why is the oil industry offering $10,000 to any scientist who disputes global warming?

Question

profits?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070202/pl_afp/unclimateusdeny_070202142458

Answer 1

because they know they are in trouble.

Answer 2

Im standing behind the oil industry one hundred percent on this issue, Global warming is a farce to make and impose new control laws on the populations. First of all I dont care one tinsy winsy bit about global warming, not in the slightest.The initial greed of mankind, and the extreme laziness of the north american population alone would have to dramaticly change, hence the need for all the weight loss clinics...most of the campainers promoting global warming drive to where ever they need to go, and even if they use electric cars to get there, they are so ignorant to the fact that it took fossil fuels to generate the electricity to charge the batteries that power their electric cars. Take a good hard look people, the damage is done and is more than likely irreversable, the ice is almost melted, and we wont be getting anymore till the next ice age. People are so gullable its hilarious to the point of being scary. They worry about something they have absolutely no control over or ever will. Its called nature....even if we can predict a hurricane , tornado, tsunami, or earthquake, we still cant do anything to stop them. What if this so called global warming is due to Solar Flares and we are just going through a normal cylcle of nature, and in the next 50 years it snows everyday for 5 years in a row? Then we can blame the oil companies for shading out the sun and go on a panic alert that we are entering the ice age and would do everything to warm it up. Who knows maybe all that tundra in the arctic might make up the most fertile soil in the world and produce the worlds food supply one day.
To the Oil Companies... I could really use the 10 grand, but I know I know...Im no scientist...guess till then I will have to just keep buying the 87 grade.

Answer 3

I agree that a think tank funded by oil companies looks bad, but look at any scientist who has had the nerve to dispute what is considered the popular opinion(oh and the cause global warming, or even if there actually is a warming problem, is still only an opinion at this point folks. Even in the big news from yesterday the scientists said it is LIKELY caused by humans). They are shouted down as crackpots and nutcases without an real scientific review of their findings. It would take a pretty good amount of money to get me to go out and buck the trend and put my career on the line.

"Edit" - I misread, I thought it was 100k not 10k. That's not even enough to get me in front of a crowd.

Answer 4

Ain't the oil industry, bub, it's AEI. The reporter just dug up a contributor that would make headlines hot. This is why we NEED think tanks.

"AEI operates at the intersection of scholarship and politics, aiming to elevate political debate and improve the substance of government policy. Many of the subjects of AEI research and publications are controversial, and many are the focus of rough political contention and intense interest-group advocacy. Many AEI scholars and fellows are or have been directly engaged in practical politics and policy-making as government officials, advisers, or members of official commissions. For these reasons, AEI maintains policies and procedures for assuring the integrity and reputation of its work. The most important of these are set forth below."

Answer 5

Hmmmm

So all those RedsStaters on YA that have been flaming Al Gore and the Democratic Party over this Global warming thing. Could have been cashing in as paid activists.

OH Wait they are: Nevermind.

Go big Red Go

Answer 6

Don't sweat it. A scientists biggest asset is his reputation, and anybody that accepted that money would no longer have one. $10K is not going to cut it. That is a pure publicity stunt to make it look like the research was funded by somebody else with an agenda.

Read between the lines.

PS- Global Warming is a verifiable fact. The part they are contesting is if it has a man-made component, or is just a natural facet of climate change. That point is indeed debatable, though I personally believe there is a man-made component to it.

Answer 7

It's not the oil industry, it's a think tank, but it is primarily funded by ExxonMobil. Speaking of Exxon, they are a company that has no regard for the environment, which I think answers your question. Yes, trying to be eco-friendly will definitely hurt their profits, no doubt, especially seeing as how they do nothing for the environment and just got record profits. Now, BP on the other hand probably won't give a dime to this 'think tank'.....

Answer 8

Until you have someone with more money than the oil companies to control politics, the earths livelyhood will always be on the back burner. The $10,000 is just some pennies thrown out to make someone happy.

Answer 9

LOL man their greed knows no bounds. After NETTING 40 BILLION in profit last year, Exxon is only willing to offer a measly $10,000? Lol. Can I say, "Global Warming is a myth," get my check, shave off my goatee and say, "Global warming is a HUGE myth," and get another check?

Better yet, I'll offer $1 to any scientist who can prove and develop anti-gravity or instantaneous molecular transport and re-assembly (and assigns me the rights :D).

Answer 10

they're in contact in countless issues. i'm in contact in cleansing up groundwater. different scientists could be in contact in coming up polymers. Others could learn the mating habit of wombats. an exceedingly few are in contact in analyzing climate.

Answer 11

because--(unidentified)--is in the oil business and on the news the other night a lot of scientist were saying their findings and documents were altered by the gov. to say global warming isn't a issue, so i guess this oil man is trying to save face and his oil money.