skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Koch Funding Climate Change Deniers: Mixed Success

play audio
Play

Tuesday, November 1, 2011   

ASPEN, Colo. - The Koch family has funneled tens of millions of dollars into causes which support the oil and gas industry in an attempt to undermine the science of climate change, a new investigation finds.

The Wichita, Kan.-based brothers and their various businesses and non-profit organizations, are not only supporting politicians but also academic researchers and conservative think tanks critical of global warming, according to the Colorado Independent.

Tom Yulsman, co-director of the Boulder, Colo.-based Center for Environmental Journalism, says it's important to look at the shifting positions from prominent Republicans such as John McCain or Mitt Romney on the science of climate change - from acceptance to skepticism - to see the Koch influence.

"The debate that's actually taking place? It seems to be a debate that people are having about science. In fact, it really has nothing to do with science whatsoever. It is a debate about politics."

Even with the Koch funding, however, the scientific results don't always support Koch positions. Last week, former climate denier Richard Muller of the University of California Berkeley reported in the Wall Street Journal that the results of his Koch-funded study showed that global warming is real and increasing rapidly.

Reporter Troy Hooper, who conducted the investigation for the Colorado Independent, found that the Kochs, their interests and employees combined, topped all other donors to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee - and that nine of 12 new Republican members signed a pledge distributed by the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity to oppose legislation to regulate greenhouse gases.

"I think in the case of the Kochs, we've seen it play out where it's pretty effectively changed environmental policy in the United States."

While some polls indicate Koch funds may be influencing public opinion, Yulsman says, other polls indicate a majority of Americans support environmental protections and believe the science of global warming.

"We have to ask ourselves to what extent has concern over global warming decreased because of the denial campaign, versus the fact that people are out of work, people are struggling, and quite frankly something that's going to happen over the course of decades seems like it's not quite the priority right now."

Greenpeace reports that the Kochs have spent more than $50 million since 1998 on attacks on climate science.

Read the full Colorado Independent story at coloradoindependent.com.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021