The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC) is a now-defunct, industry-funded PR front group. It was run by the APCO Worldwide public relations firm and climate denier Steven J. Milloy was in charge of operations.
Climate Denial
The coalition was a member of the Cooler Heads Coalition (CHC), an informal group of climate denying organizations. An investigation by CIC as shown that from 1997-2015 the combined grants from ExxonMobil to CHC members top 11 million dollars. Since its inception, the CHC has used a variety of tactics to distort public opinion on climate change and influence decision making in Washington. For decades the coalition has authored bias reports, held briefings on Capital Hill, and released weekly newsletters attacking “climate change alarmists”. Originally founded by Consumer Alert, the CHC and its website is now funded by the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Myron Ebell, former head of Trump’s EPA transition team and CEI’s director of the Center for Energy and Environment, is the chair of the CHC.
Exxon Funding
While active, the coalition received $50,000 of traceable grants from Exxon Mobil. Of that total, $10,000 was a grant earmarked specifically for climate change projects.
2004 Exxon Climate Change Grant to TASSC
Denying Health Effects of Tobacco
TASSC was originally created as a front group to promote the agenda of Phillip Morris as it attempted to discredit research into Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) as a long-term cause of increased rates of cancer and heart problems in the community.
A 1994 Phillip Morris memo lists TASSC as one of its “Tools to Affect Legislative Decisions” (see screenshot below).
