The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is one of the most vocal and well-funded of the organizations opposing action by the U.S. government on curbing climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions. Since 1998, for example, Exxon Mobile has funneled over $2 million to CEI. As mentioned in the previous post, in 2006 CEI produced a commercial extolling the virtues of carbon dioxide (CO2) and implying that any regulation of this “life-giving” element would hurt progress. The ad is so over-the-top that it seems like a parody. Judge for yourself:
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URGcs4WV1fY]
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For more information, check out what SourceWatch.org has to say about the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
So your point is?
Roger
http://www.rogerfromnewzealand.wordpress.com
Roger – see the earlier posting on “Global Warming Denier Nonsense Amusing If It Weren’t Deadly” for more about the denier industry’s take on the “virtues” of carbon dioxide. The “point” is – as the video on water demonstrates – that carbon dioxide, like water, like iron, etc, is essential to life in the right quantities. We all know that too much water can kill – the same is true of CO2.
Well Christine,
What if the unproven Anthropogenic CO2 causes global warming hypothesis is not true?
Then we will have ruined our economies for nothing!
Do you know optimum CO2 concentration for life including ours is between 600 and 800 ppmv.
At these concentrations crops grow incredibly well, have more resistance to drought and disease with higher yields. Ask any glass house operator.
Humans according to most accounts are comfortable at 1000ppmv concentration of CO2.
I suggest you read my blog and the associated comments(I never disallow a comment unless it is abusive)
(blog address deleted)
After the well deserved lampooning of some politicians, some simple well referenced facts, that any lay person can appreciate, are described which seriously disprove the AGW theory
Cheers
Roger
Well, Roger, it seems that you have forgotten my comment policy (click here for a refresher) , but your comment is just too perfect an example of the anti-science denier nonsense that I’ve been discussing recently that I can’t not post it (omitting your shamelessly self-promoting blog link, of course). Really, Roger, you packed more “whoppers”(that’s what we call “porkies” in this part of the world) into those few sentences that I’ve seen in a while!
You have no scientific credentials and no articles in peer-reviewed journals to your credit, therefore you are very low on the “credibility spectrum” and yet you would like us to believe you when you assure us regarding levels of C02 that are optimum for life, just because you say so!
Let me quote from my comment policy: Physics has set an immutable bottom line on life as we know it on this planet. For two years now, we’ve been aware of just what that bottom line is: the NASA team headed by James Hansen gave it to us first. Any value for carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere greater than 350 parts per million is not compatible “with the planet on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted.” That bottom line won’t change: above 350 and, sooner or later, the ice caps melt, sea levels rise, hydrological cycles are thrown off kilter, and so on.
In keeping with the critical urgency of this situation, comments that argue that climate change is not happening, that CO2 is good for us, that Al Gore isn’t a scientist (we all know this!!), that as a meteorologist/geologist/etc. you know better than the IPCC and every National Academy of Science, humans are too insignificant to cause climate change, and so on, will be deleted without comment. If you are high on the credibility spectrum – that is, you are a publishing scientist – and you are quoting from a legitimate peer-reviewed source, and you have something to say about the science of climate change, then your comments will be posted. Referencing other blogs DOES NOT count!
Cheers
Regret you’ve been hit by Rogerthespammer. Grateful that it alerted me to your post here.
As P. Z. Myers noted, saying CO2 is “natural” is akin to noting feces are natural — doesn’t mean it’s good for you, or that you’d want it on your dinner table, or that it shouldn’t be controlled.
Back in the old days a rogue environmental protester used to take water from the effluent of steel mills and dump it in the reception area of the company. When the companies threatened charges for “endangering” people, he said he’d rest his defense on their claims the water is perfectly safe.
I don’t think he ever got caught.
Thanks for sharing the analogy, Ed, and the anecdote. I will remember to use both in future discussions!
In a way I don’t regret that Christine was hit (as I was late last week). I likely wouldn’t have found 350orbust (or timpanogos for that matter) without his -ahem- “assistance.
Keep doing what you’re doing, Christine (and Ed).
Thanks – I guess it’s helpful to look at the silver lining of RtS’s dark cloud of denial…..
Interesting to note that Google is a significant funder of CEI. Very disappointing: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/06/20/anatomy-of-a-washington-dinner-who-funds-the-competitive-enterprise-institute/
Hmmm – disturbing. They are leaders in so many other ways re: green energy & climate change. Is there a campaign to call them on this hypocrisy?
Yes, here: http://action.sumofus.org/a/google-climate-deniers/2/3/?sub=taf …and Forecast The Facts has a campaign targetted at Google’s MotoXic here: http://act.forecastthefacts.org/signup/google_moto_x_share/ Let’s do this thing!