By Steve Ahlquist in
Rhode Island’s Future
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse,
of Rhode Island, and Representative Ted Lieu, of
California, are sponsoring a resolution in
Congress calling out fossil fuel companies for their “sophisticated and
deceitful campaign” to deny climate science.
In the resolution Whitehouse and Lieu talk about lead and
tobacco manufacturers developing “a sophisticated and deceitful campaign that
funded think tanks and front groups, and paid public relations firms to deny,
counter and obfuscate peer-reviewed research” and using “that misinformation
campaign to mislead the public and cast doubt in order to protect their
financial interest.”
Whitehouse, long considered the Senate’s foremost climate advocate, draws some criticism in Rhode Island for his tacit support of LNG and his refusal to come out against both a proposed power plant in Burrillville and the LNG infrastructure expansion that has been proposed for both Burrillville and South Providence.
In an email, Whitehouse said he’s “joining a group of my
colleagues on the Senate floor to expose a web of denial: Along with respected
scientists and journalists, we’re standing strong to shine a light on the trade
associations, think tanks and shady front groups that have been funded by the Koch brothers, ExxonMobil and their allies to con
the public and undermine climate action.”
The Conservation Law Foundation applauded the efforts of
Whitehouse and Lieu regarding the resolution.
In a statement, the CLF said:
“Corporations like ExxonMobil have spent decades using the same playbook as Big Tobacco to cover up the enormous societal harm brought on by the products they’re peddling,” said CLF president Bradley Campbell.
“It’s time for our leaders to hold them accountable and to stand
up for communities across the country already facing significant public safety
and economic hazards from the impacts of climate change. We applaud
Representative Lieu and Senator Whitehouse for bringing this issue to the
forefront, and we’re confident that, even in the face of these companies’
multi-million dollar lobbyists, the truth on our side will ultimately win the
day.”
The most high-profile company engaged in such behavior, ExxonMobil, is currently facing a first-in-the-nation
lawsuit from the CLF (Conservation Law Foundation) over its indifference and
harm to the Greater Boston community.
After an exposé last September by InsideClimate News revealed that ExxonMobil has
engaged in a deliberate cover-up of sound climate science for more than thirty
years, CLF launched its own investigation and discovered that the company’s
deceit has put New England communities in harm’s way.
On May 17, CLF announced that it would be taking legal action
against ExxonMobil for its continued neglect of the communities
lining the Mystic River, communities increasingly threatened by ExxonMobil’s
unwillingness to bring its facility in Everett, Massachusetts up to code.
Steve Ahlquist is an award-winning journalist,
writer, artist and founding member of the Humanists of Rhode Island, a
non-profit group dedicated to reason, compassion, optimism, courage and action.
The views expressed are his own and not necessarily those of any organization
of which he is a member. atomicsteve@gmail.com
and Twitter: @SteveAhlquist