ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy

FACTSHEET: Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, PRI

DETAILS

755 Sansome Street, Suite 450 San Francisco, CA 94131
Phone: 415-989-0833
Fax: 415-989-2411

The Pacific Research Institute (PRI) is a free market think tank based in San Francisco, California. Until 1984 it was known as the Pacific Institute for Public Policy Research.

According to its website: "The mission of the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) is to champion freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility for all individuals by advancing free-market policy solutions." (3/18/04) PRI has ties to the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. PRI was started by IEA's founder, Antony Fisher, and businessman James North. Research fellow Mark Pollot received some notoreity during the fleeting "county supremacy" movement in many parts of the rural west. Pollot also founded the Stewards of the Range Constitutional Law Center to undertake many of the failed legal battles that arose from the supremacy theory. PRI has received grants from the John M. Olin Foundation, the Jacquelin Hume Foundation, the Jacobs Family Foundation,.Montgomery Street Foundation, Lilly Endowment, David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, William H. Donner Foundation, Sarah Scaife Foundation, and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.

KEY QUOTES

4 February, 2001
"This winter's big chill has given global warming enthusiasts some explaining to do. Whether global warming, if it occurs at all, would be a good or bad thing, is another debate entirely."
Source: "Global Warming Suffers a Chilling Effect," SF Examiner, 2/4/01

20 November, 1998
"The Kyoto Protocol is wrong on all accounts. There is no conclusive scientific evidence that global warming exists or that, if it does, human activity is a contributing factor. But in the event warming is occurring and is stoppable, the Protocol will not even come close to achieving its stated goal. The world's largest emitters will get a free ride, leaving the United States to bear the burden."
Source: Pacific Research Institute website

KEY DEEDS

7 June, 2002
Senior Fellow Steven Hayward signed a letter to President Bush, asking him to withdraw the "Climate Action Report 2002" and demand that it be rewritten based on "sound science". The letter also recommends that Bush "dismiss or re-assign all administration employees who are not pursuing your agenda, just as you have done in several similar instances."
Source: Joint Letter To President Bush On The EPA's Climate Action Report 6/7/02

16 April, 2007
Produced a DVD documentary response to Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" for Earth Day 2007 entitled "An Inconvenient Truth...Or Convenient Fiction?"
Source: Pacific Research Institute documentary "A Convenient Fiction" website 2007

Publishes an annual "Index of Leading Environmental Indicators" on Earth Day, asserting that the environment is improving and there's no need to worry about global warming. The index is a collaborative project with the American Enterprise Institute.
Source: Pacific Research Institute documentary "A Convenient Fiction" website 2007

DEEDS

25 June, 1998
Hosted a conference entitled "Junk Science: A Hazard to Your Health," which featured Dr. Robert Balling, who lectured on global warming as "junk science."
Source: Pacific Research Institute website

FUNDING

Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy has received $530,000 from ExxonMobil since 1998.

1998
$15,000 ExxonMobil Corporate Giving
Source: Exxon Education Foundation Dimensions 1998 report

2000
$50,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
20K general support, 30K project support
Source: ExxonMobil Foundation 2000 IRS 990

2001
$20,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
Source: ExxonMobil 2001 Worldwide Giving Report

2002
$45,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
20K General Support, 25K index of leading indicators project
Source: ExxonMobil 2002 Worldwide Giving Report

2003
$45,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
Source: ExxonMobil 2003 Worldwide Giving Report

2004
$50,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
Climate Change and Environmental Quality Research
Source: ExxonMobil 2004 Worldwide Giving Report

2004
$50,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
General Operating Support
Source: ExxonMobil 2004 Worldwide Giving Report

2005
$95,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
Source: ExxonMobil 2005 Worldwide Giving Report

2006
$75,000 ExxonMobil Corporate Giving
Source: ExxonMobil 2006 Worldwide Giving Report

2007
$85,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
Source: ExxonMobil 2007 Worldwide Giving Report

KEY PEOPLE

Sally Pipes
President and CEO
Source: Pacific Research Institute website

Lisa Mac Lellan
Vice President for Public Policy
Source: Pacific Research Institute website

Steven F. Hayward
Senior Fellow, Environmental Studies
Source: Pacific Research Institute website

Terry Anderson
Senior Fellow in Environmental Studies
Source: Pacific Research Institute website

Dana Joel Gattuso
former Director of Research
Source: Pacific Research Institute website

Roy E. Marden
officer and excutive
Source: ExxonMobil 2001 Worldwide Giving Report

Amy Kaleita
Public Policy Fellow, Environmental Studies
Source: PRI staff list - Kaleita (May 2007)

John A. Von Kannon
vice president 1988
Source: Heritage Foundation - John Von Kannon

William (chip) Mellor
fellow
Source: Pacific Research Institute - William Mellor

PEOPLE

SOURCES

ExxonMobil 2001 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d=4388

ExxonMobil 2002 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d=4386

ExxonMobil Foundation 2000 IRS 990
ExxonMobil Foundation 2000 IRS 990
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d=4390

Exxon Education Foundation Dimensions 1998 report
Exxon Dimensions report 1998- Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d=4385

Pacific Research Institute website
http://www.pacificresearch.org

Manhattan Institute website 4/04
http://www.manhattan-institute.org

"Global Warming Suffers a Chilling Effect," SF Examiner, 2/4/01
Op-Ed piece by Sally Pipes of PRI
http://www.pacificresearch.org/press/com/2001/sfe_01-02-04.html

Independent Institute website 4/04
http://www.independent.org/

ExxonMobil 2003 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d=4389

Joint Letter To President Bush On The EPA's Climate Action Report 6/7/02
http://www.cei.org/gencon/027,03051.cfm

ExxonMobil 2004 Worldwide Giving Report
2004 Worldwide Contributions and Community Investments Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d=4380

ExxonMobil 2005 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d=4387

Amazon.com (2006)
http://www.amazon.com

Pacific Research Institute documentary "A Convenient Fiction" website 2007
Starring PRI Senior Fellow Steven Hayward
http://www.aconvenientfiction.com/

PRI staff list - Kaleita (May 2007)
http://www.pacificresearch.org/about/team.html#kaleita

ExxonMobil 2006 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research downloaded from Exxon website
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d=4381

ExxonMobil 2007 Worldwide Giving Report
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=download&d=4586

Heritage Foundation - John Von Kannon
www.heritage.org/about/staff/v/john-von-kannon

Pacific Research Institute - William Mellor
http://www.pacificresearch.org/keypeople/william-h-chip-mellor-iii