Global Warming and big business.....

[palefrost]

Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA) a Colorado electric cooperative which is heavily invested in power plants that burn coal, which is one of the proposed chief sources of greenhouse gasses pushing earth's average temperature to dangerous levels.

This utility company that relies on burning coal to produce electricity has contributed $100,000 to Patrick Michaels, a professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia who prides himself on being a global warming skeptic…..


Should the very industry that is under fire be allowed to spend customers monies on funded scientist that will support major companies in the fossil fuel industry to cast doubt on the global warming science? To potentially fool consumers into believing there is no danger to the environment? Shouldn’t this money be used to invest in new technologies instead of raising our rates for new technologies?


http://www.intermountain-rea.com/

 

[Brandon]

I will certainly agree with you that it is a shady practice to buy "experts" but businesses (just like individuals) can spend money anyway they choose.

Didn't the Bush administration pay off so called experts to say everything was going as planned in the middle east? I could have sworn I heard something about that.

 

[Paula62]

I don't think it's wrong for industries to fund industry related research. But I do think the boards of these companies are short-sighted if they are not forecasting the future and preparing the company. On the other hand, lots of companies become obsolete for the very same reason. The companies that will survive long term probably are studying energy sources for the future.

 

[palefrost]

I don't think it's wrong for industries to fund industry related research. But I do think the boards of these companies are short-sighted if they are not forecasting the future and preparing the company. On the other hand, lots of companies become obsolete for the very same reason. The companies that will survive long term probably are studying energy sources for the future.

Im not sure if they actually funding any research by giving $100,000 to Patrick Michaels...They could very well just be buying a skeptic to speak out against global warming when they need damage control.

 

[sushimonster]

Power plants can do whatever they want with their own money.

 

[Word2Action]

I will certainly agree with you that it is a shady practice to buy "experts" but businesses (just like individuals) can spend money anyway they choose.

Didn't the Bush administration pay off so called experts to say everything was going as planned in the middle east? I could have sworn I heard something about that.

I wouldn't put this out of reach. I say that people get paid off all the time without anyone knowing about it. When we do find out, it just comes as a major shock.