Chesser, P

<h1>Paul Chesser  ATI</h1><div>=</div><div>Paul Chesser, Fossil Fuel Pundit, Attacks Tech Industry’s Cleantech InvestmentsThe biography of Paul Chesser includes a long list of fossil fuel-backed front groups that he’s currently involved with, which may explain his blatant anti-renewable energy stance.
<div class="entry-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; line-height: 32px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Paul Chesser, an anti-clean energy advocate who works for multiple fossil fuel-funded front groups, recently criticized technology companies for their investments in renewable energy. Chesser claims that the companies are still dependent on fossil fuels. But, companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon have invested millions of dollars to build new clean energy installations that will help transition the grid to provide more renewable energy. The reality is clear: these big technology companies recognize that clean energy sources are affordable, reliable, and make great business investments, in addition to producing environmental and public health benefits.graph
 In his criticism, Chesser cites Amazon’s recent commitment to purchase wind energy from an installation under construction by Iberdrola Renewables in North Carolina. According to<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/07/13/amazon-starts-building-208-mw-wind-farm-in-north-carolina/" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">TechCrunch</a>, Amazon estimated the facility would generate 670,000 megawatt hours annually, part of an expansion that will produce about 1.3 million megawatt hours annually for the company (enough power for about 122,000 homes). However, instead of recognizing the effort by tech companies to produce enough power to meet the demand of their data facilities, Chesser cites the fossil fuel-funded <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/institute-for-energy-research-american-energy-alliance" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">Institute for Energy Research</a> to lambast these companies for “misleading claims.”The <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/about/display_bio.html?id=16" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">biography</a> of <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">Paul Chesser</a>, the author, includes a long list of fossil fuel-backed front groups in which he’s currently involved, which may explain his blatant anti-renewable energy stance. He is a “special correspondent” for the <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/heartland-institute" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">Heartland Institute</a>. The Heartland Institute is a fossil fuel-funded front group with over $800,000 in contributions from fossil fuel interests that has routinely attacked clean energy policies and the science behind climate change. Chester is also the director of “Climate Strategies Watch,” which is <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/john-locke-foundation" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">organized by the John Locke Foundation</a> (JLF). JLF is the primary State Policy Network member in North Carolina, and has received funding from the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Locke_Foundation" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">Kochs</a>. Chesser is a “senior fellow” for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Commonwealth_Foundation" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">Commonwealth Foundation</a>, a member of the State Policy Network in Pennsylvania that has <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Commonwealth_Foundation" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">received funding from the Kochs and dark money groups </a>affiliated with the Koch political network. He previously ran the American Tradition Institute, now called <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/energy-environment-legal-institute" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">E&E Legal Institute</a>, that has <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2015/10/15/alpha-natural-discloses-payments-to-climate-change-skeptic-chris-horner/" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">harassed climate scientists</a> and whose Senior Legal Fellow, <a href="https://theintercept.com/2015/08/25/chris-horner-coal/" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">Chris Horner</a>, was recently <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2015/10/15/alpha-natural-discloses-payments-to-climate-change-skeptic-chris-horner/" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">exposed for receiving payments from Alpha Natural Resources</a>, a now bankrupt coal company. And lastly, Chesser contributes to the <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=134" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;">fossil fuel-funded</a> news websites, American Spectator and JLF’s Carolina Journal.</div><div class="entry-meta" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; width: 841.203px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><ul class="meta-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 8.40625px 0px 50.4688px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none;"><li class="meta-cat" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; display: inline;">Posted in: <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/category/front-groups/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Front Groups</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/category/renewable-energy-policies/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Renewable Energy Policies</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/category/solar/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Solar</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/category/wind/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Wind</a> </li><li class="meta-tag" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; display: inline;">Tagged in: <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/chris-horner/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Chris Horner</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/commonwealth-foundation/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Commonwealth Foundation</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/ee-legal/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">E&E Legal</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/heartland-institute/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Heartland Institute</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/institute-for-energy-research/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Institute for Energy Research</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/john-locke-foundation/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">John Locke Foundation</a>, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/koch-brothers/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Koch Brothers</a>,<a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/paul-chesser/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;">Paul Chesser</a></li><li class="meta-tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; display: inline;"><ul class="meta-list" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 8.40625px 0px 50.4688px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none;">http://www.energyandpolicy.org/paul-chesser-fossil-fuel-pundit-attacks-tech-industry-cleantech-investments/</ul></li></ul></div></div><div></div><div><h1 class="title" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; line-height: 36px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Climate Scientist Wins A Round for America</h1><div class="headline group" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: -8px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; direction: ltr; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(223, 223, 223); vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="times" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; float: left;"><span class="posted" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-width: 0px 1px 0px 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); vertical-align: baseline;">Posted: <time datetime="2011-11-01T21:17:33-04:00" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">11/01/2011 9:17 pm EDT </time>Updated: <time datetime="2012-01-01T05:12:01-05:00" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">01/01/2012 5:12 am EST</time></div></div></div><div><div class="content" id="mainentrycontent" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 20px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A hearing today has implications for academic freedom across the country. A Virginia judge granted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_E.Mann#Awards" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">climate scientist</a> Michael Mann the right to intervene on his own behalf in a lawsuit filed by a climate change denial group seeking to get his private papers and emails from the University of Virginia. While this is an important victory for American-style freedom and privacy, its background is a story of just the opposite - attempts at authoritarian repression of science for political purposes.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2010 newly-elected Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a climate change denier, <a href="http://www.readthehook.com/67811/oh-mann-cuccinelli-targets-uva-papers-climategate-salvo" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sued the University of Virginia</a> to get Mann's private papers. Cuccinelli wanted to sift through them in the wake of "climategate" to see if he could find anything he could spin into a case under the state's Fraud Against Taxpayers Act, arguing that while an employee of UVA, Mann's work on climate change may have used public money to perpetrate a fraud.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mann has become a political target because he helped create the "hockey stick" graph, which shows global temperatures stable for a thousands of years and spiking since about 1950. It has the iconic power of e=mc2, and discrediting him has become the holy grail of climate change deniers.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">[graphs deleted]<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This is why Mann was at the center of the climategate attacks in late in 2009. Climate deniers illegally hacked into scientists' emails and claimed they showed scientists, including Mann, manipulating data. Their charges were investigated by <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/global_warming_contrarians/debunking-misinformation-stolen-emails-climategate.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">four separate bodies</a>, each one reaffirming the soundness of the science, and exonerating the scientists. In other words, climategate was over -- nothing, it turned out. Instead of data, it was the press that had been manipulated.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Rightly, the University of Virginia, which was founded by scientist Thomas Jefferson, rejected Cuccinelli's McCarthyite attack. Cuccinelli sued and lost. The case in under appeal.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">But it didn't end there. Next, a little-known group named Western Tradition Partnership (WTP) got into the act. WTP is a political advocacy group <a href="http://www.freerangelongmont.com/2010/02/12/who-benefited-from-outside-influence/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">backed</a>primarily by the energy industry. It was first registered as a Colorado nonprofit in 2008 by Scott Shires, a Republican operative who pleaded guilty that same year <a href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/jury_returns_conviction_in_cas_1.php" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to fraudulently obtaining</a> federal grants to develop alternative fuels.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2010 WTP <a href="http://www.americantradition.org/?page_id=1340" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">changed its name</a> to American Tradition Partnership (ATP), and announced that it had launched the American Tradition Institute, a think tank that would be "battling radical environmentalist junk science head on." The "junk science" ATP seems most concerned with is what the US National Academy of Sciences says should now be regarded as "<a href="http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12782&page=22" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">settled facts</a>" - that the Earth is warming and humans are the likely cause.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Last year WTP/ATP fought for a Colorado referendum allowing voters to opt out of the state's <a href="http://www.dora.state.co.us/puc/rulemaking/RenewableEnergyStandard.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">renewable energy standard</a>. The standard requires 30 percent of electricity produced by investor-owned utilities to come from renewables by 2030. The referendum's backers <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Colorado_Renewable_Energy_Exemption_Initiative%282010%29" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">missed the filing deadline</a>, but ATI <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-environmental-law-center-sues-state-of-colorado-over-unconstitutionality-of-rps-mandate/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sued</a> Colorado over the standard, and is now targeting similar standards in <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-study-delawares-renewable-energy-mandate-will-damage-state-economy/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Delaware</a>, <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/study-minnesota%e2%80%99s-renewable-energy-mandate-will-damage-state-economy-with-little-to-no-benefit-to-environment/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Minnesota</a>, <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-study-montana-renewables-mandate-is-all-cost-no-benefit/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Montana</a>,<a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-study-new-mexico%e2%80%99s-renewable-energy-mandates-costly-with-questionable-benefits/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">New Mexico</a> and <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/study-ohio%e2%80%99s-alternative-energy-mandates-will-keep-its-economy-in-a-slump/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ohio</a>. WTP/ATP also fights laws that restrict corporate money in elections or require disclosure of contributions. In 2009, the group sued Longmont, CO over their Fair Campaign Practices Act. The city <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Tradition_Partnership#Longmont" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">settled</a> and agreed to drop disclosure requirements. In 2010, after the U.S. Supreme Court's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v.Federal_Election_Commission" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Citizens United decision</a>, WTP/ATP<a href="http://coloradoindependent.com/64510/colorado-pro-business-group-gets-montana-corporate-campaign-spending-ban-struck-down-in-court" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">successfully challenged</a> the constitutionality of the Montana Corrupt Practices Act of 1912, which prohibited independent political expenditures by corporations. During the 2010 elections, the Montana Commission of Political Practices <a href="http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_9b902fd2-dd81-11df-9486-001cc4c002e0.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">found</a> that the organization broke state campaign laws by failing to register as a political committee or report its donors and spending. The state suggested WTP/ATP was involved in <a href="http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_493daff8-dd76-11df-99b2-001cc4c03286.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">corruption and money laundering</a>. They found that it solicited unlimited contributions to support candidates and then passed them through a "sham organization," the Bozeman-based political action committee The Coalition for Energy and the Environment that ran attack ads against Democrats. WTP told corporations that it aimed to combat "radical environmentalists" and "<a href="http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_493daff8-dd76-11df-99b2-001cc4c03286.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">beat them at their own game</a>" and that their contributions would remain secret.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">These actions reflect an all-too-common authoritarian goal, a goal that vested interests have pursued since the days of Galileo: forcibly silencing freedom of speech, thought, inquiry and expression that runs counter to the vested interests. In Galileo's<a href="http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1630galileo.asp" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1633 indictment</a>, it was the Catholic Church, then the seat of world political power. Today the vested interests that are being threatened by the measured facts of science are the current the seat of world political power, the US energy industry. But quashing science is anti-freedom and unAmerican, so the try to do it anonymously, through groups like ATI.ATI's executive director is <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/about/display_bio.html?id=16" target="hplink" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul Chesser</a>, who WTP/ATP describes as a "noted climate scholar." But Chesser is not a scientist. According to his <a href="http://www.home.roadrunner.com/_{paulchesser/aboutme.htm}" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">bio</a>, Chesser edited two weekly conservative North Carolina Christian newspapers, Raleigh World and Triad World. His writing has appeared in many fundamentalist and anti-science websites including The Good Steward.com, Evangelical Press, the Christian Examiner, The Home School Legal Defense Association, and antiscience evolution denier Answers in Genesis.Sue Sturgis of the <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/10/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-information-attacks-on-climate-scientists.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Institute of Southern Studies (ISS)</a> reported that Chesser then moved to edit the Carolina Journal, the monthly newsletter of the John Locke Foundation (JLF), a "free market" think tank in Raleigh, NC that has been a leading voice of climate denial in that state. This is ironic, since Locke is considered the father of empiricism, and defined how scientific knowledge is different from and superior to "but faith, or opinion," something the JLF seems to have missed. The JLF ignores empiricism in favor of publishing rhetorical arguments for a predetermined conclusion - the opposite of empiricism. An example is their <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/policyReports/globalwarmingguide.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Citizens Guide to Global Warming</a> (pdf), which is an antiscience publication that attacks what the group <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/search/results.html?cx=000850932633721540975%3Ay7uhjqbesls&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=%22global+warming+alarmism%22&sa=Search#1019" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">calls</a>"global warming alarmism" and promotes the views of climate deniers. The Locke Foundation was founded - and is still <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/blessed-to-have-a-pope.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">funded</a> in part - by Art Pope. Pope is a <a href="http://www.americansforprosperity.org/about/directors" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">national director</a> of the Koch brothers-founded Tea Party astroturfer <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_For_Prosperity" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Americans for Prosperity</a>. The Kochs <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">fund several climate denial groups</a>. Their foundations contributed <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">at least $70,000</a> to the Locke Foundation, according to the <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/10/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-information-attacks-on-climate-scientists.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Institute of Southern Studies (ISS)</a>. Sturgis says that Chesser also worked with Climate Strategies Watch, a joint project of the JLF and the Heartland Institute, that sought to <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">discredit</a> the Center for Climate Strategies, a nonprofit group that helps states figure out ways to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Sturgis's research shows that Chesser also served as a special correspondent to the Heartland Institute, which has received <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=41" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">at least $676,000</a> from ExxonMobil since 1998. Between 1997 and 2008, it also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/images/sitepieces/koch-pope-comparison_final.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">received $30,000</a> from foundations connected to the Kochs and <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/images/sitepieces/koch-pope-comparison_final.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">another $50,000</a> from Pope's family foundation. Walter Buchholtz, an ExxonMobil executive, served as Heartland's Government Relations Advisor, according to <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2005/363/309/2005-363309812-0295fbb2-9.pdf" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Heartland's 2005 IRS Form 990, pg. 15</a>.  Chesser then became an associate fellow for the <a href="http://nlpc.org/" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">National Legal and Policy Center</a>, a conservative think tank and propaganda dispenser <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Legal_and_Policy_Center#Funding" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">funded</a> by the Scaife Foundations, which are controlled by the family that owns Gulf Oil. He blogged at the climate denialist <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cooler_Heads_Coalition" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cooler Heads Coalition</a>, an industry astroturfer closely tied to the think tank and astroturfer <a title="Competitive Enterprise Institute" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Competitive_Enterprise_Institute" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Competitive Enterprise Institute</a> (CEI). CEI opposes greenhouse gas regulations and has <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=2" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">taken over $2 million</a> from ExxonMobil. It also has funding from the American Petroleum Institute, Texaco, and the Amoco, Koch, Scaife and Pope foundations. ATI's <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/about/staff-board-of-directors/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">director of litigation</a>, Christopher Horner, is a CEI fellow. At ATI, Sturgis says that Chesser's antiscience propaganda efforts are largely bankrolled by fossil fuel interests. According to its <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/sites/default/files/ATI_990_2010_final.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">most recent filing with the IRS</a>, ATI last year received $40,000 from its sister group ATP, which in turn is <a href="http://www.freerangelongmont.com/2010/02/12/who-benefited-from-outside-influence/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">supported by oil, gas and coal interests</a>. It received another $5,000 from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, a Virginia-based think tank that since 1998 has <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=17" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">received over $1 million</a> in funding from Exxon Mobil; between 1997 and 2008, Atlas also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">received $122,300</a> from the Koch foundations and <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">$735,000 from the Pope foundation</a>.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">ATI's biggest funder is Montana businessman Doug Lair and the Lair Family Foundation; together they contributed over 75 percent of its total income. Lair's fortune <a href="http://sweetgrassroots.org/about/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">comes from Lair Petroleum</a>, a family business that was sold in 1989 to William Koch, brother of Charles and David Koch. Lair still works for Lair Petroleum according to 2010 <a href="http://www.followthemoney.org/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">state campaign finance reports</a>.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Today's hearing considered Mann's motion to intervene in ATI's case against UVA in order to protect his own papers under the ideals of privacy and freedom that Americans have always held dear. Without this right, Mann would have had no say in what papers the UVA might ultimately release to ATI.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) <a href="http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2011/0629board_statement.shtml" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">said</a> lawsuits like ATI's "have created a hostile environment that inhibits the free exchange of scientific findings and ideas." Francesca Grifo, director of the Scientific Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/university-of-virginia-scientists-records-0530.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">said</a> "Scientists should be able to challenge other scientists' ideas and discuss their preliminary thinking before their analyses are complete and published." Grifo said that "scientists shouldn't have to worry if political opponents of science will be sifting through emails" for bits and phrases to spin. "It has a chilling effect" on research, she said, and that's not going to take America where we need to go. The American Association of University Professors sent a <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/Letter-to-UVA-President-Teresa-Sullivan-regarding-academic-freedom.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">letter</a> to the UVA president arguing that the Virginia public documents statute exempts scholarly data of a proprietary nature that has not yet been publicly released, published, copyrighted or patented - in other words, Mann's emails. And US copyright law suggests that the documents may be covered under common copyright.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">What is at stake in Mann's case is something much larger and more precious than papers and emails, or partisan politics -- what is at stake is Americans' freedom to investigate, debate and express ideas that run counter to those of corporations. Attacks on this basic freedom are a step away from democracy and toward tyranny.<p style="line-height: 21px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Get Shawn Lawrence Otto's important new book: <a href="http://bit.ly/fool2" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America</a>, "a gripping analysis of America's anti-science crisis." --Starred Kirkus Review. An "incredible book" -- Starred Publishers Weekly review. Like him on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawn-Lawrence-Otto/232314056783757" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Facebook</a>. Listen to him of <a href="http://shawnotto.com/foolmetwice/media/media20111014.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Science Friday</a>. Join <a href="http://www.sciencedebate.org/" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ScienceDebate.org</a> to get the presidential candidates to debate science.<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shawn-lawrence-otto/climate-scientist-wins-a-b_1070426.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shawn-lawrence-otto/climate-scientist-wins-a-b_1070426.html</a></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Follow Shawn Lawrence Otto on Twitter: <a target="blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/shawnotto" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">www.twitter.com/shawnotto</a><div class="follow bottom-tags" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 3px 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; line-height: 1.2; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-transform: uppercase; float: left;">MORE:</h2><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/amoco/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">Amoco</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/american-tradition-institute/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">American Tradition Institute</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/koch-brothers/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">Koch Brothers</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/richard-mellon-scaife/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">RIchard Mellon Scaife</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/exxon-mobil/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">Exxon Mobil</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/freedom/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">Freedom</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/climate-deniers/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">Climate Deniers</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/michael-mann/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">Michael Mann</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/ken-cuccinelli/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">Ken Cuccinelli</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/climate-change/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">Climate Change</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/university-of-virginia/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; display: inline;">University of Virginia</a></div></div><div>===</div><div><h2 class="art-PostHeader" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0.2em 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(200, 200, 200);"><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-environmental-law-center-sues-state-of-colorado-over-unconstitutionality-of-rps-mandate/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to ATI Environmental Law Center Sues State of Colorado Over Constitutionality of RES Mandate" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px;">ATI Environmental Law Center Sues State of Colorado Over Constitutionality of RES Mandate</a></h2><div class="art-PostHeaderIcons art-metadata-icons" style="padding: 1px; margin-bottom: 12px; color: rgb(123, 62, 0); background-color: rgb(200, 200, 200);">April 4th, 2011 | Author: <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.atinstitute.org/author/ati/" title="Posts by ATI" rel="author" style="color: rgb(109, 56, 3); font-weight: bold; margin: 0px;">ATI</a></div><div class="art-PostContent" style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(27, 31, 35); background-color: rgb(200, 200, 200);">
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, April 4, 2011Contact: Paul Chesser, paul.chesser@atinstitute.orgToday American Tradition Institute’s Environmental Law Center <a title="RPS Litigation Page" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.americantraditioninstitute.org/american-tradition-institute-v-state-of-colorado-constitutionality-of-renewable-energy-standards/" style="color: rgb(146, 78, 0);">filed a lawsuit</a> in federal court challenging the constitutionality of Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, based upon evidence that the state’s law violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Commerce Clause reserves the regulation of interstate commerce to the federal government.Specifically <a title="ATI vs. Colorado RPS" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.americantraditioninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ATI-RPS-Complaint-ATI-v-Colorado.pdf" target="blank" style="color: rgb(146, 78, 0);">ATI’s complaint</a> argues that because the state mandate provides economic benefits to Colorado’s renewable electricity generators that are not available to out-of-state power generators, and because the state imposes burdens on interstate electricity generators that are not balanced by the benefits to Colorado and its citizens, that the RES violates the Commerce Clause. The complaint also states that the law promotes renewable sources and discriminates against lower cost, more reliable energy generation from out of state suppliers, which is unconstitutional.“Colorado’s renewable energy standards impose a burden on the interstate market for wholesale electricity,” said Kent Holsinger of Holsinger Law, LLC, ATI’s Denver-based counsel for the case. “Among other things, these state mandates discriminate against out-of-state electrical generation—no matter the source. This runs counter to the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”The heart of the lawsuit addresses both the uneconomical and environmentally harmful nature of wind-generated energy. In addition to higher costs than traditional generating sources, wind energy creates more pollution because it requires coal or natural gas as backup generation when the wind either does not blow, or when it blows too hard and causes systems to shut off.“Research shows that when wind energy is on the electrical grid, operators must use more coal and gas generation to keep the electrical power in balance,” said David Schnare, Esq. Ph.D., director of ATI’s Environmental Law Center. “This forces coal and gas plants to ‘cycle’ up and down to keep pace with when wind varies, which is extremely inefficient and dirty. Hard observations show that this cycling of coal and gas plants causes more air pollution and greenhouse gases than if wind was not connected to the grid.”Also, Colorado residents do not realize how badly the RES statute affects their pocketbooks. William Yeatman, an energy policy analyst for the Competitiveness Enterprise Institute and ATI’s electricity rate expert, explained, “Unfortunately for Coloradans, their ratepayer protections are illusionary. The true RES costs are obfuscated with accounting gimmicks.”The RES case is the ATI Environmental Law Center’s first lawsuit. ATI and the ELC were established for true environmental protection, while also guarding the rights of humankind to access and utilize natural resources responsibly, and recognizing the need to weigh costs and benefits.“This case against Colorado’s RES is part of our effort to restore sanity to environmental policy in the states,” said Paul Chesser, ATI’s executive director. “Combined with our economic analysis, this lawsuit will highlight one example where we expect to make the appearance of environmental responsibility match reality.”See ATI’s Complaint Asking a Federal Court to Declare Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard Unconstitutional. (<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.americantraditioninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ATI-RPS-Complaint-ATI-v-Colorado.pdf" style="color: rgb(146, 78, 0);">PDF</a>)Visit the American Tradition Institute Web site (<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.atinstitute.org/" style="color: rgb(146, 78, 0);">www.atinstitute.org</a>) and <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.atinstitute.org/american-tradition-institute-v-state-of-colorado-constitutionality-of-renewable-energy-standards/" style="color: rgb(146, 78, 0);">dedicated RPS Litigation web page</a> to view all declarations and documents associated with the Environmental Law Center RES case.See ATI’s economic analysis of Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard (<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.americantraditioninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/CO-ATI-RPS-Study.pdf" style="color: rgb(146, 78, 0);">PDF</a>).For an interview with ATI Environmental Law Center staff or counsel, contact Paul Chesser at paul.chesser@atinstitute.org or call (202)670-2680.<div class="printfriendly pf-align" style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136/http://www.printfriendly.com/print?url=http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-environmental-law-center-sues-state-of-colorado-over-unconstitutionality-of-rps-mandate/" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(85, 117, 12); vertical-align: bottom; border: none;"><img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20130502001136im_/http://cdn.printfriendly.com/pf-button.gif" alt="Print Friendly" style="border: none; margin: 1em 6px 1em 1em; padding: 0px; display: inline-block; box-shadow: none; -webkit-box-shadow: none;" /></a></div></div></div>

===

These actions reflect an all-too-common authoritarian goal, a goal that vested interests have pursued since the days of Galileo: forcibly silencing freedom of speech, thought, inquiry and expression that runs counter to the vested interests. In Galileo's <a href="http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1630galileo.asp" target="_blank">1633 indictment</a>, it was the Catholic Church, then the seat of world political power. Today the vested interests that are being threatened by the measured facts of science are the current the seat of world political power, the US energy industry. But quashing science is anti-freedom and unAmerican, so the try to do it anonymously, through groups like ATI.

ATI's executive director is <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/about/display_bio.html?id=16" target="_hplink">Paul Chesser</a>, who WTP/ATP describes as a "noted climate scholar." But Chesser is not a scientist. According to his <a href="http://www.home.roadrunner.com/%7Epaulchesser/aboutme.htm">bio</a>, Chesser edited two weekly conservative North Carolina Christian newspapers, Raleigh World and Triad World. His writing has appeared in many fundamentalist and anti-science websites including The Good Steward.com, Evangelical Press, the Christian Examiner, The Home School Legal Defense Association, and antiscience evolution denier Answers in Genesis.

Sue Sturgis of the <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/10/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-information-attacks-on-climate-scientists.html" target="_blank">Institute of Southern Studies (ISS)</a> reported that Chesser then moved to edit the Carolina Journal, the monthly newsletter of the John Locke Foundation (JLF), a "free market" think tank in Raleigh, NC that has been a leading voice of climate denial in that state. This is ironic, since Locke is considered the father of empiricism, and defined how scientific knowledge is different from and superior to "but faith, or opinion," something the JLF seems to have missed. The JLF ignores empiricism in favor of publishing rhetorical arguments for a predetermined conclusion - the opposite of empiricism. An example is their <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/policyReports/globalwarmingguide.pdf">Citizens Guide to Global Warming</a> (pdf), which is an antiscience publication that attacks what the group <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/search/results.html?cx=000850932633721540975%3Ay7uhjqbesls&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=%22global+warming+alarmism%22&sa=Search#1019">calls</a> "global warming alarmism" and promotes the views of climate deniers.

facing south:

The group would be led by Paul Chesser, who they described as a "noted climate scholar." In fact, Chesser (photo at left) is not a scientist but has long worked in what environmental advocates call the <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/reports/executive-summary-koch-indus/">"climate denial machine"</a>: a network of organizations, many backed by energy interests, that work to create doubt about the science of human-caused global warming.

According to his <a href="http://www.home.roadrunner.com/%7Epaulchesser/aboutme.htm">bio</a>, Chesser grew up in Rhode Island and worked as an accountant in Los Angeles. He launched his reporting career in North Carolina, where he edited two weekly conservative Christian newspapers, The Raleigh World and The Triad World. Now defunct, the papers were owned by World Newspaper Publishing, whose <a href="http://www.worldnewspaperpublishing.com/news/aboutwnp.html">stated purpose</a> is to "bring journalism informed by a distinctly Christian worldview to major cities across America."

From there, Chesser moved to the John Locke Foundation (JLF), a free-market think tank based in Raleigh, N.C. that has been a leading voice of climate denial in North Carolina. The Locke Foundation decries what it <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/search/results.html?cx=000850932633721540975%3Ay7uhjqbesls&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=%22global+warming+alarmism%22&sa=Search#1019">calls</a> "global warming alarmism" and <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/search/results.html?cx=000850932633721540975%3Ay7uhjqbesls&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=%22patrick+michaels%22&sa=GO&siteurl=www.johnlocke.org%2F#1050">promotes</a> the views of global warming skeptics like Patrick Michaels, who <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/10/climate-skeptic-leaves-u-of-virginia.html">left</a> the climatologist's office at the University of Virginia in 2007 over controversy about his funding sources and fringe views.

The Locke Foundation was founded and is <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/blessed-to-have-a-pope.html">largely funded</a> by Art Pope, a North Carolina millionaire and leading conservative benefactor. As a <a href="http://www.americansforprosperity.org/about/directors">national director</a> of the free-market advocacy group <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_For_Prosperity">Americans for Prosperity</a>, Pope has <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html">close ties</a> to the Koch brothers, the billionaire owners of the Kansas-based Koch Industries oil and chemical conglomerate and leading <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/">funders of global warming denial efforts</a>. The Koch Family Foundations have also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html">contributed at least $70,000</a> to the Locke Foundation.

It was at the Locke Foundation that Chesser began his crusade against the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/skeptics-own-study-finds-climate-change-real-but-says-scientists-should-be-more-critical/2011/10/31/gIQAYjXQYM_story.html">growing scientific consensus</a> about climate change. He served as an editor of Carolina Journal, the group’s monthly newspaper that relentlessly attacks the science of global warming in its <a href="http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/series.html?id=32">climate coverage</a>. While there he also began working with Climate Strategies Watch, an initiative that sought to <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html">discredit</a> the Center for Climate Strategies, a nonprofit group that helps states figure out ways to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Climate Strategies Watch was a joint project of the Locke Foundation and the Heartland Institute, a corporate-backed think tank in Chicago where Chesser also served as a special correspondent. Heartland has received <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=41">at least $676,000</a> from ExxonMobil since 1998. Between 1997 and 2008, they also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/images/sitepieces/koch-pope-comparison_final.jpg">received $30,000</a> from foundations connected to the Kochs and <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/images/sitepieces/koch-pope-comparison_final.jpg">another $50,000</a> from Pope's family foundation. One of Heartland's government-relations advisors also served as <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html">Exxon's senior environmental advisor</a>.

Chesser was soon fully immersed in the climate-denial network. He became an associate fellow for the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative think tank <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Legal_and_Policy_Center#Funding">heavily funded</a> by the Scaife Foundations, which are controlled by the family that owns Gulf Oil. He blogged for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cooler_Heads_Coalition">Cooler Heads Coalition</a>, an industry front group led by the Competitive Enterprise Institute -- a fierce opponent of greenhouse gas regulation that has <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=2">taken over $2 million</a> from ExxonMobil as well as funding from the American Petroleum Institute, Texaco and the Koch, Scaife and Pope foundations. (ATI’s <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/about/staff-board-of-directors/">director of litigation</a>, Christopher Horner, is a CEI fellow.)

Now at the American Tradition Institute, Chesser again finds himself speaking for a group largely bankrolled by fossil fuel interests. According to its <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/sites/default/files/ATI_990_2010_final.pdf">most recent filing with the IRS</a>, ATI last year received $40,000 from its sister group ATP, which in turn is <a href="http://www.freerangelongmont.com/2010/02/12/who-benefited-from-outside-influence/">supported by oil, gas and coal interests</a>. It received another $5,000 from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, a Virginia-based think tank that since 1998 has <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=17">received over $1 million</a> in funding from Exxon Mobil; between 1997 and 2008, Atlas also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html">received $122,300</a> from the Koch foundations and <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html">$735,000 from the Pope foundation</a>.

But ATI's biggest funder is Montana businessman Doug Lair and his Lair Family Foundation; they contributed $5,000 and $135,000 respectively to the group last year -- over 75 percent of its total income.

Lair’s fortune <a href="http://sweetgrassroots.org/about/">comes from Lair Petroleum</a>, the family business that was sold in 1989 to William Koch, the lesser-known brother of Charles and David Koch. As recently as 2010, Lair Petroleum was listed as Lair’s employer in <a href="http://www.followthemoney.org/">state campaign finance reports</a>, although now he’s also an investor in commercial and agricultural real estate.

..

<a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-information-attacks-on-climate-scientists.html">http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-information-attacks-on-climate-scientists.html</a>

===

desmog

<h2> Credentials</h2>

<ul>

<li>Paul Chesser specializes in investigative journalism and opinion writing. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s1">[1]</a></li>

</ul>

<h2> Background</h2>

According to his <a target="_blank" href="http://www.home.roadrunner.com/%7Epaulchesser/aboutme.htm">website</a>, Chesser "specializes in opinion writing, investigative journalism and reporting on state government issues." <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s1">[1]</a>

Chesser is affiliated with numerous right-wing think tanks. He is the director of Climate Strategies Watch (which is organized by the <a target="blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Locke_Foundation">John Locke Foundation</a>, which he is also a director of), executive director of the <a target="blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Tradition_Institute">American Tradition Institute</a>, senior fellow of the commonwealth foundation, associate fellow to the National Legal and Policy Center, as well as a "special correspondent" for the <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/heartland-institute">Heartland Institute</a>.

He came to the John Locke Foundation in 2001 after serving as editor for two weekly community newspapers. Chesser's articles have appeared many U.S. newspapers, and he is a regular contributor to the American Spectator Online and the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cooler_Heads_Coalition">Cooler Heads Coalition</a>. Chesser has also appeared on NBC's 'The Today Show' and numerous other talk radio shows. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s2">[2]</a>

<h2>Stance on Climate Change</h2>

"The truth is, read any legitimate scientific study on climate — including IPCC's — that suggests human influence is the dominant cause for global warming, and you will discover dozens of qualifiers like 'could,' 'possibly,' 'potentially,' and 'may.' For all the certainty and consensus that global warming fear-mongers assert, those sound a lot like weasel words." <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s3">[3]</a>

<h2>Key Quotes</h2>

"Scientists see no temperature increase (on average) in the oceans or on the surface of the Earth over the last decade. That hasn't stopped an activist group from infiltrating high schools with the panicky message that we are on the verge of a "planetary emergency" due to global warming." <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s4">[4]</a>

</blockquote>

<h2>Key Deeds</h2>

June 30 - July 1, 2011

<a target="_blank" href="http://climateconference.heartland.org/speakers-2/">Speaker</a> at the Heartland Institute's Sixth International Conference on Climate Change.

2009

In 2009, Chesser declared that he "exposed the mission" of the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE), a California-based non-profit that gives presentations on climate change and inspires young people to action.

Chesser accused them of "infiltrating schools [with] global warming propaganda," and he accused Michael Haas, creator of Alliance for Climate Education, of acting in an attempt to profit off of the government subsidies that "climate change-driven energy policies would bring." <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s5">[5]</a>, <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s4">[4]</a>

May, 2008

Chesser <a target="_blank" href="http://climateconference.heartland.org/paul-chesser/">spoke</a> at the Heartland Institute's First International Conference on Climate change.

<h2> Affiliations</h2>

<ul>

<li><a target="blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Heartland_Institute">The Heartland Institute </a>— Chesser is listed as a "special correspondent," and "Expert" for the <a target="blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Heartland_Institute">Heartland Institute</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s6">[6]</a>, <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s7">[7]</a></li>

</ul>

The Heartland Institute describes Chesser's role as "an information and research resource for media across the country, as well as for conservative/libertarian think tanks," and as "a liaison for the media and think tanks with economics researchers such as the <a target="blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute">Beacon Hill Institute</a> and climate researchers such as the <a target="blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Science_%26_Public_Policy_Institute">Science & Public Policy Institute</a>, creating marriages in which they co-publish research on climate policies and then helps promote with his vast media contacts within their states." <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s8">[8]</a>

<ul>

<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Tradition_Institute">American Tradition Institute </a> — Executive Director, Director of Communications and Research. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s9">[9]</a>, <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s10">[10]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a target="blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Locke_Foundation">The John Locke Foundation (JLF)</a>  — "<a target="blank" href="http://www.johnlocke.org/about/display_bio.html?id=16">Director</a>," and manager of the JLF's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.climatestrategieswatch.com/">Climate Strategies Watch</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s11">[11]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a target="blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Commonwealth_Foundation_for_Public_Policy_Alternatives">Commonwealth Foundation</a>  — <a target="blank" href="http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/about/page/staff-2">Senior Fellow</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s12">[12]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Legal_and_Policy_Center">National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) </a> — Associate Fellow.<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s13"> [13]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>Carolina Journal  — Associate editor (2001 - 2007). <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s12">[12]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>American Spectator Online  — Contributor. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s14">[14]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cooler_Heads_Coalition">Cooler Heads Coalition </a>— Contributor. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s15">[15]</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=NewsBusters">NewsBusters</a> — Contributor. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/paul-chesser#s1">[1]</a></li>

</ul>

<h2> Publications</h2>

Paul Chesser does not appear to have a background in science.

Chesser maintains a <a target="blank" href="http://nlpc.org/blogs/paul-chesser">blog</a> at the National Legal and Policy Center. A full list of <a target="blank" href="http://www.home.roadrunner.com/%7Epaulchesser/articles.htm">Chesser's publications is available at PaulChesser.com</a>.

<h2> Resources</h2>

<ol>

<li>

<a id="s1" name="s1">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.home.roadrunner.com/%7Epaulchesser/aboutme.htm">Paul Chesser</a>," PaulChesser.com, November 28, 2005.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s2" name="s2">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://climateconference.heartland.org/paul-chesser/">Paul Chesser: 6th International Conference on Climate Change</a>," The Heartland Institute.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s3" name="s3">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://spectator.org/archives/2007/08/09/newsweek-alarmed-by-deniers">Newsweek: Alarmed by Deniers</a>," The American Spectator, August 9, 2007.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s4" name="s4">"</a><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/node/165696#ixzz1fPQH7i30" target="_blank">Paul Chesser: Global warming propaganda infiltrates schools</a>," The Washington Examiner, September 18, 2009.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s5" target="_blank" href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/personfactsheet.php?id=1361" name="s5">ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Paul Chesser</a>.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s6" name="s6">"</a><a target="blank" href="http://heartland.org/press-releases/2010/07/22/heartland-institute-experts-comment-death-cap-and-tax-bill-senate">Heartland Institute Experts Comment on Death of Cap-and-Tax Bill in Senate</a>," The Heartland Institute, July 22, 2010. <a target="blank" href="http://www.webcitation.org/65qmZiiOK">Archived with WebCite</a>, March 1, 2012.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s7" name="s7">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Heartland_Institute/Global_warming_experts">Heartland Institute/Global Warming Experts</a>," SourceWatch.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s8" name="s8">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.climatewiki.org/wiki/Paul_Chesser">Paul Chesser</a>," ClimateWiki.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s9" name="s9">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cbo-analysis-affirms-american-tradition-institute-findings-that-a-national-renewable-energy-mandate-would-be-costly-126278638.html">CBO Analysis Affirms American Tradition Institute Findings That a National Renewable Energy Mandate Would Be Costly</a>," PR Newswire, July 27, 2011.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s10" name="s10">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.atinstitute.org/about/staff-board-of-directors/">Staff & Board of Directors</a>," The American Tradition Institute. Accessed December 2, 2011.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s11" name="s11">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.johnlocke.org/about/display_bio.html?id=16">John Locke Staff, Fellows, & Scholars - Biographies: Paul Chesser</a>," Accessed December 2, 2011.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s12" name="s12">"</a><a href="http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/about/page/staff-2" target="_blank">Staff</a>," The Commonwealth Foundation. Accessed December 2, 2011.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s13" name="s13">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://nlpc.org/stories/2011/10/31/white-coke-cans-fund-perpetuation-polar-bear-myths">White Coke Cans Fund Polar Bear Myths</a>," National Legal and Policy Center, October 31, 2011.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s14" name="s14">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://spectator.org/people/paul-chesse/all">Contributors: Paul Chesser</a>," The American Spectator.

</li>

<li>

<a id="s15" name="s15">"</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.carolinajournal.com/cjcolumnists/display_author.html?id=16">Carolina Journal Print Columnists: Paul Chesser</a>," Carolina Journal Online.

</li>

<li>

"<a target="_blank" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser">Paul Chesser</a>," SourceWatch profile:

"Paul Chesser is director of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Climate_Strategies_Watch" title="Climate Strategies Watch">Climate Strategies Watch</a>, which assesses the development of global warming policies in the states, and a contributing editor for <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Carolina_Journal&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Carolina Journal (page does not exist)">Carolina Journal</a>, specializing in investigative journalism and opinion writing. He came to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Locke_Foundation" title="John Locke Foundation">John Locke Foundation</a> in 2001 after serving as editor for two weekly community newspapers. Chesser's articles have appeared in a wide range of U.S. media outlets, and he is a regular contributor and blogger for <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Spectator" title="American Spectator">American Spectator</a> Online and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cooler_Heads_Coalition" title="Cooler Heads Coalition">Cooler Heads Coalition</a>. In 2002, he served as one of The Charlotte Observer's monthly community columnists. His opinion articles and reporting also have appeared in dozens of other newspapers nationwide. Chesser also has appeared on NBC's "The Today Show" and as a talk radio guest on stations across the country."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a>

Chesser is also the Executive Director of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Tradition_Institute" title="American Tradition Institute">American Tradition Institute</a>.

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>]</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser#Articles_and_Resources">1 Articles and Resources</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser#Related_SourceWatch_Articles">1.1 Related SourceWatch Articles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser#References">1.2 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser#External_resources">1.3 External resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser#External_articles">1.4 External articles</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2><a name="Articles_and_Resources" id="Articles_and_Resources">Articles and Resources</a></h2>

<h3><a name="Related_SourceWatch_Articles" id="Related_SourceWatch_Articles">Related SourceWatch Articles</a></h3>

</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Global_warming" title="Global warming">Global warming</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=The_2008_International_Conference_on_Climate_Change" title="The 2008 International Conference on Climate Change" class="mw-redirect">The 2008 International Conference on Climate Change</a></li>

</ol>

<h3><a name="References" id="References">References</a></h3>

<li id="cite_note-0"><a name="References" id="References">   </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.heartland.org/NewYork08/ConferenceBios.pdf" class="external text" title="http://www.heartland.org/NewYork08/ConferenceBios.pdf" rel="nofollow">"Paul Chesser"</a>, Heartland Institute, March 2008.</li>

</ol>

<h3><a name="External_resources" id="External_resources">External resources</a></h3>

<h3><a name="External_articles" id="External_articles">External articles</a></h3>

<table style=" margin: 0.5em 0.57em 0.5em 0.7em; border-collapse: collapse; background: #fffacd; border: 1px solid #dad26d;"><tbody><tr><td width="100%" style=" padding: .25em .25em 0.25em .25em;">This article is a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Find_or_fix_a_stub" title="SourceWatch:Find or fix a stub">stub</a>. You can <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Find_or_fix_a_stub" title="SourceWatch:Find or fix a stub">help</a> by <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser&action=edit" class="external text" title="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Chesser&action=edit" rel="nofollow">expanding it</a>.</td><td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div id="mw-normal-catlinks"><a name="External_articles" id="External_articles">   </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Climate_change" title="Category:Climate change">Climate change</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Stubs" title="Category:Stubs">Stubs</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Environment" title="Category:Environment">Environment</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:The_Heartland_Institute%27s_2008_International_Conference_on_Climate_Change" title="Category:The Heartland Institute's 2008 International Conference on Climate Change">The Heartland Institute's 2008 International Conference on Climate Change</a>

The Beacon Hill Institute (BHI) is the research arm of the Department of Economics at Suffolk University in Boston. It was founded in 1991 by businessman and Republican politician <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ray_Shamie&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ray Shamie (page does not exist)">Ray Shamie</a>. BHI describes itself as being "grounded in the principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility and free markets."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a>

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>]</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#Wind_studies">1 Wind studies</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#North_Carolina">1.1 North Carolina</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#New_Jersey">1.2 New Jersey</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#Wisconsin">1.3 Wisconsin</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#Personnel">2 Personnel</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#Funding.5B6.5D">3 Funding[6]</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#Contact_Details">4 Contact Details</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#Articles_and_resources">5 Articles and resources</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#Related_SourceWatch_articles">5.1 Related SourceWatch articles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#References">5.2 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#External_links">5.3 External links</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2><a name="Wind_studies" id="Wind_studies">Wind studies</a></h2>

<h3><a name="North_Carolina" id="North_Carolina">North Carolina</a></h3>

<a name="North_Carolina" id="North_Carolina">In a 2011 op-ed, </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Tax_Reform" title="Americans for Tax Reform">Americans for Tax Reform</a>'s <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Grover_Norquist" title="Grover Norquist">Grover Norquist</a> cited a study by BHI on North Carolina's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Renewable_energy_standards&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Renewable energy standards (page does not exist)">renewable energy standards</a> (RES), stating that "The RES in North Carolina, one of 2012’s key battleground states, is projected to reduce real disposable income by $56.8 million and likely be responsible for the loss of 3,592 jobs by 2021." Norquist said that "legislators in states around the country are now working with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Tax_Reform" title="Americans for Tax Reform">Americans for Tax Reform</a> to repeal renewable energy mandates in 2012. The iron is hottest to strike in states where Republicans recently took control of both the Legislature and the governorship — including Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a>

BHI's numbers on the impact of state RESs on electricity prices have been disputed by Climate Progress, who say "the data shows that the presence of a state-level renewable energy standard has a virtually zero statistically-significant impact on how much electric rates changed from 2000 to 2010."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_note-2" title="">[3]</a>

<h3><a name="New_Jersey" id="New_Jersey">New Jersey</a></h3>

<a name="New_Jersey" id="New_Jersey">In August 2011, </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Prosperity" title="Americans for Prosperity">Americans for Prosperity</a> (AFP) released a <a href="http://static.taxcutsforall.com/files/NJWINDREPORT.pdf" class="external text" title="http://static.taxcutsforall.com/files/NJWINDREPORT.pdf" rel="nofollow">study</a> by Beacon Hill Institute of the plans by the State of New Jersey to develop 1,100 megawatts of wind capacity off its coastline, concluding that the wind farm "will produce net economic costs, raise electricity prices, and dampen economic activity.” The study does not discuss the estimated 5,000 construction and maintenance jobs predicted by a range of other studies, and discounts wind power’s benefit in reducing New Jersey’s import of electricity from other states.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_note-3" title="">[4]</a>

<h3><a name="Wisconsin" id="Wisconsin">Wisconsin</a></h3>

<a name="Wisconsin" id="Wisconsin">The Beacon Hill Institute collaborated with the free market think tank </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Wisconsin_Policy_Research_Institute" title="Wisconsin Policy Research Institute">Wisconsin Policy Research Institute</a> on a <a href="http://www.wpri.org/Reports/Volume22/Vol22No7/Vol22No7.html" class="external text" title="http://www.wpri.org/Reports/Volume22/Vol22No7/Vol22No7.html" rel="nofollow">report</a> critiquing the recommendations from a 2007 Wisconsin clean energy task force, including the state's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Renewable_portfolio_standards" title="Renewable portfolio standards" class="mw-redirect">renewable portfolio standards</a> (RPS).

<a name="Ohio" id="Ohio">In September 2011, Ohio State Sen. Kris Jordan introduced a bill (SB216) that would repeal Ohio's </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Renewable_portfolio_standards" title="Renewable portfolio standards" class="mw-redirect">renewable portfolio standards</a>, citing a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Tradition_Institute" title="American Tradition Institute">American Tradition Institute</a> and Beacon Hill Institute <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/the-cost-and-economic-impact-of-ohio%E2%80%99s-alternative-energy-portfolio-standard/" class="external text" title="http://www.atinstitute.org/the-cost-and-economic-impact-of-ohio’s-alternative-energy-portfolio-standard/" rel="nofollow">study</a> arguing that Ohio residents would pay $8.63 billion more for electricity between 2016 and 2025 because of the 12.5% requirement.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_note-4" title="">[5]</a>

<h2><a name="Personnel" id="Personnel">Personnel</a></h2>

<ul>

<li><a name="Personnel" id="Personnel"> </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=David_G._Tuerck" title="David G. Tuerck">David G. Tuerck</a>, Executive Director</li>

</ul>

<h2><a name="Funding.5B6.5D" id="Funding.5B6.5D">Funding</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_note-MediaTransparency.org-5" title="">[6]</a></h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Castle_Rock_Foundation" title="Castle Rock Foundation">Castle Rock Foundation</a> (funded by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Coors" title="Coors" class="mw-redirect">Coors</a> family)</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lynde_and_Harry_Bradley_Foundation" title="Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation">Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation</a></li>

</ul>

<h2><a name="Contact_Details" id="Contact_Details">Contact Details</a></h2>

<a name="Contact_Details" id="Contact_Details">Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University

8 Ashburton Place

Boston, MA 02108

Telephone: 617-573-8050

Fax: 617-994-4279

Website: </a><a href="http://www.beaconhill.org/" class="external free" title="http://www.beaconhill.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.beaconhill.org/</a>

<h2><a name="Articles_and_resources" id="Articles_and_resources">Articles and resources</a></h2>

<h3><a name="Related_SourceWatch_articles" id="Related_SourceWatch_articles">Related SourceWatch articles</a></h3>

<ul>

<li><a name="Related_SourceWatch_articles" id="Related_SourceWatch_articles"> </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Global_warming_skeptics" title="Global warming skeptics">Global warming skeptics</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=First_International_Conference_on_Climate_Change" title="First International Conference on Climate Change" class="mw-redirect">First International Conference on Climate Change</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Second_International_Conference_on_Climate_Change" title="Second International Conference on Climate Change" class="mw-redirect">Second International Conference on Climate Change</a></li>

</ul>

<h3><a name="References" id="References">References</a></h3>

<li id="cite_note-0"><a name="References" id="References"> </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> Beacon Hill Institute, <a href="http://www.beaconhill.org/Mission.html" class="external text" title="http://www.beaconhill.org/Mission.html" rel="nofollow">"Mission and Vision"</a>, Beacon Hill Institute website, accessed May 2009.</li>

<li id="cite_note-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> Grover Norquist and Patrick Gleason, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70610.html" class="external text" title="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70610.html" rel="nofollow">"Rethink renewable energy mandates"</a> Politico, December 18, 2011.</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_ref-2" title="">↑</a> Stephen Lacey, <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/12/19/392410/grover-norquist-spreads-lies-about-renewable-energy-standards/" class="external text" title="http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/12/19/392410/grover-norquist-spreads-lies-about-renewable-energy-standards/" rel="nofollow">"Grover Norquist Spreads Lies About Renewable Energy Standards"</a> Climate Progress, Dec. 19, 2011.</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_ref-3" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/08/17/297394/koch-brothers-fund-bogus-study-bashing-offshore-wind-in-new-jersey/" class="external text" title="http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/08/17/297394/koch-brothers-fund-bogus-study-bashing-offshore-wind-in-new-jersey/" rel="nofollow">"Koch Brothers Fund Bogus Study Bashing Offshore Wind in New Jersey"</a> Climate Progress, Aug. 17, 2011.</li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_ref-4" title="">↑</a> John Monaghan, <a href="http://heartland.org/policy-documents/research-commentary-ohio-alternative-energy-portfolio-standard" class="external text" title="http://heartland.org/policy-documents/research-commentary-ohio-alternative-energy-portfolio-standard" rel="nofollow">"Research & Commentary: Ohio Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard"</a> Heartland Institute, January 31, 2012.</li>

<li id="cite_note-MediaTransparency.org-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute#cite_ref-MediaTransparency.org_5-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://mediamattersaction.org/transparency/organization/Beacon_Hill_Institute_for_Public_Policy_Research/funders" class="external text" title="http://mediamattersaction.org/transparency/organization/Beacon_Hill_Institute_for_Public_Policy_Research/funders" rel="nofollow">Media Transparency.org's listing for the Beacon Hill Institute</a>. Retrieved on 2011-04-23.</li>

</ol>

<h3><a name="External_links" id="External_links">External links</a></h3>

<table style=" margin: 0.5em 0.57em 0.5em 0.7em; border-collapse: collapse; background: #fffacd; border: 1px solid #dad26d;"><tbody><tr><td width="100%" style=" padding: .25em .25em 0.25em .25em;">This article is a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Find_or_fix_a_stub" title="SourceWatch:Find or fix a stub">stub</a>. You can <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Find_or_fix_a_stub" title="SourceWatch:Find or fix a stub">help</a> by <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute&action=edit" class="external text" title="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Beacon_Hill_Institute&action=edit" rel="nofollow">expanding it</a>.</td><td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<div id="mw-normal-catlinks"><a name="External_links" id="External_links"> </a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Climate_change" title="Category:Climate change">Climate change</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Stubs" title="Category:Stubs">Stubs</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Think_tanks" title="Category:Think tanks">Think tanks</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Energy" title="Category:Energy">Energy</a> | <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Renewable_energy" title="Category:Renewable energy">Renewable energy</a></div>

</div>

<h1 class="title-blog">Climate Scientist Wins A Round for America</h1>

<div class="blog_padding relative" style=" padding-top: 15px;">Posted: 11/01/11 10:17 PM ET</div>

</div>

A hearing today has implications for academic freedom across the country. A Virginia judge granted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_E._Mann#Awards">climate scientist</a> Michael Mann the right to intervene on his own behalf in a lawsuit filed by a climate change denial group seeking to get his private papers and emails from the University of Virginia. While this is an important victory for American-style freedom and privacy, its background is a story of just the opposite - attempts at authoritarian repression of science for political purposes.

In 2010 newly-elected Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a climate change denier, <a href="http://www.readthehook.com/67811/oh-mann-cuccinelli-targets-uva-papers-climategate-salvo" target="_blank">sued the University of Virginia</a> to get Mann's private papers. Cuccinelli wanted to sift through them in the wake of "climategate" to see if he could find anything he could spin into a case under the state's Fraud Against Taxpayers Act, arguing that while an employee of UVA, Mann's work on climate change may have used public money to perpetrate a fraud.

Mann has become a political target because he helped create the "hockey stick" graph, which shows global temperatures stable for a thousands of years and spiking since about 1950. It has the iconic power of e=mc2, and discrediting him has become the holy grail of climate change deniers.

This is why Mann was at the center of the climategate attacks in late in 2009. Climate deniers illegally hacked into scientists' emails and claimed they showed scientists, including Mann, manipulating data. Their charges were investigated by <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/global_warming_contrarians/debunking-misinformation-stolen-emails-climategate.html">four separate bodies</a>, each one reaffirming the soundness of the science, and exonerating the scientists. In other words, climategate was over -- nothing, it turned out. Instead of data, it was the press that had been manipulated.

Rightly, the University of Virginia, which was founded by scientist Thomas Jefferson, rejected Cuccinelli's McCarthyite attack. Cuccinelli sued and lost. The case in under appeal.

But it didn't end there. Next, a little-known group named Western Tradition Partnership (WTP) got into the act. WTP is a political advocacy group <a href="http://www.freerangelongmont.com/2010/02/12/who-benefited-from-outside-influence/">backed</a> primarily by the energy industry. It was first registered as a Colorado nonprofit in 2008 by Scott Shires, a Republican operative who pleaded guilty that same year <a href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/jury_returns_conviction_in_cas_1.php">to fraudulently obtaining</a> federal grants to develop alternative fuels.

In 2010 WTP <a href="http://www.americantradition.org/?page_id=1340">changed its name</a> to American Tradition Partnership (ATP), and announced that it had launched the American Tradition Institute, a think tank that would be "battling radical environmentalist junk science head on." The "junk science" ATP seems most concerned with is what the US National Academy of Sciences says should now be regarded as "<a href="http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12782&page=22" target="_blank">settled facts</a>" - that the Earth is warming and humans are the likely cause.

Last year WTP/ATP fought for a Colorado referendum allowing voters to opt out of the state's <a href="http://www.dora.state.co.us/puc/rulemaking/RenewableEnergyStandard.htm">renewable energy standard</a>. The standard requires 30 percent of electricity produced by investor-owned utilities to come from renewables by 2030. The referendum's backers <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Colorado_Renewable_Energy_Exemption_Initiative_%282010%29">missed the filing deadline</a>, but ATI <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-environmental-law-center-sues-state-of-colorado-over-unconstitutionality-of-rps-mandate/">sued</a> Colorado over the standard, and is now targeting similar standards in <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-study-delawares-renewable-energy-mandate-will-damage-state-economy/">Delaware</a>, <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/study-minnesota%e2%80%99s-renewable-energy-mandate-will-damage-state-economy-with-little-to-no-benefit-to-environment/">Minnesota</a>, <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-study-montana-renewables-mandate-is-all-cost-no-benefit/">Montana</a>, <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/ati-study-new-mexico%e2%80%99s-renewable-energy-mandates-costly-with-questionable-benefits/">New Mexico</a> and <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/study-ohio%e2%80%99s-alternative-energy-mandates-will-keep-its-economy-in-a-slump/">Ohio</a>.

WTP/ATP also fights laws that restrict corporate money in elections or require disclosure of contributions. In 2009, the group sued Longmont, CO over their Fair Campaign Practices Act. The city <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Tradition_Partnership#Longmont">settled</a> and agreed to drop disclosure requirements. In 2010, after the U.S. Supreme Court's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission">Citizens United decision</a>, WTP/ATP <a href="http://coloradoindependent.com/64510/colorado-pro-business-group-gets-montana-corporate-campaign-spending-ban-struck-down-in-court">successfully challenged</a> the constitutionality of the Montana Corrupt Practices Act of 1912, which prohibited independent political expenditures by corporations.

During the 2010 elections, the Montana Commission of Political Practices <a href="http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_9b902fd2-dd81-11df-9486-001cc4c002e0.html">found</a> that the organization broke state campaign laws by failing to register as a political committee or report its donors and spending. The state suggested WTP/ATP was involved in <a href="http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_493daff8-dd76-11df-99b2-001cc4c03286.html">corruption and money laundering</a>. They found that it solicited unlimited contributions to support candidates and then passed them through a "sham organization," the Bozeman-based political action committee The Coalition for Energy and the Environment that ran attack ads against Democrats. WTP told corporations that it aimed to combat "radical environmentalists" and "<a href="http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_493daff8-dd76-11df-99b2-001cc4c03286.html" target="_blank">beat them at their own game</a>" and that their contributions would remain secret.

These actions reflect an all-too-common authoritarian goal, a goal that vested interests have pursued since the days of Galileo: forcibly silencing freedom of speech, thought, inquiry and expression that runs counter to the vested interests. In Galileo's <a href="http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1630galileo.asp" target="_blank">1633 indictment</a>, it was the Catholic Church, then the seat of world political power. Today the vested interests that are being threatened by the measured facts of science are the current the seat of world political power, the US energy industry. But quashing science is anti-freedom and unAmerican, so the try to do it anonymously, through groups like ATI.

ATI's executive director is <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/about/display_bio.html?id=16" target="_hplink">Paul Chesser</a>, who WTP/ATP describes as a "noted climate scholar." But Chesser is not a scientist. According to his <a href="http://www.home.roadrunner.com/%7Epaulchesser/aboutme.htm">bio</a>, Chesser edited two weekly conservative North Carolina Christian newspapers, Raleigh World and Triad World. His writing has appeared in many fundamentalist and anti-science websites including The Good Steward.com, Evangelical Press, the Christian Examiner, The Home School Legal Defense Association, and antiscience evolution denier Answers in Genesis.

Sue Sturgis of the <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/10/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-information-attacks-on-climate-scientists.html" target="_blank">Institute of Southern Studies (ISS)</a> reported that Chesser then moved to edit the Carolina Journal, the monthly newsletter of the John Locke Foundation (JLF), a "free market" think tank in Raleigh, NC that has been a leading voice of climate denial in that state. This is ironic, since Locke is considered the father of empiricism, and defined how scientific knowledge is different from and superior to "but faith, or opinion," something the JLF seems to have missed. The JLF ignores empiricism in favor of publishing rhetorical arguments for a predetermined conclusion - the opposite of empiricism. An example is their <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/policyReports/globalwarmingguide.pdf">Citizens Guide to Global Warming</a> (pdf), which is an antiscience publication that attacks what the group <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/search/results.html?cx=000850932633721540975%3Ay7uhjqbesls&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=%22global+warming+alarmism%22&sa=Search#1019">calls</a> "global warming alarmism" and promotes the views of climate deniers.

The Locke Foundation was founded - and is still <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/blessed-to-have-a-pope.html">funded</a> in part - by Art Pope. Pope is a <a href="http://www.americansforprosperity.org/about/directors">national director</a> of the Koch brothers-founded Tea Party astroturfer <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_For_Prosperity">Americans for Prosperity</a>. The Kochs <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/">fund several climate denial groups</a>. Their foundations contributed <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html">at least $70,000</a> to the Locke Foundation, according to the <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/10/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-information-attacks-on-climate-scientists.html" target="_blank">Institute of Southern Studies (ISS)</a>.

Sturgis says that Chesser also worked with Climate Strategies Watch, a joint project of the JLF and the Heartland Institute, that sought to <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html">discredit</a> the Center for Climate Strategies, a nonprofit group that helps states figure out ways to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Sturgis's research shows that Chesser also served as a special correspondent to the Heartland Institute, which has received <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=41">at least $676,000</a> from ExxonMobil since 1998. Between 1997 and 2008, it also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/images/sitepieces/koch-pope-comparison_final.jpg">received $30,000</a> from foundations connected to the Kochs and <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/images/sitepieces/koch-pope-comparison_final.jpg">another $50,000</a> from Pope's family foundation. Walter Buchholtz, an ExxonMobil executive, served as Heartland's Government Relations Advisor, according to <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2005/363/309/2005-363309812-0295fbb2-9.pdf" target="_blank">Heartland's 2005 IRS Form 990, pg. 15</a>.

Chesser then became an associate fellow for the <a href="http://nlpc.org/" target="_blank">National Legal and Policy Center</a>, a conservative think tank and propaganda dispenser <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Legal_and_Policy_Center#Funding">funded</a> by the Scaife Foundations, which are controlled by the family that owns Gulf Oil. He blogged at the climate denialist <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cooler_Heads_Coalition">Cooler Heads Coalition</a>, an industry astroturfer closely tied to the think tank and astroturfer <a title="Competitive Enterprise Institute" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Competitive_Enterprise_Institute">Competitive Enterprise Institute</a> (CEI). CEI opposes greenhouse gas regulations and has <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=2">taken over $2 million</a> from ExxonMobil. It also has funding from the American Petroleum Institute, Texaco, and the Amoco, Koch, Scaife and Pope foundations. ATI's <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/about/staff-board-of-directors/">director of litigation</a>, Christopher Horner, is a CEI fellow.

At ATI, Sturgis says that Chesser's antiscience propaganda efforts are largely bankrolled by fossil fuel interests. According to its <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/sites/default/files/ATI_990_2010_final.pdf">most recent filing with the IRS</a>, ATI last year received $40,000 from its sister group ATP, which in turn is <a href="http://www.freerangelongmont.com/2010/02/12/who-benefited-from-outside-influence/">supported by oil, gas and coal interests</a>. It received another $5,000 from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, a Virginia-based think tank that since 1998 has <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=17">received over $1 million</a> in funding from Exxon Mobil; between 1997 and 2008, Atlas also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html">received $122,300</a> from the Koch foundations and <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html">$735,000 from the Pope foundation</a>.

ATI's biggest funder is Montana businessman Doug Lair and the Lair Family Foundation; together they contributed over 75 percent of its total income. Lair's fortune <a href="http://sweetgrassroots.org/about/">comes from Lair Petroleum</a>, a family business that was sold in 1989 to William Koch, brother of Charles and David Koch. Lair still works for Lair Petroleum according to 2010 <a href="http://www.followthemoney.org/">state campaign finance reports</a>.

Today's hearing considered Mann's motion to intervene in ATI's case against UVA in order to protect his own papers under the ideals of privacy and freedom that Americans have always held dear. Without this right, Mann would have had no say in what papers the UVA might ultimately release to ATI.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) <a href="http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2011/0629board_statement.shtml">said</a> lawsuits like ATI's "have created a hostile environment that inhibits the free exchange of scientific findings and ideas." Francesca Grifo, director of the Scientific Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/university-of-virginia-scientists-records-0530.html">said</a> "Scientists should be able to challenge other scientists' ideas and discuss their preliminary thinking before their analyses are complete and published." Grifo said that "scientists shouldn't have to worry if political opponents of science will be sifting through emails" for bits and phrases to spin. "It has a chilling effect" on research, she said, and that's not going to take America where we need to go. The American Association of University Professors sent a <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/Letter-to-UVA-President-Teresa-Sullivan-regarding-academic-freedom.pdf">letter</a> to the UVA president arguing that the Virginia public documents statute exempts scholarly data of a proprietary nature that has not yet been publicly released, published, copyrighted or patented - in other words, Mann's emails. And US copyright law suggests that the documents may be covered under common copyright.

What is at stake in Mann's case is something much larger and more precious than papers and emails, or partisan politics -- what is at stake is Americans' freedom to investigate, debate and express ideas that run counter to those of corporations. Attacks on this basic freedom are a step away from democracy and toward tyranny.

Get Shawn Lawrence Otto's important new book: <a href="http://bit.ly/fool2">Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America</a>, "a gripping analysis of America's anti-science crisis." --Starred Kirkus Review. An "incredible book" -- Starred Publishers Weekly review. Like him on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawn-Lawrence-Otto/232314056783757">Facebook</a>. Listen to him of <a href="http://shawnotto.com/foolmetwice/media/media20111014.html" target="blank">Science Friday</a>. Join <a href="http://www.sciencedebate.org/" target="blank">ScienceDebate.org</a> to get the presidential candidates to debate science.

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</div><div id="mw-normal-catlinks">===</div><div id="mw-normal-catlinks">sturgis</div><div id="mw-normal-catlinks">
</div><div id="mw-normal-catlinks">A window into the climate-denial industryIn the Western Tradition Partnership’s <a href="http://www.americantradition.org/?page_id=1340" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Winter 2010 newsletter</a>, the group announced that it changed its name to the American Tradition Partnership. It also reported in an article datelined North Carolina that it had launched the American Tradition Institute, a think tank that would be “battling radical environmentalist junk science head on.”The group would be led by Paul Chesser, who they described as a “noted climate scholar.” In fact, Chesser (photo at left) is not a scientist but has long worked in what environmental advocates call the <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/reports/executive-summary-koch-indus/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">“climate denial machine”</a>: a network of organizations, many backed by energy interests, that work to create doubt about the science of human-caused global warming.According to his <a href="http://www.home.roadrunner.com/_{paulchesser/aboutme.htm}" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">bio</a>, Chesser grew up in Rhode Island and worked as an accountant in Los Angeles. He launched his reporting career in North Carolina, where he edited two weekly conservative Christian newspapers, The Raleigh World and The Triad World. Now defunct, the papers were owned by World Newspaper Publishing, whose <a href="http://www.worldnewspaperpublishing.com/news/aboutwnp.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">stated purpose</a> is to “bring journalism informed by a distinctly Christian worldview to major cities across America.”From there, Chesser moved to the John Locke Foundation (JLF), a free-market think tank based in Raleigh, N.C. that has been a leading voice of climate denial in North Carolina. The Locke Foundation decries what it <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/search/results.html?cx=000850932633721540975%3Ay7uhjqbesls&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=%22global+warming+alarmism%22&sa=Search#1019" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">calls</a> “global warming alarmism” and <a href="http://www.johnlocke.org/search/results.html?cx=000850932633721540975%3Ay7uhjqbesls&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=%22patrick+michaels%22&sa=GO&siteurl=www.johnlocke.org%2F#1050" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">promotes</a> the views of global warming skeptics like Patrick Michaels, who <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/10/climate-skeptic-leaves-u-of-virginia.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">left</a> the climatologist’s office at the University of Virginia in 2007 over controversy about his funding sources and fringe views.The Locke Foundation was founded and is <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/blessed-to-have-a-pope.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">largely funded</a> by Art Pope, a North Carolina millionaire and leading conservative benefactor. As a <a href="http://www.americansforprosperity.org/about/directors" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">national director</a>of the free-market advocacy group <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_For_Prosperity" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Americans for Prosperity</a>, Pope has <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">close ties</a>to the Koch brothers, the billionaire owners of the Kansas-based Koch Industries oil and chemical conglomerate and leading <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">funders of global warming denial efforts</a>. The Koch Family Foundations have also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">contributed at least $70,000</a> to the Locke Foundation.It was at the Locke Foundation that Chesser began his crusade against the<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/skeptics-own-study-finds-climate-change-real-but-says-scientists-should-be-more-critical/2011/10/31/gIQAYjXQYM_story.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">growing scientific consensus</a> about climate change. He served as an editor of Carolina Journal, the group’s monthly newspaper that relentlessly attacks the science of global warming in its <a href="http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/series.html?id=32" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">climate coverage</a>. While there he also began working with Climate Strategies Watch, an initiative that sought to <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">discredit</a> the Center for Climate Strategies, a nonprofit group that helps states figure out ways to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.Climate Strategies Watch was a joint project of the Locke Foundation and the Heartland Institute, a corporate-backed think tank in Chicago where Chesser also served as a special correspondent. Heartland has received <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=41" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">at least $676,000</a> from ExxonMobil since 1998. Between 1997 and 2008, they also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/images/sitepieces/koch-pope-comparison_final.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">received $30,000</a>from foundations connected to the Kochs and <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/images/sitepieces/koch-pope-comparison_final.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">another $50,000</a> from Pope’s family foundation. One of Heartland’s government-relations advisors also served as <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2007/11/special-investigation-whos-behind-the-attack-on-state-climate-policy.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Exxon’s senior environmental advisor</a>.Chesser was soon fully immersed in the climate-denial network. He became an associate fellow for the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative think tank <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Legal_and_Policy_Center#Funding" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">heavily funded</a> by the Scaife Foundations, which are controlled by the family that owns Gulf Oil. He blogged for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cooler_Heads_Coalition" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Cooler Heads Coalition</a>, an industry front group led by the Competitive Enterprise Institute — a fierce opponent of greenhouse gas regulation that has <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=2" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">taken over $2 million</a> from ExxonMobil as well as funding from the American Petroleum Institute, Texaco and the Koch, Scaife and Pope foundations. (ATI’s <a href="http://www.atinstitute.org/about/staff-board-of-directors/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">director of litigation</a>, Christopher Horner, is a CEI fellow.)Now at the American Tradition Institute, Chesser again finds himself speaking for a group largely bankrolled by fossil fuel interests. According to its <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/sites/default/files/ATI_990_2010_final.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">most recent filing with the IRS</a>, ATI last year received $40,000 from its sister group ATP, which in turn is <a href="http://www.freerangelongmont.com/2010/02/12/who-benefited-from-outside-influence/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">supported by oil, gas and coal interests</a>. It received another $5,000 from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, a Virginia-based think tank that since 1998 has <a href="http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=17" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">received over $1 million</a> in funding from Exxon Mobil; between 1997 and 2008, Atlas also <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">received $122,300</a> from the Koch foundations and <a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/10/a-pope-of-climate-denial.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">$735,000 from the Pope foundation</a>.But ATI’s biggest funder is Montana businessman Doug Lair and his Lair Family Foundation; they contributed $5,000 and $135,000 respectively to the group last year — over 75 percent of its total income.</div>

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