Bonner R. Cohen
Credentials
- Ph.D. University of Munich.1โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), National Center for Public Policy/Junkscience.com. Retrieved from the Hudson Institute website. Archived March 3, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.)
- B.A. University of Georgia.2โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), National Center for Public Policy/Junkscience.com. Retrieved from the Hudson Institute website. Archived March 3, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.)
Background
Bonner Cohen was the editor of EPA Watch from 1992 to 1999, a group that the tobacco company Philip Morris (PM) once described as an โasset.โ Bonner Cohen has been highlighted in Philip Morris documents as an โexpert on EPA mattersโ and served as former Director of The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC), which has been described as a front group for Philip Morris that was set up by APCO Associates (now APCO Worldwide).3Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber. โThe Usual Suspects: Industry Hacks Turn Fear on its Headโ (PDF), PR Watch, Volumber 7, Number 3 (Third Quarter 2000). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 4โThe Advancement of Sound Science Coalition,โ Sourcewatch. Accessed March 5, 2016.
Bonner Cohen also served as an editor of American Values, published by the Environmental Policy Analysis Network in 1996 along with Steve Milloy, who was also Cohen’s colleague at TASSC. Steve Milloy has a history as a paid industry lobbyist and served as executive director at TASCC, which worked โto expand and assist Philip Morris in its efforts with issues in targeted states.โ5โBonner R. Cohen, Ph.D.: Senior Fellow,โ Lexington Institute. Archived April 18, 2003. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 6โThe Advancement of Sound Science Centerโ (990 form – PDF), for tax year beginning OCt 1, 2003 and ending Sept 30, 2004. PDF archived at DeSmog. 7โSteven J. Milloy,โ SourceWatch Profile. 8Paul D. Thacker. โSmoked Out,โ New Republic, February 5, 2006. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Cohen’s affiliations include a range of other industry groups and conservative organizations including the Lexington Institute, where he was a Senior Fellow, the Heartland Institute (โExpertโ), the National Center for Public Policy Research (Senior Fellow) and the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (Senior Policy Advisor).9โBonner R. Cohen, Ph.D.: Senior Fellow,โ Lexington Institute. Archived April 18, 2003. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 10โExpert: Bonner R. Cohen,โ Heartland Institute. Archived March 4, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkL7Y2Q8 11 โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
Bonner Cohen edited a 2000 joint NCPA/Junkscience.com report titled โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), which offers the following profile on Cohen:
โDr. Bonner R. Cohen, Ph.D., joined the Lexington Institute as a senior fellow in 1999. Dr. Cohen has lectured and participated in panels dealing with environmental issues in the United States and abroad and is a frequent commentator on television and radio programs. He was the editor for Environment & Climate News.
โTogether with Steve Milloy, Cohen has served as editor of American Values: an Environmental Vision, an anthology published by the Environmental Policy Analysis Network in 1996. Articles by Dr. Cohen have appeared in Forbes, The Weekly Standard, National Review, Investorโs Business Daily, Journal of Commerce, Washington Times, Earth Times, and other publications. He has been interviewed on CNN, Americaโs Voice, and numerous radio programs. His previous positions include that of research associate at the Stiftung, Germany Wissenschaft und Politik (Foundation for Science and Policy)in Ebenhausen, Germany and as a German-language lecturer for the United States Information Agency (USIA),in Germany.
โDr. Cohen holds a Ph.D.โsumma cum laudeโfrom the University of Munich and a B.A. from the University of Georgia.โ12โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), National Center for Public Policy/Junkscience.com. Retrieved from the Hudson Institute website. Archived March 3, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.) 13(Press Release). โWatchdog group releases ‘Fear Profiteers’;Report exposes health scare industry,โ NoMoreScares.com, August 31, 2000. Archived October 17, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Cohen’s profile at the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) notes that he has testified before the U.S. Senate committees on Energy & Natural Resources and Environment & Public Works as well as the U.S. House committees on Natural Resources and Judiciary.14 โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
*Note: don’t confuse Bonner Cohen with Bernard Cohen, a radon scientist who also worked for Phillip Morris and the tobacco industry.15Search results for โBernard Cohen,โ Truth Tobacco Industry Documents. Accessed March 3, 2016.
EPA Watch, Tobacco & the American Policy Center
The third quarter 2000 issue of the investigative PR Watch (PDF) identifies Bonner Cohen’s role in EPA watch and the group’s connection to the tobacco industry:
โBonner Cohen edits a newsletter called EPA Watch, which accuses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of everything from destroying the U.S. economy to trying to stop people from taking showers. A Philip Morris strategy document describes EPA Watch as an ‘asset’ created by PM funding allocated ‘to establish groups โฆ that have a broader impact for PM. ‘ Another Philip Morris strategy memo discusses plans to promote ‘EPA Watch/Bonner Cohen as expert on EPA matters, i.e., regular syndicated radio features on EPA activities, โฆ news bureau function, speaking engagements, whatever can be done to increase his visibility and credibility on matters dealing with the EPA.’
EPA Watch is published by the American Policy Center (APC), headed by long-time PR pro Thomas DeWeese. APC weighs in on what can safely be called the looney fringe of the sound science movement. One issue of the APCโs newsletter, for example, attacks longtime environmentalist and author Jeremy Rifkin as ‘anti-industry, anti-civilization, anti-people’ and accuses him of preaching ‘suicide, abortion, cannibalism and sodomy.’โ16Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber. โThe Usual Suspects: Industry Hacks Turn Fear on its Headโ (PDF), PR Watch, Volumber 7, Number 3 (Third Quarter 2000). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
A memo contained in the Philip Morris public document site outlines a plan for EPA Watch and Bonner Cohen, written by former Philip Morris executive Thomas Humber:
โWe should specifically discuss the potential for EPA Watch as a part of media and other efforts. I have previously discussed with Tom Borelli several ideas for expanding the impact of EPA Watch and the reputation of Bonner Cohen as an expert on EPA matters. At a minimum, a series of radio actualities with Bonner commenting on EPA matters could reach an extremely wide audience, and we can tailor geographically for maximum appeal. We think it also possible to establish a standard format that could give Bonner presence as an expert commentator, butt that requires further investigation. As a part of the D-Day operation, Bonner’s name was provided to several Colorado journalists as an outside resource on EPA transgressions.โ17โETS,โ (Memo, est. 1993) from Thomas Humber to Ellen Mrelo (CC Vic Han). Philip Morris Public Library. PDF archived at DeSmog.
Stance on Climate Change
The following is a partial transcript of an interview between Bonner Cohen and a representative at C-SPAN’s National Journal (Reported on at DeSmog and originally at ThinkProgress).18Keven Grandia. โTobacco hack turned climate change flak,โ DeSmog, August 9, 2006. 19Judd Legum. โIndustry-Backed Author: The โVast Majorityโ of Climatologists Donโt Believe In Global Warming,โ ThinkProgress, August 9, 2006. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fliKmvZq
Caller: โI do believe in global warming[..] how do you foresee the future if we keep going with the pedal to metal so to speak?โ
Cohen: โYour grandchildren would be best served, when considering climate change that we not allow ourselves to be driven by idle speculation, not by computer models. Simply look at the scientific data and see if in fact we are experiencing anything out of the ordinary.โ
โ[โฆ]what i think is vitally important is that for everyone, that we make the decisions that we make with respect to our environmental and energy policies based on the best available scientific data that we have. We cannot afford to do that based on speculation alone.โ
Fossil Fuel Funding
Cohen admits that the National Center for Public Policy Research, which he works for, receives fossil fuel funding:20Keven Grandia. โTobacco hack turned climate change flak,โ DeSmog, August 9, 2006.
Host: โOur guest also serves as a Senior Fellow at the NCPPR, which isโฆโ
Bonner: โA think tank here in townโฆโ
Host: โHow are you funded?โ
Bonner: โMostly through individual donationsโฆ.โ
Host: โEnergy industry at all?โ
Bonner: โYes, someโ
Host: โWhich forms?โ
Bonner: โIt would, ahh, it would, ahh, fromโฆ from the, ahh, fossil fuel industry.โ
Tobacco
โThe science [on tobacco smoke], of which the EPA avails itself, is that which happens to fit the political agenda of the moment โฆ. the one certainty following the EPA’s report on tobacco smoke, is that the available science is inconclusive.โ21Keven Grandia. โTobacco hack turned climate change flak,โ DeSmog, August 9, 2006.
Key Quotes
February, 2014
โThe contribution of coal-fired power plants to the U.S., much less global, CO2 emissions is so minuscule that it cannot be measured with any degree of accuracy.โ22โEDITORIAL: Obamaโs warmed-over fudge on global warming,โ The Washington Times, February 10, 2014. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flVxQWDe
2012
โ[W]eโre in the midst of an enormous battle. A battle between the entrenched interest of the environmental community and government regulatory agencies in Washington and [โฆ] ordinary citizens.โ23โEnergy Abundance or Poverty: The Choice of a Century,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 20, 2012. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flM4xqzc
2006
โ[T]he vision that the environmentalists are trying to impose on the rest of us is contrary to how nature works and, if you predicate your actions, regulations, laws, assorted schemes from rails to trails to heritage areas and what have you, ultimately on the notion that you are protecting nature by preserving the balance, by protecting the ecosystem, you are actually working contrary to how nature functions, and the results of this can be absolutely catastrophic, not just for the rural people caught up in all of this whose livelihoods are regularly destroyed by the environmentalists, but also to nature itself.โ24โEnvironmentalism and Its Consequences,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 14, 2006. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flPmpkmx
โ[T]he banning of DDT and the similar regulations were something which were not based on available scientific evidence, so too is the environmental vision being imposed on rural America itself, contrary to how nature really works. โ25โEnvironmentalism and Its Consequences,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 14, 2006. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flPmpkmx
February 2000
โIndeed, public discussion of environmental issues is replete with references to ‘toxic’ chemicals or ‘toxic pollutants.’ In reality, these are regulatory terms with no basis in science.โ26โFDR wouldn’t like politically correct memorial,โ The Washington Times, February 14, 2000. Archived March 4, 2016.
Key Actions
May 8, 2020
Bonner Cohen was quoted in an article at Epoch Times where he defended scrapping CAFE standards designed to set fuel economy standards for vehicles. In the article, Cohen described climate models as falling short of even โwitchcraftโ:27Kevin Mooney. โTrump Administration Seeks New Fuel and Emissions Standards,โ The Epoch Times, May 8, 2020. Archived June 2, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/c0y7N
โOriginally enacted in response to the 1973 Arab oil embargo, CAFE standards were supposed to lessen U.S. dependence on Middle Eastern oil,โ Cohen claimed. โWith the U.S. now the worldโs leading producer of oil and natural gas, this justification of the program no longer holds water.
โCAFE has since been enlisted in the effort to combat climate change, with tailpipe CO2 emissions targeted for reduction. The repurposing of CAFE into a mechanism to fight global warming is not, however, based on climatological observations. Instead, it is rooted in models, known as general circulation models, purporting to project what temperatures will be decades from now depending on atmospheric levels of CO2.
โThe Trump administration rightly scaled back an Obama-era CAFE scheme that relied on models that donโt even rise to the level of witchcraft. The result will be more and safer choices for consumers at a better price per vehicle.โ28Kevin Mooney. โTrump Administration Seeks New Fuel and Emissions Standards,โ The Epoch Times, May 8, 2020. Archived June 2, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/c0y7N
December 19, 2019
Writing for the Heartland Institute, Cohen cited an MIT study on the future of personal travel to argue against the cost-competitiveness and environmental benefits of electric vehicles.29Bonner R. Cohen. โElectric Vehicles Wonโt Be Cost Competitive With Fossil Fuel Powered Vehicles For Another Decade, MIT Study Says,โ Heartland.org, December 19, 2019. Archived December 30, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/KhuFz 30William H. Green et al. โInsights into future mobility,โ MIT.edu, November, 2019. Archived October 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/sBqR7. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Cohen claimed the study as proof that electric vehicle batteries were simply too expensive and resource-intensive to replace internal combustion engines, while providing negligible environmental benefits.31Bonner R. Cohen. โElectric Vehicles Wonโt Be Cost Competitive With Fossil Fuel Powered Vehicles For Another Decade, MIT Study Says,โ Heartland.org, December 19, 2019. Archived December 30, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/KhuFz
The study itself, however, was clear about the importance of continued electrification of transportation systems, with a corresponding transformation of the electric grid:32William H. Green et al. โInsights into future mobility,โ MIT.edu, November, 2019. Archived October 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/sBqR7. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
โgreenhouse gas emissions for battery electric vehicles run on the present U.S.-average grid electricity are approximately 55% of the emissions from conventional internal combustion engine vehicles [โฆ] if coupled with decarbonization of the electricity supply, electrification of LDVs [light-duty vehicles] can be one important contributor to climate change mitigation. [โฆ] It is also clear that existing mobility systems that rely on the petroleum-powered, privately owned vehicle will need to change.โ33William H. Green et al. โInsights into future mobility,โ MIT.edu, November, 2019. Archived October 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/sBqR7. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
September 19, 2019
In an opinion piece for the Heartland Institute, Cohen promoted a study by Rapidan Energy Group showing a potential slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) sales that โcould reinvigorate global oil markets.โ34Bonner R. Cohen. โDeclining Government Support for Electric Vehicles Could Boost Global Oil Demand, Report States,โ The Heartland Institute, September 19, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4lUkR
โEV demand is falling as government support for the vehicles, including mandates and subsidies, has waned, which could at the very least delay any decline in global oil demand,โ Cohen wrote.35Bonner R. Cohen. โDeclining Government Support for Electric Vehicles Could Boost Global Oil Demand, Report States,โ The Heartland Institute, September 19, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4lUkR
Cohen concludes with quotes from a representatives from the Institute for Energy Research and Heartland expert and CFACT author David Wojick.36Bonner R. Cohen. โDeclining Government Support for Electric Vehicles Could Boost Global Oil Demand, Report States,โ The Heartland Institute, September 19, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4lUkR
โThe secret to EVs is they donโt run on batteries, they run on subsidies,โ said Dan Kish, a senior fellow at IERโa group that has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the oil industry. โThe vehicles people want to buy run on oil, and the good thing about that is thereโs plenty of it to go around in both the United States and the world.37Bonner R. Cohen. โDeclining Government Support for Electric Vehicles Could Boost Global Oil Demand, Report States,โ The Heartland Institute, September 19, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4lUkR
June 2015
Bonner Cohen appeared on Aljazeera’s Inside Story alongside Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution, to discuss Pope Francis’s Climate Change Encyclical. (Video below.)38โBonner Cohen on Pope Francis’s Climate Change Encyclical,โ Youtube video uploaded by National Center for Public Policy Research, June 25, 2015.
Transcript excerpt:
โWhat we really don’t want to do, I think, is impose policies that would deny [Catholics in parts of the world vulnerable to climate change] access to electricity or make their access to electricity more difficult. And that’s were I think that’s where the Pope needs to be very, very careful here because if he favors policies that will ultimately put some of the good things about modern life out of reach of the most vulnerable, he will ultimately wind up perpetuating poverty and putting himself behind policies that will lead to shorter life expectancies and that that’s something I don’t think any of us want.โ
February 7, 2014
The Washington Times reports that Bonner Cohen appeared at an EPA hearing discussing pollution standards on new coal power plants:
โAt an Environmental Protection Agency hearing last Thursday on carbon-dioxide ‘pollution’ standards for new power plants, environmental policy analyst Bonner Cohen pointed out that the total U.S. contribution of atmospheric carbon dioxide is a tiny 0.01 percent: ‘The contribution of coal-fired power plants to the U.S., much less global, CO2 emissions is so minuscule that it cannot be measured with any degree of accuracy.’โ39โEDITORIAL: Obamaโs warmed-over fudge on global warming,โ The Washington Times, February 10, 2014. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flVxQWDe
October 20, 2012
Bonner Cohen spoke at the Sixteenth Annual National Conference on Private Property Rights hosted by the Property Rights Foundation of America.
In Cohen’s speach, titled โEnergy Abundance or Poverty: The Choice of a Century,โ he describes the environmental movement as a โthreatโ:40โEnergy Abundance or Poverty: The Choice of a Century,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 20, 2012. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flM4xqzc
โThe biggest threat to American energy independence comes from [โฆ] the environmental movement and the assortment of government agencies with which the environmental movement has been cooperating now for decades.โ
โYou see, what is a blessing for landowners in the Marcellus Shale area (with the sad exception of New York, but we hope that changes), what has been a blessing for these communities in Pennsylvania and North Dakota and elsewhere is an absolute nightmare for the environmental movement. Indeed for them, the shale revolution has been a black swan. [โฆ] Now natural gas poses an enormous threat to the world view of the environmentalists, simply because there is so much of it. And so much of that natural gas, and as well as the oil in various formations, is on private land, meaning that the ability of the environmental movement to block exploitation of those natural resources is limited.โ
According to Cohen, โweโre in the midst of an enormous battle. A battle between the entrenched interest of the environmental community and government regulatory agencies in Washington and [โฆ] ordinary citizens.โ
He says that allowing the EPA to regulate fracking (hydraulic fracturing) would be a โtotal disaster for the country.โ
October 23, 2010
Bonner Cohen spoke at the Fourteenth Annual Conference on Private Property Rights hosted by the Property Rights Foundation of America.
Cohen spoke on the Ocean Policy Initiative:41โAFTERNOON ADDRESS: From Ocean Regulation to Federal Land Use Control,โ PRF America. Archived March 3, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flQEdps3
โThe Coastal Marine Special Planning Program would not have much to do with oceans but would be a mechanism to allow for federal zoning throughout the United States,โ said Dr. Bonner.
October 14, 2006
Bonner Cohen spoke at the Tenth Annual Conference on Private Property Rights hosted by the Property Rights Foundation of America.
Cohen’s speech was titled โEnvironmentalism and Its Consequences.โ Some excerpts below:42โEnvironmentalism and Its Consequences,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 14, 2006. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flPmpkmx
โ[T]he vision that the environmentalists are trying to impose on the rest of us is contrary to how nature works and, if you predicate your actions, regulations, laws, assorted schemes from rails to trails to heritage areas and what have you, ultimately on the notion that you are protecting nature by preserving the balance, by protecting the ecosystem, you are actually working contrary to how nature functions, and the results of this can be absolutely catastrophic, not just for the rural people caught up in all of this whose livelihoods are regularly destroyed by the environmentalists, but also to nature itself.
Cohen also argues in favor of DDT, concluding that regulations were โnot based on available scientific evidenceโ:
โ[T]he banning of DDT and the similar regulations were something which were not based on available scientific evidence, so too is the environmental vision being imposed on rural America itself, contrary to how nature really works. โ
January 1, 2006
Bonner Cohen wrote The Green Wave: Environmentalism and Its Consequences, a book critical of the environmental movement. A book review at the Property Rights Foundation of America notes that โDDT was never shown to be harmful to the environment.โ43โBook Review: The Truth About Environmentalism,โ Property Rights Foundation of America. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flRzo1AT
Environmentalism and its Consequences is published by the Capital Research Center (CRC), a group which has significant funding from the fossil fuel industry and well-connected conservative foundations including:44โCapital Research Center,โ Conservative Transparency. Accessed October 18, 2015.
- Sarah Scaife Foundation โ $5,250,000
- Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation โ $650,000
- ExxonMobil โ $265,000 from ExxonMobil since 199845ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Capital Research Center and Greenwatch, CRC. Accessed October, 2015.
- DonorsTrust โ $55,650
- Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundationโ $45,000
December, 2000
The Washington Times reports that Bonner Cohen was a member of a โglobal warming panelโ on the Kyoto Protocol in the Cannon House Office Building.46โInside the Beltway,โ The Washington Times, December 8, 2000. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flWMZmd3
Panel members mentioned by the Times included:
- Harlan Watson โ majority staff director of the House Science subcommittee on energy and the environment
- Bonner R. Cohen โ senior fellow of the Lexington Institute
- Craig Rucker โ executive director of the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow
- Myron Ebell โ director of global warming policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute
- Christopher C. Horner โ counsel to the Cooler Heads Coalition.
C-SPAN describes the Cooler Heads Coalition (CHC) as hosting the event, and also named Joe Knollenberg, U.S. Representative for Michigan, as a member of the panel. Video below (Cohen appears at timestamp 7:20):47โKyoto Protocol,โ C-SPAN (Video), December 6, 2000.
August 31, 2000
Bonner Cohen is a co-editor of a joint report by the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) and Junkscience.com titled โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF).48โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), National Center for Public Policy/Junkscience.com. Retrieved from the Hudson Institute website. Archived March 3, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.) 49(Press Release). โWatchdog group releases ‘Fear Profiteers’;Report exposes health scare industry,โ NoMoreScares.com, August 31, 2000. Archived October 17, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
According to the report’s press release, โAuthored by a distinguished group of experts, ‘Fear Profiteers: Do Socially Responsible Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?’ describes a number of major health scares of the last decade and links them to Fenton Communications – a slick, for-profit public relations business that, along with its clients, makes money by alarming the public:”50(Press Release). โWatchdog group releases ‘Fear Profiteers’;Report exposes health scare industry,โ NoMoreScares.com, August 31, 2000. Archived October 17, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
The report was part of the โNo More Scaresโ campaign, which Sourcewatch describes as โa front group launched in August 2000 by a number of leading figures in the anti-environmental ‘sound science’ movement, aiming to smear environmental and health activists as behind-the-scenes conspirators who ‘sow health scares to reap monetary rewards.’โ51NoMoreScares.com Homepage. Archived October 18, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 52โNo More Scares Campaign,โ SourceWatch. Accessed March 3, 2016.
The report’s authors/editors included the following:53(Press Release). โWatchdog group releases ‘Fear Profiteers’;Report exposes health scare industry,โ NoMoreScares.com, August 31, 2000. Archived October 17, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- Dr. Bonner R. Cohen, Ph.D โ The Lexington Institute.
- Michael Fumento
- Michael Gough โ a fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis
- Steven J. Milloy โ publisher of Junkscience.com and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute.
- Dr. Henry I. Miller โ Senior Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution.
- Kenneth Smith โ a deputy editor of the editorial page of The Washington Times.
- Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P. American Council on Science and Health.
October 20, 1997
Cohen wrote an article at Forbes critical of Carol M. Browner, who had been chosen by then-President Bill Clinton to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).54Bonner Cohen. โCarol Browner, master of mission creep,โ Forbes, October 20, 1997. Archived May 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JgfYX
Commenting on the origins of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cohen said: โIn the name of a greener, cleaner Earth, Washington mightily increased its power to intervene in the daily lives of its citizens. It was a goal so worthy that few people saw the dangers inherent in it. Mission creep had begun.โ55Bonner Cohen. โCarol Browner, master of mission creep,โ Forbes, October 20, 1997. Archived May 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JgfYX
Referring to Browner as an โenvironmentalist zealot,โ and a โtree hugger,โ Cohen concluded the article, writing: โOne way or another, you are going to be hearing a lot more about Carol M. Browner; whenever you do, it’s unlikely to be good news for business; and it may not even be good news for the environment.โ56Bonner Cohen. โCarol Browner, master of mission creep,โ Forbes, October 20, 1997. Archived May 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JgfYX
Paul D. Thacker mentioned Cohen’s story in his 2021 article at the Disinformation Chronicle:57“The New Denial Is Delay at the Breakthrough Institute (Part 3),” The Disinformation Chronicle, March 30, 2021. Archived May 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/6r70B
“Forbes has long been a breeding ground for industry messaging and corporate propaganda. Back in 1997, Forbes ran a takedown of EPA Administrator Carol Browner, warning the public that she was ignoring science to gain control over American lives. ‘Watch out for this woman,’ read the scary headline splashed across the cover of Forbes magazine, ‘The EPAโs Carol Browner is exploiting health and the environment to build a power base’,” Thacker noted.
“The storyโs co-author was Bonner R. Cohen, who also operated EPA Watch, a newsletter that Philip Morris described as an โassetโ that they established to attack the EPA on second hand smoke. After EPA Watch disappeared, Cohen then joined various climate denial groups, including the Heartland Institute.”
Affiliations
- The Lexington Institute โ โJoined the Lexington Institute as a senior fellow in 1999.โ (His profile was last archived online in April, 2003.)58โBonner R. Cohen, Ph.D.: Senior Fellow,โ Lexington Institute. Archived April 18, 2003. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- EPA Watch โ Editor from 1992 to 1999.59โBonner R. Cohen, Ph.D.: Senior Fellow,โ Lexington Institute. Archived April 18, 2003. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- The Heartland Institute โ โExpertโ and Senior Policy Analyst.60โExpert: Bonner R. Cohen,โ Heartland Institute. Archived March 4, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkL7Y2Q8
- National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) โ Senior Fellow, Center for Environment and Regulatory Affairs (CERA) since 2002.61โExpert: Bonner R. Cohen,โ Heartland Institute. Archived March 4, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkL7Y2Q8 62 โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
- Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow โ Senior Policy Advisor.63 โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
- The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC) โ Past Director (2003/2004 990 form)64โThe Advancement of Sound Science Centerโ (990 form – PDF), for tax year beginning OCt 1, 2003 and ending Sept 30, 2004. PDF archived at DeSmog.
- Steve โThe Junkmanโ Milloy โ Former Colleague at TASSC (2003/2004 990 form)65โThe Advancement of Sound Science Centerโ (990 form – PDF), for tax year beginning OCt 1, 2003 and ending Sept 30, 2004. PDF archived at DeSmog.
Publications
According to Bonner Cohen’s profile at the National Center for Public Policy Research:
โArticles by Dr. Cohen have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investor’s Business Daily, New York Post, Washington Times, National Review, Philadelphia Inquirer, Detroit News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami Herald, and dozens of other newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. He has been interviewed on Fox News, CNN, Fox Business Channel, BBC, BBC Worldwide Television, NBC, NPR, N 24 (German language news channel), Voice of Russia, and scores of radio stations in the U.S.โ66 โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
Based on a search of the online news sources mentioned in his profile, Cohen has been largely inactive since the late 1990s with exception to the Washington Times where he has published a number of pieces on renewable energy:
- The Wall Street Journal โ A search for current articles in the WSJ database returns no results for the author โBonner Cohen,โ
- Forbes โ One article returned: โCarol Browner, master of mission creepโ from October 20, 1997. The same article appears in Philip Morris’s public documents library (doc id 2060576981/6987).67Pranay Gupte and Bonner R. Cohen. โCarol Browner, master of mission creep,โ Forbes, October 20, 1997. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flTCDMpl
- Investorโs Business Daily โ No articles authored by Bonner Cohen indexed by Google (As of 03/2016)
- National Review โNo online articles indexed by Google (As of 03/2016)
- Philadelphia Inquirer โ No online articles indexed by Google (As of 03/2016)
- Miami Herald โ No online articles indexed by Google (As of 03/2016)
- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel โ No online articles indexed by Google (As of 03/2016)
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution โ No online articles indexed by Google (As of 03/2016)
- Washington Times โ Numerous articles by Bonner Cohen, largely on the subject of renewable energy. Additional articles available in Washing Times archive (Subscription Required).
Below are some samples of Cohen’s more recent publications
- โGiant wind farm could deal the Chesapeake Bay a heavy blow,โ The Washington Times, September 2, 2014.
- โCOHEN: Fixing the nationโs leaky waterworks,โ The Washington Times, December 12, 2013.
- โLetters to the Editor: Putting the brakes on CAFE standards,โ The Washington Times, June 9, 2000.
- Poison precautions should be based on science,โ The Washington Times, April 1, 2001.
- โLetters to the Editor: Al Gore’s economy-wrecking energy policy,โ The Washington Times, October 13, 2000.
- โFDR wouldn’t like politically correct memorial,โ The Washington Times, February 14, 2000.
- โLetters to the editor: Rename EPA the Environmental Unprotected Agency,โ The Washington Times, April 5, 2000.
Books
- The Green Wave: Environmentalism and its Consequences. Washington: Capital Research Center, 2006.
- Marshall, Mao und Chiang: Die amerikanischen Vermittlungsbemuehungen im chinesischen Buergerkrieg (Marshall, Mao and Chiang: The American Mediations Effort in the Chinese Civil War). Munich: Tuduv Verlag, 1984
Other Resources
- โBonner Cohen,โ SourceWatch Profile.
- โFACTSHEET: BONNER COHEN,โ ExxonSecrets.
- Bonner R. Cohen. โThe Economis of Climate Policy,โ The Heartland Institute, June 29, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6frkoOrsp
Resources
- 1โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), National Center for Public Policy/Junkscience.com. Retrieved from the Hudson Institute website. Archived March 3, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.)
- 2โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), National Center for Public Policy/Junkscience.com. Retrieved from the Hudson Institute website. Archived March 3, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.)
- 3Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber. โThe Usual Suspects: Industry Hacks Turn Fear on its Headโ (PDF), PR Watch, Volumber 7, Number 3 (Third Quarter 2000). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 4โThe Advancement of Sound Science Coalition,โ Sourcewatch. Accessed March 5, 2016.
- 5โBonner R. Cohen, Ph.D.: Senior Fellow,โ Lexington Institute. Archived April 18, 2003. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 6โThe Advancement of Sound Science Centerโ (990 form – PDF), for tax year beginning OCt 1, 2003 and ending Sept 30, 2004. PDF archived at DeSmog.
- 7โSteven J. Milloy,โ SourceWatch Profile.
- 8Paul D. Thacker. โSmoked Out,โ New Republic, February 5, 2006. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 9โBonner R. Cohen, Ph.D.: Senior Fellow,โ Lexington Institute. Archived April 18, 2003. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 10โExpert: Bonner R. Cohen,โ Heartland Institute. Archived March 4, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkL7Y2Q8
- 11โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
- 12โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), National Center for Public Policy/Junkscience.com. Retrieved from the Hudson Institute website. Archived March 3, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.)
- 13(Press Release). โWatchdog group releases ‘Fear Profiteers’;Report exposes health scare industry,โ NoMoreScares.com, August 31, 2000. Archived October 17, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 14โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
- 15Search results for โBernard Cohen,โ Truth Tobacco Industry Documents. Accessed March 3, 2016.
- 16Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber. โThe Usual Suspects: Industry Hacks Turn Fear on its Headโ (PDF), PR Watch, Volumber 7, Number 3 (Third Quarter 2000). Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 17โETS,โ (Memo, est. 1993) from Thomas Humber to Ellen Mrelo (CC Vic Han). Philip Morris Public Library. PDF archived at DeSmog.
- 18Keven Grandia. โTobacco hack turned climate change flak,โ DeSmog, August 9, 2006.
- 19Judd Legum. โIndustry-Backed Author: The โVast Majorityโ of Climatologists Donโt Believe In Global Warming,โ ThinkProgress, August 9, 2006. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fliKmvZq
- 20Keven Grandia. โTobacco hack turned climate change flak,โ DeSmog, August 9, 2006.
- 21Keven Grandia. โTobacco hack turned climate change flak,โ DeSmog, August 9, 2006.
- 22โEDITORIAL: Obamaโs warmed-over fudge on global warming,โ The Washington Times, February 10, 2014. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flVxQWDe
- 23โEnergy Abundance or Poverty: The Choice of a Century,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 20, 2012. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flM4xqzc
- 24โEnvironmentalism and Its Consequences,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 14, 2006. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flPmpkmx
- 25โEnvironmentalism and Its Consequences,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 14, 2006. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flPmpkmx
- 26โFDR wouldn’t like politically correct memorial,โ The Washington Times, February 14, 2000. Archived March 4, 2016.
- 27Kevin Mooney. โTrump Administration Seeks New Fuel and Emissions Standards,โ The Epoch Times, May 8, 2020. Archived June 2, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/c0y7N
- 28Kevin Mooney. โTrump Administration Seeks New Fuel and Emissions Standards,โ The Epoch Times, May 8, 2020. Archived June 2, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/c0y7N
- 29Bonner R. Cohen. โElectric Vehicles Wonโt Be Cost Competitive With Fossil Fuel Powered Vehicles For Another Decade, MIT Study Says,โ Heartland.org, December 19, 2019. Archived December 30, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/KhuFz
- 30William H. Green et al. โInsights into future mobility,โ MIT.edu, November, 2019. Archived October 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/sBqR7. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 31Bonner R. Cohen. โElectric Vehicles Wonโt Be Cost Competitive With Fossil Fuel Powered Vehicles For Another Decade, MIT Study Says,โ Heartland.org, December 19, 2019. Archived December 30, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/KhuFz
- 32William H. Green et al. โInsights into future mobility,โ MIT.edu, November, 2019. Archived October 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/sBqR7. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 33William H. Green et al. โInsights into future mobility,โ MIT.edu, November, 2019. Archived October 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/wip/sBqR7. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 34Bonner R. Cohen. โDeclining Government Support for Electric Vehicles Could Boost Global Oil Demand, Report States,โ The Heartland Institute, September 19, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4lUkR
- 35Bonner R. Cohen. โDeclining Government Support for Electric Vehicles Could Boost Global Oil Demand, Report States,โ The Heartland Institute, September 19, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4lUkR
- 36Bonner R. Cohen. โDeclining Government Support for Electric Vehicles Could Boost Global Oil Demand, Report States,โ The Heartland Institute, September 19, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4lUkR
- 37Bonner R. Cohen. โDeclining Government Support for Electric Vehicles Could Boost Global Oil Demand, Report States,โ The Heartland Institute, September 19, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4lUkR
- 38โBonner Cohen on Pope Francis’s Climate Change Encyclical,โ Youtube video uploaded by National Center for Public Policy Research, June 25, 2015.
- 39โEDITORIAL: Obamaโs warmed-over fudge on global warming,โ The Washington Times, February 10, 2014. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flVxQWDe
- 40โEnergy Abundance or Poverty: The Choice of a Century,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 20, 2012. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flM4xqzc
- 41โAFTERNOON ADDRESS: From Ocean Regulation to Federal Land Use Control,โ PRF America. Archived March 3, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flQEdps3
- 42โEnvironmentalism and Its Consequences,โ Property Rights Foundation of America, October 14, 2006. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flPmpkmx
- 43โBook Review: The Truth About Environmentalism,โ Property Rights Foundation of America. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flRzo1AT
- 44โCapital Research Center,โ Conservative Transparency. Accessed October 18, 2015.
- 45ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Capital Research Center and Greenwatch, CRC. Accessed October, 2015.
- 46โInside the Beltway,โ The Washington Times, December 8, 2000. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flWMZmd3
- 47โKyoto Protocol,โ C-SPAN (Video), December 6, 2000.
- 48โThe Fear Profiteers: Do ‘Socially Responsible’ Businesses Sow Health Scares to Reap Monetary Rewards?โ (PDF), National Center for Public Policy/Junkscience.com. Retrieved from the Hudson Institute website. Archived March 3, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.)
- 49(Press Release). โWatchdog group releases ‘Fear Profiteers’;Report exposes health scare industry,โ NoMoreScares.com, August 31, 2000. Archived October 17, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 50(Press Release). โWatchdog group releases ‘Fear Profiteers’;Report exposes health scare industry,โ NoMoreScares.com, August 31, 2000. Archived October 17, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 51NoMoreScares.com Homepage. Archived October 18, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 52โNo More Scares Campaign,โ SourceWatch. Accessed March 3, 2016.
- 53(Press Release). โWatchdog group releases ‘Fear Profiteers’;Report exposes health scare industry,โ NoMoreScares.com, August 31, 2000. Archived October 17, 2000. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 54Bonner Cohen. โCarol Browner, master of mission creep,โ Forbes, October 20, 1997. Archived May 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JgfYX
- 55Bonner Cohen. โCarol Browner, master of mission creep,โ Forbes, October 20, 1997. Archived May 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JgfYX
- 56Bonner Cohen. โCarol Browner, master of mission creep,โ Forbes, October 20, 1997. Archived May 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JgfYX
- 57“The New Denial Is Delay at the Breakthrough Institute (Part 3),” The Disinformation Chronicle, March 30, 2021. Archived May 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/6r70B
- 58โBonner R. Cohen, Ph.D.: Senior Fellow,โ Lexington Institute. Archived April 18, 2003. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 59โBonner R. Cohen, Ph.D.: Senior Fellow,โ Lexington Institute. Archived April 18, 2003. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 60โExpert: Bonner R. Cohen,โ Heartland Institute. Archived March 4, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkL7Y2Q8
- 61โExpert: Bonner R. Cohen,โ Heartland Institute. Archived March 4, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkL7Y2Q8
- 62โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
- 63โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
- 64โThe Advancement of Sound Science Centerโ (990 form – PDF), for tax year beginning OCt 1, 2003 and ending Sept 30, 2004. PDF archived at DeSmog.
- 65โThe Advancement of Sound Science Centerโ (990 form – PDF), for tax year beginning OCt 1, 2003 and ending Sept 30, 2004. PDF archived at DeSmog.
- 66โBONNER COHEN, PH.D.: SENIOR FELLOW,โ National Center for Public Policy Research. Archived March 4, 2016. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6fkLLO0gV
- 67Pranay Gupte and Bonner R. Cohen. โCarol Browner, master of mission creep,โ Forbes, October 20, 1997. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6flTCDMpl