Business-Managed Democracy

• Introduction

• Green Consumerism

• Public Relations

• Front Groups
• Description
  • Gaining Credibility
  • Hidden Origins
  • Corporate Funding
  • Strategies
• Examples
  • ACSH
  • Keep America Beautiful
  • Forest Protection Soc.
  • Aust. Environment Fdn
• Astroturf
  • Research
  • Bonner & Associates
  • Burson-Marsteller
  • More Examples
  • Mobilising Employees
  • Mobilising Allies
  • Social Media
• Political Influence
  • Generating Letters
  • Telephone Calls
  • Petitions/ Meetings
• References

• Wise Use Movement

• Think Tanks

• Global Warming

• SLAPPs

• Media

• Environmentalists


 

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Business-Managed Environment

Hidden Origins of Front Groups

The names of corporate front groups are carefully chosen to mask the real interests behind them but they can usually be identified by their funding sources, membership and who controls them. Some front groups are quite blatant, working out of the offices of public relations firms and having staff of those firms on their boards of directors. For example

• 
  Reference: Mark Megalli and Andy Friedman, Masks of Deception: Corporate Front Groups in America: Essential Information, 1991), p. 4
  the Council for Solid Waste Solutions shared office space with the Society of the Plastic Industry, Inc


• 
  Reference: Andy Rowell, 'The views of the green lobby should be challenged, according to a new alliance', The Guardian, 11 July 2001.
  the Scientific Alliance, established in 2001, advertised itself as representing the sensible majority and opposed to environmentalist scaremongering. However its first spokesperson was director of the British Aggregates Association (BAA). The Alliance shared a phone number with BAA and Cloburn quarry and its web domain name was also registered to Cloburn quarry. It argues that we should adapt to climate change rather than try to prevent it.


• 
  Reference: Lorraine Heller, 'New industry body aims to quell consumer food fears', foodproductiondaily.com, 20 March 2007; 'Building Trust and Confidence in the U.S. Food System', The Center for Food Integrity, 2010.
  the Center for Food Integrity, formed in 2007, presents itself as "a balanced" source of information but is made up of farming industry organisations such as the American Egg Board, Monsanto, National Milk Producers Federation and the National Pork Board. It states: "The Center for Food Integrity is an ideal setting in which to build a sustainable foundation of public trust in the food system."