ExxonMobil Stops Funding Competitive Enterprise Institute
ExxonMobil Stops Funding Competitive Enterprise Institute
ExxonMobil is notorious for funding groups that attack global warming science. A recent survey by the Royal Society, “Britain’s premier scientific academy,” found that “ExxonMobil last year distributed $2.9m to 39 groups that the society says misrepresent the science of climate change.”
Exxon may be on the verge however of giving up these efforts. Following the release of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, the Competitive Enterprise Institute produced television advertisements “that welcomed increased carbon dioxide pollution.”
In response to an inquiry from the Guardian, Exxon announced that the company “stopped funding the Competitive Enterprise Institute this year.” Also, Exxon promised the Royal Society in July that they would “not be providing any further funding” to groups that distort global warming science.
The Royal Society has written Exxon, asking them if they’ve made good on this pledge. You can read the letter here.
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51 Responses to “ExxonMobil Stops Funding Competitive Enterprise Institute”
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These guys are beyond spinmasters, hey are just plain liars and perhaps Exxon-Mobil realized that they were backing a dead horse. That CO2 is life campaign was laughable, even my friends who are not science savy cracked up when they saw it.
September 20th, 2006 at 10:36 amI stopped buying gas from Exxon and not just because of this crap either. I refuse to be ripped off for gas twice. First at the pump and one more time when i pay my taxes. Billions in Bush Tax Cuts have been given to the big oil companies already. They got their money. I buy from Citgo (Venezuala) and Lukoil (Russia).
September 20th, 2006 at 10:38 amI haven’t bought gas from Exxon since the Valdeez spill. Only Citgo diesel goes in my vehicle.
September 20th, 2006 at 10:45 amExxon is a big contributer and lead author for the 2001 IPCC Report, most noteably on the Chapter on Detection and Attribution. Using your logic their support for understanding climate change discredits the IPCC Report.
September 20th, 2006 at 10:52 amThese idiots at ExxonMobil deserve to go belly up because of what they did to the planet.
September 20th, 2006 at 10:58 amI doubt that Exxon is turning around. They do understand PR, after all. Maybe we should switch to coal for our cars?
September 20th, 2006 at 10:59 amExxon may be evil, but not incompetent
CEI may be evil, but they are also incompetent
I can see why the two might part ways.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:00 amIf Bush has enriched his buddies in big oil at the expense of higher gas prices that have influenced more people to be more fuel efficient, does he get credit for helping to save the planet?
September 20th, 2006 at 11:02 am#8 - my dog pees on my roses. he gets all the credit for how beautiful they look
September 20th, 2006 at 11:07 amThey have made so much greedy profits, that they do not need to do any more PR stuff anymore > shame on them!
September 20th, 2006 at 11:25 amExxon is a big contributer and lead author for the 2001 IPCC Report, most noteably on the Chapter on Detection and Attribution. Using your logic their support for understanding climate change discredits the IPCC Report.
Comment by honey dipper — September 20, 2006 @ 10:52 am
This is a misrepresenation. Some of Exxon’s scientists did contribute to the IPCC report, but they are not a “big contributer and lead author” by any stretch of the imagination. Limited participation by Exxon is merely a PR attempt to avoid complete embarrassment in front of the scientific community, another example of Exxon saying one thing and doing another. Exxon has worked furiously behind the scenes to undercut the IPCC report.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:28 ambut but where o’ where will our mentally challenged friends on the other side of the aisle be able to get their information about global warming…
ohh I know Matt Drudge…
http://thinkprogress.org/ 2006/ 09/ 15/ drudge-spins-global-warming/
September 20th, 2006 at 11:32 amWhile it would be nice to believe that Exxon simply stopped funding these groups because they are now excepting Global warming Scince, I am thinking it was something else.
My guess is they are stopping the funding because Oil prices are dropping and are predicted to drop alot more. If our energy department is correct, we could have gas in the low $1 range by spring. At that price, the American people for the most part won’t care about Global warming science. Exxon also realizes this and I am guessing is simply holding back that money to invest in something else as the use of gas isn’t going away anytime soon.
While the Oil companies obviously make more money with high Oil prices, they also realize that it is a balancing act (OPEC also realizes this). If prices are to high, it gives the free market a chance to find an alternative and turn a profit. So, the Oil companies and OPEC try to figure out the maximum price per barrel they can get while not pricing to high to let any competition in.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:34 amThe prices are dropping because there is a US election in November. Watch them soar just after.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:38 amYeah right. Whatever. They will just find a way to hide the fact that they are funding them. Direct ties might cause problems later on. Best to start hiding now.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:51 amIf our energy department is correct, we could have gas in the low $1 range by spring.
Huh? DOE is really making that claim? Can you provide references?
At that price, the American people for the most part won’t care about Global warming science.
I don’t follow your logic here.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:55 amExxon and its obscenely rich executives continue to rip off the public with the aid of their friends in the White House.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:57 amThey have yet to pay the bill for the clean up of the Exxon-Valdez.
They will make some lame attempts to raise their public opinion level, but nothing can change the facts.
BTW -
Why has the price of oil dropped significantly in recent weeks? The summer driving season is over, but this is curious. The price of oil per barrel is nearing $60 - while this is a good thing for my budget, I wonder who is controlling these prices.
Did W put in a call to his Saudi friends?
I put nothing past the Bush family oil connections.
If you have diesel cars, use Biodiesel. http://www.biowillie.com/
September 20th, 2006 at 12:06 pmRealscientist,
While Global warming is very important, the bulk of Americans doesn’t care much about it. They mostly care about what the price of the energy they use is. If gas goes to a very cheap rate again, the mass’ simply won’t care enough to demand change.
There are only 2 ways to get us off of Oil.
1) Keep burning Oil until Demand outstrips supply. This will pobably take 40-100 years. Once it does, Oil goes from a commodity to a luxery. That higher price will provide the room for an alternative to enter the free market. It is also a situation where finally OPEC couldn’t do anything about it simply because they would be running at full capacity and wouldn’t be able to pump anymore.
2) Simply tax the crap out of fossil fuels. Gore’s plan actually has some merit and needs to be talked about. He wants to remove all state and federal income tax and replace it with a emissions tax. If we can get the price of fossil fuels high enough, the free market will start to finally come up with some alternatives that will be profitable. The downside to this idea is the fact that out economy would take a serious hit.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:11 pmSo with this quote,”Also, Exxon promised the Royal Society in July that they would “not be providing any further funding†to groups that distort global warming science.”, are they now admitting that they understand Global Warming is real?
September 20th, 2006 at 12:18 pmKeep burning Oil until Demand outstrips supply. This will pobably take 40-100 years.
According to who? Peak oil theory says we are already within a few years of this event, if not already there.
Also, you didn’t respond to my request for any information backing your claim about $1 a gallon gas.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:20 pm#10
Some of Exxon’s scientists did contribute to the IPCC report, but they are not a “big contributer and lead author†by any stretch of the imagination.
Sorry, but you’re wrong. Lead on Chapter 3 and contributing on Chapter 12.
http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/558.htm
See Haroon Kheshgi. You might want to “stretch your imagination” and familiarize yourself with his work and the contributions of ExxonMobil Research and Engineering.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:27 pmI had the same sentiments expressed above as gas prices fell.
I thought, hey great for my budget! But then immediately I knew it would make it harder to rally the American public behind Global Warming again. Unfortunate but true, most people only care if the issue directly effects them NOW (regardless of the fact that Global Warming could very well destroy the habitabilty of the planet, thereby destroying everyone’s future descendants).
September 20th, 2006 at 12:31 pmRealScientist,
Peak Oil theory is hogwash as it doesn’t look at the fact that we still have MANY untapped oil reserves. ANWAR, the Florida Coast, California Coast, Oil Shale in Canada, Russia finally coming Online, Iran being a crappy third world country (they have tons of untapped Oil because the free world is scared to invest there) just to name a few.
OPEC themselves last week said that they may even reduce output because we are flush with Oil. OPEC also estimated that we are currently only drilling about 18% of the world’s known OIl reserves. This indicates that we have tons of Oil left that we haven’t even started on yet.
While this means that we will have cheap Oil for years to come (cheaper if the damn hedge funds got there hands off it), it also means Global warming will in fact destroy much of the world.
Sad, but true.
September 20th, 2006 at 12:38 pmExxonMobil is notorious for funding groups that attack global warming science.
Oh, like this one?
In addition to our own research and industrial partnerships ExxonMobil is providing $100 million to Stanford University’s Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) - a major long-term research program that is designed to accelerate the development of commercially viable energy technologies that can dramatically lower GHG emissions on a world-wide scale.
GCEP projects initiated in 2003 and currently underway, include an integrated assessment of technology options, studies of hydrogen production and utilization, advanced combustion system research and studies of geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide.
Projects commencing in 2004 include assessments of hydrogen, wind and solar power, carbon dioxide capture and storage, and four new projects researching the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier.
http://gcep.stanford.edu/
September 20th, 2006 at 12:38 pmhttp://www.exxposeexxon.com/
keep up to date here
September 20th, 2006 at 12:55 pmHaven’t bought Exxon/Mobil gas in at least 10 years and I won’t buy. Keep boycotting Exxon/Mobil… add it to the list… WalMart, ABC, Disney Channel… just a few to start with. Anyone have others to add to the boycott list?
September 20th, 2006 at 12:55 pmFactcheck: You really don’t know where your gasoline comes from.
#2
I buy from Citgo (Venezuala) and Lukoil (Russia).
#3
I haven’t bought gas from Exxon since the Valdeez spill. Only Citgo diesel goes in my vehicle.
#27
Haven’t bought Exxon/Mobil gas in at least 10 years and I won’t buy.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/ neic/ brochure/ gas04/ gasoline.htm
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) cannot definitively say where gasoline at a given station originated since EIA does not collect data on the source of the gasoline sold at retail outlets. The name on the service station sign does not tell the whole story. The fact that you purchase gasoline from a given company does not necessarily mean that the gasoline was actually produced by that particular company’s refineries. While gasoline is sold at about 167,000 retail outlets across the nation, about one-third of these stations are “unbranded†dealers that may sell gasoline of any brand. The remainder of the outlets are “branded†stations, but may not necessarily be selling gasoline produced at that company’s refineries. This is because gasoline from different refineries is often combined for shipment by pipeline, and companies owning service stations in the same area may be purchasing gasoline at the same bulk terminal. In that case, the only difference between the gasoline at station X versus the gasoline at station Y may be the small amount of additives that those companies add to the gasoline before it gets to the pump. Even if we knew at which company’s refinery the gasoline was produced, the source of the crude oil used at that refinery may vary on a day-to-day basis. Most refiners use a mix of crude oils from various domestic and foreign sources. The mix of crude oils can change based on the relative cost and availability of crude oil from different sources.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:18 pmRealScientist,
Peak Oil theory is hogwash as it doesn’t look at the fact that we still have MANY untapped oil reserves.
Comment by Roger_Roger — September 20, 2006 @ 12:38 pm
Your statement here is false.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:46 pmHoney dipper,
You sound like an expert. An expert at misrepresenting and twisting the facts. Are you working for the fossil fuel industry in some capacity? Do you work at the George C. Marshall Institute?
September 20th, 2006 at 1:50 pmhoney dipper,
Which public relations firm do you work for?
September 20th, 2006 at 1:51 pmWe are only drilling 18% of the world’s known oil reserves. That alone tells me we have tons of Oil left to drill.
September 20th, 2006 at 2:14 pmWhen Dems tried to warn Reagan about global warming, among other things, he called them the “gloom and doom” party. Well, Ronnie checked out and now he doesn’t have to suffer the consequences of his own negligence. How long will Republicans rely on mindless chants before they wake up and do something about global warming?
September 20th, 2006 at 2:20 pmJust as I thought, Left-wing propaganda books.
September 20th, 2006 at 3:17 pmMaybe I should just read Frankens book “Lies and the Lying Liars who tell them”. Probably no agenda in that book either. How’s about Maureen Dowd’s book?
Why don’t you ever read a Rush Limbaugh or a Sean Hannity book? It’s probably got about as much truthiness as anything you’ve read.
Son? Dear God, please don’t let Maureen dowd err…. btruthiness be my mother! Yesterday she just wanted to come to my family reunion, now she actually thinks she’s part of the family… SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!
Okay btruthiness, as soon as you read the HOLY BIBLE, I’ll read your propaganda books. then maybe we can read MY PET GOAT (lol). Heow’s about Cyrano DeBergerac, I know you New York housewives love guys with big noses!!!
You Are too funny
You are a parody of common sense
You make me laugh mom!
September 20th, 2006 at 3:52 pmA Greenpeace dossier on Exxon’s climate change distortion programme that names the names of those responsible:
http://www.greenpeace.org/ international/ press/ reports/ full-report-exxon-s-weapons-o
It’s a good ‘un.
September 20th, 2006 at 4:26 pmTerrytheturtle #9 and trust me, your dog didn’t pee on your roses because he was evil or told to pee by neo-cons and although you listened to every florist you could find that would tell you the roses would die, there still fine.
September 20th, 2006 at 4:40 pm#45 - I knew I’d regret answering one strawman with another… but that’s a non-sequitur on top of a strawman, Paul.
#28 - irrelevant. Buying from the Citgo stations flows funds to the national oil company of Venezuela irrespective of the origin of the gasoline actually pumped. Pay more attention in school honey dipper, the economics class and the critical thinking classes are important.
#24 - rogx2 - The Oil Drum - the calibre of the posters will impress you. They will help you understand why a ton of oil shale in Alberta is not the answer to disappearing West Texas Int.. Start with the Chevron Jack discovery…it is an interesting analysis. Chevron does not want anyone to know Jack about Jack. Yes the age of cheap oil is over - sorry to disappoint. Did you not read the discussion of why Opec thinks that $60 is the new baseline?
September 20th, 2006 at 5:37 pmHave you always hated women and new yorkers, or is that a recent development!!
Where’s the hate in saying you like guys with big noses?
The reason I KNOW you are a woman is directly related to how the women I know deal with people. A man would not be so condescending in every single post. Not even Al Franken can be hateful all the time…. But Stephanie Miller and Maureen Dowd can be. You are a parrot of both. It’s like you read their articles, go to the websites they tell you to, and have no mind of your own. Speaking of which, I have yet to meet a man that would write ROTFL in every single post. Are you ever gonna get off the floor? Do you ever stop laughing, because it is definitely you who is beyond being reasonable. I’ve tried to be reasonable with you several times in the past and you can do nothing but attack me, and other liberals have backed me up. So I’m done trying with you… I will hold nothing back and will call you any name I please.
September 20th, 2006 at 5:43 pmI hope you have the dinner on the table, dad should be home from work any time now mom.
BTW… while you’re on the floor laughing, would you please mop it up, you’ve been there so long it’s gotten stinky and dirty…
I haven’t bought gas from Exxon since the Valdeez spill. Only Citgo diesel goes in my vehicle.
Comment by Theresa — September 20, 2006 @ 10:45 am
Ditto. Same here. It’s about time these efforts have begun to pay off, and that liberals are starting to grow spines and get that being pacifists doesn’t mean being passive…
This is good news. Let’s keep the pressure on the neocons. They are cracking from it!
September 20th, 2006 at 6:13 pm#46, Now you pay attention. You need to be schooled.
Citgo partners with these evil oil companies that thank you for adding to their profits when you purchase Citgo petroleum base products imported from the Orinico Belt:
ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco
These companies have a 40-50% in the production of Venezuelan oil.
Beyond Venezuela Citgo processes and refines petroleum products from the Virgin Islands, Mexico, Algeria, Brazil, Columbia, Norway and Ecuador - production from companies such as ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco, BP and Anadarko with services provided by Halliburton (see Algeria).
Keep on buying Citco. The oil companies you hate thank you for your ignorance.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:30 pmTry Citgo.com, dumbass. And here:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/ oil_gas/ petroleum/ data_publications/ company_level_imports/ cli.html
Of course, we’re still waiting for your source for this ridiculous statement…
You do realize that much of the oil would require more energy to retrieve than it supplies?
September 20th, 2006 at 7:52 pmAha, I knew btruthiness would have another childish response to me… Nyah Nyah Nyah Nyah Nyah Nyah, well I’m rubber and you’re glue, and anything you say bounces off me and sticks to you.
September 20th, 2006 at 10:03 pmMy hate for women starts with “b” and ends with “truthful”, you only like to think that I hate others cause it gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.
In case you forgot, you are the one who ridiculed soldiers mom. Good thing all those evil men and women in uniform would still answer the call to protect your freedom (even if it includes your hatred for us). Enjoy your double espressomochachino with a shot of caramel, it’s a darn good thing that the freedoms afforded to people in this country don’t depend on the likes of women like you.
BTW, in case you’ve missed it, you’ve never gotten support from a progressive on this site when you’ve been addressing me. And I doubt you ever will. That’s what makes them progressive… progressive thinking. Regressive hatred for anything not like you will make you no friends on either side of the aisle. Keep trying though, since it’s worked so well for you already.
In fact, it’s now 9:58 pm eastern time on wednesday night. I’ll bet that by this time thursday night, you will not have one person who usually posts on this site come to your defense… especially when it comes to calling me any sort of hatemonger toward any sort of person you can think of. In fact, I’m so sure that you won’t… I’ll bet you a double mochachino espresso or whatever you usually get at starbucks… better yet, If you do get someone to come to your defense against anything I’ve said, I’ll never address you in another post ever again. I’ll even allow any tirade you want to go on about me, to go unquestioned. I know you’d never agree to anything like this, because I’m staking my reputation on it… that leaves you nothing to bet with.
Honey - as I expected you miss the point again. The choice is between buying from companies owned and operated by the Five Sisters etc or from a state-owned company like Venezuela’s Citgo. The origin of the oil is simply not relevant - Citgo enters the market at two points and buys and sells on behalf of the Venezuelan government in addition to refining Venezuelan crude. The profits for Citgo go 100pct to Venezuela. It matters not who else makes money off Venezuelan oil - besides that is not in the control of the average consumer. So buying from Citgo is the difference between keeping some money out of the Five Sisters hands as opposed to none. You either knew that and are dishonest or are well…you fill in the blank…honey.
September 20th, 2006 at 10:08 pmHoney, glad you checked out Citgo’s web site. It means that you have perhaps a chink of an opening in your mind for new ideas…it surprises me that you did not come across the obvious fact of doing business with Citgo.
Here’s your link, and here’s the money quote:
“The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”
And that Honey, is all you need to know….thanks for playing.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:27 pmSo buying from Citgo is the difference between keeping some money out of the Five Sisters hands as opposed to none.
My response was relevant to the first few posters who believe they were not giving their money to Exxon, et al when they by Citco gas.
#2
I stopped buying gas from Exxon and not just because of this crap either. I refuse to be ripped off for gas twice. First at the pump and one more time when i pay my taxes. Billions in Bush Tax Cuts have been given to the big oil companies already. They got their money. I buy from Citgo (Venezuala) and Lukoil (Russia).
Citgo will pay Exxon, et al to extract oil they share rights to, or oil they don’t have rights to (an example, sources from the other countries). Your purchase of Citgo gas is also providing Exxon, et al revenue. The first few posters don’t realize that Citgo uses their revenue to purchase Exxon, et al gas, thereby profiting Exxon, et al. Maybe I misunderstood them and like you are okay with giving a little money to Exxon, et al instead of all of it. Somehow, I don’t think so.
#28 - irrelevant. Buying from the Citgo stations flows funds to the national oil company of Venezuela irrespective of the origin of the gasoline actually pumped. Pay more attention in school honey dipper, the economics class and the critical thinking classes are important.
This statement is really meaningless now. And what is “origin of the gasoline actually pumped”? Pumped from where? The station, the refinery, the ground?
The profits for Citgo go 100pct to Venezuela.
Profit goes to Citgo, but revenue is use to pay Exxon, et al. They also get 100% of their profit…provided by your purchase of Citgo gas. Part of your $2.60+/gal is being used to pay for Exxon, et al’s product. PDVA would get 100% of revenue and profit if they operated exclusively without partners. But they don’t. Citgo.com details a few of those partnerships that I listed previously.
Either you always agreed Exxon, et al was receiving revenue and thought a personal attack in place of facts made a convincing argument, or you’re shifting your argument from a position thinking no revenue was going to Exxon, et al in PVDA deals, or you have no argument at all. Whatever, but you now agree that Exxon, et al receive revenue and profits from your purchase of Citgo gas (refined Exxon, et al gas).
Here’s the money quote.
“The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that pays Exxon, et al $60+/barrel plus lease payments, plus royalties to extract and produce oil, thereby receiving revenue and profits from Citgo and it’s customers”.
Regardless, Citgo oil (parts of which are Exxon, et al oil) gets comingled with oil from different sources (Exxon, et al), just as described in the EIA brochure I linked above.
September 21st, 2006 at 2:37 am#54
It doesn’t say what you say it says…
According to the spreadsheet, the sources for Citgo are Citgo’s subsidiaries in those countries.
The explanatory notes say nothing about the source being Citgo subsidiaries. That is country of origin and you can look up the companies operating in those countries. I gave you the majors operating in Algeria for example. Besides, Citgo does not have subsidiaries with lease holdings or drilling operations in those countries.
Then again, maybe you would like to tell me in what countries Citgo, or a subsidiary is exploring, drilling and extracting oil.
September 21st, 2006 at 2:57 am[…] More from Think Progress […]
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