This 1993 Global Climate Coalition (GCC) document is a letter from Executive Director John Shlaes. The GCC was an industry-funded organization that opposed greenhouse gas regulations through direct engagement and collaboration with affiliated climate deniers from 1989 to 2002. Its membership spanned across the automotive, utility, manufacturing, petroleum, and mining industries.

This letter was likely sent out to many members of the press, as it was addressed vaguely to “Dear Journalist.” In the letter, Shlaes writes that the mailings were an “invitation to tap the Coalition’s many resources on climate change” and reflected that he “recognizes the importance of the role reporters will play in educating the public and policymakers” in the climate change debate.

With the letter, Shlaes sent out a “Biographical Profile” of himself, an overview “Backgrounder” of the GCC, and a ‘letter to the editor’ that he authored published in the New York Times. In this editorial, Shlaes wrote that “there is considerable debate on whether or not man-made greenhouse gases (produced primarily by burning fossil fuels) are triggering a dangerous “global warming” trend.”

This document is part of the private collection of Nicky Sundt, a Washington-based climate change science, policy and communications expert.

Interested in more GCC documents? See more in the full Global Climate Coalition collection.