Where There's PR Smoke, There's Grassfire.org, Dude

Submitted by John Stauber on

Columnist Dimitri Vassilaros received a news release about a grassroots "petition to stop climate alarmism" and attacking Al Gore's work. He checked it out and found that "for an organization that claims 'we are grassroots to the core,' Grassfire.org acts as if it is hiding a lot of Astroturf. The politically conservative nonprofit is happy to talk about its worthy online petition campaigns," but is "very tight-lipped about talking about itself. ... The Maxwell, Iowa, address for donations to the grassroots organization is clearly displayed on its Web site. But its 2006 IRS 990 form states its address is Bethesda, Md., near Washington, D.C." The SourceWatch article on Grassfire revealed its relationship to Craig Shirley and his "slick Washington-area PR firm, Shirley & Banister Public Affairs. ... When asked a few times about the organization's finances, [Grassfire's] Mr. De Jong first said he didn't know the size of the organization that he speaks for. He also said he 'could ask around' about that 990 form. When I offered to ask the bookkeeper for him, De Jong said, 'She will call, dude. Relax. I'll take care of it for you. I am a man of my word.' As of Thursday noon, no one had called this dude."

Main Source: 
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, May 9, 2008
Topics: 
Astroturf
Right Wing
Front Groups
Climate Change
Environment
Public Relations
Science

Comments

Barry Moore replied on

Recently 32000 degreed professionals of which over 9000 have PhDs or higher signed the Oregon Petition condemning the Kyoto Accord. IPCC has a membership of 2500. To make statements to the effect that the debate is over and the "consensus" cannot be questioned is as ridiculous as the Kyoto Accord itself. I have read the 4th. report and it is full of statements to the effect that there is a great deal more to be learned regarding this subject, so how can the debate be over. The following is just a small sample of the real truth.
Here are the real scientific facts about the effect of anthropogenic carbon on global temperatures.
Total carbon in the atmosphere at 384 ppm = 860 Billion tonnes ( Gigatonnes, GT)
Total anthropogenic emissions = 8 GT/year
Total amount of carbon recycled by plants and water =180 GT/year
Average life of a CO2 molecule in the atmosphere = 860/180 = 4.8 years
Total amount of anthropogenic carbon in the atmosphere = 4.8X8 = 38.4 GT
Atmospheric Carbon per ppm is 860/385 = 2.23 GT per ppm
Increase in Carbon due to all human emissions = 38.4/2.23 = 17.2 ppm
Effect on world temperatures if the 300 ppm were doubled = 1.2 deg C
Net effect on world temperatures by all human emissions to date
= (17.2X1.2)/300 = 0.069 deg C
The Kyoto Accord is a complete farce and its sole purpose is to transfer money from developed countries to the poor countries it will do absolutely nothing to change our climate which is driven by other much more powerful forces than CO2. Our climate has always and will always cycle.

Anonymous replied on

Global Warming has happened before and it would happen without us here it's just the Earth and i'm pretty sure no one caused those numerous ice ages because we didn't have industry then.

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