Willie Soon Scandal: Markey, Whitehouse, Boxer Letter to 100 Companies, Industry Groups

The new Telsa (electric car) has an acceleration setting called INSANE MODE…literally.

The car goes from 0 to 60mph in 3.2 seconds…

That’s what three Senators just did to accelerate the Willie Soon scandal.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder (Markey) 202-224-2742

Mary Kerr/Kate Gilman (Boxer) 202-224-8832

Seth Larson (Whitehouse) 202-228-6291

 

Markey, Boxer, Whitehouse Query Fossil Fuel Companies,

Climate Denial Organizations on Science Funding

100 letters sent to unearth extent of climate denial-for-hire programs

WASHINGTON (February 25, 2015) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) today sent letters to 100 fossil fuel companies, trade groups, and other organizations to determine whether they are funding scientific studies designed to confuse the public and avoid taking action to cut carbon pollution, and whether the funded scientists fail to disclose the sources of their funding in scientific publications or in testimony to legislators.

This investigation follows the revelations regarding one of the chief climate denial researchers, Wei-Hock “Willie” Soon, from documents released by Greenpeace showing that Soon received more than $1 million from ExxonMobil, Southern Company, and others to produce what he termed “deliverables” to push back on climate science or carbon-cutting policies in papers or Congressional testimony. Soon did not disclose this funding to peer-reviewed scientific journals that require such disclosure.

The letters from Senators Markey, Boxer and Whitehouse ask the companies and other organizations about any funded research efforts related to climate change and the wide range of related issues over the last ten years. The letters also ask for the names of researchers, whether restrictions or terms were put on the requests, and results from the agreements including any publications or other materials.

“For years we’ve known that fossil fuel interests have sought to block action on climate change and have denied the science. This investigation will help to determine who is funding these denial-for-hire operations and whether those who are funded by these fossil fuel interests are keeping their funders’ identities secret from the public and legislators,” said Senator Markey, Ranking Member of the Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee on the Environment and Public Works Committee. “Corporate special interests shouldn’t be able to secretly peddle the best junk science money can buy.”

“We’ve known for many years that the tobacco industry supported phony science claiming that smoking does not cause cancer. Now it’s time for the fossil fuel industry to come clean about funding climate change deniers,” said Senator Boxer, Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.

“The news about Willie Soon is further confirmation that the fossil fuel industry has taken a page out of the tobacco playbook by bankrolling scientists to cast false doubt on the existence of climate change,” said Senator Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee on the Environment and Public Works Committee. “The American people deserve to know more about this self-serving effort to distort the facts and prevent action on this issue, and I hope these letters will help.”

An example of one of the 100 letters sent is available HERE and a full list of recipients is included below.

‎The three Senators ask for answers to be given by April 3, 2015.

Full list of recipients:

ACCCE (American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity)

Alliance Resource Operating Partners LP

Alliance to Save Energy

Alpha Natural Resources LLC

Ameren

American Coal Foundation

American Electric

American Energy Alliance

American Enterprise Institute

American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers

American Gas Association

American Legislative Exchange Council

Americans for Prosperity Foundation

America’s Natural Gas Alliance: ANGA

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Apache Corporation

API (American Petroleum Institute)

Arch Coal Inc.

Armstrong Energy Inc.

Atlas Network (previously Atlas Economic Research Foundation)

Boich Group LLC

Bowie Resource Holdings LLC

BP

Cato Institute

Chamber of Commerce of the USA

Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation

Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Chevron Corporation

Cloud Peak Energy

CNOOC (Nexen Petroleum U.S.A. Inc.)

Competitive Enterprise Institute

ConocoPhillips

CONSOL Energy Inc.

Consolidated Edison

Continental Resources Inc.

Denbury Resources, Inc.

Devon Energy Corporation

Dominion Resources

Donors Capital

Donors Trust

DTE Energy

Duke Energy

Ecopetrol America Inc

Edison Electric Institute

Edison International

Energy Future Holdings Corp

Eni U.S. Operating Co.

Entergy

EOG Resources, Inc.

Eversource

Exelon

Exxon Mobil Corporation

FirstEnergy

George C Marshall Institute

Hallador Energy Co

Hess Corporation

Hoover Institution

Hudson Institute

Independent Petroleum Association of America

Institute for Energy Research (IER)

John Locke Foundation

John Williams Pope Foundation

Koch Industries

Linn Energy, LLC

Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation

Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

Marathon Oil Corporation

Murphy Oil Corporation

Murray Energy Corp

NACCO Industries Inc.

National Association of Manufacturers

National Mining Association

National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

NextEra Energy

Noble Energy Inc.

NRG Energy

Occidental Petroleum Corporation

PacifiCorp

Patriot Coal Corp

Peabody Energy Corp

Peter Kiewit Sons Inc.

Petrobras America Inc.

PG&E

Pioneer Natural Resources Company

PPL

PSEG Public Service Enterprise

Rio Tinto Group

Searle Freedom Trust

Shell

Southern Company

Statoil

The Heartland Institute

The Heritage Foundation

Valero Energy

Walter Energy Inc.

Western Fuels Association Inc.

Westmoreland Coal Co

Wisconsin Energy

Xcel Energy

Posted by Kert Davies