Exclusive: Billionaires secretly fund attacks on climate science

A secretive funding organisation in the United States that guarantees anonymity for its billionaire donors has emerged as a major operator in the climate "counter movement" to undermine the science of global warming, The Independent has learnt.

The Donors Trust, along with its sister group Donors Capital Fund, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is funnelling millions of dollars into the effort to cast doubt on climate change without revealing the identities of its wealthy backers or that they have links to the fossil fuel industry.

However, an audit trail reveals that Donors is being indirectly supported by the American billionaire Charles Koch who, with his brother David, jointly owns a majority stake in Koch Industries, a large oil, gas and chemicals conglomerate based in Kansas.

Millions of dollars has been paid to Donors through a third-party organisation, called the Knowledge and Progress Fund, with is operated by the Koch family but does not advertise its Koch connections.

Source

As ever, following the money leads to murky waters of power, profits and agendas. One can speculate as to why Big Business is so concerned with discrediting climate science but I find it extremely unlikely that their motivations are altruistic and noble.

reply to post by john_bmth


Frontline ran a special on it last year.

Global warming and cooling are cyclical, whether we fart or not. But capitalists will capitalize and propagandize us into further oppression. I reject the global warming scam. F Al Gore

Climate change, from my point of view, is a very real thing. I do not jump into the endless bickering of whether it is man made or natural...to me, that is kinda a ridiculous waste of time...regardless of the causes, it is here and is happening now.

So...do we just continue the argument and do nothing? Or...do we actually accept something is changing and as a species we need to at least make steps to prepare for the possible outcomes. It seems to me a golden opportunity for the billionaires...invest in the technology and infrastructure to deal with droughts in the midwest, floods and "super storms". To me, it makes more sense to get in on the bandwagon as a source of profit rather than just stand back with your fingers in your ears...shouting 'I can't hear you!"

IF (and I admit, I am not a climatologist so I have a lot of "ifs") the weather patterns we are seeing are going to be long term, I think wisdom says you make plans to deal with it. IF the droughts are going to be ongoing for years to come, perhaps we need to be looking at infrastructure to deal with that. IF superstorm Sandy was just a glimpse at future possibilities, is it wise to continue rebuilding and reinvesting in the places that are likely to get hammered over and over again?

IF the Koch brothers really are funding disinformation and conflict, it seems like a waste of money to me. If I were a billionaire, I'd start a huge construction company and lobby the GOV to get contracts to build things to prepare for changes...

What's the worst that could happen? We build water retention reservoirs and aqueducts to get water to drought areas and find we do not need them...so?

Originally posted by binkbonk
Global warming and cooling are cyclical, whether we fart or not. But capitalists will capitalize and propagandize us into further oppression. I reject the global warming scam. F Al Gore

Al Gore tries to promote his "global warning" campaign by conducting rallies here and there. He shows up in a private jet then takes a stretch hummer to the place of choice. Contradictions?

plus, I'm sure a single volcanic eruption is more harmful to the planet than all of the fumes we put out on vehicles anyways.

reply to post by Jeremiah65


Billionaires are smart. They are not investing in the aftermath of climate change because they know we are just as likely to end up in an ice age as we are a blazing flame ball. Billionaires are capitalizing on both sides of the issue as it stands. And it does matter what the causes of 'climate change' are, because we can't really do anything about the whims of this huge planet. If you think paying higher taxes is going to appease the climate change gods then give it your best shot. But in the end all you will be doing is lining the pockets of the elite whilst reducing the standard of living for the rest of us measly peasants. That's the plan that they are shoving down our retarded throats. The climate change agenda is just another link in the chain of oppression that we are being bound by. So go ahead engage with enthusiasm and support your bondage. But I won't because that crap is translucent to me.

reply to post by binkbonk


Actually we are heading for a Global Cool Down...they are just trying to get money out of the working people...Carbon Tax ; how nice...a bunch of bull sh...t

This is old news, though it isn't as widely known as it should be. Sadly – looking at the posts on this thread and others discussing climate change – it seems that, on ATS at least, the billionaires have won the propaganda battle.

A radical change in human behaviour all across the planet will be necessary if we are to avert the coming disaster. It may be possible to achieve this, but doing so will almost certainly demand strict laws and considerable, worldwide repression. The price we pay for the survival of the human race will be paid in the coin of liberty. But pay it we will, sooner or later – those of us who are still left alive.

Originally posted by resoe26

Originally posted by binkbonk
Global warming and cooling are cyclical, whether we fart or not. But capitalists will capitalize and propagandize us into further oppression. I reject the global warming scam. F Al Gore

Al Gore tries to promote his "global warning" campaign by conducting rallies here and there. He shows up in a private jet then takes a stretch hummer to the place of choice. Contradictions?

plus, I'm sure a single volcanic eruption is more harmful to the planet than all of the fumes we put out on vehicles anyways.

You have bought the propaganda of the billionaires.

reply to post by mbkennel


As have you of the global zionists. Each are telling lies to support their own agendas. One group wants power and money, the other group wants money and power (in that order). I don't support either. But one thing is for sure, all you gullible fools that think you can stop the world from turning by changing your light bulbs and paying more taxes are bringing the collective world iq even further down into the mud.

Originally posted by binkbonk
Global warming and cooling are cyclical, whether we fart or not. But capitalists will capitalize and propagandize us into further oppression. I reject the global warming scam. F Al Gore

congratulations on yuor membership opf the "I can be persuaded by oil money" club.

Originally posted by binkbonk
reply to post by mbkennel

 

As have you of the global zionists.

If global zionists agree with the laws of physics, I'm with them. BTW is "zionists" a pejorative for "Jews I don't like"?

Each are telling lies to support their own agendas. One group wants power and money, the other group wants money and power (in that order). I don't support either. But one thing is for sure, all you gullible fools that think you can stop the world from turning by changing your light bulbs and paying more taxes are bringing the collective world iq even further down into the mud.

No, the world can be slowed from destructive climate change by reducing the various human-caused drivers of the greenhouse effect and soot effects as predicted by atmospheric physics and validated radiative transfer.

Note, this physics has been discussed and was started to be investigated in the1960's. It is not new.

People drastically underestimate the long-term effect of climate change. They see numbers like 2-3-4-5 degrees C change in climate and think "that's not such a big deal". Actually it is. We are blowing way past 2C and going to 4C most likely. This is average temperature rise, averaged over all of the planet (including the 70% which is water, and changes less), equatorial and poles, and all seasons.

Think about it this way. Think about the Ice Ages. It was really really cold then. How much of a global temperature difference was that? My gut would say, at least 20 to 30 C, right? if 25 is a typical temperature than Ice Age is -5?

No. The global average temperature difference between now and the Ice Ages was about 5C. That's it. We are heading towards almost that much in a Heat Age.

Time to calibrate your gut: in the Ice Age, 5C below current average global temperature, glaciers were TWO MILES THICK in New York State. Global agriculture was of course completely impossible, possibly the only arable land was in a small area of South Africa.

That's what 5 degrees means.

reply to post by mbkennel


Hand over your wages and enter the new world order with a smile on your face. Thanks for believing in the impossible. Al Gore doesn't even believe his own lies as he's digging his carbon footprint deeper and deeper. Don't you think if he believed his own lies he would be making sacrifices also? No way! Just us measly peasants have to sacrifice, while the liars at East Anglia fudge the numbers around. The truth is tha the earth will warm up and cool down regardless of your tax dollars and reusable grocery bags. You are all hypocrites.

reply to post by binkbonk

All that hot air you're puffing out isn't helping the climate any, you know.

you will find that billionaires fund both sides of the argument, it is a clever way to keep the masses busy bickering amungst themselves while laws are changed to help both sides get even richer and more powerful.

reply to post by munkey66


Exactly! But don't waste you're breath, these guys are going to save the world.

Originally posted by binkbonk
reply to post by mbkennel

 

Hand over your wages and enter the new world order with a smile on your face. Thanks for believing in the impossible. Al Gore doesn't even believe his own lies as he's digging his carbon footprint deeper and deeper. Don't you think if he believed his own lies he would be making sacrifices also? No way! Just us measly peasants have to sacrifice, while the liars at East Anglia fudge the numbers around. The truth is tha the earth will warm up and cool down regardless of your tax dollars and reusable grocery bags. You are all hypocrites.

No.

The laws of physics beat elites, 10 times out of 10.

reply to post by mbkennel


Ha! The laws of physics? The data has to be accurate for that to work.

reply to post by binkbonk

Global warming and cooling are cyclical, whether we fart or not

Opinions are cheap there are billions of them in the world. Can you substantiate the comment above. Six years I studied environmental science and I dont have any answers. I met a lot of amazing people with published papers on the subject. There are not working for the government. They are not getting backhanders. They are genuienly concerned about the effects we are having on the climate. I guess you are getting your information from the same disinformation agencies that is being funded by billionaires.

ATS moto... Deny ignorance. Not stink of it.

reply to post by purplemer


That hurts my feelings.

How the hell did we make it out the first ice age without cars and factories to change the climate???

Did you think the climate was supposed to remain static? Hahahahaha