The Heartland Institute is convening a whoโs-who of the global warming denial machine in Washington, DC over the next two days for the sixth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC6).
Seemingly content to let the world burn, the denizens of Denial-a-Palooza work year-round to sow doubt and confusion about climate change among the public – aided by Fox News and other friendly media outlets – so that no action is taken to limit heat-trapping gasses in the atmosphere. This event is attended by the best corporate front groups that polluter money can buy, and this year is no exception.
As in past years, the speakers and sponsors lists are dripping with oil money, and comprise nearly the full roster of groups who share a common interest – greenwashing dirty energy sources like oil and coal while simultaneously attacking the credibility of the worldโs top climate scientists. The presentations will misrepresent the state of climate science, while the real action will take place backstage, as these groups coordinate their ongoing efforts to smear the reputation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (Note the intentional naming of this โICCCโ to sound like the IPCC.)
Letโs take a look at the funding of the sponsors of ICCC6:
17 of the 43 sponsors of the Heartland Instituteโs Sixth International Conference on Climate Change, including the Heartland Institute itself, have collectively received over $46 million from either Scaife Foundations, Koch Foundations, or ExxonMobil and its foundation.
Most of these organizations, including many that choose not to disclose their funding sources, comprise the core of the industry attack on global warming science. See below for a complete breakdown of funding details:
Scaife Foundations (1998-2010): | $28,557,000 | ย ($12,205,000 more thanย 2010*) |
Koch Foundations (1998-2009): | $11,330,980 | ($6,241,230 less thanย 2010) |
ExxonMobil (1998-2010): ย | $6,276,900 | ($311,350 less thanย 2010) |
ย | ย | ย |
Total Funding (1998-2010):ย | $46,164,880 |
*The Heritage Foundation, notably absent from the 2010 ICCC, is a sponsor again for the 2011 ICCC. Heritage has received $14,873,571ย from industryย sources.
SPONSORS
Here are the funding totals for organizations sponsoring Heartlandโs conference that are known to have received support from oil-fueled โfree marketโย foundations:
*= pastย sponsor.ย
Accuracy inย Media*ย
- $3,120,000 โ Scaife Foundations,ย 1998-2010
Americans Forย Prosperity*ย
- $5,610,781 โ Koch Foundations,ย 1998-2009
Americans for Tax Reformย *
- $60,000 โ Koch Foundations,ย 1998-2009
- $575,000 โ Scaife Foundations,ย 1998-2010
- Total:ย $635,500ย
Ayn Randย Institute*
- $25,000 โ Koch Foundations,ย 1998-2009
Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise (CDFE)*
- $230,000 โ ExxonMobil,ย 1998-2010
Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Globalย Change*
- $85,000 โ Koch Foundations,ย 1998-2009
- $100,000 โ ExxonMobil,ย 1998-2010
- $100,000 โ Scaife Foundations,ย 1998-2010
- Total:ย $285,000ย
Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)*
- $12,285 โ Koch Foundations,ย 1998-2009
- $582,000 โ ExxonMobil,ย 1998-2010
- $1,915,000 โ Scaife Foundations,ย 1998-2010
- Total:ย $2,509,285
Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)*
- $421,746 โ Koch Foundations,ย 1998-2009
- $2,005,000 โ ExxonMobil,ย 1998-2010
- $2,575,000 โ Scaife Foundations,ย 1998-2010
- Total: $5,001,746
Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)ย
- $27,592 โ Koch foundations,ย 1998-2009
- $90,000 โ Scaife foundations,ย 1998-2010ย
- Total: $117,ย 592
George C. Marshallย Institute*
- $310,000 โ Koch Foundations, 1998-2009 ($70,000 inย 2009)
- $840,000 โ ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none inย 2010)
- $2,595,000 received from Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 ($230,000 inย 2010)
- Total: $3,435,310
Heartlandย Institute
- $20,000 โ Koch foundations, 1998-2009 (none inย 2009)
- $676,500 โ ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none inย 2010)
- Total:ย $696,500
Heritageย Foundation*
- $3,708,571 โ Koch foundations, 1998-2009 ($618,571 inย 2009)
- $670,000 โ ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 ($50,000 inย 2010)
- $10,495,000 โ Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 ($600,000 inย 2010)
- Total: $14,873,571
Independentย Institute*
- $50,000 โ Koch foundations, 1998-2009 (none inย 2009)
- $85,000 โ ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none inย 2010)
- Total:ย $135,000
Independent Womenโs Forum (IWF)
- $485,000 โ Koch foundations, 1998-2009 ($150,000 inย 2009)
- $50,000 โ ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none inย 2010)
- $1,850,000 โ Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 (none inย 2010)
- Total: $2,385,000
Media Research Center (a.k.a. the Business & Media Institute)*
- $15,005 โ Koch foundations, 1998-2009 (none inย 2009)
- $362,500 โ ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none inย 2010)
- $3,667,000 โ Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 ($250,000 inย 2010)
- Total: $4 044ย 505
National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA)
- $500,000 โ Koch foundations, 1998-2009 ($25,000 inย 2009)
- $645,900 โ ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none inย 2010)
- $1,575,000 โ Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 ($100,000 inย 2010)
- Total:ย 2,720,900
Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)*
- $20,000 โ ExxonMobil,ย 1998-2000
Many of the conferenceโs otherย sponsors have been indirectly funded by industry, or are tied to โfree marketโย foundations:
60 Plus Association*ย
African Center for Advocacy and Humanย Development*ย
- No fundingย information.
Alternate Solutions Institute American Energy Freedomย Center*
- Received a $100,000 grant in 2008 from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, which in turn has received over $1,080,000 from ExxonMobil, $153,000 from the Koch Foundations, and $2,270,000 from the Scaifeย Foundations.
American Policyย Center*
- No fundingย records.
American Traditionย Institute
- The ATIโs staff include Chris Horner, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a leading force in climate denial. ย Horner edits the Cooler Heads Coalitionโs website. ย The ATI has successfully sued [Correction: U.Va was already in the process of compiling the emails prior to ATIโs lawsuit against] the University of Virginia for Dr Michael Mannโs emails and are now attempting a similar legal action at NASA to get Dr James Hansenโs emails.ย ย
Australian Libertarianย Society*
- No fundingย records.
Business and Mediaย Institute*
- BMI is the sister organization to the large Media Research Center which has received $412,500 from ExxonMobil since 1998.ย
Cascade Policyย Institute*
- No funding records from Exxon, Koch, or Scaife. MediaMattersย has compiled a listย of other funders.ย
Centro de Investigaciones de Instituciones y Mercados deย Argentinaย
- No fundingย records.ย
Cathay Institute for Publicย Affairs*
- No fundingย records.ย
Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship ofย Creation
- According to a report by Think Progress, the Cornwall Alliance is a front group for the shadowy James Partnership. Both the James Partnership and the Cornwall Alliance are closely linked to the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), an anti-environmental group that is โfunded by at least $542,000 from ExxonMobil, $60,500 from Chevron, and $1,280,000 from Scaife familyย foundations,
Energy Makes America Greatย Inc.
- No record of funding from Exxon, Koch, orย Scaife.
Freedom Foundation ofย Minnesota
- No record of funding from Exxon, Koch, orย Scaife.
Iceagenow.com
- No record of funding from Exxon, Koch, orย Scaife.
Istitulo Bruno Leoniย (Italy)
- No record of funding from Exxon, Koch, orย Scaife.
International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC)
- Headed by Canadian Tom Harris (a speaker at this yearโs conference), its personnel are the โwhoโs whoโ of international climate denial, including David Bellamy, Tim Ball, Julian Morris (Reason Foundation) and infamous Christopher Monckton.ย
Institutoย Liberdade*
- No fundingย information.ย
Instituto de Libreย Empresa*
- No fundingย information.ย
Institute for Liberty (IFL)*
- A Tea Party group in the United States founded by Andrew Langer, an ex-employee of the Competetive Enterprise Institute (CEI).ย
Liberaty Instituteย (India)
- No fundingย information.ย
Lavoisierย Group*
- No funding records from Exxon, Koch, orย Scaife.ย
- Fromย Sourcewatch: The group is closely associated with the Australian mining industry, and was founded in 2000 byย Ray Evans, then an executive atย Western Mining Corporationย (WMC), who was also involved in founding theย HR Nicholls Societyย and theย Bennelong Society.ย Hugh Morgan, former WMC boss and head of theย Business Council of Australiaย until 2005, delivered the groupโs inauguralย speech.
Mannkal Economic Educationย Foundation*
- No fundingย information.ย
DENIAL-A-PALOOZA MAP 2011: Sponsors, Speakers and Funders
(view interactive map at ExxonSecrets):
Sources: Greenpeace, DeSmogBlog, Media Matters Action Network, ExxonMobil 2010 Contributions and Community Investments [PDF] and the Scaife foundations website (for 2010 grants and 2008 grants see the Carthage Foundation).
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