Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow

Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)

Background

The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) was founded in 1985 to pursue a free-market approach to environmental issues. They describe their role as "relentlessly infusing the environmental debate with a balanced perspective on environmental stewardship."

According to Media Matters, CFACT's main focus is promoting what it describes as "destructive environmental policies," and it has "waged a decades-long war on environmental activism." [1]

In 2009, CFACT hired Marc Morano, a former spokesman for Sen. James Inhofe, to run ClimateDepot.com. According to Morano, the site was designed to offer research and environmental news that questions the theory of man-made global warming.

Stance on Climate Change

"Many climatologists and astrophysicists believe recent sun spot, Pacific Ocean and global temperature trends suggest that our planet may have entered a cool phase that could last for 25 years. If that is the case, the additional carbon dioxide being emitted by China, India and other developing countries could bring a major additional benefit: helping to protect wildlife habitats, enhance oceanic biota and preserve crop yields under sub-optimal climatic conditions." [2]

CFACT is a member of the Cooler Heads Coalition, which describes its aim as "dispelling the myths of global warming through sound science and analysis." [3]

Funding

Media Matters breaks down their funding as follows: [1]

According to ExxonSecrets, CFACT has received $582,000 from ExxonMobil since 1998.
[4]

Key People

Staff

The following is from the CFACT Website, accessed December, 2011:

Board of Advisors

Other People

Actions

May 21 - 23, 2012

CFACT is an official Co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute's Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7).

December, 2011

CFACT generated media attention at the COP17 Conference in Durban when they parachuted onto a Durban beach waving "Climategate 2.0" banners. Accompanying them was prominent climate change skeptic Lord Christopher Monckton.

Later in the day, CFACT arranged a press conference with Senator Inhofe where they released Climate Depot's new "A-Z Climate Reality Check" special report. [7]

December, 2009

CFACT hosted an event called The Copenhagen Climate Challenge at the same time as the COP15 conference in Copenhagen.

Craig Rucker, Executive Director of CFACT, spoke to the press:

"We think there is no consensus on climate change and there should not be a treaty from Copenhagen based on a lack of consensus." [8]

Ian Plimer was reported to be "a star attraction of the two-day event" which also featured Fred Singer, Nils Axel Morner, and other climate change skeptics. [9]

August 2, 2002

Was one of a group of right-wing think tanks including Americans for Tax Reform, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute who lobbied for President Bush to boycott the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. Bush did not attend. [10]

June 7, 2002

CFACT President David Rothbard signed a letter to President Bush that asked him to withdraw the "Climate Action Report 2002."

The letter summarized that Bush should direct that the report "be re-written on the basis of sound science and without relying on discredited products of the previous administration."

The report adds that Bush should "dismiss or re-assign all administration employees who are not pursuing your agenda, just as you have done in several similar instances." [11]

September 27, 2000

CFACT and the National Center for Public Policy Research awarded Congressman Helen Chenoweth- Hage (R-ID) the new "Friend of American Freedom Award" which recognized her for her "distinguished record of defending the United States against environmental treaties, United Nations (U.N.) programs and other globalist policies that pose a threat to the nation's sovereignty." [12]

Related Organizations

Resources

  1. "Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow." Media Matters. Accessed December 26, 2011.

  2. "Carbon and carbon dioxide: Clearing up the confusion," CFACT News, May 9, 2011.

  3. "About GlobalWarming.org. "Archived April 21, 2006.

  4. ExxonSecrets Factsheet: CFACT - Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow.

  5. "Should we believe the latest UN Climate Report?", CFACT, April 2, 2007.

  6. "List of participants" (PDF), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, December 14, 2007.

  7. "CFACT makes media waves at COP17 climate talks," CFACT News, December 8, 2011.

  8. "Copenhagen climate summit: Behind the scenes at the sceptics' conference," The Telegraph, December 9, 2009.

  9. Lenore Taylor. "Plimer the toast of Copenhagen sceptics meeting," The Australian, December 10, 2009.

  10. (Press Release) "Africa: Corporate-funded Lobbyists Aimed to Sabotage Johannesburg Summit," AllAfrica.com, August 19, 2002.

  11. Fred L. Smith, Jr. "Joint Letter to President Bush On the EPA's Climate Action Report," Competitive Enterprise Institute, June 7, 2002.

  12. "Congressman Helen Chenoweth-Hage Honored With "Friend of American Freedom Award," Press Release: The National Center fore Public Policy Research, September 28, 2000.

  13. "Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow," SourceWatch Profile.

  14. "Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow," Wikipedia entry.
     

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