University climate research accounts used for travel, PR

[Euphonious_Polemic]

Well, at least that’s what the headline says. University climate research accounts used for PR, travel, wining and dining: records

If you’re looking for evidence of those evil climate change researchers misusing money though, you’d better look elsewhere.

It seems that Barry Cooper, a political science professor at the University of Calgary set up a “research” account that was used to get money from people (mainly oil and gas companies such as Talisman Energy) in order to produce materials to lobby against climate change action.

It started with

a $175,000 donation from Talisman Energy, an Alberta-based oil and gas company, to kick-start their efforts.

Why did Cooper set up a university “research” account to funnel these donations? Because it

allow(ed) donors to earn tax receipts by channelling their money through the university.

What did this “research” money from oil companies buy?

spending by the Friends of Science, an anti-Kyoto Protocol group founded by retired oil industry workers and academics who are skeptical about peer reviewed research linking human activity to global warming observed in recent decades.

(I love that name by the way… “Friends of Science”. Nice.

Which included:

• Anti climate change ads in the Montreal Gazette

• Travel expenses totalling $15,741.24 for Barry Cooper.

• A $1,004.24 dinner at the Calgary Petroleum Club attended by Cooper, APCO consultant Tom Harris and various Friends of Science members;

• Donations of about $1,000 to support organizations that question climate change science in the U.S. and the UK that were coordinated by Fred Singer and Benny Peiser;

• Thousands of dollars in travel, dining and gift expenses for climate skeptics such as Tim Ball, Ross McKitrick and Madhav Khandekar to attend various meetings and events on behalf of the Friends of Science.

• $250,000 to APCO Worldwide, Morten Paulsen Consulting. Paulsen by the way, is now working as a communications adviser for the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. Oh, and he

also co-ordinated about $13,375 worth of radio ads in five key Ontario markets — Ottawa, Peterborough, Tri-Cities, London and Thunder Bay — in the weeks before the vote, which attacked the Liberal government’s climate change policies with money from the university research accounts.

So this money, given by oil companies, laundered through a university “research” account (to get a tax credit) was then used to produce ads to attack a political party during an election. Nice.

Of course, the University of Calgary has been very transparent about the whole thing. Oh wait, that’s not true:

The university initially declined to release detailed invoices and records following a 2008 request under provincial freedom of information legislation and told the commissioner’s office during a recent inquiry that releasing the details was not in the public interest.

So… Welcome to the world of climate change denial “research”. A political science prof laundering money from oil companies and using it for a campaign of disinformation and political ads.

[drewtwo99]

It’s so frustrating that people will go to such lengths to poop all over their own interests (upholding the credibility of scientists and universities) for a little money.

[mozchron]

Uh… I got news for you. I’m a University professor. I charge meals and travel expenses to research accounts all the time.

If the travel is research-related (fieldwork or traveling to a conference) then its completely justified. You have to eat while you’re there, so that is justified as well.

I probably charged over $10K this year.

Can’t address the PR stuff. But the travel/meals sounds like a non-issue.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

@mozchron

Uh… I got news for you. I’m a University professor. I charge meals and travel expenses to research accounts all the time.

If the travel is research-related (fieldwork or traveling to a conference) then its completely justified. You have to eat while you’re there, so that is justified as well.

I probably charged over $10K this year.

Can’t address the PR stuff. But the travel/meals sounds like a non-issue.

Travel* in support of* research may be legitimate.

However:

There was no “research” going on. Most of the money went to a P.R. firm to produce a video on climate change denial. Other money went to climate change deniers for travel. $13,375 went to radio ads during an election attacking one particular political party.

[The_Tooth]

Oddly enough, the University of Little Texas seems proud of its Environmental Engineering program. Fancy signs and everything.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

@The_Tooth

Oddly enough, the University of Little Texas seems proud of its Environmental Engineering program. Fancy signs and everything.

Well, at least the U of Calgary has guys like David Keith, who is a Canada Research Chair in Energy and the Environment, and actually knows a little bit about the SCIENCE of climate change.

I’d love to hear what he says about his colleague, Barry Cooper, who is a political science prof who appears to know all about

" Greek political philosophy whereas his publications have been chiefly in the area of contemporary French and German political philosophy."

So this expert in French and German political philosophy was getting “research” money from oil companies to funnel to a P.R. company so they could make video to discredit climate change science.

I’m afraid this kind of shit happens all the time. And the deniers will of course talk about how Cooper is a “scientist” who does “research” and does not believe in anthropogenic climate change.