Message From the Editor

By now, you’ve probably heard of the radical effort known as Project 2025. But you might be less familiar with the potentially even more extreme plans of Trump megadonor and fracking billionaire Tim Dunn. 

As DeSmog’s Geoff Dembicki reports, this Texas pastor directs a political nonprofit called Convention of States, which is leading an effort to rewrite the U.S. Constitution in ways that it says would “limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.” It also refers to climate change as a “hoax.” Dunn has a long track record of backing far-right political efforts in Texas and now is reportedly looking to take his Christian Nationalist strategy to the national stage.

Dunn is a top 10 individual donor to the Trump campaign, and Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has previously endorsed the Convention of States project. As Peter Montgomery, research director at People for the American Way told DeSmog of Dunn’s plans, “They are very committed to rewriting the U.S. Constitution.” Read more in Geoff’s story.

Of course, dismissing the climate emergency is core to Project 2025 as well. While the Heritage Foundation and its other architects try to frame the endeavor as populist and moderate, DeSmog’s Joe Fassler has found Project 2025’s funding sources tell a very different story – elite, extreme, and closely tied to the Trump campaign. Fassler’s wide-ranging analysis of public financial disclosure forms found that the groups on its advisory board are heavily funded by just six ultra-conservative billionaire families that together gave over $122 million since 2020.

He then mapped the funding ties between each Project 2025 group and these billionaire families. Check out the interactive map of Project 2025 funding.

On the other side of the world, a very different attack is unfolding. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter and a documented opponent to climate action, is hiring at least two dozen Western PR and consulting firms to help it sell the idea of Neom, an “eco-city” in the desert. As these firms rake in millions of dollars, accusations are building that they are helping to obscure human rights abuses and creating a green mirage while Saudi Arabia maintains its commitment to oil, reports Adam Lowenstein in ‘Money in Exchange for Silence’. Read the full story.

As the COP29 climate talks get underway in Baku, Azerbaijan next month, I also wanted to give you a heads-up about a special event DeSmog is co-hosting with the Pocket Project: a pioneering summit bringing together leading climate justice advocates and trauma specialists to explore new ways of responding to the crisis. 

The Climate Consciousness Summit 2024 will run online from November 15 to 21 and feature speakers including former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres; Tzeporah Berman, chair of the Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty; Melinda Janki, a lawyer fighting ExxonMobil’s attempts to drill for oil off Guyana; Goldman Environmental Prize-winner Makoma Lekalakala; psychotherapist Francs Weller, clinician Deb Dana, and many more.

As my colleague Matthew Green, DeSmog global investigations editor, who is serving as a co-host on the summit, says: “This unique event is a sign of growing awareness in the climate movement of the importance of addressing the root causes of the crisis, including the role of unresolved collective and inter-generational trauma.”

To find out more and register for free click here.

Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: [email protected]. Want to know what our UK team is up to? Sign up for our UK newsletter. 

Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director

P.S. Readers like you power our journalism dedicated to climate accountability. Can you donate $10 or $20 right now to support more of this essential work?

Mapped: How 6 Billionaire Family Fortunes Fund Project 2025

— By Joe Fassler (5 min. read) —

Unraveling a $122 million web of climate denial, political extremism, and Trump campaign ties.

Trump Megadonor Tim Dunn Has a Plan More Extreme Than Project 2025

— By Geoff Dembicki (6 min. read) —

The Texas fracking billionaire wants to rewrite the U.S. Constitution to advance climate denial and other far-right priorities.

WisdomTree Hit with $4 Million Penalty for Misleading Investors on Fossil Fuel Holdings

— By Sharon Kelly (7 min. read) —

The SEC move is a warning to the financial industry that false claims about fossil fuel involvement can carry consequences.

‘Money in Exchange for Silence’: Behind Neom’s Green Image, Western Firms Cash in on Saudi Commitment to Oil

— By Adam M. Lowenstein (29 min) —

PR and consulting agencies are being paid millions to focus the world’s attention on a promised “eco-city” — obscuring human rights abuses and Saudi Arabia’s long record of climate obstruction.

The Friendly New Face of Dark Money: How Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard helped wealthy donors pour $171 million of dark money into Project 2025

— By Joe Fassler (9 min. read) —

Donor-advised funds offer big tax benefits and complete anonymity — a growing cash source for groups promoting climate disinformation

From the Climate Disinformation Database: Barre Seid

Barre Seid is an American Industrialist and past chairman and CEO of Trippe Lite (formerly Trippe Manufacturing Company), a surge protector manufacturer. He has also controlled Fiber Bond of Michigan City, Indiana and is the founder of the Barbara and Barre Seid Foundation. In August 2022 the New York Times reported that Barre Seid was responsible for giving value worth $1.6 billion to a new conservative nonprofit controlled by Leonard A. Leo called Marble Freedom Trust. While Barre Seid appears to have funded a number of climate science denial efforts including those of the Heartland Institute, he has not released an official statement on the issue. Leo is using Seid’s money to influence the right wing’s network of think tanks to serve his extreme agenda.

Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database, Ad & PR Database, and Koch Network Database.