Climate Deniers Refuse Funders, Citing 'Proprietary' Emissions
The Guardian reports that during a fiery Senate inquiry into climate and energy misinformation, the climate-sceptic Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) and Rainforest Reserves Australia stubbornly declined to name their funders. This, despite Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson directly asking who paid for Rainforest Reserves Australia's nine full-page newspaper ads promoting nuclear and attacking
renewables. Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest person (and mining magnate), has previously donated to the IPA, but they won't confirm if she's still showering them with cash. One might wonder if their funding sources generate as much fossil-fuel heat as their policy recommendations. It appears that while these groups are quite eager to publicize their 'concerns' about renewable energy and climate
action, they're suspiciously reticent about the concerns of... well, anyone asking about their payroll. We're told these are 'independent' voices, yet they clutch their donor lists tighter than a coal lobbyist clutching their tax break. How many 'independent' voices can you buy before it just sounds like an echo chamber?