Hoax Misrepresents Corporate Consortium's Climate Change Goals

By Alexis Madrigal 12.03.07 | 9:00 PM

With the world's environmental leaders gathered in Bali, a press release purportedly from the United States Climate Action Partnership, a corporate consortium, appeared on the internet Monday morning calling for a 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050 and a moratorium on building coal power plants.

The announcement was surprising coming from companies often more concerned about the bottom line than reducing carbon emissions. But with a legit-looking website, press release and other documentation, the story got picked up by several news sources before being outed as a hoax by midday. (USCAP actually calls for 60 to 80 percent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and has pushed for coal plant carbon capture and sequestration technologies).

Behind the elaborate scheme is a group called Rising Tide, an international, all-volunteer activist network. They model themselves on satirical groups like the Yes Men, who have received intellectual backing by anthropologists like Harper's Magazine contributor David Graeber.

Rising Tide, however, has a serious agenda. We spoke with Matt Leonard, a Rising Tide member, on the details of the hoax, what the U.S. Climate Action Partnership really wants, and their next event: Fossil Fools Day.

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