Lawson's Climate Denial Donor Boasts of Shale Gas Investment

authordefault
on

Lord Lawson accepted a donation for his climate denial charity from a millionaire financier who successfully invested in shale gas fracking, DeSmog UK canย reveal.

Edgar Miller Jnr, a Texan-born venture capitalist, has been named as an early donor, fundraiser, and founder of the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) who claims he turned down the role of director when the charity was being established almost five yearsย ago.

The revelations will be hugely embarrassing for Lawson. Miller intimates during an interview that his donation was dependent on the GWPF attacking climate science rather than policy, and he even suggests the former chancellor is โ€œa little bitโ€ scientificallyย illiterate.

Miller boasts of his โ€œvery successfulโ€ investment in one of the first fracking companies, and confirms that today he holds mineral rights relating to property once owned by his family that he hopes will earn him further profits from shale gas. โ€œWeโ€™ll get some royalties out of it so weโ€™re motivated to do it,โ€ heย said.

The investor has also paid thousands of pounds to Viscount Christopher Monckton, the eccentric aristocrat who tours Britain, Australia and the United States attacking climateย science.

The cash paid for an investment report about climate science and led to Monckton publishing a lengthy attack in the Sunday Telegraph back in 2006. Monckton and Lawson, related by marriage, both became interested in climate change around the sameย time.

Earlyย Frackers

Lawson has repeatedly stated that he would not accept funding from the oil industry or any individual with โ€œa significant interestโ€ in fossil fuel companiesโ€”a statement that is in fact true as Miller has enjoyed a โ€œless than significantโ€ financial benefit from energyย investments.

Lawson last month launched the GWPF to apparently circumvent charity commission rules stipulating that his GWPF must remain โ€œeducationalโ€ rather than political. Dr Benny Peiser, a social scientist, is the director of theย foundation.

Miller, a professor of private equity at the Cass Business School and owner of Palladian Limited, told a reporter over dinner: โ€œI was concerned when they [the GWPF] werenโ€™t really addressing the underlying science and they kept putting the focus onย policyโ€ฆ

โ€œMost people in the UK donโ€™t understand the science. The UK is scientifically illiterate. Iโ€™m not saying that you donโ€™t have great scientists or engineers, but the average person that you meet walking along the street knows very little about theย science.โ€

He added: โ€œInitially I refused to give them anything because they were resistant to debating the science. Benny just wanted to talk about policy; I said I completely disagree with thatโ€ฆ Iโ€™ve also brought one or two other donors in, who have probably altogether given ยฃ30,000 toย ยฃ40,000.โ€

โ€œI think one of Bennyโ€™s problems is he doesnโ€™t have a fundamental grounding in science [and] that he has a fear. Thatโ€™s one of the general problems in this countryโ€ฆ most people are scientifically illiterate. Nigel is a little bit thatย way.โ€

Miller also described Lawson as having โ€œa huge egoโ€ adding: โ€œhis only problem is his personal life is a disaster.โ€ But he confirmed that the former chancellor had Osborneโ€™s ear. โ€œThese guys are all talking to each other all the time, they go to the same dinner parties, they spend weekends together and [attend] house partiesย together.โ€

He said of his fracking investments: โ€œFracking is nothing, and, you know, youโ€™ve got 30 years of experience in the States with basically no problems at all. In fact, I invested in one of the companies which was one of the early frackers back in theย 80s.โ€

โ€œThereโ€™s a guy who just died called [George P] Mitchell, who was a Texan, who developed the technology. It was a very [a] very successful [investment]. Veryย successful.โ€

Basically aย Bullshitter

Miller, who has lived in the UK for more than 40 years, was a senior advisor in the Conservative party and claims he helped draft the 2005 election manifesto. But after initially supporting Cameronโ€™s leadership, he found the Etonian to be โ€œweakโ€, with โ€œtoo many close friends around himโ€ who โ€œchange hisย mindโ€.

After lunch with the Prime Minister and chancellor, Miller’s views had crystallised: โ€œI came away thinking Cameron was basically a bullshitter [who] didnโ€™t want to listen to anybody [and who] lacked in substance.โ€ He added: โ€œOsborne I thought was as arrogantโ€ฆbut I thought had more intellectualย substance.โ€

When contacted by DeSmog UK last night, Miller replied: โ€œYou imply I have been a donor to the GWPF. ย I am proud to say this is trueย (albeit a small donor) and I would be pleased if you publicise this fact. ย Iย encouraged Lord Lawson in the early days of GWPF and subsequently haveย encouraged others to donate. ย I intend to continue to contribute.ย ย 

โ€œI have the upmost admiration and respect for Lord Lawson for having theย initiative, courage and fortitude to establish the GWPF, in spite of endless
criticism and ad-hominem attacks thrown at him. ย 
ย 
โ€œHe and Benny Peiser haveย established the GWPF as the only authoritative public source in the UKย providing a fact-based perspective on the global warming issue. ย I haveย subscribed to Benny Peiser’s newsletter for years. ย This and Benny’s longย experience in the field has made an immeasurable contribution to theย undoubted success of the GWPF.โ€

Related Posts

on

Victoria Hewson called the 2050 ambition a โ€œhuge own goalโ€ while working for a Tufton Street think tank.

Victoria Hewson called the 2050 ambition a โ€œhuge own goalโ€ while working for a Tufton Street think tank.
on

Ahead of a city council vote, Resource Works launched an influence campaign with stock submissions for restaurant owners, hospitality workers, and residents.

Ahead of a city council vote, Resource Works launched an influence campaign with stock submissions for restaurant owners, hospitality workers, and residents.
on

Ahead of the November 29 election, dairy producers tell Irish government to step off the โ€œtreadmillโ€ of unsustainable milk production โ€“ and share a more holistic vision.

Ahead of the November 29 election, dairy producers tell Irish government to step off the โ€œtreadmillโ€ of unsustainable milk production โ€“ and share a more holistic vision.
on

The head of the CO2 Coalition tells DeSmog that Wright agrees carbon dioxide is โ€œnot the demon molecule, itโ€™s the miracle molecule.โ€

The head of the CO2 Coalition tells DeSmog that Wright agrees carbon dioxide is โ€œnot the demon molecule, itโ€™s the miracle molecule.โ€