Get Exxon to come clean and drop the skeptics!

The ExxonSecrets people have gone through the documents, and found that last year Exxon spent $2.1 million on 41 groups who are leading the climate sceptic industry.

Mr. William George is on the ExxonMobil Board. He chairs the company's Public Issues committee. Given that the company has been less than transparent about the climate sceptic groups it is funding - it's definitely a "public issue" for Exxonmobil. Ask Mr. George to get Exxon to come clean and drop the skeptics!

Step 2: Read the letter we've provided. Feel free to edit it.

Dear William George,

I'm writing to you because of your important role as an ExxonMobil Board member and because you now chair of the Board's Standing Committee on Public Issues. I am extremely concerned with the corporation's negative role in the global warming policy discussion. I am sure you read the recent NEWSWEEK cover story (August 13, 2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20122975/site/newsweek/) detailing Exxon's ongoing campaign of denial and deception around climate change. The company has faced ongoing pressure over the past year from environmental organizations, the Royal Society of London, Senators Snowe and Rockefeller and the media over its funding of front groups. In response ExxonMobil public relations officials have told reporters that the company has been "misunderstood" on global warming and have given the impression that it has stopped funding organizations that engage in global warming denial. Why then, did Exxon spend over $2 million in 2006 funding organizations working against action on global warming? You are a Board member of a company that is still funding many climate denial front groups. Please do not sit by as ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson says the company has changed its position on global warming when the Exxon Foundation gave hundreds of thousands of dollars just last year to groups like the George Marshall Institute, the Heartland Institute and Frontiers of Freedom who are attacking Al Gore and the scientific consensus on global warming? Even worse, as the ExxonMobil Foundation gave out a number of grants to these groups in 2005 that were very specifically related to work on climate change, but did not include this information in its World Giving Report, though it did tell the IRS. Why not full disclosure on the purpose of these grants? Acting on global warming requires more than just PR spin - it requires real action. This is a big public issue and one which I think you, as chairman of the Public Issues committee should take very seriously. A board has to hold a company accountable - and it is up to you to do this. It's not just me - Congressman Brad Miller certainly has some concerns as you can see in his his letter to Mr Tillerson: http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/File/AdminLetters/miller_exxon_5.17.07.pdf If ExxonMobil is truly serious about global warming, then it should come clean on why it has been funding the climate change denial industry over the past decade. It should drop the funding to those groups, but also apologize for its massive $22 million campaign to distract attention around climate change science which has held back U.S. policy for years. At every opportunity when you meet with representatives of the company and other Board members, I urge you to push ExxonMobil to own up to the damage it has done, and drop funding to the climate denial industry.

"Sincerely," and your name and contact information will be added to the end of the letter.

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Get Exxon to come clean and drop the skeptics!

Step 2: Read the letter we've provided. Feel free to edit it.

Step 3: Send Letter

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