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Business-Managed Democracy

‘Business-managed democracies are those in which the political and cultural
arrangements are managed in the interests of business.’
Sharon Beder, 2009.


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Koch Industries and Global Warming
Koch Industries logo reference
Reference: ‘Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine’. Washington, DC: Greenpeace USA, March 2010, p. 14 (pdf)

Koch Industries is one of the largest privately-owned companies in the US (and indeed the world) and incorporates over twenty smaller companies covering oil, gas, coal, chemicals, ranching and forestry operations and products. It employs 70,000 people in over 60 countries and has Koch brothersrevenues of some $100 billion.

Koch Industries is run by Charles G Koch, who is its CEO and David Koch, who is its Executive Vice-President. Both are in the top ten list of America's richest individuals.

Koch Industry money is distributed through three foundations:

  • the Claude R. Lambe Foundation
  • the Charles G. Koch Foundation
  • the David H. Koch Foundation
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Koch Funding of Global Warming Denial

reference
Reference: ‘Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine’. Washington, DC: Greenpeace USA, March 2010, p. 21 (pdf)

The Koch foundations have provided more than $48 million to groups that oppose climate change action since 1997, almost $25 million of this between 2005 and 2008.

reference
Reference: ‘Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine’. Washington, DC: Greenpeace USA, March 2010, pp. 21-8 (pdf)

Koch funding of think tanks has included:

  • Mercatus Center, George Mason University - over $9 million 2005-8 (Charles Koch is on the Board of Directors
  • Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) - almost $2 million 2005-8 (Charles Koch is chair of the Board)
  • Heritage Foundation - $3.36 million 1997-2008
  • Cato Institute - $5.3 million 1997-2008 (Charles Koch was a co-founder)
  • The Manhattan Institute - $800,000 2005-8
  • Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy - $1.1 million 1997-2008
  • American Enterprise Institute - $640,000 1997-2008
  • Competitive Enterprise Institute - $471,000 1997-2005

Koch funding of front groups has included:

  • Americans for Prosperity Foundation (APF) - over $5 million 2005-8
  • Americans Council on Science and Health (ACSH)
  • Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
  • Citizens for a Sound Economy (now FreedomWorks) - over $6.5 million 1997-2005
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Political Lobbying

reference
Reference: ‘Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine’. Washington, DC: Greenpeace USA, March 2010, p. 17 (pdf)

Koch Industries contributed more than $1.8 million during the 2008 elelctions, mostly to Republicans,and has been the largest oil and gas industry donor to electoral campaigns since 2006.

reference
Reference: 'Koch Industries', OpenSecrets.org, 2010.

Koch Industries spent $20 million on lobbying in 2008, including almost $18 million on oil and gas issues.

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See also: Automobile Industry | Oil Industry | Coal Industry |
Nuclear Industry | Carbon Traders | Lobby Groups

References

 

© 2010 Sharon Beder
http://www.herinst.org/BusinessManagedDemocracy/environment/warming/Koch.html
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