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ExxonMobil isn’t just in denial about climage change, it’s in denial about its own denial. Despite a pledge in 2008 to discontinue contributions to groups “whose position on climate change could divert attention” from the need for clean energy, the company went right on funding them, the Guardian reports.
Recently released company records reveal that ExxonMobil handed over $75,000 that year to the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas and $50,000 to the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC. Both NPCA and Heritage oppose siginficant action on climate change and question whether global warming is a threat.
Given ExxonMobil’s past behavior, it’s easy to see how the company might have a tough time going cold turkey. In 2005, Mother Jones broke the story that ExxonMobil gives millions of dollars to think tanks, researchers, and media figures to produce and promote phony science purporting to debunk global warming (check out the handy charticle). A few months later, ExxonMobil vowed to “soften” its public image, earning headlines such as “Exxon cuts ties to global warming skeptics” and “ExxonMobil Softens its Climate Change Stance.”
That was all just wishful thinking. (For a taste of the propaganda Exxon has wrought, see the first comment in this recent post). Maybe the company needs to enroll in some sort of 12-step program. Perhaps Carbonoholics Annonymous, or better yet, Cap and Trade.
