TOOLS OF THE FOSSIL FUELS

Conservative think tanks step up attacks against Obama's clean energy strategy; Confidential memo seen by Guardian calls for climate change sceptics to turn American public against solar and wind power

Suzanne Goldenberg, 8 May 2012 (UK Guardian)

“A network of ultra-conservative groups is ramping up an offensive on multiple fronts to turn the American public against wind farms and Barack Obama's energy agenda…A number of rightwing organisations, including Americans for Prosperity, which is funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, are attacking Obama for his support for solar and wind power. The American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), which also has financial links to the Kochs, has drafted bills to overturn state laws promoting wind energy.

“…[A] confidential strategy memo…[prepared by John Droz Jr, a senior fellow of the American Tradition Institute (ATI) advised] using ‘subversion’ to build a national movement of wind farm protesters…[It] was discussed at a meeting of self-styled 'wind warriors' from across the country in Washington DC last February…Among its main recommendations, the proposal calls for a national PR campaign aimed at causing ‘subversion in message of industry so that it effectively because so bad that no one wants to admit in public they are for it.’”

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“It suggests setting up "dummy businesses" to buy anti-wind billboards, and creating a "counter-intelligence branch" to track the wind energy industry. It also calls for spending $750,000 to create an organisation with paid staff and tax-exempt status dedicated to building public opposition to state and federal government policies encouraging the wind energy industry…Droz is a longtime opponent of wind farms, arguing that the technology has not yet been proven and that wind technology should not receive government support. He claims 10,000 subscribers to his anti-wind-power email newsletter…

“The [ATI] strategy session is the latest evidence of a concerted attack on the clean energy industry by think tanks and lobby groups connected to oil and coal interests and free-market ideologues…united by their efforts to discredit climate science [including the Heartland Institute, the John Locke Foundation, and Americans for Prosperity, the organising arm of the Tea Party movement]…Campaign groups and spokespersons for the wind industry say there has been a sharp rise in organised opposition since early 2009 when Obama put investment in renewable energy at the heart of his economic recovery plan…[Conservatives] appear to be readying] a confrontation over wind farms and other clean energy issues in the [coming] elections…”

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