It's getting hot in here....

September 11, 2003 12:49 AM

Greenpeace obtains smoking-gun memo: White House/Exxon link Did conservative elements in the White House provoke an Exxon front group to sue EPA to suppress a report on climate change? That's the question that two State Attorney Generals have asked US Attorney General John Ashcroft to investigate, after Greenpeace uncovered a routine email in a Freedom of Information Act request.
posted by Espoo2 (14 comments total)

yes, yes, I know... greenpeace.org ....
Still waiting to see if this shows up on some major news sources.
posted by Espoo2 at 12:58 AM on September 11, 2003

Who's leading who?
posted by homunculus at 1:06 AM on September 11, 2003

Doesn't read like much of a smoking gun to me. More akin to a slight puff somewhere over the US indicating that it must be raining somewhere in North America.
posted by HTuttle at 3:30 AM on September 11, 2003

Has there ever been any doubt over the links between the WH and Exxon? I suppose it's nice to see an email illustrating the depth of the relationship.
Present incumbent and Exxon have so much in common, it would be suprising if there weren't a relationship.
posted by asok at 4:05 AM on September 11, 2003

yes, yes, I know... greenpeace.org ....

Forgive my ignorance, but are greenpeace well-known for fabricating tihngs like this or has teh 'attack the source if you have nothing else to stand on' mantra hit so deep that we just assume that any organization that cares about anything is going to go all out to acheive their goals, truth be damned?
posted by Space Coyote at 4:48 AM on September 11, 2003

Well said, Space Coyote.
posted by stonerose at 5:17 AM on September 11, 2003

Talk about global terrorism.
posted by mecran01 at 5:58 AM on September 11, 2003

homunculus, thanks for that link - a great example of multimedia political cartooning. Here's hoping this memo gets some play somewhere other than greenpeace.org.
posted by soyjoy at 8:11 AM on September 11, 2003

Two State Attorneys General are taking the memo quite seriously. But the story won't pick up steam unless the US media interrupts it's ongoing rim job on the Bush administration's collective ass and starts taking it's job - to inform the public - and it's professional code of ethics seriously.
posted by troutfishing at 8:50 AM on September 11, 2003

Thanks for that delightful metaphor, Troutfishing.
posted by mecran01 at 10:44 AM on September 11, 2003

To you, troutfishing, George W says: Kiss My Face.
posted by soyjoy at 11:01 AM on September 11, 2003

Anyone else find this to be similar to what happened to the cigarette companies? Deny, deny, deny, and then WHOOPS you caught us?

Anyone else think there's a chance for Exxon to get in over their heads, like the cigarette companies?

Admittedly, cigarette companies didn't have as many supporters in government, but still...I hope this memo gets a good head of steam under it!
posted by taumeson at 11:53 AM on September 11, 2003

Anyone who wants to understand why the science of global warming isn't "settled" needs to read this article by Bob Burton and Sheldon Rampton.
posted by Eloquence at 2:23 PM on September 11, 2003

They've asked who to investigate this?

"Reynard, my brushy-tailed buddy, it seems the henhouse has run a bit short of its tenants. Have a look-see and find out why, would you?"
posted by aeschenkarnos at 5:14 PM on September 11, 2003