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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Brendan DeMelle: Denial-a-Palooza 6: Heartland's Sixth International Conference on Climate Change, Courtesy of Koch, Scaife & Exxon

Denial-a-Palooza 6: Heartland's Sixth International Conference on Climate Change, Courtesy of Koch, Scaife & Exxon

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by Brendan DeMelle, DeSmogBlog, June 30, 2011
The Heartland Institute is convening a who's-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 world's 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 "ICCC" to sound like the IPCC.)
Let's take a look at the funding of the sponsors of ICCC6:
17 of the 43 sponsors of the Heartland Institute's 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 ($12,205,000 more than 2010*)
Koch Foundations (1998-2009):$11,330,980 ($6,241,230 less than 2010)
ExxonMobil (1998-2010):  $6,276,900 ($311,350 less than 2010)
   
Total Funding (1998-2010):  $46,164,880
*The Heritage Foundation, notably absent from the 2010 ICCC, is a sponsor again for the 2011 ICCC. Heritage has received $14,873,571 from industry sources.


SPONSORS
Here are the funding totals for organizations sponsoring Heartland's conference that are known to have received support from oil-fueled 'free market' foundations:
*= past sponsor. 
Accuracy in Media* 
  • $3,120,000 – Scaife Foundations, 1998-2010
Americans For Prosperity* 
Americans for Tax Reform *
  • $60,000 – Koch Foundations, 1998-2009
  • $575,000 – Scaife Foundations, 1998-2010
  • Total: $635,500 
Ayn Rand Institute*
Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise (CDFE)*
Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change*
  • $85,000 – Koch Foundations, 1998-2009
  • $100,000 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010
  • $100,000 – Scaife Foundations, 1998-2010
  • Total: $285,000 
    Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)*
    • $12,285 – Koch Foundations, 1998-2009
    • $582,000 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010
    • $1,915,000 – Scaife Foundations, 1998-2010
    • Total: $2,509,285
      Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)*
      • $421,746 – Koch Foundations, 1998-2009
      • $2,005,000 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010
      • $2,575,000 – Scaife Foundations, 1998-2010
      • Total: $5,001,746
        Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) 
        • $27,592 – Koch foundations, 1998-2009
        • $90,000 – Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 
        • Total: $117, 592
        George C. Marshall Institute*
        • $310,000 – Koch Foundations, 1998-2009 ($70,000 in 2009)
        • $840,000 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none in 2010)
        • $2,595,000 received from Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 ($230,000 in 2010)
        • Total: $3,435,310
        Heartland Institute
        • $20,000 – Koch foundations, 1998-2009 (none in 2009)
        • $676,500 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none in 2010)
        • Total: $696,500
        Heritage Foundation
        • $3,708,571 – Koch foundations, 1998-2009 ($618,571 in 2009)
        • $670,000 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 ($50,000 in 2010)
        • $10,495,000 – Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 ($600,000 in 2010)
        • Total: $14,873,571
        Independent Institute
        • $50,000 – Koch foundations, 1998-2009 (none in 2009)
        • $85,000 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none in 2010)
        • Total: $135,000
        Independent Women’s Forum (IWF)
        • $485,000 – Koch foundations, 1998-2009 ($150,000 in 2009)
        • $50,000 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none in 2010)
        • $1,850,000 – Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 (none in 2010)
        • Total: $2,385,000
        Media Research Center (a.k.a. the Business & Media Institute)*
        • $15,005 – Koch foundations, 1998-2009 (none in 2009)
        • $362,500 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none in 2010)
        • $3,667,000 – Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 ($250,000 in 2010)
        • Total: $4 044 505
        National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA)
        • $500,000 – Koch foundations, 1998-2009 ($25,000 in 2009)
        • $645,900 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2010 (none in 2010)
        • $1,575,000 – Scaife foundations, 1998-2010 ($100,000 in 2010)
        • Total: 2,720,900
        Science and Environmental Policy Project
        • $20,000 – ExxonMobil, 1998-2000
        Many of the conference's other sponsors have been indirectly funded by industry, or are tied to "free market" foundations:
        60 Plus 
        African Center for Advocacy and Human Development 
        • No funding information.
        Alternate Solutions Institute American Energy Freedom 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 Scaife Foundations.
        American Policy Center
        • No funding records.
        American Tradition Institute
        • The ATI’s staff include Chris Horner, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a leading force in climate denial.  Horner edits the Cooler Heads Coalition’s website.   The ATI has successfully sued the University of Virginia for Dr Michael Mann’s emails and are now attempting a similar legal action at NASA to get Dr James Hansen’s emails.  
        Australian Libertarian Society*
        • No funding records.
        Business and Media Institute*
        Cascade Policy Institute*
        Centro de Investigaciones de Instituciones y Mercados de Argentina 
        • No funding records. 
        Cathay Institute for Public Affairs
        • No funding records. 
        Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of 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 “funded by at least $542,000 from ExxonMobil, $60,500 from Chevron, and $1,280,000 from Scaife family foundations,
        Energy Makes America Great Inc.
        • No record of funding from Exxon, Koch, or Scaife.
        Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
        • No record of funding from Exxon, Koch, or Scaife.
        Iceagenow.com
        • No record of funding from Exxon, Koch, or Scaife.
        Istitulo Bruno Leoni (Italy)
        • No record of funding from Exxon, Koch, or Scaife.
        International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC)
        Instituto Liberdade
        • No funding information. 
        Instituto de Libre Empresa
        • No funding information. 
        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). 
        Liberaty Institute (India)
        • No funding information. 
        Lavoisier Group*
        Mannkal Economic Education Foundation
        • No funding information. 

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