Philip Cooney
Encyclopedia
Philip A. Cooney is a former member of the administration of United States President George W. Bush
. Before serving in the federal government, he was a lawyer and lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute
.
in economics
. He and his wife and children have lived in Alexandria, Virginia
and Southlake, Texas
.
.
when he was appointed chief of staff of the Council on Environmental Quality
. On June 10, 2005, Cooney announced his resignation, two days after the story of his tampering with scientific reports broke. It was reported that he had altered government climate reports to downplay scientific consensus
about climate change
. A few days later, it was announced that Cooney would go to work for the petroleum
(oil) company ExxonMobil
starting in the fall; ExxonMobil declined to describe the nature of Cooney's new job.
resigned from his position as a senior associate in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program
and claimed that Cooney had been editing government climate reports to emphasize doubts about global warming
. According to Piltz's resignation letter, Cooney edited documents to "create an enhanced sense of scientific uncertainty about climate change
and its implications."
On June 3, 2002, Myron Ebell
wrote a memo to Cooney that was obtained by Greenpeace
through an FOI
request in 2003, explaining how they were going to deal with the publication of the Climate Action Report 2002 by attacking United States Environmental Protection Agency
chair Christine Todd Whitman
, adding that he was helping to "drive a wedge between the President and those in the Administration who think they are serving the president's best interests by publishing this rubbish."
On August 11, 2003, Maine Attorney General
G. Steven Rowe
and Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
in a press release called on United States Attorney General John Ashcroft
On 24 September 2003, Senator Joseph Lieberman sent a formal letter to the White House asking for details of these ties, and the nature of the help Cooney had received. He also inquired about the lawsuit the Competitive Enterprise Institute
(CEI) had filed on 6 August 2003 against the administration under the little-used Data Quality Act
to invalidate the National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change, which formed the basis for many of the conclusions in the Climate Action Report. Lieberman charged that the suit was apparently an attempt to have the National Assessment (and therefore the Climate Action Report) withdrawn.
On 8 June 2005, The New York Times
claimed that it had obtained internal White House
documents which proved that Cooney had unilaterally edited the national climate change reports during 2002 and 2003 to water down its conclusions. As the article states,
Philip Cooney and his alleged role in editing climate change reports were referenced in the documentaries: An Inconvenient Truth
, The 11th Hour
and Everything's Cool
.
During a March 2007 congressional hearing, Cooney conceded his role in altering reports to downplay the adverse effects of man-made emissions on Earth
's climate. "My sole loyalty was to the President and advancing the policies of his administration," he told the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Before serving in the federal government, he was a lawyer and lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute
American Petroleum Institute
The American Petroleum Institute, commonly referred to as API, is the largest U.S trade association for the oil and natural gas industry...
.
Personal
Cooney holds a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He and his wife and children have lived in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
and Southlake, Texas
Southlake, Texas
Southlake is a city in northeast Tarrant and southeast Denton counties, Texas. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575. A suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas, Southlake is known for exemplary public schools, Southlake Town Square, and Carroll High School's 7-time state champion football...
.
American Petroleum Institute
Prior to working for the Bush Administration, Cooney was a lawyer and lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry group representing the American petroleum industryPetroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
.
Bush administration
Cooney joined the George W. Bush administrationGeorge W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
when he was appointed chief of staff of the Council on Environmental Quality
Council on Environmental Quality
The Council on Environmental Quality is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives...
. On June 10, 2005, Cooney announced his resignation, two days after the story of his tampering with scientific reports broke. It was reported that he had altered government climate reports to downplay scientific consensus
Scientific opinion on climate change
The predominant scientific opinion on climate change is that the Earth is in an ongoing phase of global warming primarily caused by an enhanced greenhouse effect due to the anthropogenic release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases...
about climate change
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. A few days later, it was announced that Cooney would go to work for the petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
(oil) company ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
starting in the fall; ExxonMobil declined to describe the nature of Cooney's new job.
Government climate reports
In early 2005, Rick S. PiltzRick S. Piltz
Rick Piltz is a former senior associate in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. In March 2005, he resigned over political interference in the program's climate change reports. In June 2005, the New York Times exposed the role of Philip Cooney in editing government documents on climate change to...
resigned from his position as a senior associate in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program
Climate Change Science Program
The Climate Change Science Program was the program responsible for coordinating and integrating research on global warming by U.S. government agencies from February 2002 to June 2009...
and claimed that Cooney had been editing government climate reports to emphasize doubts about global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. According to Piltz's resignation letter, Cooney edited documents to "create an enhanced sense of scientific uncertainty about climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and its implications."
On June 3, 2002, Myron Ebell
Myron Ebell
Myron Ebell is an American climate change skeptic. He is the Director of Global Warming and International Environmental Policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute , a non-profit public policy organization founded in 1984 by Fred L. Smith, Jr. Ebell directs and oversees all aspects of energy...
wrote a memo to Cooney that was obtained by Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
through an FOI
Freedom of Information Act (United States)
The Freedom of Information Act is a federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government. The Act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure...
request in 2003, explaining how they were going to deal with the publication of the Climate Action Report 2002 by attacking United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
chair Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
, adding that he was helping to "drive a wedge between the President and those in the Administration who think they are serving the president's best interests by publishing this rubbish."
On August 11, 2003, Maine Attorney General
Maine Attorney General
This is a list of Maine Attorneys General...
G. Steven Rowe
G. Steven Rowe
G. Steven Rowe, known commonly as Steve Rowe, is a Maine politician. A Democrat, he first entered politics in 1992 as a member of the Maine House of Representatives. In 1998, he became the 94th Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, serving until he was term-limited from the House in 2000...
and Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served as Attorney General of Connecticut....
in a press release called on United States Attorney General John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
On 24 September 2003, Senator Joseph Lieberman sent a formal letter to the White House asking for details of these ties, and the nature of the help Cooney had received. He also inquired about the lawsuit the Competitive Enterprise Institute
Competitive Enterprise Institute
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is a non-profit think tank founded on March 9, 1984 in Washington, D.C. by lobbyist Fred L. Smith, Jr to advance economic liberty and fight over-regulation by big government...
(CEI) had filed on 6 August 2003 against the administration under the little-used Data Quality Act
Data Quality Act
The Data Quality Act passed through the United States Congress in Section 515 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001 . Because the Act was a two-sentence rider in a spending bill, it had no name given in the actual legislation...
to invalidate the National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change, which formed the basis for many of the conclusions in the Climate Action Report. Lieberman charged that the suit was apparently an attempt to have the National Assessment (and therefore the Climate Action Report) withdrawn.
On 8 June 2005, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
claimed that it had obtained internal White House
Executive Office of the President of the United States
The Executive Office of the President consists of the immediate staff of the President of the United States, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the President. The EOP is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, currently William M. Daley...
documents which proved that Cooney had unilaterally edited the national climate change reports during 2002 and 2003 to water down its conclusions. As the article states,
Philip Cooney and his alleged role in editing climate change reports were referenced in the documentaries: An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...
, The 11th Hour
The 11th Hour (film)
The 11th Hour is a 2007 documentary film, created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, on the state of the natural environment. It was directed by Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners and financed by Adam Lewis and Pierre André Senizergues, and distributed by Warner Independent...
and Everything's Cool
Everything's Cool (film)
Everything's Cool is a 2007 documentary film that examines the divide between scientists and the general populace on the topic of global warming...
.
During a March 2007 congressional hearing, Cooney conceded his role in altering reports to downplay the adverse effects of man-made emissions on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's climate. "My sole loyalty was to the President and advancing the policies of his administration," he told the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
External links
- Committee Examines Political Interference with Climate Science, March 19, 2007, with Cooney's testimony
- Philip A. Cooney at sourcewatch.org
- New York Times report on Cooney's resignation
- BBC News report on Cooney's resignation
- Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, press release September 24, 2003
- Philip Cooney timeline
- Cooney's political donations at newsmeat.com
- 60 minutes, Cooney's censorship of scientists