Conspirators

Brulle’s so-called “Climate Change Counter Movement”

Brulle claimed to expose a network of nonprofit organizations executing “a deliberate and organized effort to misdirect debate and distort” the public’s understanding of climate science. In our examination of Brulle’s claims, CRC closely examined his list of 91 organizations for 2010, the most recent year he studied. To determine the degree each group focused on climate issues, we considered IRS filings; organizations’ profiles by the news media and opposition-research organizations; mentions in the Lexis-Nexis news database and on the Web as reported by Google; and the groups’ own websites, annual reports, and other publications.

Additional information on CRC’s methodology is available, and the full set of data can be downloaded.

We welcome debate and corrections. Please write us at [email protected].

Org. Name Expenditures (2010) Revenues (2010) Allen Index Allen Adj. Expenditures (2010) Allen Adj. Revenues (2010) Brulle Overstatement (2010) Expenditures (2014) Revenues (2014) Notes
60 Plus Association $15,532,676 $16,009,933 4.11% $638,393 $658,008 $15,371,540 $10,031,215 $9,429,957
ACCF Center for Policy Research $747,141 $773,749 100% $747,141 $773,749 $26,608 $690,896 $493,900
Advancement of Sound Science -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
Organization ceased to exist
American Coal Foundation $335,111 $312,535 0% $0 $0 $312,535 $146,336 $197,428
American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity $45,505,265 $45,307,620 100% $45,505,265 $45,307,620 -$197,645 $17,981,414 $19,481,812
American Conservative Union Foundation $1,442,184 $1,351,773 2% $28,844 $27,035 $1,322,929 $1,855,873 $881,049
American Council for Capital Formation $1,485,189 $1,604,599 25% $371,297 $401,150 $1,233,302 $1,070,507 $982,738
American Energy Alliance $1,639,301 $2,659,229 23% $377,039 $611,623 $2,282,190 $3,908,340 $3,466,673
American Energy Freedom $106,853 $121,188 100% $106,853 $121,188 $14,335 $1,446 $1
American Enterprise Institute $13,967,167 $13,185,521 0% $0 $0 $13,185,521 $35,435,906 $64,011,505
American Farm Bureau Federation $24,996,032 $34,584,262 8% $1,999,683 $2,766,741 $32,584,579 $33,375,933 $32,421,162
American Friends of the Institute of Economic Affairs $79,795 $121,000 2% $1,596 $2,420 $119,404 $176,025 $60,338
American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers $13,696,245 $14,371,543 30% $4,108,874 $4,311,463 $10,262,670 $24,325,082 $25,485,046
American Gas Association $25,821,932 $24,827,283 0% $0 $0 $24,827,283 $32,564,166 $31,659,866
American Legislative Exchange Council $5,874,206 $7,171,357 3.5% $205,597 $250,998 $6,965,760 $7,734,819 $7,795,674
American Natural Gas Alliance $34,871,917 $87,895,943 0% $0 $0 $87,895,943 $63,921,662 $49,233,405
American Petroleum Institute $185,093,061 $181,236,577 0% $0 $0 $181,236,577 $244,275,079 $232,913,029
American Policy Center $962,311 $905,504 12% $115,477 $108,660 $790,027 $796,319 $788,490
American Tradition Institute / Energy and Environment Legal Institute $70,140 $186,000 100% $70,140 $186,000 $115,860 $167,525 $272,999
Americans for Balanced Energy Choices -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
Organization ceased to exist
Americans for Prosperity $24,064,187 $22,089,095 2% $481,284 $441,782 $21,607,811 $90,412,075 $82,682,125
Annapolis Center for Science Based Policy -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
Organization ceased to exist
Association of Global Automobile Manufacturers $6,936,230 $5,888,750 2% $138,725 $117,775 $5,750,025 $8,679,890 $8,797,823
Atlas Economic Research Foundation $7,680,010 $6,080,372 2% $153,600 $121,607 $5,926,772 $10,283,691 $9,586,213
Capital Research Center $1,561,111 $1,693,170 8% $124,889 $135,454 $1,568,281 $1,777,994 $2,291,002
Cascade Policy Institute $976,227 $988,404 20% $195,245 $197,681 $793,159 $591,571 $622,288
Cato Institute $23,648,195 $40,410,727 7% $1,655,374 $2,828,751 $38,755,353 $24,538,565 $28,350,110
Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise $27,520 $29,150 5% $1,376 $1,458 $27,774 $25,241 $29,111
Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change / CO2 $1,055,718 $1,001,003 100% $1,055,718 $1,001,003 -$54,715 $540,157 $693,088
Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America $187,167,794 $198,586,150 11% $20,588,457 $21,844,477 $177,997,693 $203,820,959 $206,005,860
Citizen's Coalition on Global Climate Policy -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Citizens for Affordable Energy $314,735 $315,204 10% $31,474 $31,520 $283,731 -- --
No records available for 2014
Climate Audit -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Climate Science Coalition of America -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Climate Strategies Watch -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
CO2 is Green $788,354 $355,000 100% $788,354 $355,000 -$433,354 $165,063 $10,000
Coalition for American Jobs $2,557,710 $2,600,000 100% $2,557,710 $2,600,000 $42,290 -- --
No records available for 2014
Coalition for Vehicle Choice -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
Organization ceased to exist
Coalition to Preserve American Security and Sovereignty -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow - Upper Midwest $118,789 $124,923 100% $118,789 $124,923 $6,134 $156,055 $167,203
Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow $2,871,161 $2,850,747 100% $2,871,161 $2,850,747 -$20,414 $1,562,717 $1,603,685
Competitive Enterprise Institute $4,332,971 $4,247,228 15% $649,946 $637,084 $3,597,282 $6,427,052 $7,009,846
Congress of Racial Equality (New York Chapter) $211,175 $205,121 0% $0 $0 $205,121 $120,916 $126,070
Consumer Alert / National Consumer Coalition -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
Organization ceased to exist
Consumer Energy Alliance $718,937 $737,492 0% $0 $0 $737,492 $2,218,994 $2,252,264
Cooler Heads Coalition -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
This coalition has no separate budget.
Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation / The James Partnership $360,471 $448,058 36.6% $131,932 $163,989 $316,126 $227,491 $300,209
Edison Electric Institute $76,400,445 $81,898,098 0% $0 $0 $81,898,098 $82,394,613 $85,281,510
Energy Citizens -- -- 20% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Energy Makes America Great $11,660 $15,600 100% $11,660 $15,600 $3,940 -- --
No records available for 2014
Environmental Literacy Council -- -- 18.2% $0 $0 -- -- --
Organization ceased to exist
Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security $3,276,701 $3,405,722 70% $2,293,691 $2,384,005 $1,112,031 $45,103 $0
Free Enterprise Education Institute -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
Organization ceased to exist
Freedom Action $182,351 $336,178 80% $145,881 $268,942 $190,297 $23,575 $0
Freedom Works $7,563,994 $9,250,240 7% $529,480 $647,517 $8,720,760 $8,037,765 $6,934,433
Freedom Works Foundation $3,944,624 $4,503,330 7% $276,124 $315,233 $4,227,206 $5,896,573 $5,886,965
Friends of Coal -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- $233,586 $258,669
No records available for 2010
Frontiers of Freedom $214,776 $224,859 25% $53,694 $56,215 $171,165 $226,239 $276,467
George C. Marshall Institute $447,443 $539,438 12.5% $55,930 $67,430 $483,508 $489,454 $319,092
Global Climate Coalition -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Global Climate Information Project -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Global Warming Initiative -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Greening Earth Society -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Heartland Institute $6,146,497 $6,074,947 16% $983,440 $971,992 $5,091,507 $4,393,358 $6,738,428
Heritage Foundation $80,378,250 $78,253,864 2% $1,607,565 $1,565,077 $76,646,299 $82,107,321 $96,969,906
Hoover Institution -- $39,400,000 2% $788,000 $788,000 $38,612,000 -- --
Legally, Hoover is a subdivision of Stanford Univeristy, so it does not file its own 990, and the total income difficult to isolate. Thus, Brulle ignored it in his analysis. Despite the difficulty, Allen still undertook an assessment of the work of the Hoover Institution and provided an estimate of the organization's budget and the percenatage of work performed on climate issues.
Hudson Institute $10,635,441 $9,804,595 2% $212,709 $196,092 $9,591,886 $11,309,797 $13,295,664
Ice Age Now -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Independence Institute $1,527,047 $1,469,690 2% $30,541 $29,394 $1,439,149 $2,995,352 $2,906,044
Independent Institute $2,308,840 $2,647,561 5% $115,442 $132,378 $2,532,119 $2,521,854 $2,775,869
Independent Petroleum Association of America $8,478,562 $8,714,606 0% $0 $0 $8,714,606 $13,338,103 $14,506,691
Independent Women's Forum $1,028,393 $858,876 3% $30,852 $25,766 $828,024 $1,072,604 $1,163,047
Industrial Energy Consumers of America $566,144 $580,637 0% $0 $0 $580,637 $660,102 $669,555
Information Council on the Environment -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Institute for Biospheric Research -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Institute for Energy Research $2,209,927 $2,364,261 10% $220,993 $236,426 $2,143,268 $2,157,560 $1,842,148
Institute for Liberty $932,618 $664,396 8% $74,609 $53,152 $589,787 -- --
No records available for 2014
Institute for the Study of Earth and Man $336,745 $403,922 0% $0 $0 $403,922 $41,165 $46,616
Intermountain Rural Electric Association $216,058,449 $246,495,772 0% $0 $0 $246,495,772 $279,811,910 $279,811,910
International Climate and Environmental Change -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
International Climate Science Coalition -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
International Policy Network $1,232,656 $1,260,178 2% $24,653 $25,204 $1,235,525 $294,204 $348,000
James Madison Institute $1,107,183 $1,785,368 2.3% $25,465 $41,063 $1,759,903 $1,681,516 $1,913,472
John Locke Foundation $3,644,714 $3,898,632 2% $72,894 $77,973 $3,825,738 $3,700,408 $3,370,975
Landmark Legal Foundation $1,602,175 $3,051,812 0% $0 $0 $3,051,812 $1,863,353 $1,909,766
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research $8,352,484 $6,128,425 8% $668,199 $490,274 $5,460,226 $13,949,343 $17,210,753
Manhattan Libertarian Party -- -- 3% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Media Research Center $12,363,784 $12,631,050 5% $618,189 $631,553 $12,012,861 $14,272,420 $15,283,711
Mercatus Center, George Mason University $7,723,974 $8,075,737 0% $0 $0 $8,075,737 $18,508,226 $20,685,660
Mountain States Legal Foundation $2,147,009 $2,411,521 8% $171,761 $192,922 $2,239,760 $2,254,769 $3,597,088
National Association of Manufacturers $34,100,912 $34,931,240 8% $2,728,073 $2,794,499 $32,203,167 $49,480,300 $48,359,146
National Center for Policy Analysis $5,888,951 $6,760,824 6% $353,337 $405,649 $6,407,487 $4,544,953 $5,281,913
National Center for Public Policy Research $12,187,777 $12,424,796 5% $609,389 $621,240 $11,815,407 $11,636,451 $11,458,636
National Mining Association $17,123,255 $16,558,296 6.5% $1,113,012 $1,076,289 $15,445,284 $19,595,910 $15,472,965
National Petroleum Council $4,394,195 $4,171,861 0% $0 $0 $4,171,861 $4,882,559 $5,485,359
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association $136,308,862 $142,748,636 0% $0 $0 $142,748,636 $187,606,520 $185,329,846
National Taxpayers Union $2,152,981 $3,193,961 0% $0 $0 $3,193,961 $1,062,380 $1,506,165
National Taxpayers Union Foundation $432,191 $468,976 0% $0 $0 $468,976 $503,630 $521,884
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs $1,412,168 $1,385,424 1% $14,122 $13,854 $1,371,302 $1,811,131 $2,261,816
Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine $338,667 $435,808 51.5% $174,414 $224,441 $261,395 $697,589 $321,604
Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy $5,257,310 $3,923,123 6% $315,439 $235,387 $3,607,684 $3,586,064 $4,610,069
Plants Need CO2 $285,026 $17,670 100% $285,026 $17,670 -$267,356 -- --
Organization ceased to exist
Reason Foundation $6,863,788 $7,196,010 0% $0 $0 $7,196,010 $10,013,738 $11,101,761
Responsible Resources -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
Organization ceased to exist
Science and Environment Policy Project $199,842 $251,584 100% $199,842 $251,584 $51,742 $197,082 $206,899
Science and Public Policy -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Southeastern Legal Foundation $2,125,441 $2,267,850 20% $425,088 $453,570 $1,842,762 $4,278,989 $4,773,324
Sovereignty International $72,744 $69,003 70% $50,921 $48,302 $18,082 $1,090 $10,155
State Policy Network $3,941,133 $4,812,513 2% $78,823 $96,250 $4,733,690 $7,625,250 $8,055,213
SurfaceStations.org -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
Texas Public Policy Foundation $3,390,188 $4,674,836 10% $339,019 $467,484 $4,335,817 $5,636,703 $8,887,301
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy $298,312 $306,376 20% $59,662 $61,275 $246,714 $239,348 $269,944
TS August $3,491 $2,833 0% $0 $0 $2,833 -- --
No records available for 2014
Washington Policy Center $1,889,632 $1,500,932 1% $18,896 $15,009 $1,482,036 $1,934,552 $1,941,178
Western Fuels Association -- -- 4% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
World Climate Report -- -- 100% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014
World Coal Association -- -- 0% $0 $0 -- -- --
No records available for 2010 or 2014

Overview

Total 2010 Expenditures $1,337,107,573
Total 2010 Revenues $1,506,528,077
Total 2010 Expenditures Adjusted for Allen Index $101,597,064
Total 2010 Revenues Adjusted for Allen Index $104,974,617
Total 2010 Brulle Methodology Overstatement $1,404,931,013
Total 2014 Expenditures $1,699,621,486
Total 2014 Revenues $1,729,959,586