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Deniers: Phil Cooney
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[edit] Details
Hired by ExxonMobil in 2005, unknown position
Former Chief of Staff, White House Council on Environmental Quality Former lobbyist, American Petroleum Institute
Cooney monitored global warming policy and science for the Bush White House. Documents obtained by Greenpeace through the Freedom of Information Act reveal a trail of communication between Cooney and Exxon-funded think tanks including the George C. Marshall Institute and Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Cooney's current position with Exxon is unclear. Exxon has not revealed exactly what his role is, saying only that he's with the company's public affairs group in Dallas.
Cooney was hired by ExxonMobil June 2005, position as yet unknown. Was Chief of Staff at the White House Council of Environmental Quality from 2001- 2005. Before joining the Bush Administration, Cooney was a lobbyist and "Climate Team Leader" at the American Petroleum Institute.
[edit] Key Quotes
[edit] 7 July, 2000
"What's at stake is a far larger question that whether the Clean Air Act provides the authority today for EPA to regulate automobile emissions." If the agency can "overcome the definitional hurdles to conclude that greenhouse gases are air pollutants, it could feasibly lead to national air quality standards" "(Carbon dioxide) is what we exhale. It's not known to be toxic to human health," "There's no suggestion on the (Clean Air Act) that (carbon dioxide) was ever supposed to be regulated."
Source: "EPA to begin discussion of auto emission rules", United Press International, July 7, 2000
[edit] 1 April, 2000
The March 7 editorial, "When will we get serious?" calls on consumers, industries and political leaders to take "great leaps" forward to respond to potential climate change and urge adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. American companies are already taking substantial steps to voluntarily limit greenhouse gas emissions. In January, the Department of Energy reported that U.S. industries had tripled voluntary reductions of greenhouse emissions from 74 million metric tons in 1994 to 212 million metric tons in 1998. Those numbers include efforts by the petroleum and natural gas industry, which has spent tens of millions of dollars on new technologies to limit emissions. As for the protocol, analysis by independent economists and the federal government has shown that its impact would severely handicap the U.S. economy and sock households in St. Louis with huge increases in energy costs, including gasoline. According to the Energy Information Administration, Kyoto would drive up gas prices to an average $ 2.06 per gallon (current dollars) in 2010. Under Kyoto, while Americans would be forced to reduce energy consumption by a third in the next decade, 134 developing nations - India, China, Mexico included - would be exempt from any obligations. Given projections for exponential emissions growth in the developing world in the next decade, their exemption would more than cancel any reductions achieved at great cost in the United States. Instead of a "great leap" forward, Kyoto at best represents a "running in place" policy, with the United States required to run fastest and furthest while the vast majority of nations sit out the race. If potential climate change presents a global environmental challenge, it makes no sense to adopt policies that exempt three-quarters of the nations of the world. Philip A. Cooney Climate Team Leader American Petroleum Institute Washington, D.C. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR : CLIMATE TREATY WOULD SEVERELY HANDICAP U.S., St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri), April 1, 2000, Saturday, FIVE STAR LIFT EDITION, EDITORIAL, Pg. 32, 323 words
Source: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR : CLIMATE TREATY WOULD SEVERELY HANDICAP U.S., St. Louis Post-Dispatch April 1, 2000
[edit] Key Deeds
[edit] 3 August, 2002
Cooney sought advice and damage control assistance from CEI after release of a controversial EPA study on global warming, contradicting the White House stance.
Source: CEI memo, Ebell to Cooney (08/03/02)
[edit] 8 June, 2005
In 2002-2003 while at the White House CEQ, Cooney made dozens of edits to federal reports on global warming to amplify the uncertainties and downplay the link to human activities. Days after the New York Times reported Cooney's meddling in June 2005, he resigned his White House post and Exxon Mobil announced that it had hired him.
Source: New York Times June 8, 2005
[edit] Organizations
Deniers: American Petroleum Institute
Source: NY Times, June 8, 2005, Bush Aide Softened Greenhouse Gas Links to Global Warming. Also see this link.
Deniers: ExxonMobil Corporation
Source: Associated Press -Josef Hebert 6/14/05
Deniers: Competitive Enterprise Institute
Source: CEI memo, Ebell to Cooney (08/03/02)