Deny Climate Change, Make a Cool $10,000

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"Scientists and economists have been offered $10,000 each" by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) think tank, "to undermine a major climate change report" from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). AEI wants "articles that emphasise the shortcomings" of the IPCC report, which "is widely regarded as the most comprehensive review yet of climate change science." AEI "has received more than $1.6m from ExxonMobil," reports Ian Sample, "and more than 20 of its staff have worked as consultants to the Bush administration. Lee Raymond, a former head of ExxonMobil, is the vice-chairman of AEI's board of trustees." AEI visiting scholar Kenneth Green sent the offer "to scientists in Britain, the US and elsewhere," in a letter describing the IPCC as "resistant to reasonable criticism and dissent." On February 5, the Fraser Institute, "another Exxon-funded organisation based in Canada," launched "a review in London which casts doubt on the IPCC report." The review is co-authored by Tad Murty and the event was attended by Nigel Lawson and David Bellamy.