Hoax Pulled on US Chamber Over Its Position on Climate Change
Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was thevictim of a hoax by a satirical group that staged a phonyannouncement saying the business organization had flip-floppedon climate change.
The Yes Men, a New York group that pulls pranks oncorporations, issued a fake press release and the text of apurported speech by Chamber President Thomas Donohue under thechamber’s letterhead yesterday, said Jacques Servin, a Yes Menmember. The imposters also held a news conference at theNational Press Club with ersatz chamber officials.
The chamber, the largest U.S. business organization, hasbeen criticized by some environmental groups that say it hasobstructed efforts by Congress and President Barack Obama toadopt climate-change policies. Several companies, including PG&ECorp. and Apple Inc., quit the chamber, citing its stance onefforts to combat global warming.
“Public relations hoaxes undermine the genuine effort tofind solutions on the challenge of climate change,” Donohuesaid in a statement indicating he would ask law enforcementagencies to investigate the stunt. “These irresponsible tacticsare a foolish distraction from the serious effort by our nationto reduce greenhouse gases.”
Eric Wohlschlegel, executive director of communications atthe chamber, went to the press club in downtown Washington andbroke up the fake news conference there, according to DonnaLeinwand, club president. Staff of the press club learned of thehoax and also sought to stop the event, Leinwand said.
Chamber Critics
The Chamber of Commerce has said action proposed by theEnvironmental Protection Agency and House-passed climatelegislation would hurt U.S. businesses and consumers. Donohuetold reporters Oct. 8 that the chamber favors passing climate-change legislation, and that it had no preference on whether acap-and-trade system or a carbon tax is a better approach tocurbing greenhouse gases tied to global warming.
The bogus announcement said the chamber was switchingpositions and now favors a tax on carbon emissions.
The fictional Donohue said in the speech, “We at theChamber have tried to keep climate science from interfering withbusiness. But without a stable climate, there will be nobusiness. We need business more than we need relentlessly higherreturns.”
Fake Spokesman
The fake press release the group issued cited a fictionalchamber spokesman, Hingo Sembra, a name Servin said he used asan alias. Donohue’s name was misspelled as Donahue in therelease.
Reuters and CNBC reported the phony story and issuedcorrections after the chamber said it was false.
The Yes Men have said they often pose as spokesmen for“corporations we don’t like.” The political pranksters havetargeted Exxon Mobil Corp., Dow Chemical Co. and Halliburton Co.in previous spoofs.
The Yes Men requested a refund of the money paid to use thepress club because the mock news conference was broken up,Leinwand said. The club won’t honor the request, she said.
To contact the reporter on this story:Daniel Whitten in Washington at dwhitten2@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: October 20, 2009 00:00 EDTSource: Bloomberg
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