The New Yorker published a must-read expose of Charles and David Koch this week, detailing the major role that these oil billionaire brothers have played in funding organizations that misrepresent the science of climate change like the Cato Institute, front groups like Americans for Prosperity, and others that aim to block progress on climate solutions and keep America addicted to fossil fuels . The article includes information from Greenpeaces report, Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine. Here’s an excerpt:
The Kochs are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industryespecially environmental regulation. These views dovetail with the brothers corporate interests. In a study released this spring, the University of Massachusetts at Amhersts Political Economy Research Institute named Koch Industries one of the top ten air polluters in the United States. And Greenpeace issued a report identifying the company as a kingpin of climate science denial. The report showed that, from 2005 to 2008, the Kochs vastly outdid ExxonMobil in giving money to organizations fighting legislation related to climate change, underwriting a huge network of foundations, think tanks, and political front groups. Indeed, the brothers have funded opposition campaigns against so many Obama Administration policiesfrom health-care reform to the economic-stimulus programthat, in political circles, their ideological network is known as the Kochtopus.
Earlier this month, New York Magazine also published an article about David Koch, and it looks like hes been seeing some of Greenpeaces materials:
“
In his office, Koch showed me a photocopied flyer Greenpeace had produced with sketches of him and Charles below the words wanted for climate crimes and shook it in the air.”
Greenpeace activists distributed those fliers at the opening of the Smithsonians Koch-funded Hall of Human Origins exhibit. (Check out this post from Climate Progress for more information about how David Koch’s oil money may have tainted the exhibit.)
Maybe David Koch can use his copy of the flyer as a bookmark when he reads how his shadowy oil-funded network has been exposed in this week’s New Yorker Magazine.
Check out the full article for all the details.
