool the Earth,โ€ O’Keefe goes on to suggest a โ€œcorrectionโ€ to a number of points. Writing in a Washington Post letter to the editor:87 โ€œ’Balance’ on Greenhouse Gasesโ€ (PDF), The Washington Post, August 3, 1996. Retrieved from DocumentCloud.

โ€[โ€ฆ] current climate science does not warrant mandatory limits on fossil fuels,โ€ O’Keefe wrote. โ€œneither the global environment nor our economic well-being is served by near-term attempts to limit U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions.โ€88 โ€œ’Balance’ on Greenhouse Gasesโ€ (PDF), The Washington Post, August 3, 1996. Retrieved from DocumentCloud.

August 15, 1995

William O’Keefe gave a speech where he claimed that it was โ€œtime for a reality checkโ€ on global warming policies.89 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

โ€œI intend to be provocative and to challenge what is portrayed as the prevailing wisdom, not to discount the potential of future climate change or the possibility of serious consequences, but to challenge, the current public policy process,โ€ the transcript begins.90 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

โ€œThat process is in fact not consistent with the view that mankind is confronted with a potential catastrophe. Instead, global warming appears to be yet another example of predicting catastrophe to reshape political decisions and economic outcomes. This is an overused strategy.โ€91 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

O’Keefe notes that he had been in contact with prominent climate change denier Richard Lindzen. He noted that โ€œDr. Richard Lindzen of MIT recently sent me a paper that compared global warming to the debate over heredity, eugenics and immigration laws in the 1920s.โ€92 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

โ€œGlobal warming may turn out to be a reality but right now there also are enough reasons to conclude that what is masquerading as the most serious of environmental threats may be just another hobgoblin being used to advance agendas that can’t survive on their own merits,โ€ O’Keefe said. โ€œI want to be absolutely clear that I am not asserting that the global warming threat is a hoax. I am challenging the process โ€” the way it is being addressed,โ€ he clarifies. โ€œInstead of rational debate, what we have is advocacy driven by pseudo-science and hyped by the media.โ€93 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

O’Keefe goes on to what he describes as โ€œscientific realitiesโ€:94 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

โ€œThose who advocate deep emission reductions contend that a scientific consensus exists and that man-made emissions of greenhouse gases will lead to a dangerous level of global warming. That’s simply wrong.โ€95 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

In his conclusion, he suggests that limiting emissions right away would lead to a โ€œfull-scale depressionโ€:96 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

โ€œFirst, the cost of mitigation is a function of time. Reducing emissions over a longer time period will be far less harmful to our economic well-being than forcing rapid reductions. I have no doubt that if we tried to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over the next few years we would bring on a full-scale depression.โ€97 โ€œTime for a reality check: global climate change policies; American Petroleum Institute Executive Vice President William F. O’Keefe speech; Transcript,โ€ City News Publishing Company Inc. and Information Access Company. Retrieved from DocumentCloud collection โ€œalan-manne-op-eds-1.โ€

Affiliations

Social Media

Publications

William O’Keefe has published over 300 articles at the George C. Marshall Institute, approximately 50 of which reference โ€œclimateโ€ or โ€œclimate changeโ€. View the attached spreadsheet for a complete list of William O’Keef’s publications at the Marshall Institute (.xlsx), sortable by keyword.111 โ€œWilliam O’Keefe’s Articles,โ€ George C. Marshall Institute. Archived March 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XYVQW

Greenpeace/ Polluterwatch Research Documents

The following documents are from Greenpeace’s research archives for William O’Keefe at Polluterwatch. They are available on DocumentCloud:

Other Resources

Resources

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