Nation of Change website sells out to Big Oil/Keystone - I'm very disappointed.

[Divernan]

I am shocked and disillusioned that Nation of Change pushes an article based on research by the climate change denier/Big Oil shilling Manhattan Institute, an organization dedicated to denying climate change. It's article, published on line this morning, cleverly uses a legitimate attack on the dangers of transporting oil by rail, to push it's true agenda, which is pro Keystone pipeline. It particularly pisses me off that the article fails to name it's own research source, a conservative think tank, and insteads lurks behind legitimate Pro Publica data on the dangers of rail shipment, without of course mentioning that Pro Publica is also anti-Keystone pipeline.

See for yourself and click on the link provided in the 4th paragraph of the pro-fracking Nation of Change article at this sentence."Researchers estimates that trains are three and a half times as likely as pipelines to suffer safety lapses." http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/11/28/govt-data-sharpens-focus-crude-oil-train-routes/ This will take you to the Manhattan Institute generated "research". Then look at this description of the Manhattan Institute from the reputable Media Matters.

Media Matters describes the

Manhattan Institute as a free-market think tank that advocates a "pro-growth" agenda on fossil fuels and downplays the scientific consensus on climate change. The Institute's website states that it is "unclear" whether human activity is contributing to rising global temperatures, adding: "Despite the certitude with which the media and politicians treat the issue, the science remains muddled." Media Matters gives us the down and dirty on the Manhattan Institute.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/11/28/meet-the-climate-denial-machine/191545#manhattan

The Manhattan Institute has received funding from ExxonMobil and the Koch Family Foundations over the last decade. It previously questioned the science on the health effects of tobacco after receiving funding from the tobacco industry. Robert Bryce, a Senior Fellow at the think tank, regularly authors op-ed pieces for prominent mainstream and conservative publications and appears on Fox News promoting fossil fuel production and downplaying the potential of renewable energy.

On climate change, Bryce has said: "I don't know who's right. And I don't really care." In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Bryce claimed that the "science is not settled, not by a long shot." He went on to suggest that a report of neutrinos that travel faster than the speed of light is sufficient reason to question climate science.

Yes, rail transport of oil products is dangerous, and the well-respected Pro Publica does us all a favor by providing the train routes and other data on such transportation. But what an insulting act to hide behind Pro Publica's good name. Pro Publica does not support fracking, irregardless of HOW its product is transported through the U.S. to be processed and shipped overseas to the profits of Big Oil. Google "fracking Pro Publica" and see the many, many articles warning of the dangers of fracking! Then google "Pro Publica" and "Keystone Pipeline". I particularly refer you to http://www.propublica.org/article/explainer-what-is-the-keystone-xl-pipeline-and-why-is-it-so-controversial, to see how anti-Keystone-Pipeline Pro Publica has LONG been!

Media Matters' article, Meet the Climate Denia Machine lists the Manhattan Institute along with the usual suspects:
Despite the overwhelming consensus among climate experts that human activity is contributing to rising global temperatures, 66 percent of Americans incorrectly believe there is "a lot of disagreement among scientists about whether or not global warming is happening." The conservative media has fueled this confusion by distorting scientific research, hyping faux-scandals, and giving voice to groups funded by industries that have a financial interest in blocking action on climate change. Meanwhile, mainstream media outlets have shied away from the "controversy" over climate change and have failed to press U.S. policymakers on how they will address this global threat. When climate change is discussed, mainstream outlets sometimes strive for a false balance that elevates marginal voices and enables them to sow doubt about the science even in the face of mounting evidence.

Here, Media Matters looks at how conservative media outlets give industry-funded "experts" a platform, creating a polarized misunderstanding of climate science.

Heartland Institute And James Taylor
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Chris Horner And The American Tradition Institute
Manhattan Institute And Robert Bryce
Heritage Foundation
Cato Institute And Patrick Michaels
American Enterprise Institute

[Enthusiast]

1. I was a regular reader of Nation of Change. That ended.

They kept running articles by this woman journalist, can't remember her name now. She wrote an article that declared that every recipient of SSDI was a faking moocher.

That did it for me.

There were several other sneaky things going on with Nation of Change. One incident was particularly alarming. I will not go into the details here.

I feel that Nation of Change cannot be trusted.

[KoKo]

2. Could it be their funding changed?

Some Progressive websites got hit pretty bad with losing funding from some of their larger donors in the 2007-08 crash. And, with a Dem President elected, some small donors felt they didn't need to bother, anymore. Paul Newman used to give heavily to Progressive efforts and he's no long with us along with others who have passed on.

I've read that Soros "Open Democracy Fund" gave heavily to Liberal/Progressive Groups during the Bush years, but he has pulled back support, also.

The RW/Libertarian Money might be exploiting that gap in funding and slipping in the door. Just a thought.

[Enthusiast]

3. Could be.

[Divernan]

4. I posted the above comment on Nation of Change. It's since disappeared,

along with 4 other comments on the article. Hmmmmm. Caught in flagrante delicto, web-wise, with their pro-Keystone buddies.