1998 Shell Speech “Reflections on Kyoto” presented at Davos World Economic Forum

Summary At the 1998 World Economic Forum, Royal Dutch/Shell Group’s (“Shell”) Chairman of the Committee of the Managing Directors, Cor Herkströter, delivered his “Reflections on Kyoto” to the attendees. A part of a larger group of documents unearthed by Jelmer Mommers of De Correspondent, this document marks an important time in Shell’s history as they […]

1998 GCC “Science Behind Climate Change is Uncertain” News Release

Summary This 1998 Global Climate Coalition (GCC) news release reverberates GCC Board of Directors Chair Connie Holmes’ statement questioning the science of climate change. 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 […]

1998 Western Fuels Association “The Greening of Planet Earth Continues”

Summary This is a transcript of the short film “The Greening of Planet Earth Continues” released by the Greening Earth Society, as a follow-up to the 1992 film titled “The Greening of Planet Earth.” The Greening Earth Society was a non-profit front group created by the Western Fuels Association to advocate about the environmental impact of CO2 and fossil […]

Western Fuels Association, The Greening Earth Society

1998 Greening Earth Society Promotional Material

In 1998, the Western Fuels Association (WFA) launched the Greening Earth Society (GES) to counter what it considered an “unnecessary fear among the public” of climate change. The same year as its founding, GES published a report titled, “The CO2 Issue,” along with the film, “The Greening of Planet Earth Continues.” The film was a sequel to […]

1998 American Legislative Exhange Council Meeting Agendas

Summary This compilation of documents examines and details the climate change discussions and events held by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) since 1998. The first several pages document the agenda for the 25th annual meeting of ALEC in 1998. The weekend-long meeting hosted several workshops and presentations focused on highlighting the “doubts” surrounding climate change. For instance, […]

1998 (ca.) GCC Climate Change the Case Against Scientific Certainty

Summary This document is a 1998  Global Climate Coalition (GCC) publication that attacked the Kyoto Protocol by challenging the scientific certainty that human activity contributes to climate change.  The document states: “While it is certain the Protocol would impose enormous burdens on America’s economy, there is no scientific certainty that human activity affects global climate. […]

1998 Western Fuels Association Annual Report

Summary The Western Fuels Association (WFA), a consortium of coal utilities and suppliers, released its 1998 annual report with a clear focus on its newest project, The Greening Earth Society (GES). According to WFA, the GES was created to “convince Americans that warm is good, cold is bad; using more fossil fuels benefits everyone; and […]

1998 Report on Exxon’s Financial Contributions

Summary This 1998 document contains Exxon’s financial contributions for the year. The report details Exxon’s contributions to a variety of sectors, including the environment, public information and policy research, and education. The report shows that Exxon contributed to a variety of organizations, including the American Enterprise Institute and the Environmental Literacy Council. The document reveals that […]

1998 Greening Earth Society Report “The CO2 Issue”

Summary The Greening Earth Society (GES) was created by the Western Fuels Association, a consortium of coal suppliers and utilities, in 1998 to counter what it considered an “unnecessary fear among the public” of climate change. The same year as its founding, the GES published this report, The CO2 Issue, to provide what they deemed […]

GCC and Christy: “Is It Hotter Than Ever?” Backgrounder

Summary This Global Climate Coalition “Backgrounder” promotes the work of climate denier John Christy. The 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. This document argues that “extreme events are ‘misleading’ as indicators […]