Skiphil writes in Tips and Notes:
Too funny, too funny….. this is a serious matter, but funny when leading Greens and Hollywood types get caught on film in a genuine conspiracy to hide Middle Eastern “oil” funding to make an anti-Fracking film for the “movement” ….
(Added: One of them caught out in this sting was Ed Begley Jr., clearly Michael Mann’s hero, as this Twitter posting shows:)
Anti-fracking fanatics get seriously PUNK*D
Hollywood Greens in real life anti-fracking conspiracy
[from the Youtube page for this video]
In the investigation, an undercover journalist from Project Veritas posed as a member of a Middle Eastern oil dynasty and offered $9 million in funding to American filmmakers to fund an anti-fracking movie.
In video from a meeting with Ed Begley Jr., Mariel Hemingway and Josh Tickell, a Project Veritas investigator disguised as “Muhammed” offered $9 million for an anti-fracking film. “Muhammad” clearly states: “If Washington DC continues fracking, America will be energy efficient, and then they won’t need my oil anymore.”
In the same conversation, Begley and Hemingway accept the funding and agree to hide the source of funds for the anti-fracking movie. Hemingway agreeing that those who will know the source of the funding are “only at this table.”
Ed Begley Jr. is an outspoken environmental activist and current Governor on the board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science (the organization that brings us the OSCARS every year.)
Mariel Hemingway is a Golden Globe- and Oscar-nominated actress.
Josh Tickell is a Sundance Film Festival Winner and the director of environmental message movies “Fuel”, “The Big Fix” and “PUMP”.
Team Begley even submitted a video of Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo offering his unwavering support for the fictitious anti-fracking film project.
The meeting came about after a series of discussions with Josh and Rebecca Tickell. A Project Veritas journalist posed as an ad executive seeking to broker a deal for his client (“Muhammed”) to fund an American-made anti-fracking film.
In a phone call to Tickell, the ad executive states: “My client’s interest is to end American energy independence; your interest is to end fracking. And you guys understand that?”
Tickell’s response: “Correct. Yes, super clear.”
Tickell makes it clear on the tape that revealing the source of funding for an activist film can undermine its credibility. Tickell notes that the movie “Promised Land” undermined its own message because it was labeled as being funded by Image Nation Abu Dhabi. His advice: “So rather than putting that [the source of funding] up front, don’t mention that.”
In a follow-up call with Josh and Rebecca Tickell, Rebecca Tickell assures our investigator: “We would never tell about where the funding is coming from. That would be really awkward for us.”
Josh Tickell: “We’re confident that we can keep this zip locked, you know tight, air-tight forever. If we don’t protect who is kind of funding this thing, if we have to disclose that or that becomes a necessary part of it, the whole enterprise will not work.”
Project Veritas founder and president James O’Keefe stated Wednesday:
“This latest investigation shows the dark side of Hollywood’s environmental movement. Hollywood is willing to take and conceal money from Middle Eastern oil interests in order to advance their cause of destroying American energy independence.”
It is no surprise that left wing progressives in Hollywood want to destroy the United States’ energy independence. They have become rich because we have over the years given our money to purchase their entertainment products, and so they can afford to pay higher prices for energy and don’t care what effect their extremist “green” causes have on ordinary folks.
We can all do something about this. Stop buying their entertainment products and let everyone know about their shameful behavior. The worst thing that can happen to someone in Hollywood is that they become very unpopular…
Just out of curiosity, why is it that Pat Sajak’s wiki page was edited to report his anti-alarmist tweet within hours of it happening, and Begley Jr.’s is still clean as a whistle?
Why don’t Americans consider this treason?
“@USGBC: Actor @edbegleyjr is also a staunch enviro activist. Check out the impressive green home he’s building: http://ow.ly/wSslm ”Thx!
If one opens up that link they’ll discover that Ed’s ‘green home’ has a rainwater catch system that has an amazing 10,000 gallon capacity. And it only takes two days of heavy rain to fill it. One must wonder just how much biological waste matter Ed and his wife produce, and therefore how much toilet flushing capacity they need.
Bordering on high treason.
I’d say Sajak is in an excellent position to say “I told you so.”
Is Rebecca pregnant? Hey now, no more kids allowed, due to resource depletion, global warming, climate change, etc.
Goldie says:
May 21, 2014 at 11:27 pm
Well assuming that it’s for real, don’t you guys have any legislation for treason?
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This has nothing to do with treason. And besides, this is a free country. Freedom means not just allowing people to do what you want them to do, but allowing people to do what you don’t want them to do. I don’t have a problem with these people selling their souls for a buck. I also don’t have a problem with these reporters exposing them for what they are. The thing that bothers me is that there are people who are surprised by this reporting. Isn’t it obvious that ‘eviromentalism’ is a joke at this point?
Peter Miller says:
May 22, 2014 at 1:11 am
Bottom line: Gazprom (maybe, some Arab sheikhs as well) are doing a magnificent job in duping far too many in Europe.
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trying to expose this is likely to find you killed in a single car traffic accident, or in a street hold-up gone bad, or you will be found to have committed suicide. if lucky your family members will only be threatened with death first, to guarantee your silence. there are hundreds of billions of dollars involved. no one is going to give this up without a fight.
the last thing Russia wants is an energy independent EU. by threatening all of the Ukraine, the takeover of Crimea is accepted. By asking for an arm and a leg, Russia got the arm to save the leg. For now. Next they will ask for the leg and other arm. Eventually they will ask for the throat and the heart.
Threaten A and B. Accept A in return for not taking B. Add C to the mix and repeat.
From the Hollywood Reporter site:
“O’Keefe said the purpose of his video is to expose the hypocrisy of Hollywood environmentalists, and that more such videos could be forthcoming. He worked on the sting operation for more than a year.”
Oh, this could get really juicy. Time to stock up on big-time buckets of popcorn!
BTW Has anyone asked Saint Mann for his view on this unfortunate little situation?
There’s been a couple comments made linking the Begleys to treason. Article III, Section 3. of the Constitution of the United States of America defines treason thusly: ‘Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.’
Saudi Arabia has been considered an ally since Franklin Roosevelt’s visit there in the latter 1930s. (Unfortunate in many regards, but true.) The Begleys may be guilty of being monumental jerks (ok, skip ‘may be’ and replace with ‘are’) but I don’t think they’re guilty of treason.
What else? Are we really surprised that these multi million dollars green “charities” are involved in this? Of course exposing them is always a fare and considering how toxic Obama’s second mandat is and how trustworthy the star next candidate is -Benghazi anyone-, and of course the other side wonderful relations with the Cheiks… O I forgot, the bad guy is Vlad…
rogerknights said :
“Well, they aren’t really corrupt, in the sense of insincerely shilling for money, or selling out. Their opinions are sincerely held. ”
Just as Hitler and Stalin’s opinions were sincerely held, we can assume? You would have a hard time finding anyone whose opinions were more sincerely held than those two. The road to Hell is littered with people who had good intentions. And Begley et al’s “sincerity” can hardly be assumed, since everything they do in this arena advances their professional interests. Nor do well meaning sincere folks act like complete asses, as is the case with the ever-obnoxious Mr. Ed.
Despite Ed’s Hollywood wealth, I’ll bet he’s extracting plenty of bucks from his fellow minimum wage earners in the form of govt subsidies to build his solar roof and drive his electric car (and pay zero road taxes while doing so). It’s part of walking the walk, which pays him quite nicely to do so. Everything Ed does and recommends that others do has the effect of making the poor poorer and himself richer, even if indirectly. Ed fully deserves a visit by a mob of minimum wage earners, who will personally explain, in a variety of ways, why they dispprove of his activities and sincerely held beliefs.
Now I understand why the left keeps insisting that climate crisis skeptics are being funded by big oil. It is what they do, so why wouldn’t everybody else?
Where does Tides and Sierra get their money?
ferdberple, the debunk of your thesis was the $400billion contract with China. As for who wants the throat and heart of Europe, I submit Nulland with three words made it pretty clear.
I’m happy to take their money to move our mutual message forward.
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so it is ok to take chinese money to produce a film saying america is bad and china is good. oh wait, washington already does this, so it ok for hollywood.
humans have an infinite capacity to rationalize. capone believed he was creating jobs to help the common person, while making himself rich in the process.
the debunk of your thesis was the $400billion contract with China
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removes the threat the EU and US are trying to make. increases Russian leverage over the EU. you need our gas, but we don’t need you.
In his “explanation”, Josh Tickell says:
“We have a film company named Green Planet Productions. We’re big proponents of breaking America’s addiction to fossil fuels and shifting our country’s focus towards homegrown clean renewable energy. I’ve written two books on the subject – we’ve made four documentaries about it –”
These hypocritical, lying, and immoral Greenie-weenies aren’t just anti-fracking, but anti-fossil fuels. The anti-fracking part is simply a convenient cover.
Oh Joy.
Ron House says:
May 22, 2014 at 6:39 am
Why don’t Americans consider this treason?
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Why don’t we consider Jane Fonda clapping her hands together in glee on the seat of an NVA S-60 57mm AAA system treason?
Why don’t we consider Clinton & Gore trading US missile & satellite technology secrets to Red China in exchange for campaign cash treason?
Why don’t we consider Obama taking campaign contributions from unreported anonymous overseas donors treason?
If Ed really “walked the walk”, he would be living in a cave. Instead, he works in the entertainment industry, which uses large amounts of electricity to record and broadcast images, and to have the images received at a home. With movies the audience also has to use vehicles to go to the theatre.
How does this equate with being “green”? Somewhere a cave is missing its troglodyte.
Taphonomic says:
May 22, 2014 at 7:43 am
Not to mention the jets to fly cast & crew to location shoots.
No story here.
They are opposed to fracking. Someone offers big dollars to fund the film. No big deal.
“In a phone call to Tickell, the ad executive states: “My client’s interest is to end American energy independence; your interest is to end fracking. And you guys understand that?””
“Hollywood is willing to take and conceal money from Middle Eastern oil interests in order to advance their cause of destroying American energy independence.”
Clearly team Begely’s goal is not to end US energy independence. This is just the type of truth-bending we love to criticize alarmists for. This is not good ammo for either side of the climate war.