Greenpeace catches oil industry with pants down

Húrin

Greenpeace have exposed a secret oil industry plan to organise fake rallies against US climate legislation, and to exaggerate concern over the cost of action on climate change. The plan, stated in a leaked internal memo from the API (American Petroleum Institute) shows that they are reverting back to old tricks - spreading misinformation about climate change and pressing politicians towards inaction.

This is called a secret "astroturf" campaign - as opposed to a grassroots campaign, the industry is laying down fake grass.

robtri

interesting read,

But where in the memo is the API director spreading false claims,
he is relying on a report he recieved that with the climate change policies his industry he supports will be negatively impacted, and his memebers will suffer job losses and his consumers will have increased costs....
So his organisation is arranging rallies to support his business against what he sees as unfair practises..... what wrong with that?

r3nu4l

I don't see anything untoward here. The oil industry are simply encouraging their members to get active in events and lobby for their messages to be heard.

Just because you don't like the message does not mean they don't have the right to shout it out.

I'm no fan of the oil industry but this seems like Greenpeace spin to me and spin is bad, no matter what quarter it comes from!

Húrin

These companies have claimed that they favour regulation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and yet now they have an umbrella group that is working to oppose such regulation.

These companies are recruiting their employees and other paid agents to masquerade as ordinary citizens motivated by community concerns rather than money.

r3nu4l

Húrin wrote: »

These companies have claimed that they favour regulation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and yet now they have an umbrella group that is working to oppose such regulation.

No, they oppose certain legislation, I'm sure they would be happy with any legislation not affecting their profits.

These companies are recruiting their employees and other paid agents to masquerade as ordinary citizens motivated by community concerns rather than money.

Where are they asking them to 'masquerade' as ordinary citizens? I don't see that anywhere.

robtri

r3nu4l wrote: »

No, they oppose certain legislation, I'm sure they would be happy with any legislation not affecting their profits.

Where are they asking them to 'masquerade' as ordinary citizens? I don't see that anywhere.

exactly my thoughts...

Also the workers are ordinary citizens or are you impling that once they work in the petroleum industry they don't have same rights as others to protest and free speech as other citizens??

r3nu4l

Let me put it this way, if I was a butcher and the government were being lobbied by vegetarians to pass laws inhibiting my business and stop people eating as much meat as they currently do...

I'd have every right to say to my family and friends 'Any chance ye could show a bit of support for me by protesting with me on Saturday?'

My friends and families would not be 'masquerading' as ordinary citizens, they would simply be protesting with me in the opposite camp to the vegetarians who supported the bill.

Now as a meat eater myself, I don't eat (non-ethical) foie gras or veal as I believe that they are cruel, that doesn't mean I'd support a law that banned all meat.

Likewise, I don't support the use of huge gas guzzlers by yummy-mummies on the school run but I'm not going to support a law that bans those cars altogether.

So if the oil industry objects to a law they have as much right to oppose it and lobby against it as the other side of the camp.

The unfortunate thing is that most often 'money talks' so as long as money changes hands, very little will change.

bokspring71

I am old enough to remember the greenpeace protests against the Brent Star oil platform, and ever since then its been hard to believe anything greenpeace says, as they seemed then to have as a priority promoting greenpeace than telling the truth or reaching a green solution.