TSAugust

Background

TSAugust, which stands for “The Second of August” (the day most delegates signed the Declaration of Independence) is a 501(3)(c) not-for-profit non-stock corporation in Virginia. The group’s website, www.tsaugust.org, is no longer live and the group no longer appears to be in operation.

The mission of TSAugust, according to an archive of their website, “is to bring factual information about energy and environmental issues to Americans so as to ensure increasingly high living standards and the elimination of poverty wherever it exists.” Their tagline was “People and nature living in harmony for the benefit of mankind,” because they “[recognize] the importance of economic growth coupled with conservation.”¹ “About Us,” TSAugust. Archived September 9, 2013.

TSAugust was run by Donn D. Dears, a retired GE Company executive with experience working with steel mills, electric utilities, refineries, oil drilling and production facilities, and open pit and underground mining operations.

Stance on Climate Change

“Cutting CO2 emissions by 50% has virtually no effect on CO2’s impact on temperatures.”² “CO2 Minor Greenhouse Gas,” TSAugust, October 16, 2011. Archived April 8, 2012.

TSAugust Contact & Location

As of 2013, TSAugust listed the following address:³ “About Us,” TSAugust. Archived September 9, 2013.

1856 Old Reston Avenue, Suite 205, Reston, VA 20190
Phone: (703) 787-6996 – Fax: (703) 787-7550

This address and phone number is also associated with three other organizations: John M. Palatiello & Associates, Inc., a public affairs consulting firm, MAPPS (www.mapps.org), the association of private sector firms in the geospatial field, and Business Coalition for Fair Competition (BCFC, www.governmentcompetition.org). John M. Palatiello is connected to all three of these organizations. It is unclear of TS August has any other connections to these organizations.⁴ “Contact Information,” John M. Palatiello & Associates. Archived October 22, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6cTdbKKky ⁵ “MAPPS Board of Directors and Staff,” MAPPS. Accessed October 22, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6cTdwZ27s ⁶ “Contact Us,” Business Coalition for Fair Competition. Accessed October 22, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6cTe3Jfd6 ⁷ “John Palatiello,” Location Intelligence. Accessed October 22, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6cTdqBc6c

Funding

TSAugust relies on donations. According to the group’s website:⁸ “About Us,” TSAugust. Archived September 9, 2013.

“It is our desire to publish more articles similar to our papers on Achieving Independence From Foreign Oil. Nearly all of our work is done by volunteers but some research costs money. Contributions will be used for research and for administrative costs such as paying for hosting this web site, government fees and correspondence. No one at TSAugust receives financial compensation. “

990 Forms

Key People

• Donn D. Dears — Founder, President, and Contributor.⁹ “About Us,” TSAugust. Archived September 9, 2013.

Actions

May 21–23, 2012

TSAugust is registered as an official Co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute‘s Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7).¹⁰ “Cosponsors,” 7th International Conference on Climate Change. Archived May 10, 2012.

June 30–July 1, 2011

TSAugust was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC6).¹¹ Sixth International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), the Heartland Institute. Archived July 25, 2015.

May 16–18, 2010

TSAugust was a co-sponsor (PDF) of the Heartland Institute’s Fourth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC4).¹² 4th International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), The Heartland Institute.

DeSmog researched conference ponsors and found that 19 of the 65 sponsors (including Heartland itself) had received a total of over $40 million in funding since 1985 from ExxonMobil (who funded 13 of the organizations), and/or Koch Industries family foundations (funded 10 organizations) and/or the Scaife family foundations (funded 10 organizations).¹³ Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-palooza Round 4: ‘International Conference on Climate Change’ Groups Funded by Exxon, Koch Industries,” DeSmog, May 13, 2010.

Related Organizations

• Power For USA — Donn Dears’s blog; many of his articles are co-published at TSAugust and Power For USA.

Other Resources

• ExxonSecrets Factsheet: TSAugust.

Resources

• 1
  “About Us,” TSAugust. Archived September 9, 2013.
• 2
  “CO2 Minor Greenhouse Gas,” TSAugust, October 16, 2011. Archived April 8, 2012.
• 3
  “About Us,” TSAugust. Archived September 9, 2013.
• 4
  “Contact Information,” John M. Palatiello & Associates. Archived October 22, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6cTdbKKky
• 5
  “MAPPS Board of Directors and Staff,” MAPPS. Accessed October 22, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6cTdwZ27s
• 6
  “Contact Us,” Business Coalition for Fair Competition. Accessed October 22, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6cTe3Jfd6
• 7
  “John Palatiello,” Location Intelligence. Accessed October 22, 2015. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6cTdqBc6c
• 8
  “About Us,” TSAugust. Archived September 9, 2013.
• 9
  “About Us,” TSAugust. Archived September 9, 2013.
• 10
  “Cosponsors,” 7th International Conference on Climate Change. Archived May 10, 2012.
• 11
  Sixth International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), the Heartland Institute. Archived July 25, 2015.
• 12
  4th International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), The Heartland Institute.
• 13
  Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-palooza Round 4: ‘International Conference on Climate Change’ Groups Funded by Exxon, Koch Industries,” DeSmog, May 13, 2010.