ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Competitive Enterprise Institute

FACTSHEET: Competitive Enterprise Institute, CEI

DETAILS

1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 1250 Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-547-1010
Fax: 202-546-7757

Founded in 1984, CEI is a Washington - based conservative think tank "whose research on public policy reflects the principles of free enterprise, individual liberty and limited government." CEI is at the center of the global warming misinformation campaign.

CEI has tackled tough and contentious scientific issues such as global warming, carbon dioxide and fuel-economy standards, most recently expanding into the politics of food. It has become the go-to think tank in the fight against excessive federal government regulations, supporters say. (Beyond the Theories: Think Tank Debunks Popular Myths; Audrey Hudson, May 18, 2004, Washington Times)

The organization mixes free-market ideas with the antiregulation and environmental movements, but unlike most institutes that are content just to think and speak, the CEI does not shy away from forcing action through the courts or the legislative process.

CEI, among many other statements denying the seriousness of global warming, has argued that climate change would create a "milder, greener, more prosperous world" and that "Kyoto was a power grab based on deception and fear" (R. Brunet, "It Just Ain't So, Say These Reputable Scientists" Alberta Report, 10 November, v.24(48) 1997 p20-21). In addition to leading the campaign to convince the public that global warming is uncertain, CEI has weighed in on pesticide risk and endocrine disrupting chemicals - both of which pose no threat to human health, in CEI's view - and has supported regulatory "takings" measures.

CEI supports eventual elimination of the Superfund and has advocated the complete privatization of the Endangered Species Act, arguing that species protection would meet the level of "demand," based on how much citizens are willing to pay for habitat preservation (CLEAR fact sheet). CEI has a long anti-environmental pedigree. CEI is a member of the State Policy Network and the Cooler Heads Coalition. CEI was a sponsor of the first Wise Use conference in 1988 and has had membership in the Get Government Off Our Backs coalition, the wise use umbrella group. CEI is also a network member of The Heritage Foundation, Alliance for America, and the anti-Endangered Species Act group, Grassroots ESA Coalition. CEI was also a co-sponsor of the 1998 NY State Property Rights Conference.

With more than a $3 million annual budget, CEI is supported by both conservative foundations and corporate funding. Known corporate funders in addition to ExxonMobil include the American Petroleum Institute, Cigna Corporation, Dow Chemical, EBCO Corp, General Motors, and IBM. One of CEI's prominent funders is conservative Richard Scaife who has provided money through the Carthage and Sara Scaife Foundations. CEI is also heavily supported by the various Koch brother foundations. (http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Competitive_Enterprise_Institute)

KEY QUOTES

"As the United Nations prepared for an international conference in Kyoto, Japan to craft an international treaty to suppress the use of fossil fuel energy, CEI's work demonstrated why people have more to fear from global warming policies than from global warming itself."
Source: CEI 1997 Annual Report

"Although global warming has been described as the greatest threat facing mankind, the policies designed to address global warming actually pose a greater threat. The Kyoto Protocol and similar domestic schemes to ration carbon-based energy use would do little to slow carbon dioxide emissions, but would have enormous costs. These costs would eventually fall most heavily on the poorest nations in the world. Luckily, predictions of the extent of future warming are based on implausible scientific and economic assumptions, and the negative impacts of predicted warming have been vastly exaggerated. In the unlikely event that global warming turns out to be a problem, the correct approach is not energy rationing, but rather long-term technological transformation and building resiliency in societies by increasing wealth. CEI has been a leader in the fight against the global warming scare."
Source: CEI website - global warming

KEY DEEDS

3 October, 2000
Filed a lawsuit against President Clinton for expanding the scope of, and increasing spending for, a report on climate change by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Source: "Lawmakers, Groups Sue Over National Assessment on Climate Change," Greenwire, 10/5/2000

Filed a second lawsuit against the U.S. government in August of 2003. Citing the recently enacted Data Quality Act, CEI demanded that the report on climate change called the National Assessment not be disseminated by the government. The Bush administration settled the lawsuit by adding a disclaimer to the web site where the report is available, stating that it has not been reviewed under the Data Quality Act.
Source: "Earth Last," The American Prospect, 5/7/04

The Cooler Heads Coalition, a subgroup of the National Consumer Coalition focused on global warming, is a project of CEI run by Myron Ebell. Members includes many groups such as the 60 Plus Association, Frontiers of Freedom, Atlas Economic Research Foundation and CFACT, among others.
Source: CEI website - events

24 October, 2006
Amicus in Supreme Court CO2 case IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, et al., Petitioners, v. U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, et al., Respondents. On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit AMICI CURIAE BRIEF OF CLIMATOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS SALLIE BALIUNAS, JOHN R. CHRISTY, CHRIS DE FREITAS, DAVID LEGATES, ANTHONY LUPO, PATRICK MICHAELS, JOEL SCHWARTZ, AND ROY W. SPENCER IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS SAM KAZMAN* HANS BADER CHRISTOPHER C. HORNER COMPETITIVE ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, #1250 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 331-2265 *Counsel of Record
Source: Amicus brief written by Competitive Enterprise Institute

DEEDS

4 June, 2002
Advised Bush to distance himself from EPA report which stated, for the first time from a US government agency, that climate change is real. And Bush did so.
Source: C Horner, Washington Times 04 June 2002.

2 August, 2002
Wrote to President Bush discouraging him from attending the August 2002 UN Summit on Sustainable Development. Bush did not attend.
Source: "Corporate-funded Lobbyists Aimed to Sabotage Johannesburg Summit," Africa News, 8/19/2002

14 May, 2004
Warning that the $125 million film fails to employ sound science to back up its depictions, the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute has sent reporters a listing of global-warming skeptics who can be counted on to dispute the film's premise.
Source: "Disaster Flick Unleashes a Blizzard of Spin," Scripps Howard News, May 14 2004

13 April, 2004
Soso Whaley is an adjunct fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government that labels "Super Size Me" a "splashy effort." Funded by grants from companies like Exxon, General Motors, Texaco, Amoco and Shell Oil, the CEI is also currently investigating the liberal approach to protecting the environment and questioning the validity of the science behind some global warming studies.
Source: "McDonalds Fuels Films Battle," UPI, April 13, 2004

10 February, 2005
From the website: The Kyoto Protocol will enter into force internationally on February 16th without the participation of the United States or Australia. Myron Ebell, Christopher Horner, and other experts will discuss the prospects for implementing the Kyoto Protocol, what new international agreements and efforts may follow Kyoto, and what this means for future U.S. climate policies. Panelists include: • Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee • Dr. Harlan L. Watson, Senior Climate Negotiator and Special Representative at the U.S. Department of State • William O'Keefe, CEO of the George C. Marshall Institute • Myron Ebell, Director of Global Warming Policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute • Christopher C. Horner, Counsel to the Cooler Heads Coalition • Jeff Kueter, Moderator, President of the George C. Marshall Institute Light refreshments
Source: CEI website - events

8 May, 2007
Published article named "Liberal 'Scientists' Lead Jihad Against Global-Warming Skeptics" No mention of 'jihad' anywhere within the article itself, and no explanation for the reference to a connection between the scientists and jihad in the title of the article. It seems to be a cheap attempt at sensationalism and hate mongering by trying to connect global warming scientists to terrorism.
Source: CEI website, 5/07

FUNDING

Competitive Enterprise Institute has received $2,005,000 from ExxonMobil since 1998.

1998
$85,000 ExxonMobil Corporate Giving
Source: Exxon Education Foundation Dimensions 1998 report

2000
$230,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
general support
Source: ExxonMobil Foundation 2000 IRS 990

2001
$280,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
Source: ExxonMobil 2001 Worldwide Giving Report

2002
$205,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
50K congressional briefing program, 140K general operating support, 60K legal activities
Source: ExxonMobil 2002 Worldwide Giving Report

2002
$200,000 ExxonMobil Corporate Giving
140K general operating support, 60K for legal activities.
Source: ExxonMobil 2002 Worldwide Giving Report

2003
$25,000 ExxonMobil Corporate Giving
Annual Dinner
Source: ExxonMobil 2003 Worldwide Giving Report

2003
$440,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
General Operating Support
Source: ExxonMobil 2003 Worldwide Giving Report

2004
$90,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
General Operating Support
Source: ExxonMobil 2004 Worldwide Giving Report

2004
$90,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
Global Climate Change
Source: ExxonMobil 2004 Worldwide Giving Report

2004
$90000 ExxonMobil Foundation
Global Climate Change Outreach
Source: ExxonMobil 2004 Worldwide Giving Report

2005
$90,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
General Operating Support
Source: ExxonMobil 2005 Worldwide Giving Report

2005
$180,000 ExxonMobil Corporate Giving
General Operating Support
Source: ExxonMobil 2005 Worldwide Giving Report

KEY PEOPLE

PEOPLE

SOURCES

ExxonMobil 2001 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d;=4388

ExxonMobil 2002 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d;=4386

ExxonMobil Foundation 2000 IRS 990
ExxonMobil Foundation 2000 IRS 990
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d;=4390

Exxon Education Foundation Dimensions 1998 report
Exxon Dimensions report 1998- Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d;=4385

C Horner, Washington Times 04 June 2002.
C Horner, Washington Times 04 June 2002.

CEI website, 3/04
http://www.cei.org

"Corporate-funded Lobbyists Aimed to Sabotage Johannesburg Summit," Africa News, 8/19/2002

"Lawmakers, Groups Sue Over National Assessment on Climate Change," Greenwire, 10/5/2000

EWG Clean Air Policy Background Analysis 2/12/1997

CEI 1997 Annual Report
The Competitive Enterprise Institute's Annual Report for 1997

"Earth Last," The American Prospect, 5/7/04
article by Chris Mooney
http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name;=ViewPrint&articleId;=7603

ExxonMobil 2003 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d;=4389

"Disaster Flick Unleashes a Blizzard of Spin," Scripps Howard News, May 14 2004
Disaster Flick Unleashes a Blizzard of Spin: Joan Lowy
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm

"McDonalds Fuels Films Battle," UPI, April 13, 2004
McDonalds Fuels Films Battle; Julia Watson
http://www.upi.com

CEI website, various
http://www.cei.org

CEI website - global warming
CEI website on global warming
http://www.cei.org/sections/subsection.cfm?section=3

ExxonMobil 2004 Worldwide Giving Report
2004 Worldwide Contributions and Community Investments Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d;=4380

CEI website - events
http://www.cei.org/dyn/events.cfm?archive=2005

CEI Website 5-2006
CEI Website
http://www.cei.org

ExxonMobil 2005 Worldwide Giving Report
Public Information and Policy Research
http://research.greenpeaceusa.org/?a=view&d;=4387

CEI Website (2006)
http://www.cei.org/dyn/view_expert.cfm?expert=101

Amicus brief written by Competitive Enterprise Institute
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, et al., Petitioners, v. U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, et al., Respondents. On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit AMICI CURIAE BRIEF OF CLIMATOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS SALLIE BALIUNAS, JOHN R. CHRISTY, CHRIS DE FREITAS, DAVID LEGATES, ANTHONY LUPO, PATRICK MICHAELS, JOEL SCHWARTZ, AND ROY W. SPENCER IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS SAM KAZMAN* HANS BADER CHRISTOPHER C. HORNER COMPETITIVE ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, #1250 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 331-2265 *Counsel of Record
http://www.cei.org/pdf/5572.pdf

Bjorn gets Julian Simon Award from CEI
photo of Lomborg receiving award from Fred Smith of CEI and widow of Julian Simon
http://www.cei.org/2003dinner/pages/CEI012.htm

CEI website (2007)
http://www.cei.org/dyn/view_expert.cfm?expert=261

Manhattan Institute website 2007
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/

CEI memo, Ebell to Cooney (08/03/02)
Email memo from Myron Ebell (CEI) to Phil Cooney (White House CEQ), August 3, 2002.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/assets/binaries/ceimemo.swf

CDFE website 2007
http://www.cdfe.org/staff.htm

CEI news release 05/12/04
http://www.cei.org/gencon/003,04017.cfm

CEI website, 5/07

Hoover Institute
http://www.hoover.org/bios/moore.html

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