disinformation playbook

Automakers Turn to Climate Deniers in Quest to Lower Fuel Economy Regulations

, senior vehicles analyst

March 19, 2018 3:49 PM EDT

Last month, the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers submitted a report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration/Department of Transportation calling into question impacts of climate change and tailpipe pollutants in an effort to undercut the need for fuel economy regulation.  The Alliance is the trade group for Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, and Toyota, among others.  The report funded by the Alliance was written by industry shills with ties to the Heartland Institute and General Motors, and it flies in the face of automaker claims by the likes of Ford and Toyota that they are taking climate change seriously. Read more >

iStockphoto.com/mccaig
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All I Want for Christmas Is Added Sugar Information Over Disinformation

, science and policy analyst, Center for Science and Democracy

December 21, 2017 5:25 PM EDT

The struggle is real right now for all of us trying to watch our added sugar intake this holiday season as we await the implementation of the revised nutrition facts label. Now, thanks to the administration’s delay of implementation dates, we’ll have longer to wait for clear labels.  Want to know how much sugar was added to that egg nog? Tough. How about that fruit cake? None of your business. Trying to figure out whether you’ll max out on your daily sugar intake from that cup of hot cocoa? Better luck in 2020! Read more >

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Scott Pruitt’s EPA Grant Ban Doesn’t Apply to States or Tribes. Here’s Why That’s Interesting.

, Deputy director, Center for Science & Democracy

October 31, 2017 5:26 PM EDT

This afternoon, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that nobody who receives an EPA grant should be allowed to provide scientific advice to the agency. Yep—those scientists, the ones that the EPA thinks do the most promising research related to public health and the environment? Their advice isn’t welcome anymore. We’ve written a lot about how this represents a major step in the political takeover of science advice at EPA. Read more >

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Photo: Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia)

Scott Pruitt Deals Yet Another Blow to Independent Science Advice at the EPA

, science and policy analyst, Center for Science and Democracy

October 31, 2017 1:04 PM EDT

Before September, the EPA’s Science Advisory Board was composed of 47 scientists volunteering their time as public servants to help advise the agency on issues ranging from the safety of selected chemicals to the types of models used by the agency to sufficiently study emissions. Read more >

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The Spookiest Halloween Costume of 2017: The Fossil Fuel Company Executive

, Research Director, Center for Science and Democracy

October 30, 2017 8:00 AM EDT

Halloween is here, and we have a lot to be spooked about when it comes to the future role of science in this country. In addition to the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on science, companies are now enjoying greater access to decisionmakers than they’ve ever had. And no industry has capitalized on inappropriate access to decisionmakers more than the fossil fuel industry. Indeed, with very little accountability, the industry has deceived the public and policymakers, and enjoyed friendly policies from decisionmakers with clear conflicts of interest. Read more >

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