Exxon: Still Fronting After All These Years [1]
Submitted by Diane Farsetta [2] on
In an apparent policy shift, earlier this year Exxon Mobil [3] called climate change [4] "a serious issue," saying that "action is warranted." The oil company also said it would stop funding groups that downplay the risks from global warming or lobby against measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But Exxon still funds about 40 "skeptic groups," including the American Enterprise Institute [5], Cato Institute [6], Heritage Foundation [7] and National Black Chamber of Commerce, according to a new report [8] from the environmental group Greenpeace [9]. Exxon did "cut its donations to these groups by more than 40 percent from 2005." Rep. Brad Miller [10] urged Exxon to release data on its 2006 donations, saying the money "appears to be an effort to distort public discussion about global warming [11]." Exxon gave $3.9 million to "global warming deniers [12]" in 2004, $3.6 million in 2005, and over $2 million in 2006. Exxon challenged Greenpeace's characterization of the groups as "deniers," and said the groups "do not represent Exxon or speak on its behalf."