A recently released report by the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, a British government commissioned research project, has generated much fanfare at home and abroad. The report suggests a rather dreary future for the planet, if the effort to limit greenhouse gasses is not controlled.
Aah, but the American corporate propaganda machine is at it again. The American Enterprise Institute, a neoconservative think-tank with over 25 'scholars' in the Bush administration released a press release today highlighting the inflated conclusions and erroneous methodology of the Stern report. I'll give you a few seconds to recover from your shock.
Apparently, the report utilized a complex series of equations and graphs to predict future trends. By testing various hypotheses and utilizing a bunch of Greek letters, the authors drew a litany of straight and curvy lines to somehow prove their point. They call it “statistics”. I know, I haven’t heard of it either. It must be a European thing.
Once the home to Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, basically half of Bush's cabinet--and presently the home to Lynn Cheney, Newt Gingrich and other well-known right-wingers, AEI is arguably the most influential think-tank today. They have long asserted that global warming is a myth, just like mermaids, unicorns, and Eskimos. In 2004, AEI published a climate article entitled Don't Worry, Be Happy. See?! Everything is FINE. Take that hippie.
FYI: ExxonMobile has donated more than $1.3 million dollars to AEI since 1998. Their CEO sits on AEI’s Board of Trustees. Conflict of interest? No way… AEI is a self avowed “private, nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics, and social welfare.” How else can they maintain their tax-exempt status?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
You weren't joking when you said you railed AEI. Its ok, they deserve it.
Post a Comment