Is Bill McKibben @350 a liar, idiot, or both?

This is the sort of stuff that just makes you want to scream.

From Oil Sands Fact Check, comes this interview with Bill McKibben: http://oilsandsfactcheck.org/2014/09/25/video-the-truth-about-the-anti-keystone-xl-rockefeller-brothers-fund/

Excerpt:

Timed to coincide with the anti-fossil fuel march in New York City over the weekend, the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation (RBF) led a press conference of groups announcing a pledge to divest from fossil fuels. Given that board members of RBF are heirs to the Rockefeller oil fortune, the media was led to believe that divestment from fossil fuels was a drastic change in practice for the foundation. Yet anyone who knows the least bit about RBF is well aware that foundation has given millions to groups that oppose fossil fuels for years.

In fact, RBF is credited for providing the financial support to launch 350.org. How do we know that? Because Bill McKibben himself reluctantly gave away those details in a little-watched YouTube video (full version of interview here) from three years ago with a news outlet called Climate Challenge.

 From the transcript:

Climate Challenge: So you don’t get money from Pew or Rockefeller or any of those big foundations?

McKibben: No we did. Rockefellers Brothers fund gave us some money right when we were starting out that’s been useful too.

Climate Challenge: But they no longer fund you?

McKibben: Uhh I don’t know. I don’t have that sort of… funders sitting in front of me.

Climate Challenge: Really? That’s usually something that people know.

McKibben: Rockefellers is one of our… is a great ally in this fight.

So now the question becomes just how much money has RBF pumped into 350.org over the years? Vivian Krause, writing in the Financial Post looked into that early last year and found the number to be in the millions. In a piece out just today, Ron Arnold digs into the actual investments.  No wonder McKibben was reluctant to divulge the information.

====================================================================================================

And here, in plain public view, with an easy to find simple search, is the answer to Bill McKibben’s “Uhh I don’t know.” moment.

350-funded-by-RBFh/t to Vivian Krause via Twitter

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September 29, 2014 5:39 pm

Bill McKibben is what he’s paid to be.
Exactly who and what might be interesting to find out.
But really, does what he does and says really matter much anymore? He’s cheaper than a real PR campaign. And his backers would be hard pressed to convince media outlets to run anti-global warming messages as Public Service Announcements, “fossil” energy companies are paying ad customers.
McKibben is an inexpensive “motivated advocate acting in the best interest of the public”. He provides a face and voice as a tireless fighter for the greater good.
About the greatest thing you can fault him for is not clearly announcing if he is or is not a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Although in 2013 he was with his fellow celebrities at the 23rd Annual Environmental Media Awards when he picked up the EMA Lifetime Achievement Award (last link has the pic). Maybe someone could give his rep a buzz and check.

Mandobob
September 29, 2014 5:41 pm

Why the hell anyone would give those (read Him) idiots $800K. Fools and their money are soon parted. Oh, and He is both.

Admin
Reply to  Mandobob
September 29, 2014 5:56 pm

In my opinion, the Rockefellers think they are buying insurance. A few hundred thousand is a cheap price to pay, for buying the “friendship” of a demagogue who has demonstrated the ability to mobilise large numbers, who could conceivably one day be in a position to threaten that vast wealth, however remote that possibility seems today.

JB Goode
Reply to  Eric Worrall
September 30, 2014 1:48 am

Yeah really Peter,or have you got a better reason why Mckibben won’t answer a straight question?
Just because he’s a bug eyed crank doesn’t mean he’s stupid.

Otter (ClimateOtter on Twitter)
Reply to  Eric Worrall
September 30, 2014 3:37 am

Yo, petey grace! Are you really That naïve?

jmorpuss
September 29, 2014 5:51 pm

All Americans should read about this family. http://educate-yourself.org/ga/RFcontents.shtml

DirkH
Reply to  jmorpuss
September 30, 2014 3:43 am

And watch this.

September 29, 2014 5:56 pm

Just an ordinary bad liar. McKibben is afflicted with not being a victim.

September 29, 2014 6:14 pm

& well live and learn. Today I learned the plausibility of using the words ‘McKibben’ and ‘mercenary’ is the same sentence.
John

jmorpuss
September 29, 2014 6:15 pm
H.R.
September 29, 2014 6:24 pm

wOw! That’s a lot of scratch!
I’m in the wrong business. Why oh why did I pick engineering? I’m the one who should be weeping, not Bill.

September 29, 2014 6:34 pm

That is a serious question?
All of the above has been obvious since he first sought notoriety with his sleazy,weepy act.
Of course he is all of the above, he is a self confessed progressive.
Follow the money.
Thanks Vivian, keep pounding them.

September 29, 2014 7:00 pm

Both, but, who cares?
There is no way to change a paid opinion.

Frank K.
September 29, 2014 7:13 pm

Well, tis the season as they say. I mean what’s a warmist to do? This year’s arctic death spiral was a big bust. And the antarctic sea ice extent continues to make records. The satellites are diverging rapidly from the heavily “adjusted” GHCN temperatures. Trenberth still can’t find his missing heat. The super El Nino bombed. No hurricanes in the Atlantic. Tornadoes are down. There’s flooding in the southwest where there should be drought. Temperatures everywhere are near normal. And a cold winter is coming.
So what does a good warmist do?
“Keystone pipeline! Bad! Earth is gonna fry if we build it! AIEEEEEE.” 🙂

spdrdr
September 29, 2014 7:46 pm

Wasn’t Creepy “Tick! Tick! Tick!” Bill photographed recently with his grocery trolley filled with PLASTIC bags?

Jon P
September 29, 2014 8:02 pm

John Mashey to do an in depth analysis of this despicable Big Oil funding in 3.2.1.. never.

hunter
September 29, 2014 8:07 pm

Don’t forget that he is also a kook with a long term identity crisis that at one time led him to pretend he was a native American so he could feel better about himself. All he seems to have gotten out of his identity fraud is to conclude he should be a parasite running a faux NGO that does nothing to actually help people – except himself and his staff, of course.
McKibben represents the worst sort of person in a civilized society: The whiny deceitful parasite who be-clowns himself selling doom and gloom to the wealthy for their pity money. The next downward step would take him into violence and terror. But McKibben is too cowardly for that.

Charles Nelson
September 29, 2014 8:37 pm

You know I’m thinking maybe Weepy Bill won’t get quite as much dough during the next round of awards. These Philanthropical Funds give money to be ‘loved’ not ‘laughed at’!

Joe Prins
September 29, 2014 9:06 pm

Let’ s play with some “ifs”. Top ten oil companies’ market value: around 1 trillion U.S. dollars. Exxon alone is abou $ 422 B. So if 800 investors divest themselves of 50 billion over 5 years, who will notice? Not counting coal or natural gas what is the impact on globule warming? Besides, there are also things like ETFs.
And since the reporting is done quarterly, one still have can be almost fully invested in oil except for report week.
Or set up a subsidiary to hide the holdings. Or out of country, after all, oil companies are global.

September 29, 2014 9:56 pm

I am still waiting for those Big Oil and Koch Bros checks to show up in my mailbox for my 5 years of criticizing AGW and progressives (mostly on news site comments).
waiting…… sigh. w
Well CAGW is such a lie, the future UN Climate Truth police will have a 2nd Amendment supporter to deal with when they come for me.

Non Nomen
September 29, 2014 10:47 pm

Is Bill McKibben a paid liar, idiot or both?
Bill McKibben Honored with “Alternative Nobel” Prize
Incredible!
“The former National Security Agency contractor[Edward Snowden] split the honorary portion of the 2014 Right Livelihood Award with Alan Rusbridger, editor of British newspaper The Guardian, which has published a series of articles on government surveillance based on documents leaked by Snowden.
The 1.5 million kronor ($210,000) cash award was shared by Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jahangir, Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission and U.S. environmentalist Bill McKibben.
…”
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/snowden-honored-alternative-nobel-25722895
*bold mine*

DirkH
Reply to  Non Nomen
September 30, 2014 3:16 am

Look into who founded the Alternative Nobel Prize and especially the biography of the guys father. It is rather, ahem, colorful.

Berényi Péter
September 29, 2014 11:19 pm

Rockefellers are no fools. If nothing else, they do know perfectly well how markets work. If you restrict supply and make new investment into alternatives like coal or nuclear impossible, prices go up.
More profits can be made at twice the price than by doubling production, because that way lots of investment can be saved. It is as simple as that.

September 29, 2014 11:48 pm

Since the interview was made in 2011, one needs to investigate donations up to 2010 (not post-2010)! I’d be interested to learn more about the Rasmussen Foundation.

Jimbo
September 30, 2014 1:47 am

It’s not only 350.org’s funding we should look at. Just look at their global tours by plane instead of teleconferencing.

“Now the tour is going global — first to Australia, then to New Zealand, Fiji, and beyond!”
http://maths.350.org
==========
May 29, 2013?
Australia and New Zealand: The New Frontiers of Divestment and Maths
Bill is about to start a two week tour of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, bringing his Do the Maths message Downunder. Before he even lands in Australia, the Australian Coal Association has come out biting at his ankles……
http://350.org/australia-and-new-zealand-new-frontiers-divestment-and-maths/

Twobob
September 30, 2014 2:14 am

Cheats, Liars< lawyers, Politicians, McKibben

Jimbo
September 30, 2014 2:26 am

350.ORG
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
For the Year Ended September 30, 2013
(With Summarized Financial Information for the Year Ended September 30, 2012)
REVENUE
Grants and contributions ………2013 Total…
…$ 6,332,569…
http://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/350.org-2013-audit.pdf

H.R.
Reply to  Jimbo
September 30, 2014 8:05 am

Now I’m really weeping!

willnitschke
September 30, 2014 2:33 am

Long before I knew that Bill McKibben had anything to do with global warming activism, I listened to him on a podcast produced by Scientific American. The topic wasn’t climate related. Bill was rambling, boring and largely incoherent. After the 15 minutes was over I was left wondering why that had bothered to give this obvious nitwit a voice?

Gaz
September 30, 2014 2:41 am

Nothing like being caught with your pants down. This has probably been mentioned elsewhere, but I couldn’t help noticing in the “Grants search” for each funding, the stated project was “Sustainable Development”. Isn’t that Agenda 21?

DirkH
Reply to  Gaz
September 30, 2014 3:31 am

Sure it is. David Rockefeller is globalist #1.

David Ball
Reply to  DirkH
September 30, 2014 3:47 pm

Elizabeth May (leader of Canada’s Green Party) claims that Agenda 21 was dropped long ago.

DirkH
September 30, 2014 3:30 am

Controlling the Warmist NGO’s with a few 100K USD a year is surely a good investment for a billionaire. Rockefeller was never a coal billionaire; so just ensure coal goes down and oil goes up. I’m talking about THE Rockefeller; David; whether the other Rockefellers are nitwits is not important.