EXXONMOBIL AIMING PROPAGANDA AT CHILDREN - HUHNE

12.00.00am GMT Sun 28th Jan 2007

The Liberal Democrats have accused Exxon Mobil of aiming climate change "propaganda" at young children who are unable to assess the evidence for themselves.

The ExxonMobil sponsored website http://www.energychest.net/, which is aimed at UK primary school children, is being read by 30,000 people a month and claims that the cause of global warming is uncertain, contrary to the overwhelming scientific consensus that man-made fossil fuel burning is responsible.

The site features a climate sceptic robot, and is further evidence of the extent to which ExxonMobil is trying to foster doubt about the existence of man-made climate change following a recent report in the United States detailing the world's largest oil company's efforts.

This follows the Union of Concerned Scientists report Smoke, Mirrors & Hot Air, published this month, which demonstrated how ExxonMobil adopted the tobacco industry's misinformation tactics, as well as some of the same organisations and personnel, to cloud the scientific understanding of climate change and delay action on the issue.

According to the report, ExxonMobil, the world's largest oil company whose products are responsible for more carbon emissions than Germany, has spent nearly $16 million between 1998 and 2005 to a network of 43 advocacy organisations that seek to confuse the public on global warming science.

In the UK, the Royal Society highlighted the ExxonMobil campaign in a report recently, which a representative of the oil company attempted to undermine in background briefings. Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP raised the issue in the commons.

Now, the Liberal Democrats have uncovered evidence that ExxonMobil is funding a schools website which uses language seeking to create doubts and questions the existence and seriousness of climate change. The website states, for example, that:

· Oil and gas could be in short supply in about 50 years time

· The earth is believed to be getting warmer

· Sea levels appear to be rising

· More research is required to assess what is causing these apparent changes

The website goes on to encourage burning of waste, placing much greater emphasis upon this than recycling, and states that achieving 10% of UK's electricity from windpower is "highly unlikely [to] ever be achieved".

Commenting, Mr Huhne said:

"ExxonMobil is now unique among the big oil companies in its aggressive funding of organisations and activities that continue to deny the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change.

"The exact parallel is with the big tobacco companies' attempts in the sixties to deny the link between smoking and cancer.

"ExxonMobil is behaving in a thoroughly irresponsible manner, doing itself and its shareholders no favours by attempting to undermine its opponents, and by failing to recognise reality.

"Any sensible buyer of petrol who cares about their children's future should aim to buy from any other oil company than this outfit of toxic Texans."