The documents further explain how ExxonMobil has been sowing deception and misinformation to block climate action since the 1970s.
“We are happy to help Representative Smith understand what’s wrong with climate change denial,” said Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard. “By having this information at hand, it should be clear to Representative Smith why investigations into Exxon’s climate denial scheme are important for the public. Perhaps he will even bring the Science Committee back to its mission of advancing scientific knowledge, rather than doing the bidding of the oil and gas industry.”
Greenpeace USA and 350.org are contesting Rep. Smith’s subpoenas, which they consider to be an attempt by the Congressman to protect Exxon and suppress scientific discussion on on how to mitigate climate change. Through these overreaching and vague subpoenas, he is demanding the groups hand over all internal communications related to their work to hold Exxon accountable for its decades-long campaign on climate deception.
Rep. Smith lacks jurisdiction on this matter and his request is in direct violation of the groups’ First Amendment rights. Greenpeace USA and 350.org have, however, repeatedly offered to meet with the Chairman and the Committee to provide information about the dangers of climate change and the dangerous actions by fossil fuel companies to deny its scientific proof.
The delivery of the materials makes good on that offer. Included in the hundreds of pages delivered on Wednesday are the articles from the Los Angeles Times, InsideClimate News reports that broke the story on Exxon’s previous knowledge of climate change, and other documents related to the revelations.
“It’s time the Chair of the House Science Committee learn a bit more about science. Representative Smith is entitled to his own opinions, but he can’t rewrite the rules of physics and chemistry. He should spend less time worrying about our emails and more time worrying about the climate crisis facing this country and how companies like ExxonMobil are fueling it,” said 350.org Executive Director May Boeve. “We’re not going to violate our First Amendment rights, but we’re happy to provide whatever information we can to help the committee get to the bottom of Exxon’s lies.”
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Notes to editors:
To view two of Greenpeace USA’s submitted reports, visit:
- Denial and Deception: A Chronicle of ExxonMobil’s Efforts to Corrupt the Debate on Global Warming https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/exxon-denial-and-deception.pdf?x14568
- The Kingpins of Carbon and Their War on Democracy https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/legacy/Global/usa/planet3/PDFs/Kingpins-of-Carbon.pdf
To view 350.org’s submitted documents, visit: https://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/FINAL_TOSUBMITPDFforsubpoena.pdf
Contacts:
Rodrigo Estrada, [email protected], (202) 478-6632
Lindsay Meiman, [email protected], (347) 460-9082
