An internal memo obtained recently by Greenpeace USA details polluting interests’ plans to launch a nationwide astroturf campaign attacking climate legislation at public events scheduled throughout the final weeks of recess before the Senate returns to debate the issue in September.
The email memo (download a PDF copy), which appears to come from the desk of American Petroleum Institute president Jack Gerard, asks API’s member companies to recruit employees, retirees, vendors and contractors to attend “Energy Citizen” rallies in key Congressional districts nationwide in the closing weeks of the August recess. The campaign plan places a special focus on 21 states picked by API for having “a significant industry presence” or “assets on the ground.”
Taking a page from the playbook of astroturf campaigners currently crashing health care town hall events across the country, API hopes to similarly sully productive communications between Congress members and their actual constituents at public events scheduled for the coming weeks. Gerard states that API is ready to bus in company members and provide logistical support, and reveals that API has retained “a highly experienced events management company that has produced successful rallies for presidential campaigns, corporations and interest groups.”
Gerard’s email states that API is partnering on the rally campaign with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, confirming that the groups are staging a coordinated effort to attack climate legislation despite the fact that several prominent members of these groups have stated support for strong Congressional action to combat climate change.
Greenpeace sent a letter to Gerard yesterday asking him to verify the authenticity of the email, and pointing out that the plan “runs contrary to several prominent API members’ public support for climate action, namely Shell, BP America, ConocoPhillips, General Electric and Siemens.”
The memo closes with a ‘for your eyes only’ plea: “Please treat this information as sensitive and ask those in your company to do so as well… we don’t want critics to know our game plan.”
To which Greenpeace responded to Gerard in yesterday’s letter, “Game plan known.”
Here is a list of the “tentative venues” where API plans to hold “Energy Citizen” rallies. If you live in one of the named cities, please email any news or tips you hear about the rallies to us at desmogblog@gmail.com.
Houston TX
Perry GA
Detroit MI
Roswell NM
Greensboro NC
Farmington NM
Ohio (venue being finalized)
Greeley CO
Nashville TN
Indiana (venue being finalized)
Bismarck ND
Tampa FL
Sioux Falls SD
Greenville SC
Anchorage AK
Joliet IL
Charleston WV
Fairfax VA
Philadelphia PA
Lincoln NE
Missouri TBD
Arkansas TBD
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http://chevrontoxico.com/news-and-multimedia/2009/0818-60-seconds.html
on the planet for there daily trips about towns worldwide and similar activities that are destroying the planet on a daily basis.
Goldman Sachs to be carbon regulator?
So does this mean that freebooting Goldman Sachs could be the de facto regulator of the carbon market?
As the global warming bubble inflates and then bursts, will Goldman
Sachs self-regulate all the way to the bank… making record profits at the expense and misery of taxpayers and consumers
A simple 1$ per ton carbon tax, plowed into 3 cent/KWH rooftop solar and waster biochar, would free us from fossil fuels, and provide cheaper, clean energy and fuels forever. see my profile for details and links.
You don't believe in Global Warming.
You have your head in the sand.
HOw can we possibly believe what they say about global warming when their actions are designed only to increase taxes and make Goldman Sachs more wealthy? Waxman does nothing meaningful about the environment for YEARS, when we could be doing something now. This is not an environment bill, it's a government revenue bill.
Best said in http://11thhouraction.com/
Much of that money went to environmentalist type projects.
First, oil companies should love the rhetoric of global warming. They would be watching with glee.
If the public is conditioned to believe in alternatives such as wind at $200 per barrel of oil equivalent or solar at $1,000,
if taxes are supposed to force conservation while the public uses more and more energy, guess what gift is handed to those that manage oil and gas.
That's a Scam to keep people PAYING for fuel at the Pump.
The best and cleanest source of energy is from the SUN and WIND. Solar and Wind is the present and future.
Power companies don't want people to think about those FREE energies because they would lose so much money if people placed small wind turbines and solar panels on their homes.
Wake Up People!
By insisting on Waxman, you are dooming us to oil dependence and coal fired plants for decades to come. I would sincerely ask you to look at the benefits of natural gas conversion as an alternative to WAxman, and see if it doesn't make sense to you.
Luddites?
Dinos?
Morons?
Note to all creepy industry execs: If you find yourself typing something along the lines of "don't let this memo leak, cuz golly that sure would make us look bad" you're probably sealing your fate that the memo will indeed get leaked.
P.S. This makes you look REALLY BAD!
These protest have nothing to do with halting the climate bill, I'm a hardcore enviromentalist and even I know that this is not going to happen in my life time, but what the oil companies are doing is raising question to the whole debate on renewable energy. Why are they doing this? The answer is simple if you follow the progression. Hybrids and electric cars are gaining ground and as they do, more on-site power will be needed and this type of power, which will come from either coal (enemy of big oil- believe it or not) or renewables (enemy of both oil and coal).
A world filled with plug-in hybrids will drive the demand for solar powered car ports (which are already in the hundreds across the nation) and similar technologies. If the oil companies can make a dent in the funding for solar and wind technology, they will have effectively supported their own cause and by using the cover of climate bill legislation to do this only proves how dumb the general population has become.
SOLAR MAID
The Prius does not count as a True Hybrid by the way. And how many plug-in vehicles do you see manufactured in America today? The answer is NONE.
Yes, the Oil companies have won and they are still winning.
When I see plug-in hybrids as common as gas engines are today, then I'll know we made Real change. Otherwise, it's all just lies and more of the same BS.
Gasoline should be $8 a gallon, or more.
I respect Greenpeace, but many environmental groups just want business as usual. The cap and trade bil is so full of faults and loopholes it would be better if it failed and something else that put a price on carbon and simply taxed it replaced it. Cap and trade won't stop climate change.
Look at natural gas. Do some research.... you might be surprised at what you find.
Sadly it will probably be the same people that are crying for the insur ance execs that will be screaming how we will hurt the b@st@rds if we try to move forward to stem global warming and pursue alternative, renewal energy.
Oh wait, I forgot, then they can blame it on the prez.
The press has pretty much failed to perform the informative role that earned them their "free press" place in our democracy a long time.
The sad thing is that these are fellow humans, fellow citizens of Earth.