Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM)
Background
The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM) describes itself as a “non-profit research institute established in 1980 to conduct basic and applied research in subjects immediately applicable to increasing the quality, quantity, and length of human life.” OISM is classified by the IRS as a 501(c)3 public foundation.
Art Robinson, one of the founders of OISM, is known for his role developing the Oregon Petition, a list of approximately 17,000 “scientists”, later building to 31,000, who disputed the existence of man-made climate change. Analysis of the petition signers found that only 39 of the 31,000 signers had a qualification relation to climate scince.
Art Robinson
Art Robinson established the Institution in 1980, and it published two books: Nuclear War Survival Skills, which argues that “the dangers from nuclear weapons have been distorted and exaggerated” into “demoralizing myths” and Fighting Chance: Ten Feet to Survival, which Robinson co-authored with Gary North.
In addition to books on nuclear war, OISM markets the “robinson self-teaching curriculum,” a home-schooling kit for parents concerned about socialism in the public schools.
“In order to take our country back from the secular humanists – back from those who have abandoned the Christian values and disciplines that made America great – back from the evil that is destroying our society, we must do more in our home school movement than we are doing now,” the robinson cirriculum website states. “Our children must be such superior performers in America’s colleges and universities, that they not only resist the corruption in those institutions – that they destroy, by their example, the corruption itself.”1“Homeschooling Problems/Needs,” The robinson self-teaching curriculum. Archived April 23, 1999. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/37pGb
Stance on Climate Change
“Atmospheric CO2 fertilizes plants. Higher CO2 enables plants to grow faster and larger and to live in drier climates. Plants provide food for animals, which are thereby also enhanced. The extent and diversity of plant and animal life have both increased substantially during the past half-century. Increased temperature has also mildly stimulated plant growth.”
“… The empirical evidence – actual measurements of Earth’s temperature and climate – shows no man-made warming trend.”
“… The temperature of the Earth is continuing its process of fluctuation in correlation with variations in natural phenomena.”2Arthur B. Robinson, Noah E. Robinson, and Willie Soon. “Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide,” Petition Project website. Published by Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uNo6e
“People have made a mistake. They’ve started to believe that humans are causing climate variation, whereas the climate variation clearly is natural in cause.” -Arthur Robinson3Carisa Cegavske. ”Robinson, McKinney file for U.S. House District 4 Congress position,” NR Today, February 29, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fTpSa
Funding
According to their website, the Institute is “entirely supported by donations and grants from private individuals and foundations and by the independent earnings and resources of its faculty and volunteers.”
OISM doesn’t reveal the identities of their funders. According to SourceWatch, OISM reported revenues totaling $355,224 in 1999, most of in the form of contributions from unspecified sources.
As president, Arthur Robinson received $16,691 in salary and benefits. OISM listed $945,427 in total assets, $735,888 of which was in the form of land, buildings and equipment. By 2005, OISM reported $1.0M in revenue and $2.8M in assets.
According to 2010 IRS 990 forms (PDF), Art Robinson most recently received $100,000 in compensation, while Noah Robinson received $90,000. They listed OISM’s total assets at $4,400,338.
Mercer Family Foundation Funding
The following is based on informationed compiled by the Conservative Transparency project combined with that of publicly available 990 forms:4“Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed May 18, 2017.
| Mercer Family Foundation | |
| 2005 | $60,000 |
| 2006 | $50,000 |
| 2008 | $50,000 |
| 2009 | $50,000 |
| 2010 | $100,000 |
| 2011 | $965,000 |
| 2013 | $200,000 |
| 2015 | $200,000 |
| 2016 | $200,000 |
| Grand Total | $1,875,000 |
990 Forms
Key People
Faculty
The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine lists the following “Faculty” on their website:5OISM Homepage. Accessed May 28, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ZdEa
- Martin D. Kamen (passed away in 2002)
- R. Bruce Merrifield (passed away in 2006)
- Fred Westall
- Carl Boehme
- Jane Orient — Executive Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS).
- Arthur B. Robinson
- Noah E. Robinson
- Zachary W. Robinson
Board Members
| Name | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | Description |
| Arnold Hunsberger | Y | Y | Former Vice President | |||||||||||
| Arthur Robinson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | President |
| Bruce Tippery | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
| Jane Orient | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Secretary | ||
| Noah Robinson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Treasurer. Former Vice President. |
| Richard McIntyre | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Former Secretary | ||||||||
| Zachary Robinson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Compensation
According to publicly-available 990 forms:
| Year | Arthur Robinson | Noah Robinson |
| 2002 | $6,000 | $0 |
| 2003 | $6,000 | $0 |
| 2004 | $6,000 | $0 |
| 2005 | $6,000 | $20,000 |
| 2006 | $6,000 | $40,000 |
| 2007 | $46,000 | $70,000 |
| 2008 | $56,000 | $70,000 |
| 2009 | $70,000 | $85,000 |
| 2010 | $100,000 | $90,000 |
| 2011 | $120,000 | $95,000 |
| 2012 | $105,000 | $100,000 |
| 2013 | $100,000 | $105,000 |
| 2014 | $113,000 | $108,000 |
| Grand Total | $740,000 | $783,000 |
Actions
March 2009
The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine was a sponsor of the Heartland Institute‘s 2009 International Conference on Climate Change.
DeSmog researched the funding behind Heartland’s Second International Conference on Climate Change, and found that sponsor organizations had received over $47 million in funding from energy companies and right-wing foundations, with 78% of that total coming from Scaife Family foundations.
2007
The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine offers “Global Warming Slides” to visitors on a page of its website. One of the “Global Warming Slides” resources is a link to a video of Noah Robinson’s presentation on global warming at the 11th annual Gilder|Forbes 2007 Telecosm Conference titled, “The Global Warming Myth.”6“Global Warming Slides,” Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Accessed March 9, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/sH44Q
Noah Robinson’s presentation was published to the Discovery Institute‘s website.7“Streaming Media – The Global Warming Myth – Dr Noah Robinson – Telecosm 2007,” Discovery Institute. Accessed March 9, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/IekWa
April 1998
Art Robinson of the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine organized the Oregon Petition. According to OISM, the Petition Project was separate from Robinson’s work at the Institute and the project did “not utilize any Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine resources or funds.”8“Arthur B. Robinson,” Profile at the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PeqWU 9“Home,” Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Qf5sO
The Petition Project, however, does appear to be a project of OISM, listed as a “related site” on their homepage. According to OISM, “several members of the Institute’s staff are also well known for their work on the Petition Project,” which was funded by “private donations by interested individuals, primarily readers of the newsletter Access to Energy …”
The Access to Energy newsletter also appears to be run by Art Robinson.
OISM published Art Robinson’s paper, “Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” which concluded that climate change was a result of normal solar activity and part of a natural cycle.
According to Robinson, carbon dioxide increases would result in “an increasingly lush environment for plants and animals.”10Dave Mazza. “Hot Air,” Willamette Week, January 7, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/pA6xy
Other authors of the papers included Art Robinson’s son, Noah E. Robinson, and the well-known industry-funded climate change skeptic Willie Soon.
This paper is listed as a “Global Warming Review Paper” at he current website for the Oregon Petition. It does not appear to have been peer-reviewed.
OISM Contact & Location
As of May, 2016 the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM) listed the following contact information on their website:11OISM Homepage. Accessed May 28, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ZdEa
OISM
P.O. Box 1279
Cave Junction, OR 97523Email: [email protected]
Related Organizations
- Access to Energy — Also run by Arthur B. Robinson.
Other Resources
Resources
- 1“Homeschooling Problems/Needs,” The robinson self-teaching curriculum. Archived April 23, 1999. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/37pGb
- 2Arthur B. Robinson, Noah E. Robinson, and Willie Soon. “Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide,” Petition Project website. Published by Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uNo6e
- 3Carisa Cegavske. ”Robinson, McKinney file for U.S. House District 4 Congress position,” NR Today, February 29, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fTpSa
- 4“Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed May 18, 2017.
- 5OISM Homepage. Accessed May 28, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ZdEa
- 6“Global Warming Slides,” Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Accessed March 9, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/sH44Q
- 7“Streaming Media – The Global Warming Myth – Dr Noah Robinson – Telecosm 2007,” Discovery Institute. Accessed March 9, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/IekWa
- 8“Arthur B. Robinson,” Profile at the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PeqWU
- 9“Home,” Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Qf5sO
- 10Dave Mazza. “Hot Air,” Willamette Week, January 7, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/pA6xy
- 11OISM Homepage. Accessed May 28, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ZdEa
