Will Waxman the Big Tobacco Fighter Take on Big Oil?

There's no doubt that it's new day for climate policy in the United States with Rep. Henry Waxman, a leading champion in Congress of laws to protect the environment and fight global warming, beating out Dingell who spent the last two years more interested in boosting the Big Auto lobby and fighting against higher fuel economy standards for cars.

The question for me is whether we will now see a sequel to the "Waxman Hearings" on Big Oil, like the ones he held on Big Tobacco.

In 1994 Waxman, who was Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment at the time, held a series of hearings that exposed a secret public relations campaign conducted by the tobacco companies to confuse and cast doubt on the scientific findings that linked tobacco to increased risks of cancer.

It was the work of the tobacco industries and their PR flaks that birthed the entire "junk science" and "sound science" movement, where fake grassroots organizations effectively convinced millions of Americans that science was merely one of many opinions in the public discourse.

The "junk science" movement made it possible for the work of industry-funded think tanks to be held up as a reasonable counter-argument to the conclusions of conventional peer-reviewed science. Unfortunately, when it was clear that tobacco had lost the PR war, the army didn't go away, but instead began applying their "junk science" judo to another topic that was threatening industry profits -- global warming.

Since the early 1990s think tanks with big funding from energy giants like ExxonMobil have been spinning the science of global warming, creating doubt and confusing the public with the same techniques they learned in the tobacco war. The Greenpeace US project, ExxonSecrets has documented millions of dollars going to hundreds of organizations that in turn pumped out reports and hit the media circuit with their global warming junk science message.

ExxonMobil wasn't alone, other companies who also stood to lose big bucks from climate legislation joined the attack.

The apex of the Waxman Hearings was when the CEOs of the big 7 tobacco companies were dragged in front of Waxman's committee and were absolutely pummeled for their deliberate attempts to confuse the public on the risks of tobacco smoke.

Waxman is now in a position to haul the energy executives onto to the floor and demand they release their strategy documents to confuse the science of global warming and expose this campaign just like he did with Big Tobacco. He now has the power to expose this campaign of confusion that has effectively delayed action on the most important issue we face today.

Comments

[IntellectuallyHonest]

Waxman's such a reformer. He voted for the Iraq War.

[TomBrentwood]

Waxman replacing Dingell is such a sea change but the focus should start on Detroit and fuel efficiency standards that Detroit and the Big Three with Dingell in the driver seat have fought with help from the GOP. This is why the Big Three are losing money faster then we can print it. They fought the future
and the marketplace for efficient and clean autos. Now they are going broke with SUV's and Trucks leading the way down the drain. Auto pollution is killing the planet. Oil consumption is how we send
billions to the oil monarchs who seek out demise. Can we make smart cars or is Detroit our demise?
Bail them out for more of the same? If we do we slit our throats.
We should export clean and efficient autos to the world not cling on to old, out dated, obsolete
technology that has lead the Big Three into a head-on crash with reality.

[MagisterLudi]

Mr. Grandia, did you notice the crude is under $50? May be not.

[anniegirl9]

Explain how the drop in oil prices is pertinent to this leg of the discussion. Are you suggesting that we should ignore the real science about global warming because the price is more favorable?

[Pquilson]

Are you implying that the "real" science is only that science that favors AGW? If so, you are missing half the debate. No, Mr. Gore, the debate is not over.

[MagisterLudi]

The global warming and oil companies is a moot subject. So oil companies lie, big deal. Only children don't know that. Mr. Waxman is too smart to waste his political capital on this. The hot issue was the profits of the oil companies. It longer is.
A much important issue is reduction of emissions and protection of sensitive land and seabeds in Alaska and California.

[aramos]

Congress is part of the problem and Waxman isn't the solution. Career politicians like him are the cause for everything thats wrong in Washington.

[Sam T]

I respectfully disagree. If you look at Rep. Henry Waxman's history, he's not a "career politician" - he's a career public servant. He's been tireless in his work to investigate wrongdoings against the public - his work with respect to Big Tobacco is only one example. Our country would be a much better place if we had more people like him in office (and we do - President-elect Obama).

I mean no disrespect to Rep. Dingell, but my heart leapt with joy when I heard the news of Waxman's new position!

[obidennvr]

Then why haven't they banned tobacco? Why do they let people die just so they can get settlement money and sales taxes? SELLOUT!!

[pbley68]

Please take the big oil barons to task.

[obidennvr]

for what? making money? Let's take Warren Buffet to task too- he got a sweet deal on a bank in trouble.

[anniegirl9]

For creating false scientific research to convince people like you that there is a real scientific debate about global warming. There is not. At least not in the legitimate scientific community that allows for "peer reviewed" results and are not directly paid by the self-serving Companies that stand to profit from the conclusions.

Isn't it odd that the only "studies" that counter global warming claims are those paid to be conducted by Exxon and the likes?

[Bitsko]

Nice commentary. Senator Waxman has proven he has b@lls of steel

[lisakaz2]

It's high time. The planet needs this.

[jinxed]

Kudos to Waxman! I hope the oil industry squirms BIG TIME. Too bad Bush & Co. can't be dealt with the same way.