Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy

Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy

Background

The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy website is now defunct, and the organization has not filed with the IRS since 2007.1โ€œNonprofit Organization Information: ANNAPOLIS CENTER FOR SCIENCE-BASED PUBLIC POLICY INC,โ€ Economic Research Institute. Accessed April 4,ย 2016.

The Annapolis Center was created in 1993 with a focus on โ€œthe quality of science and education in evaluating potential hazards.โ€ It has regularly produced publications and hosted conferences suggesting the risks of climate change, particulate matter from coal power plants, and other environmental concerns pose a lower risk than popularly believed.2โ€œThe Annapolis Center: Promoting responsible environmental, health, and safety decision makingโ€ฆโ€ The Annapolis Center. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates noย 2065243818-3825.

While the Center says that it โ€œdoes not accept restricted gifts for scientific studiesโ€ it has accepted over $1 million in funding from the oil company ExxonMobil, as well as funding from Philip morris. It has also had heavy industry representation at its โ€œstrategic planningโ€ committee meetings, including representation from the American Petroleum Institute, Philip Morris, BHP Minerals, Proctor & Gamble, American Petroleum Institute, Chemical Manufacturers Association, Pfizer Inc, Exxon Corporation, and others.3โ€œAnnapolis Center Strategic Planning Committee: October 29, 1998 Meetingโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center, October 29, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Bates No: 2065243878-3879. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

The Annapolis Center was founded by Richard Seibert, former vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAS), and formed by โ€œscientists, policy-makers, and economists who were frustrated by the decision-making process in the environment, health and safety arena.โ€ In the group’s own words, the Annapolis center was a 501(C)3 โ€œnational, nonprofit, educational organization that supports and promotes responsible energy, environmental, health, and safety decision-making.โ€4Sarah Ann Vogel.ย Is it Safe?: BPA and the Struggle to Define the Safety of Chemicals.ย University of California Press, Dec 20,ย 2012. 5Theย Annapolis Center Homepage. Archived June 7, 2004. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog Archive URL: https://archive.ph/nShxm

Mission Statement

โ€œThe Annapolis Center supports and promotes responsible environmental, health, and safety decision-making.

The Center evaluates risk and cost-benefit analysis both to assist the public in understanding hazards and the relative risks they may present and to identify areas for emphasis in research and policy. The Centerโ€™s Annapolis Accords provide vehicles to evaluate the quality of science underlying risk analysis and the quality of the policy foundation supporting risk management, as well as cost-benefit analysis. The Annapolis Center is a non-profit, 501(c)3 educational organization.โ€6โ€œOur Mission,โ€ The Annapolis Center. Archived January 25, 1999.ย Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yJFHO.

Stance on Climate Change

October 19977โ€œGlobal Climate Change: Policy Making in the Context of Scientific and Economic Uncertaintyโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center, October 1997. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

  • โ€œOur climate is by nature extraordinarily variable, and climate change in one direction or another is inevitable.
  • Estimates of pre-historical and historical global temperature indicate a pattern of significant climate variability; thus, shorter term measurements suggest little to no systematic change if natural variability is taken into account.
  • The actual extent to which anthropogenic (human-generated) activities contribute to current climate warming still contains significant scientific uncertainties.
  • The increase in fossil fuel emissions and other human activities worldwide are causing an increase in global atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Both theory and evidence suggest that the recent increase in global average temperature near the Earth’s surface is consistent with increased greenhouse gasses, mediated by the background (natural) variability of climate.โ€

Renewable Energy

2004

โ€œThere’s a fundamental disconnect between our needs for electric power and the inherent character of wind and photovoltaics (PVs), the two currently popular renewable electricity generators. Society demands electric power when we flip the switch, but wind and sunlight are by nature unpredictable and intermittent.โ€8Annapolis Center website 3/04.ย Retrieved from ExxonSecrets.

2003

Health

โ€œWe cannot say with certainty what ’causes’ asthma. Some advocacy groups with specific agendas try to assert that ‘pollution’ causes asthma. While this may be politically popular, it is important to remember that much of the evidence supporting this contention is weak and often contradictory.โ€11โ€œAsthma: Separating Facts from Fictionโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center for Public Policy. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates no:ย 3007213855-3007213891.

Funding

Oil Industry Funding

According to ExxonSecrets, the Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy has received $1,048,500 from ExxonMobil since 1998.12EXXONSECRETSย FACTSHEET: ANNAPOLIS CENTER FOR SCIENCE-BASED PUBLIC POLICY, ACSBPP Conservative Transparency also listed a donation of $40,000 from the American Petroleum Institute (API) in 2009.13โ€œANNAPOLIS CENTER FOR SCIENCE-BASED PUBLIC POLICY,โ€ Conservative Transparency. Accessed April 4,ย 2016.ย 

TASSC Supporter

According to The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition’s (TASSC) annual report, TASSC solicited support from โ€œmajor players in sound science debatesโ€ including the Annapolis Center.14โ€œTASSC Annual Reportโ€ (PDF), The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition, October 27, 1995. Retrieved from Philip Morris public document archives. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.ย 

Tobacco Industry Funding

According to publicly available Philip Morris documents, the Annapolis center received at least $100,000 from Philip Morris from 1998 to 2001:

2000โ€“2001

According to Philip Morris’s 2001 proposed budget, The Annapolis Center received $20,000 in 2000 and had a proposed budget of $25,000 for 2001.15โ€œPublic Policy Grants: Proposed 2001 Budget,โ€ Philip Morris. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2080434443-4449.

1999

Philip Morris gave a total of $25,000 to the Annapolis Center, according to its 1999 Public Policy Contributions report (PDF).16โ€œ1999 Public Policy Contributions,โ€ย Philip Morris. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents library. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2073456569-576.

1997โ€“1998

Philip Morris contributed $25,000 to the Annapolis Center in the first quarter of 1997 and agreed to contribute an additional $25,000 for 2008.17โ€œDear Mr. Borelliโ€ (PDF)ย The Annapolis Center, January 29, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2073684230.

The Annapolis Center invoiced Philip Morris $25,000 for being a โ€œCorporate Strategic Sponsorโ€ on January 6, 1999.18โ€œInvoice No. 145โ€ (PDF),ย Annapolis Center, January 6, 1999. Retrieved from Philip Morris public document archive. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

February 17, 1998

The Annapolis Center invoiced Philip Morris $5,000 for the โ€œ1998 Annual Dinner Honoring John Graham.โ€19โ€œ1998 Annual Dinner Honoring John Grahamโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center, February 17, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2073684240.

Other Funding

A December, 2013 study by Robert Brulle titled โ€œInstitutionalizing delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizationsโ€ lists some other funders for the Annapolis Center from 2003 until 2010 including:20Robert J. Brulle. โ€œInstitutionalizing delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizationsโ€ (PDF)Climate Change DOI 10.1007/s10584-013-1018-7. Published online December 2013.

  • Eli Lilly and Company Foundation โ€” $18,000
  • General Motors Foundation, Inc. โ€” $130,000
  • The Chrysler Foundation โ€” $10,000

Industry Sponsors

According to an internal Philip Morris document dated 1998, the Annapolis Center’s sponsors included โ€œthe Chemical Manufacturers Association, Natl Manufacturers Association, American Petroleum Institute, Pfizer, P&G, Exxon, and Westvaco among others. RJR, Cargill and ConAgra are small contributors.โ€21โ€œMeeting with Annapolis Center/Regulatory Monitoring and Conference Program,โ€ Philip Morris, November 24, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2064208469.

990 Forms

Key People

Board of Directors

Name199922โ€œThe Annapolis Center’s Board of Directors,โ€ www.annapoliscenter.org. Archived October 12, 1999. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.200023โ€œThe Annapolis Center’s Board of Directors,โ€ www.annapoliscenter.org. Archived December 1, 2000. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.200124โ€œThe Annapolis Center’s Board of Directors,โ€ www.annapoliscenter.org. Archived February 2, 2001. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.200525Robert L. Hirsch.ย โ€œNatural Gas: It Is Not a Pretty Picture!โ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center For Science-Based Public Policy, April 6, 2005. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.200626โ€œDirectors,โ€ The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy. Archived May 5, 2006. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog. 
Alberto Diaz, Jr.   YYRear Admiral (Retired), U.S. Navy.
Bradley F. SmithYYYYYDean, Huxley College.
Charles H. Pierce   YYCollege of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati.
Claire M. LathersYYY  U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Ford RowanYYYYYFormer PBS and NBC Reporter. Rowan & Blewitt.
Frank D. BorenY    President Emeritus. The Nature Conservancy.
George GrayYYY  Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. Harvard School of Public Health.
George K. Anderson   Y Vice Chair. Major General, U.S. Air Force (Retired). Immediate Past President, American College of Preventive Medicine
George T. Wolff YYYYPrincipal Scientist, General Motors Corp. Former Chair, EPA Clean Air Science Advisory Committee.
Harold M. Koenig (Ret.)YYYYYVice Admiral (Retired) and Former Surgeon General, U.S. Navy. Chair and President, The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy.
Harrison H. SchmittYYYYYChairman Emeritus. Former U.S. Senator, Former Apollo Astronaut.
Jack W. SnyderYYYYYNational Medical Library.
John Griffin YY  Former Secretary, MD Dept. of Natural Resources.
John S. Parker   YYRetired Commandant, Fort Detrick. SAIC.
Lois S. GoldYYY  University of California at Berkeley.
Mark J. UtellY    University of Rochester Medical Center, Pulmonary Disease Unit
Michael Welner   YYNew York University School of Medicine
Murray L. WeidenbaumY    Former Chairman, Council of Economic Advisors; Director, Center for the Study of American Business
Nancy Kerkvliet YYY Oregon State University.
Norman L. Christensen, Jr.Y    Dean, School of the Environment, Duke University.
Paul F. Ziemkiewicz   YYDirector, National Mine Land Reclamation Center & West Virginia Water Research Institute
Richard E. Hug  YYYChairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Environmental Elements Corporation. Koppers Company.
Robert HahnY    American Enterprise Institute.
Robert L. HirschYYY  Energy and Environment Chair, National Academies of Science.
Robert Zelnick YY  Boston University
Ronald R. Blanck   YYLt. General (Retired) and Former Surgeon General, U.S. Army
S. John ByingtonYYY  Former Chairman. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Virginia KnauerY    Former President’s Consumer Advisor.
William E. CooperYYY  Department of Zoology, Michigan State University.
Paul K. Carlton, Jr.    YUSAF (Retired).
Stanley T. Crooke    YFounder, Chairman, and CEO of Isis Pharmaceuticals.

The Integrity in Science project details the industry ties of members of the Board of Directors as of 2005: (note internet archive records are not available for that year).27โ€œTHE ANNAPOLIS CENTER FOR SCIENCE-BASED PUBLIC POLICY,โ€œ Integrity in ScienceArchived April 5, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6gY90vBhW

“Stanley T. Crooke, M.D., Ph.D., founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Isis Pharmaceuticals, was elected to the board of directors. (U.S. Newswire, 4/1/05) The Annapolis Center is funded primarily by the National Association of Manufacturers. The Centerโ€™s founder and COO, Richard Seibert, was a former National Association of Manufacturers vice president. Other board of directors members with industry ties include:

  • George K. Anderson, M.D., M.P.H. โ€” Partner, New World Healthcare Solutions, a medical consulting and executive search firm.
  • Richard E. Hug โ€” Director and Chairman Emeritus, Koppers Company, Inc.
  • John Parker, M.D. โ€” Vice President for Corporate Development, Science Applications International Corporation
  • Charles Harmon Pierce, M.Sc., M.D., Ph.D. โ€” Vice President of Medical Affairs, North America for Harrison Clinical Research
  • Ford Rowan โ€” Co-founder of Rowan & Blewitt Inc. Principal author, โ€œCrisis Prevention, Management and Communication,โ€ published by the National Association of Manufacturers, 1991
  • Jack W. Snyder, M.D., J.D., Ph.D. โ€” Lecturer, advisor, and consultant to corporate, academic, legal, and governmental organizations
  • George T. Wolff, Ph.D. โ€” Principal Scientist, General Motorsโ€™ Public Policy Center.”

Science & Economic Advisory Council

Name200328โ€œScience and Economic Advisory Council,โ€ The Annapolis Center. Archived June 24, 2003. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.200429โ€œScience and Economic Advisory Council,โ€ The Annapolis Center. Archived March 11, 2004. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog. 
Clive PageYYKing’s College of London
David RosenstreichYYAlbert Einstein College of Medicine
Donald E. HagenYYUniversity of Missouri-Rolla
Gail CharnleyYYHealthrisk, Inc.
Gerald NorthYYTexas A&M University
L. Bruce WeekleyY Merck Research Laboratories
Michael E. SchlesingerYYUniversity of Illinois
Nancy KerkvlietYYOregon State University. The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy Board of Directors.
Paul ReiterYYCenters for Disease Control (Dengue Branch)
Randall LutterYYAmerican Enterprise Institute
Ray CampionYYPresident Emeritus, Mickey Leland Medical Center
Richard S. LindzenYYMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Robert BushYYUniversity of Wisconsin – Madison
Robert L. HirschYYCo-Chair. Chair, Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, National Research Council.
Sallie BaliunasYYHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Steven I. BaskinYYU.S. Army
Thomas StarrYYTBS Associates
Walter โ€œTonyโ€ RosenbaumYYUniversity of Florida

Medical Advisory Committee (2006)ย 30โ€œMedical Advisory Committee,โ€ The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy. Archived May 5, 2006. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

Charles H. PierceCollege of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati
George K. AndersonMaj. Gen. USAF (Ret.) Vice Chair, The Annapolis Center Immediate Past President, Am. College of Preventive Medicine
Jack W. SnyderSt. Vincent’s Medical Center
John S. ParkerScience Applications International Corporation
Mark J. UtellUniversity of Rochester Medical Center Member, EPA Science Advisory Board
Harold M. KoenigChairman & President, The Annapolis Center. Vice Admiral (Retired) and Former Surgeon General, U.S. Navy.
Gene D. CohenCenter on Aging, Health and Humanities, George Washington University.
Ronald R. BlanckUniversity of North Texas Health, Science Center Former Surgeon General USAMC.
Stuart L. AbramsonTexas Children’s Hospital
E. Regis McFaddenCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Robert E. ShopeUniversity of Texas Medical Branch. Lt. Gen. Alexander Sloan, MC, USAF (Ret.). Former Surgeon General, USAF.

Other People

Actions

April 28, 2004

The Annapolis Center honored Senator James Inhofe for โ€œhis work in promoting science-based public policyโ€ at the group’s annual dinner. Sen. Inhofe has a long history of opposition to greenhouse gas emissions regulations. In the previous year, ExxonMobil gave money to the Annapolis Center specifically for the support of its Annual Dinner.

The dinner also featured FOX News Channel’s political analyst, Tony Snow. According to the press release, the Center has a history of recognizing โ€œindividuals for work in their field supporting rational, science-based thinking and policy-making.โ€34โ€œSen. James M. Inhofe to be Honored by the Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy,โ€ย U.S. Newswire, April 2, 2004. Archived July 14, 2006. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

2003

The Annapolis Center produced a study titled โ€œElectrical Power from Renewable Energy – Practical Realities for Policy-Makersโ€ (PDF), which concluded that โ€œCurrent renewable technologies are incapable of providing the all-renewable electric power in the future that many have envisioned.โ€35โ€œElectric Power from Renewable Energy โ€“ Practical Realities for Policy-Makersโ€ (PDF)ย The Annapolis Center for Public Policy. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

1990s โ€“ 2000s

In the late 1990s and Early 2000s, a series of workshops called the Annapolis Accords was organized around a number of important themes including risk analysis.36Sarah Ann Vogel.ย Is it Safe?: BPA and the Struggle to Define the Safety of Chemicals.ย University of California Press, Dec 20,ย 2012. 37โ€œTHE ANNAPOLIS ACCORDS FOR RISK ANALYSIS: A CITIZENโ€™S GUIDE FOR RISK-ASSESSMENT AND RISK-MANAGEMENT RISK-ASSESSMENT ACCORDSโ€ (PDF), Annapolis Center. Archived May 21, 2003. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

According to internal documents, the purpose of the Annapolis Accords for Cost-Benefits Analysis is โ€œto provide guidelines on how cost-benefit analysis can be used more effectively to evaluate proposed policies.โ€ The Annapolis Accords were based on two earlier documents: โ€œThe Annapolis Risk Accordsโ€ and โ€œThe Benefit-Cost Analysis Principles.โ€38โ€œThe Annapolis Accords for Benefit-Cost Analysisโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No:ย 2065243826-3833.

1999 โ€” Philip Morris Proposal/Strategy Documents

The Center proposed a climate change workshop in 1999, among other programs which they were seeking support from Philip Morris and other organizations. According to their strategy document, available at Philip Morris’s public documents archive, โ€œThe goal of the workshops is to provide independent, non-biased analysis to policy makers, the media, and the public on our current state of knowledge.โ€39โ€œStrategic Planning Committee Draft Discussion Pieceโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center October 29, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2065243880-898.

The Center notes that โ€œThe product is a consensus document that is released at a news conference at the National Press Club and distributed to Members of Congress, the governors, and the media.โ€ According to the proposal, โ€œthe Center sends its reports to over 2,000 members of the media.โ€ It notes that the 1997 report ran in 912 newspapers, with a readership of 43,602,944.40โ€œStrategic Planning Committee Draft Discussion Pieceโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center October 29, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2065243880-898.

Climate change skeptic Harrison Schmitt would chair the 1999 workshop โ€œand serve as spokesperson for the final report.โ€ The following is reproduced from the The Annapolis Center’s proposal document:

“The budget for the workshops is $180,000. This includes:41โ€œStrategic Planning Committee Draft Discussion Pieceโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center October 29, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2065243880-898.

  • Participants (24) costs (honorarium, travel, lodging and meals)
  • Report costs ( drafting, publication and mailing)
  • Press (press conference release at the National Press Club, preparation and mailing of press releases)

B. Climate Change: Potential Effects on Weather. Proponents of enhanced climate change suggest that the world will be subject to more frequent violent storms as a result in rapid global warming. Are the weather patterns we have witnessed over the past decade the harbinger of enhanced climate change, or are they part of the earth’s normal weather cycles?

  • Estimated time to complete the project: 90 days
  • Target audience: Members of Congress, congressional staff, meteorologists, and
  • the media
  • Estimated cost: $75,000″

The Annapolis Center also lists other proposed โ€œEnvironmentalโ€ conferences/workshops including one on Acid Rain with a proposed budget of $75,000, and another on the Clean Air Act with a budget of $75,000 (a follow-up to the DC conference they held in 1998) that would also host American Enterprise Institute’s Director Robert Hahn.42โ€œStrategic Planning Committee Draft Discussion Pieceโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center October 29, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2065243880-898.

They also propose an additional project titled the โ€œAnnapolis Climate Record Program (ACRP)โ€ which would provide grantees with $20,000 per year for three years to participate in a โ€œbi-annual, peer-reviewed grant program for graduate and post-graduate research on historical and prehistoric climate change records.โ€ The total proposed budget would be $172,000 for 1999, $217,000 for 2000, and $312,000 for 2001.43โ€œStrategic Planning Committee Draft Discussion Pieceโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center October 29, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2065243880-898.

December 1998

The Annapolis Center proposed an โ€œeducational programโ€ titled โ€œLiving with Riskโ€ with a budget of $250,000โ€” as detailed in Philip Morris public documentsโ€” that would โ€educate middle and junior high schools students on how to understand and apply risk analysis to current health and environmental issues. As such, Living With Risk, will support the fundamental conclusion of the 1990 Report of the Science Advisory Board, Reducing Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for Environmental Protection:44โ€œLiving With Riskโ€ (PDF), the Annapolis Center, December, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

“There are heavy costs involved if society fails to set environmental priorities based on risk. If finite resources are expended on lower-priority problems at the expense of higher-priority risk, then society will face needlessly high risks. If priorities are established based on the greatest opportunities to reduce risk, total risk will be reduced in a more efficient way, lessening threats to both public health and local and global ecosystems.45โ€œLiving With Riskโ€ (PDF), the Annapolis Center, December, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

December 5, 1998

Harold M. Koenig, Chair & President of the Annapolis Center, sent a letter to Thomas J. Borelli of Philip Morris asking for $15,000 to begin phase 1 of a program on โ€œChildren’s healthโ€ that would examine Asthma and other issues.46โ€œDear Mr. Borelliโ€ (PDF), the Annapolis Center, December 5, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public document archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2069584004-5.

According to the letter, phase 1 would involve โ€œa poll to be done of pediatricians and emergency room doctors to determine their perceptions and actual – experiences of what is placing children at most risk. A second poll would be commissioned to ask the same questions of parents. This poll will provide a good baseline or overview on the current state of children’s health and whether it is getting better or worse and would be conducted on an annual basis. lt is understood that this poll will address acute rather than chronic injuries and diseases. The poll will also attempt to determine which hazards are increasing.โ€47โ€œDear Mr. Borelliโ€ (PDF), the Annapolis Center, December 5, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public document archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2069584004-5.

โ€œYour financial support in the form of an unrestricted contribution is critical to our ability to proceed. Would the Philip Morris Companies Inc. be able to contribute $15,000 so that we can begin Phase One?’โ€ Koenig writes.48โ€œDear Mr. Borelliโ€ (PDF), the Annapolis Center, December 5, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public document archive. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Bates No.ย 2069584004-5.

1998

In a 1998 letter to Philip Morris, in which he thanked the company for its $25,000 contribution, Richard Rue, the center’s senior vice president, discussed some of the center’s major projects.

These included a series of workshops and scientific panels to โ€œestablish accords for the evaluation of epidemiological and toxicological studies prior to their use to establish regulatory actions by the federal and state governments and our new RegX-pert system (an expert computer system that will allow evaluation of federal and state regulatory actions.49Sarah Ann Vogel. Is it Safe?: BPA and the Struggle to Define the Safety of ChemicalsUniversity of California Press, Dec 20, 2012.

As detailed by an internal strategy paper, the Regx-Pert system was adopted from a system originally implemented by the Department of Defense for examining weapons systems, and reportedly received input from congressional committees and former OMB staff. The RegX-Pert system was reviewed by George Gray from the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis and Robert Hahn from the American Enterprise Institute.50Sarah Ann Vogel. Is it Safe?: BPA and the Struggle to Define the Safety of ChemicalsUniversity of California Press, Dec 20, 2012.

October 1997

The Annapolis Center held a โ€œGlobal Climate Changeโ€ workshop on July 17 and July 18, 1997 โ€to examine and help clarify related scientific, economic and policy issues.โ€51โ€œGlobal Climate Change: Policy Making in the Context of Scientific and Economic Uncertainty,โ€ The Annapolis Center, October 1997. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

Their workshop reached the following conclusions, while highlighting โ€œthe role of uncertainty in scienceโ€:

  • “Our climate is by nature extraordinarily variable, and climate change in one direction or another is inevitable.
  • “Estimates of pre-historical and historical global temperature indicate a pattern of significant climate variability; thus, shorter-term measurements suggest little to no systematic change if natural variability is taken into account.
  • “The actual extent to which anthropogenic (human-generated) activities contribute to current climate warming still contains significant scientific uncertainties.
  • “The increase in fossil fuel emissions and other human activities worldwide are causing an increase in global atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Both theory and evidence suggest that the recent increase in global average temperature near the Earth’s surface is consistent with increased greenhouse gasses, mediated by the background (natural) variability of climate.”

January 1997

The Annapolis Center held a workshop on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) air quality standards regarding particulate matter (PM).

According to the Center, โ€œa full and complete picture regarding the potential health impacts of PM can not be established. Although the science may legally allow EPA to take action, it is clear that the proposed PM air quality standard is a choice driven by policy, not science.โ€52โ€œDear Colleagues and Friendsโ€ (PDF)ย The Annapolis Center, May 16, 1997. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

Contact & Address

As of 2003, the following address was listed on an Annapolis Center publication:53โ€œTHE ANNAPOLIS ACCORDS FOR RISK ANALYSIS: A CITIZENโ€™S GUIDE FOR RISK-ASSESSMENT AND RISK-MANAGEMENT RISK-ASSESSMENT ACCORDSโ€ (PDF), Annapolis Center. Archived May 21, 2003. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

 The Annapolis Science-Based Public Policy
111 Forbes Street, Suite 200
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-268-3302
www.annapoliscenter.org 

Publications

As of December, 2003, the Annapolis Center listed the following Publications on their website (links provided where possible):54โ€œPublications Currently Available,โ€ The Annapolis Center. Archived December 2, 2003. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

How to Judge Science

Energy

  • Energy 101: Sorting Out Fundamentals
  • Electric Power from Renewable Energy โ€“ Practical Realities for Policy-Makers

Environment

Health

Safety

  • Disease Surveillance, Bioterrorism, and Homeland Security
  • Food, Air, Water, and Terrorism: Assessing the Risk

The following individuals attended the Annapolis Center’s October, 1998 โ€œStrategic Planning Committeeโ€ meeting:55โ€œAnnapolis Center Strategic Planning Committee: October 29, 1998 Meetingโ€ (PDF), The Annapolis Center, October 29, 1998. Retrieved from Philip Morris public documents archive. Bates No: 2065243878-3879. Archived .pdf on file atย DeSmog.

Attending

By Telephone

  • Michael Hodin, Committee Co-Chair โ€” Pfizer Inc.
  • VADM Harold Koenig (Ret.), Chair * Pres โ€” Annapolis Center
  • Randy Randol โ€” Exxon Corporation
  • Susan Reade โ€” C.N.A. Insurance
  • Harrison Schmitt, Past Chair โ€” Annapolis Center
  • Jerry Schoening โ€” Applied Materials

Annapolis Center Staff

  • Richard Rue
  • Richard Seibert
  • Richard Weaver

Other Resources

Resources

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