"For decades, corporations have known that, if they lobby for their own interests, public opinion won't take them seriously," begins the Independent's article on the "most influential" third party groups that have aligned with businesses to oppose action on climate change. They include the Congress of Racial Equality, once "the 'shock troops' of the civil rights movement" but, after accepting funding from ExxonMobil "to assist with 'global climate outreach'," now notorious for shouting down "environmentalists picketing an Exxon Mobil shareholders meeting." Other U.S. groups are the conservative think tanks the Competitive Enterprise Institute and Heritage Foundation, the American Petroleum Institute, and Dick Cheney's National Energy Policy Development Group, which, "despite the energy sector's record profits," successfully pushed "a $20bn handout to oil, coal and nuclear industries." British groups on the list include the Scientific Alliance, Supporters of Nuclear Energy, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Confederation of BritishIndustry.
SOURCE: The Independent (UK), September 20, 2005
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