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If the shoe fits ...

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Greedy Lying Bastards pretty much sums it up.  This is a recent documentary that chronicles the attempts by so-called "energy companies" and  industries to dismiss global warming.  There are some pretty shocking figures cited, such as the $67 million Koch Industries has spent over the last 15 years in its campaign against global warming.  The documentary also looks into the Supreme Court decision on Citizens United that now allows for unlimited corporate contributions to political campaigns, essentially allowing industry to buy Washington and state legislatures, where these multinational companies successfully fight against environmental regulations.

You have to wonder at what point does the cost to discredit the large body of scientific analysis that has shown that global arming is occurring exceeds the cost to pursue renewable forms of energy.  Already, we are seeing a big dispute over the costly process of fracking to unlock a few more drops of oil from the earth's crust and the impact this has on ground water.  It ceases to be a global warming issue, but rather a simple environmental issue that immediately affects everyone.  However, these are the same corporations who fought against regulations against asbestos and other toxic materials and processes, so what can you expect.

To the filmmakers' credit, they try to reach across the political divide, interviewing persons like Christine Todd Whitman, who found herself fighting against the Bush administration, as head of the EPA, over ground water contamination and global warming, but was able to successfully reduce the allowable levels of arsenic in ground water from 50 to 10 particles per billion, as had originally been suggested by the Clinton administration, but had initially been blocked by Bush.

Comments

  1. avrdsMarch 13, 2013 at 6:40 PM

    That's a powerful trailer. There's also a good review at the Post.

    One thing I noted somewhere is that the Koch Brothers are looking at the LA Times/Chicago Tribune now that the papers are out of bankruptcy. Nothing like having your own papers to keep up the messaging war.

    I'm sure the film will be at our local independent theatre at some point. I'll try to see it.

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  2. James FergusonMarch 16, 2013 at 10:47 AM

    Sadly, the Lithuanian government is seriously considering a deal with Chevron that would allow fracking in the lowlands of the country, which is also the nation's largest supply of fresh water,

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/business/energy-environment/chevron-intent-on-european-shale-gas-buys-lithuanian-stake.html

    I love the way Magness describes Lithuania as a "good host government" like Chevron is some form of parasite ever seeking new "hosts."

    ReplyDelete
  3. avrdsMarch 16, 2013 at 2:49 PM

    Chevron is a form of parasite seeking a new host and governments welcome it with open arms. In the 1980s, many of the oil companies were also seriously investing in alternative energy because it appeared that the end of oil resources was at hand. Now it seems like they are determined to suck out every last drop while they can, the future and planet be damned.

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