User:Hans Adler/Industry-funded science denialism

Maybe this article already exists. Some related articles:
 * Politicization of science
 * Antiscience
 * Denialism
 * Politicized issue
 * The Republican War on Science (book)
 * Science by press conference

Industry-funded science lobbying / Industry lobbying and the public perception of science. Several large companies including Philip Morris and ExxonMobil have funded a large number of organizations for spreading misinformation on scientific topics such as medicine and climate science, and in some cases have founded front organizations for the purpose. In the reported cases the apparent aim is to create uncertainty in the general public about an existing scientific consensus that could motivate political action affecting the funding company's profits.

A common trait of the funded organizations is that they reject scientific results that unequivocally support the scientific consensus as "junk science", while reserving the designation "sound science" for those results that can be presented as casting some form of doubt on the consensus or its relevance to public policy. Some techniques used:
 * Stressing elements of uncertainty that exist in relevant scientific knowledge but do not affect the consensus.
 * Denigrating supporters of political action through ad hominem attacks.
 * Claiming that political action would endanger the economy.

Organizations that are reportedly part of such campaigns include(d):
 * TechCentralStation (Exxon)
 * Cato Institute (Morris, Exxon)
 * The Heritage Foundation (Morris, Exxon)
 * National Anxiety Center


 * TASSC (Morris, Exxon)
 * Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change (Exxon)
 * Congress of Racial Equality (Exxon)


 * Science & Environmental Policy Project (Exxon)
 * Competitive Enterprise Institute (Morris )
 * Hudson Institute (Morris)
 * Frontiers of Freedom Institute (Morris)
 * Reason Foundation (Morris)
 * Independent Institute (Morris)
 * Law and Economics Center of George Mason University (Morris)
 * Marshall Institute
 * Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change
 * Heartland Institute [Spiegel uses guarded language] (Morris )
 * Europäisches Institut für Klima und Energie
 * Washington Legal Foundation (Morris )
 * American Policy Center
 * National Center for Public Policy Research
 * Global Climate Coalition

Although much of the lobbying work is restricted to the United States, it is effective worldwide.

Quotations for potential use

 * [describes character assassination attacks]