Koch Industries

Koch Industries is 'one of the largest private companies in the world'.Koch Industries, Home Page, Koch Industries, Accessed 07-June-2010 The companies CEO is Charles Koch and the Vice President is David Koch who describes Koch Industries as 'the bigggest company you've never heard of'.Feature Story, Exposing the dirty money behind fake climate science, Greenpeace, 30-March-2010
==Funding Climate Change Skepticism==
According to Greenpeace:
:It's now crystal clear - and every journalist, scientist and politician needs to know - that denial of climate change is not something based on healthy scientific scepticism and debate: it is manufactured and bears the "Koch" brand.
:To put their financial commitment into context, from 2005-2008 the Koch brothers pumped in double the amount that even Exxon Mobil spent on undermining climate action over the same period.Feature Story, Exposing the dirty money behind fake climate science, Greenpeace, 30-March-2010
==Koch funding on climate==
A Greenpeace investigation into Koch Industries found that:
:From 1997 to 2008, the Kochs funnelled more than US$48.5 million to organisations aligned with the Kochs' agenda, while presenting themselves as ‘experts’.Feature Story, Exposing the dirty money behind fake climate science, Greenpeace, 30-March-2010
Some top recipients of Koch money include:
* Mercatus Center -  $9,247,500 received from Koch foundations 2005-2008 [Total Koch foundation grants 1997-2008: $9,874,500]  The Mercatus Center is a conservative think-tank at George Mason University, in which Charles Koch sits on the Board of Directors.
* Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFP) -  $5,176,500 received from Koch foundations 2005-2008.   Beginning in 2008, Americans For Prosperity organised fake 'grassroots' local events across the US including the "Hot Air Tour”, featuring a hot air balloon, that was intended to build opposition to US legislation on clean energy and climate change.
* The Heritage Foundation - US$1,620,000 received from Koch foundations 2005-2008 [Total Koch foundation grants 1997-2008: US$3,358,000]. The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank that misinterprets science and policy regarding the climate and uses its conclusions to argue against action against climate change.
* Cato Institute  - US$1,028,400 received from Koch foundations 2005-2008 [Total Koch foundation grants 1997-2008: US$5,278,400]. The Cato Institute focuses on disputing the science behind global warming and questioning the rationale for taking action.Feature Story, Exposing the dirty money behind fake climate science, Greenpeace, 30-March-2010
==Polluting the environment==
According to a research program by the Political Economy Research Institute, Koch Industries came 10th in a list of the 100 worst toxic air polluters. "Political Economy Research Institute: 100 Toxic Air Polluters”, access 14.10.10 Koch Industries was sued by the government in 1995 and 1997 over a reported 300 oil spills at pipelines which were owned and operated by the company. The lawsuits included stringent penalties - from $71 million to $214 million- placed on the company for dumping an estimated three million gallons of oil into lakes and streams in six states "Center for Public Integrity: Politics of Oil", access 15.10.10 .
==Affiliations==
Cato Institute | Heritage Foundation
==Resources==
Greenpeace, Koch Industries, Greenpeace, March 2010
==Notes==