PrintDecember 12, 2009
Tom Friedman's global warming conflict of interest (Updated)
Global warming apostle and NY Times columnist Tom Friedman has been out doing the media rounds in an attempt to tamp down the increasing climate science scandal. Confining himself to outlets significantly invested in the deception, like CBS and CNN, Friedman has cast every aspersion and used any and all logical fallacies he could think of to counter the clear and persuasive evidence that the scientific studies are corrupted and the scientists are corrupt.
Newsbusters has a good rundown on the swill CNN tries to pass off as journalism.
Newsbusters has a good rundown on the swill CNN tries to pass off as journalism.
No one has captured the essence of the fundamental bias of the likes of CNN as well as Tom Maguire at Just one minute. Writing about NPR's cover up of the Obama-William Ayers association:
Who among us does not embrace NPR? For earnest yet utterly false "objectivity" they have no peer. (except for CNN).
Back to Friedman. None of those intrepid journalists, producers, fact checkers, and lawyers at CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, NPR, the Washington Post or his home paper the NY Times ever bothered to check if Mr. Friedman had disqualifying conflicts of interest on global warming. All of these news organizations have repeatedly interviewed Friedman and billed the guy like he delivers divinely inspired wisdom or something.
Frankly, after listening to Friedman on several occasions and skimming a book or two, I concluded that he doesn't really have much to say. What I do know is that he has a conflict of interest on global warming.
With his wife Ann, Friedman owns an investment company called MB Investments,LCC . This holding company was set up by his father-in-law Matthew Bucksbaum, Chairman of General Growth Properties, for the benefit of his children.
The Illinois Department of State lists Mrs. Friedman and her brother as officers of the company.
MB Investments is also a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange. To the best of my recollection, Friedman has failed to disclose this conflict in any column. Based on my research, neither has he disclosed this conflict in any interview.
An inspection of the Chicago Climate Exchange member list shows how deeply this fraud has taken root. A literal who's who of American blue chip companies are listed as members. Conspicuously missing is Madoff Investments.
I guess Bernie was too committed to his own massive fraud to get involved with this one.
Update:
Friedman's interest in the Climate Exchange may have ended in 2006. Clarice Feldman reports:
The link to the CCX doesn't work. When I looked it up independently I could not find MB Investments listed. An earlier version of the CCX website lists MB investments as a member (Financial services) with this note:This may be true. Still, I don't remember hearing Friedman reveal his links to this company back then either. And that's not to say that once the carbon trading gets started here, that his wife's company won't jump back in the game.
"*Member of Phase I (years 2003-2006) program only"
However, at the moment, it appears that Friedman has no conflict of interest in promoting climate change that we know of.
Update II:
Link to Climate Exchange site fixed.
