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British group: Exxon spreading false data

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 21, 2006

A British scientific group, the Royal Society, contends that Exxon Mobil is spreading "inaccurate and misleading" information about climate change and is financing groups that misinform the public on the issue.

The Royal Society, a 1,400-member organization that dates back to the 1600s and has counted Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein as members, asked Exxon Mobil in a letter this month to stop financing these groups and to change its public reports to reflect more accurately the opinions of scientists on the issue.

There is a "false sense somehow that there is a two-sided debate going on in the scientific community" about the origins of climate change, said Bob Ward, the senior manager for policy communication at the Royal Society.

The reality is that "thousands and thousands" of scientists around the world agree that climate change is linked to greenhouse gases, he said, with "one or two professional contrarians" who disagree.

Dozens of lobbying groups, some of them receiving financing from Exxon Mobil, are relying on these contrarians as experts, Ward said. Meanwhile, he said, Exxon Mobil writes in documents it distributes to the public that it is difficult to determine the extent to which climate change can be attributed to human actions, a view that, he said, the vast majority of scientists do not share.

In a statement, Exxon Mobil said the Royal Society had "inaccurately and unfairly described our company." It added: "We know that carbon emissions are one of the factors that contribute to climate change - we don't debate or dispute this."

Exxon Mobil said it was taking steps to minimize emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from its operations.

Halloween sales poised to do frighteningly well

Sales of seasonal Halloween merchandise are expected to rebound sharply to $4.96-billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

The trade group estimated the holiday that generated $3.29-billion in 2005 will be propelled by more people celebrating this time by buying decorations, costumes and candy. The second-biggest decorating holiday behind Christmas for retailers, Halloween is the sixth-biggest holiday in overall retail sales.

Former Citigroup executive is named AIG chairman

Robert B. Willumstad, who left Citigroup Inc. after being passed over for the top management job, has been selected as the new chairman of the board of American International Group Inc., one of the world's largest insurance companies.

AIG said Wednesday that Willumstad, 61, will succeed Frank G. Zarb, who has been interim chairman since April 2005.

Willumstad, who had been president and chief operating officer of Citigroup, announced in July 2005 that he was leaving the nation's largest bank to seek the top job at a public company. He resigned after Charles Prince was named chief executive, replacing the retiring Sanford Weill; Prince later also was given the title of chairman.

Zarb had been named to interim chairman after Maurice "Hank" Greenberg was forced to resign in March 2005 amid a widening accounting scandal. Greenberg had led the company for nearly 40 years.

Boeing says modified C-130 makes first flight

Boeing Co. on Wednesday said a C-130 aircraft, its cockpit gutted and revamped to improve navigation and communication, has made its first flight.

The aircraft, which was flown for three hours Tuesday, was the first one modified under the Air Force's C-130 avionics modernization program.

Boeing is modifying more than 10 aircraft under a design and development contract. It expects to modify 30 to 40 additional planes in low-rate production before competing for the full-rate production contract, which will include about 400 C-130 aircraft, said Madonna Walsh, a spokeswoman for St. Louis-based Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.

Forty Boeing employees in San Antonio, Texas, are currently working on the modifications.

Ford says plants will be at 100 percent by 2008

Ford Motor Co. predicted on Wednesday that its North American manufacturing plants will be running at 100 percent capacity by 2008 following its restructuring plan that expects to shutter 16 plants within the next six years.

The automaker said capacity in 2008 would be projected at 100 percent "as a result of plant idlings as well as shift eliminations and linespeed reductions."

Ford said last week that it would cut $5-billion in annual costs by the end of 2008 by cutting 10,000 white-collar workers and offering buyouts to all 75,000 union workers.

[Last modified September 20, 2006, 23:32:42]