Koch Industries
Koch Industries is 'one of the largest private companies in the world'.[1] The companies CEO is Charles Koch and the Vice President is David Koch who describes Koch Industries as 'the bigggest company you've never heard of'.[2]
Contents
Funding Climate Change Skepticism
According to Greenpeace:
- It's now crystal clear - and every journalist, scientist and politician needs to know - that denial of climate change is not something based on healthy scientific scepticism and debate: it is manufactured and bears the "Koch" brand.
- To put their financial commitment into context, from 2005-2008 the Koch brothers pumped in double the amount that even Exxon Mobil spent on undermining climate action over the same period.[3]
Koch funding on climate
A Greenpeace investigation into Koch Industries found that:
- From 1997 to 2008, the Kochs funnelled more than US$48.5 million to organisations aligned with the Kochs' agenda, while presenting themselves as ‘experts’.[4]
Some top recipients of Koch money include:
- Mercatus Center - $9,247,500 received from Koch foundations 2005-2008 [Total Koch foundation grants 1997-2008: $9,874,500] The Mercatus Center is a conservative think-tank at George Mason University, in which Charles Koch sits on the Board of Directors.
- Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFP) - $5,176,500 received from Koch foundations 2005-2008. Beginning in 2008, Americans For Prosperity organised fake 'grassroots' local events across the US including the "Hot Air Tour”, featuring a hot air balloon, that was intended to build opposition to US legislation on clean energy and climate change.
- The Heritage Foundation - US$1,620,000 received from Koch foundations 2005-2008 [Total Koch foundation grants 1997-2008: US$3,358,000]. The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank that misinterprets science and policy regarding the climate and uses its conclusions to argue against action against climate change.
- Cato Institute - US$1,028,400 received from Koch foundations 2005-2008 [Total Koch foundation grants 1997-2008: US$5,278,400]. The Cato Institute focuses on disputing the science behind global warming and questioning the rationale for taking action.[5]
Polluting the environment
According to a research program by the Political Economy Research Institute, Koch Industries came 10th in a list of the 100 worst toxic air polluters.[6] Koch Industries was sued by the government in 1995 and 1997 over a reported 300 oil spills at pipelines which were owned and operated by the company. The lawsuits included stringent penalties - from $71 million to $214 million- placed on the company for dumping an estimated three million gallons of oil into lakes and streams in six states [7].
Affiliations
Cato Institute | Heritage Foundation
Resources
Greenpeace, Koch Industries, Greenpeace, March 2010
Notes
- ↑ Koch Industries, Home Page, Koch Industries, Accessed 07-June-2010
- ↑ Feature Story, Exposing the dirty money behind fake climate science, Greenpeace, 30-March-2010
- ↑ Feature Story, Exposing the dirty money behind fake climate science, Greenpeace, 30-March-2010
- ↑ Feature Story, Exposing the dirty money behind fake climate science, Greenpeace, 30-March-2010
- ↑ Feature Story, Exposing the dirty money behind fake climate science, Greenpeace, 30-March-2010
- ↑ "Political Economy Research Institute: 100 Toxic Air Polluters”, access 14.10.10
- ↑ "Center for Public Integrity: Politics of Oil", access 15.10.10
