This 1994 Global Climate Coalition (GCC) letter to journalists encouraged coverage of ABC’s Nightline piece, “Is Science for Sale?” The special covered the work and funding of climate science deniers often cited by the GCC. The industry-funded GCC 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.

In this 1994 letter, GCC’s media representative Donald Rheem pitched a story to journalists about Al Gore attempting to influence that segment of Nightline. Rheem explained that Gore called Ted Koppel, the show’s host, and suggested that he “might want to look into connections between scientists who scoff at the so-called greenhouse effect… and the coal industry.”

Rheem stated that the immediate need to take action on climate change was untrue, “…environmental special interest groups have tried to convince the public and policy makers that the scientific community is certain of a future threat of a disastrous increase in global temperatures and on the need to take drastic actions now … Neither assertion is true, and it is important that as reporters and scientists enter this public debate, they are not vilified for their participation.”

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.