General Electric Press Release Claims CO2 "a possible" Factor in Climate Change

onJun 4, 2008 @ 10:14 PDT

Coal-energy powerhouse General Electric states in a May 28th, 2008 press release that “C02 is a possible contributing factor to climate change.”

This claim by General Electric, one of the largest power producers in the world, was made despite the scientific evidence, and the world’s governments (including the US) now in agreement that greenhouse gas emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels are heating our planet.

The May 28 press release on a new “clean coal” project reads in part:

“GE is a leader in the development, and application of IGCC technology, while Schlumberger provides unique expertise, technology and project management for the storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). –CO2 is a possible contributing factor to climate change.” [my emphasis]

This statement is made all the more stranger considering the major marketing effort GE has undertaken to paint itself as a leader on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. GE is also one of the more outspoken members of the United States Climate Change Partnership – an umbrella group of US businesses and environmental organizations calling for immediate action to reduce C02 emissions.

Why so much investment by GE in something they only see as a possibility?

Here is the press contact for General Electric, I would suggest that we all send a quick note demanding that they correct this claim:

Cynthia Coleman
+1 816 313 4307
[email protected]

Cross-posted on our affiliate site Coal is Dirty.

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By Kevin Grandia

Kevin is a contributor and strategic adviser to DeSmog. He runs the digital marketing agency Spake Media House. Named a “Green Hero” by Rolling Stone Magazine and one of the “Top 50 Tweeters” on climate change and environment issues, Kevin has appeared in major news media outlets around the world for his work on digital campaigning. Kevin has been involved in the public policy arena in both the United States and Canada for more than a decade. For five years he was the managing editor of DeSmogBlog.com. In this role, Kevin’s research into the “climate denial industry” and the right-wing think tank networks was featured in news media articles around the world. He is most well known for his ground-breaking research into David and Charles Koch’s massive financial investments in the Republican and tea party networks. Kevin is the first person to be designated a “Certified Expert” on the political and community organizing platform NationBuilder. Prior to DeSmog, Kevin worked in various political and government roles. He was Senior Advisor to the Minister of State for Multiculturalism and a Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Asia Pacific, Foreign Affairs for the Government of Canada. Kevin also worked in various roles in the British Columbia provincial government in the Office of the Premier and the Ministry of Health. In 2008 Kevin co-founded a groundbreaking new online election tool called Vote for Environment which was later nominated for a World Summit Award in recognition of the world’s best e-Content and innovative ICT applications. Kevin moved to Washington, DC in 2010 where he worked for two years as the Director of Online Strategy for Greenpeace USA and has since returned to his hometown of Vancouver, Canada.