Global Warming

Global Warming- without a doubt the biggest issue of our generation. For years the scientific community has been nearly unanimous in warning us that the fossil fuels we burn are adding greenhouse gases to the environment. This is not news. So why are there still some scientists standing in the face of overwhelming consensus to deny the existence of this phenomenon? Why is there even a debate concerning this topic. For decades now big oil companies such as Exxon-Mobil have Ð'ЃedonatedÐ'Ѓf hundreds of millions of dollars to organizations seeking to undermine findings on global climate change. As they say, money talks, and in this case it is speaking loud and clear. For nearly three decades these Ð'ЃerenegadeÐ'Ѓf scientists have put up strong, well-articulated, and in some cases, extremely convincing arguments that deny the existence of a global warming phenomenon.

During the late 1980s, oil, gas, coal, auto and chemical companies formed the Global Climate Coalition. Throughout the following decade and a half, these industries poured millions of dollars into a very well organized campaign to discredit the emerging global warming consensus. The coalition, in the formal sense, disbanded a few years ago but the skeptic campaign that it helped establish is still alive and well funded. Many of these skeptic scientists work in conservative think tanks in Washington such as the George C. Marshall Institute or the National Center for Policy Analysis. They are powerful enough to have influence in the highest political circles in Capital Hill and the White House. It was these skeptic organizations which helped make sure that the United States did not ratify the Kyoto treaty. A treaty which would have made greenhouse gas emission cuts mandatory. It is worth noting that the energy saving measures that would have been necessary under this treaty would have seriously cut into the profit margins of big energy companies. Conservatives maintain that their objections to the treaty were purely based on Kyoto not requiring emission cuts for developing countries such as China and India.

Ben Stewart of Greenpeace UK points out that he sees many parallels between big oilÐ'Ѓfs campaign of misinformation and big tobaccoÐ'Ѓfs propaganda campaigns in the sixties. Ð'ЃgExxon bosses are the Darth Vaders of Global warming. They have run a 50-year-long campaign of dirty tricks designed to block action on the greatest threat to humanity. In years to come, the campaign by this company will be regarded as nothing less than a crimeÐ'Ѓh.

For the most part, think tanks make money purely through private donations. Some have commented that because of this, think tanks bias their research to ensure continued funding. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that big oil supported think tanks frequently come out with findings that contradict mainstream global warming notions. In a May, 2006 Washington Post article, the DC based think tank, Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) was described as Ð'Ѓga factory for global warming skepticismÐ'Ѓh. Ten years ago the CEI received contributions from companies across the board in the petroleum industry. Even though many oil companies such as BP have stopped sending the checks in the interest of public relations concerns, CEI still receives money from the biggest and most hard-line companies. Among these are Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Pfizer, General Motors, and the American Petroleum Institute. It is worth noting that by far, the biggest CEI contributor is Exxon-Mobil. Skeptic scientists, like the kind found at CEI take long established Mainstream evidence of global warming and point out the flaws or inaccuracies in order to produce doubt any way they can.

Take, for example, the global temperature graph for the past century. Notice that temperature levels rise steadily during the early 20th , but then they start to decrease starting in 1940 and continue to do so for the next 35 years. Skeptics look at this and ask, if greenhouse gases truly cause global