{"id":292984,"date":"2023-12-29T13:04:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T12:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=292984"},"modified":"2023-12-29T13:04:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T12:04:12","slug":"righteous-risks-part-2-foundations-of-virtue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=292984","title":{"rendered":"Righteous Risks Part 2: Foundations of Virtue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"723\" data-attachment-id=\"292995\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=292995\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"OIG-23\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?fit=723%2C723&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=723%2C723&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=450%2C450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=60%2C60&amp;ssl=1 60w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?resize=550%2C550&amp;ssl=1 550w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From The <a href=\"https:\/\/risk-monger.com\/2023\/12\/22\/righteous-risks-part-2-foundations-of-virtue\/\">Risk-Monger Blog<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Posted by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/risk-monger.com\/author\/riskmonger\/\">RISKMONGER<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the&nbsp;introduction&nbsp;to this series, righteous risks were defined as the threat to societal well-being when value-based motives influence decision-making more than facts and evidence. Policies should be determined according to the best pragmatic solutions to complex problems with conflicting interests being addressed through a consensus approach. More and more though, regulators are being led by moral dogma and ethical exclusion techniques dictated by influential stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Policymaking is often framed now in a virtue context rather than policy management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fighting climate change is the morally responsible thing to do and takes an overarching precedent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Good leaders can only protect public health by banning synthetic chemicals and pesticides (associated with evil corporations peddling poisons).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plastic waste has caused moral outrage, from straws up a turtle\u2019s nostril to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, so it is a righteous imperative that all plastics should be removed from the market.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Industry has been profiting for decades at the expense of the poor, working class so the benign regulator must act to restrict company involvement in any policy process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The distinction is clear: industry lobbies (deceptive, bad) while NGOs advocate (supportive, good).Capitalism is inherently wasteful and unjust; we must transition to a degrowth, human economy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sustainability is a virtue and pollution and waste are the key vices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The problem though is that such moral dogma is usually framed in clear black and white (good v evil) distinctions while the reality of policymaking is usually more grey. Most plastic applications are more sustainable than the alternatives; a large proportion of proposed climate measures will damage the environment; industry is the key driver of sustainable innovations; agroecology and organic farming will lead to greater degradation and food loss\u2026 but any leaders who accept such realities are dismissed with a wave of righteous indignation.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"548\" data-attachment-id=\"292986\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=292986\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-638.png?fit=720%2C548&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"720,548\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image-638\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-638.png?fit=720%2C548&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-638.png?resize=720%2C548&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-638.png?w=720&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-638.png?resize=300%2C228&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Aren\u2019t all Facts Value-Driven?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There has always been a normative influence to any decision-making process, often framed as \u201cthe right thing to do\u201d. The values driving decisions may be socialist, Christian, liberal, conservative \u2013 such is the nature of politics. But these values were tones while the facts, the data, the scientific evidence, were always the anchors for their decisions. Such decisions had always been considered as objective or at the very least, respectful to the evidence.Post-modernists though want us to believe that scientific data is value-driven as well (by cherry-pickers with political interests). In reality, those who are funding the research are value-driven \u2026 and the scientists seeking such funding might be forced to pony up to the trough aware that they need to add those values or fit the research results to the funders\u2019 interests. Today if a scientist wants funding or wants to get an article published, they need to exaggerate the link of their data to climate change, synthetic chemical risks, potential for biodiversity destruction\u2026 (reminiscent of debates on how many angels can dance on a pin). This creates a belief that there is morally correct data \u2013 a righteous risk.This mindset though raises a serious question for research integrity as seen with the recent debate after Patrick Brown&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefp.com\/p\/i-overhyped-climate-change-to-get-published\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">admitted&nbsp;<\/a>he had to over-emphasize climate effects to get his paper published. But it in no way means that scientific data is value-based as post-modernists portend.Much of the moralization of the environmental health policy process is driven by activist NGOs who are using their social media and mass media networks to define a narrative that funnels any decision into an ethical choice (our way or the bad way). Their simplistic solutions (organic food, renewable energy, zero-waste, carbon-neutral transportation\u2026) are ethically framed as good things to do. Industry lobbies are bad but we are the good guys protecting you. Any industry that does not fit within their righteous framework is being systematically \u201ctobacconised\u201d: delegitimized and deformalized as evil scourges on the heart of humanity.But how did these activist groups become the key influencers in these ethically-driven regulatory chambers? How did policymaking shift from the pragmatic balancing of the best possible choices among the myriad of interests and stakeholders (Realpolitik) to pure virtue politics \u2013 leading by a sort of&nbsp;<em>Divine Rite of Virtue<\/em>? As always with any lobbying success, we need to follow the money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Foundations: Virtue Capitalism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Time was that NGOs would raise money through membership dues, coin drums and the clipboard brigades on street corners. As the non-profit sector expanded in size and influence, around the beginning of the millennium, they grew in staff and campaigns, some becoming global powerhouses. Greenpeace had a fleet of pirate ships that needed funding, Friends of the Earth needed to hire the best lobbyists, Pesticide Action Network needed to pay for scientists \u2026 loose change just didn\u2019t cut it.At the same time, the world of foundations and charitable trusts was changing.Time was that foundations and family trusts funded research into deadly diseases, humanitarian missions, scholarships and the fine arts. But their coffers increased and their boards became more ambitious (not to mention an influx of dot-com and Web 2.0 billionaires all taking the \u201cPledge\u201d). In a recent Firebreak article, I\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefirebreak.org\/p\/foundations-for-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">examined\u00a0<\/a>this evolution in the non-government sphere.The policy arena is changing rapidly as certain righteous-driven foundations (from Bloomberg Philanthropies to the Rockefeller Brothers to Soros\u2019 Open Society Foundations) are donating to NGOs who are driven to advance a fundamentalist narrative, put their values at the core of policy campaigns and lobby policymakers relentlessly to put their virtue policies above evidence and other stakeholder interests. In the last decade, foundations have become the key funding source for most environmental-health NGOs, and the number of these groups have grown impressively (while memberships and internal dialogue have declined to insignificance). Some of the more abrasive and less scrupulous NGOs, like US Right to Know and Corporate Europe Observatory, are entirely funded by the same group of, often, militant foundations or non-transparent donor-advised funds.Donor-advised funds allow interest groups like tort law firms and the organic food industry lobby to anonymously support activist groups without disclosing their support or their conflicts of interest. It allows NGOs to operate non-transparently while condemning other groups for, well, the same thing. I recently\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/risk-monger.com\/2023\/04\/14\/into-the-slime-a-film-review-of-into-the-weeds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">showed\u00a0<\/a>how Jennifer Baichwal, director of the film Into the Weeds, was funded via dark sources to produce a film saluting the tort law industry for taking on Monsanto and their non-transparent practices. As they travel the world promoting their film as part of the anti-glyphosate campaign, do these activists not see their hypocrisy? And Baichwal is excessively righteous.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"381\" data-attachment-id=\"292987\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=292987\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-639.png?fit=720%2C381&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"720,381\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image-639\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-639.png?fit=720%2C381&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-639.png?resize=720%2C381&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-639.png?w=720&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-639.png?resize=300%2C159&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>From my Foundations for Activism series in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefirebreak.org\/p\/foundations-for-activism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Firebreak<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As social media campaigns can deliver more efficient lobbying returns, as research studies can be more economically financed and poor findings more easily published, and as media groups can be more easily manipulated (by the same foundation funding), these foundations have grown more successful in advancing their ethical values onto policy measures. The public policy landscape has changed as these soft lobbyists are able to instal activists to represent their moral objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For ambitious young people today, I would recommend working your way up a foundation\u2019s management structure. The directors of large foundations carry more influence and (moral) power than many global leaders. The president of George Soros\u2019 Open Society Foundations, Mark Malloch-Brown, for example, was the former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. But what you gain in influence you will likely have to pay for with cynicism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Uncompromising Promises<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ethics may speak of good v evil in some absolute virtue theatre, but there are grey scales \u2026 or should I say: \u201cwhite lies\u201d. These are ethical compromises for the greater good. A white lie is pragmatic and removes the uncompromising sanctimony that rigid, righteousness demands. Politics is the art of compromise but moral zealots would refuse any compromises to their level of virtue excellence. If you hold yourself to a higher noble standard, and you identify others as pure evil, then any compromise to the interests of the heathens (ie, industry, researchers or consumers) is inconceivable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People do not compromise if they don\u2019t have to. If activists, or their NGOs, are handsomely paid by ethically-driven foundations to pursue some policy outcome that is deemed morally pure, then they will fight it out to the bitter end. Some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Earlier this year, The Risk-Monger&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/risk-monger.com\/2023\/04\/18\/ngo-science-inside-the-mind-of-a-cult-eco-warrior\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leaked<\/a>&nbsp;an internal document from a group of German anti-biotech campaigners who had admitted the evidence on plant breeding was against them. Their solution was to reframe their campaign as a social justice struggle of good v evil. As the organic retail chain, Bioland, is still funding their admitted lost cause, it is inconceivable for them to sit down with policymakers and find a compromise with industry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If foundations like Bloomberg Philanthropies pay activists to campaign to stop the use of nicotine alternatives like vaping, and they have identified the companies promoting e-cigarettes as evil, then it will be very unlikely that they would be open to a compromise. They are accountable to their funders and no one else.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ironically, in order to hold to their higher moral identity, these activists are lying to the public and spreading baseless fears. But as they see themselves as crusaders, I\u2019m sure they don\u2019t see it that way. As long as these foundations keep the NGOs well-funded and ready to fight over the long haul, then compromises are not on the table. Their righteous virtue is not for sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spreading their Wings of Influence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each foundation has, by definition, a set of moral objectives that earmark their philanthropy.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.org\/approach\/\">Bloomberg Philanthropies<\/a>\u2018 objectives, for example, \u201cguide initiatives that tackle a wide range of issues to save and improve lives around the world\u201d. This cause includes funding campaigns on public health and the environment, promoting NGOs taking a strong position against sugary drinks, snacks and vaping. The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.packard.org\/about-the-foundation\/\">David and Lucile Packard Foundation<\/a>\u00a0aims to create \u201cenduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world\u201d. In seeking justice on issues concerning human health and the environment, it is not surprising that much of their money goes to moralising, militant NGOs.But these foundations are not just funding NGOs to do their bidding; they are also buying ink in the mainstream media,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/leonardo-dicaprio-funneled-grants-dark-money-group-fund-climate-nuisance-lawsuits-emails-show\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paying\u00a0<\/a>tort law firms to pursue public nuisance lawsuits and using their donations to UN agencies as free microphones for their activism (COP28 in Dubai seemed to have a special hall dedicated to speeches from philanthropists who have donated to UN activities).As media organisations go through a painful economic transition with the shift to digital news, foundations have discovered the benefits of funding news organisations like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefirebreak.org\/p\/the-guardian-between-grace-and-greed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Guardian<\/a>\u00a0or creating new ones like the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefirebreak.org\/p\/reporters-for-hire-mike-bloomberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Examination<\/a>. But we would be naive to think their funding was not tied to issues and values that are central to the foundations. These foundations are effectively buying off struggling journalists to articulate their shameless sanctimony.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"547\" height=\"720\" data-attachment-id=\"292989\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=292989\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-640.png?fit=547%2C720&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"547,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image-640\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-640.png?fit=547%2C720&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-640.png?resize=547%2C720&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-640.png?w=547&amp;ssl=1 547w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-640.png?resize=228%2C300&amp;ssl=1 228w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 547px) 100vw, 547px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Tens of millions of foundation money\u00a0donated to The Guardian earmarked for specific \u201cnews\u201d stories<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through their well-funded, multi-pronged programmes and a diverse army of NGO activists, media groups and public figures, these foundations are able to manipulate public perception on food diets, energy sources, new nicotine products, packaging materials, livestock and farming practices\u2026 They don\u2019t need to be scientific or evidence-driven, just forceful and ethically-postured.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"378\" data-attachment-id=\"292991\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=292991\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-641.png?fit=720%2C378&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"720,378\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image-641\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-641.png?fit=720%2C378&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-641.png?resize=720%2C378&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292991\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-641.png?w=720&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-641.png?resize=300%2C158&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Yes, Michael Bloomberg actually said this<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I have referred to this trend as eco-prohibition or&nbsp;greenhibition. This can be seen as NGOs start to impose their righteous restrictions on consumers who may enjoy snacks, alcohol, meat, vaping, fashion or travel. Not everyone can or wants to pay more for elitist organic food they are told is morally better. Affordable energy supplies should be a right in the West and not a privilege for the wealthy. In fact very few consumers welcome or share the green ideals, appreciate how they are being imposed and share their values. But when foundations have billions to spend, control the media and have convinced themselves they are in the moral mainstream, the democratic process is just a minor detail.There is, of course, a poison pill to protect these foundations. Should any group attack how the foundations are undemocratically imposing their values, they would be seen as \u201cshooting Bambi\u201d and come across even more despicably. The Risk-Monger has shot Bambi on several occasions when the campaign sanctimony had fermented with too much hypocrisy (and has paid heavily for it).And then, just when we thought it could not get any worse, in the last five years, the nature of foundations and activist philanthropy evolved to a worrying state: virtue on steroids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Effective Altruism and Earn to Give<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FTX-Sam Bankman-Fried and Sam Altman episodes of the past year reflect another type of righteous risk to be considered, when foundations start to interfere with capitalism and democracy for all the wrong reasons. The \u201cfoundation consortium\u201d,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ev.org\/\">Effective Ventures<\/a>, ties together a series of donor-advised funds targeting high-income individuals (particularly in the tech and crypto sector).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"519\" data-attachment-id=\"292993\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=292993\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-642.png?fit=720%2C519&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"720,519\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image-642\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-642.png?fit=720%2C519&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-642.png?resize=720%2C519&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-642.png?w=720&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-642.png?resize=300%2C216&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>These types of next-gen foundations are more like well-funded cults \u2026 secretive, abusive and subject to their own moral standards<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cult-like fashion (including multiple cases of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6252617\/effective-altruism-sexual-harassment\/\">sexual abuse<\/a>&nbsp;of young women pulled into the organisation\u2019s opportunistic appeal), the Effective Altruism (EA) philosophy is that you should try to earn more to be able to give more in order to more effectively save the world. It started out as a methodology to determine the most efficient way for busy, high-net worth individuals to donate to charities making a difference (like malaria nets, vaccines\u2026), but the algorithms (and the key influencers) shifted to promoting more existential risk projects like preventing nuclear meltdowns, climate collapse or runaway AI bots taking over the world. It morphed into a type of algorithmic philanthropy and their solutions could only justify the argument why bots should not have money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while the Effective Ventures organizations did well with third-party donor-advised commissions, conference fees and a rapidly expanding following of young worshippers flocking to San Francisco, some young billionaires got a little too caught up in the idea of having the power to save the world. Sam Bankman-Fried, an outspoken advocate and board member of the Effective Ventures group, took the \u201cearn more to give more\u201d righteous philosophy to a higher level by stealing billions from his Alameda Research hedge fund investors, using their money to save the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This morality stuff is hard for millennials to get right.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Effective Altruists in the Silicon Valley are forming an influential network for pushing (their conception of) ethical policies forward with large donations aimed at advancing their interests. This network was made evident when two EA-connected OpenAI board members tried to remove Sam Altman as its CEO (for pushing forward the commercial interests of AI over the group\u2019s philanthropic objectives). See my&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefirebreak.org\/p\/todays-robin-hood-effective-altruism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">assessment<\/a>&nbsp;of how aggressive these EA philanthropists have become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having thousands of little Robin Hoods running around feeling better about their questionable business practices is a righteous risk in itself. Today billions of dollars of unaccountable donations are flowing through these shell foundations to activist groups and zealot lobbyists who are aggressively running communications campaigns to raise their dogmatic ideologies to the centre of public dialogue, shaping a particular value-driven narrative. From these anti-capitalist campaigns, there has been a marked increase of vilification of practices from conventional farming to vaping to using fossil fuels. The American donor-advised fund structure, where investors can advance their interests non-transparently by donating dark money to activist groups through these third party laundering foundations, should be made illegal.US Right to Know was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefirebreak.org\/p\/foundations-2-the-dark-money-in-donor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exposed&nbsp;<\/a>for accepting USD 360,000 in stolen Alameda Research investors funds in 2022. Until this day, they have refused to give these illegitimate funds back. Their righteous sanctimony must never be used against themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Controlling Righteous Funding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Righteous risks are like any other risk management situation. In order to reduce exposure to righteous risks, the methods in which foundations are operating needs to be addressed. As they are becoming larger and more influential, their role in the influence game must be controlled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Foundations should not be funding news organisations directly or through media foundations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The dark money, non-transparent, donor-advised funds should be made illegal (or at least not tax deductible).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Without a representative population (outside of some billionaire), foundations should not be actively involved in policy debates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While foundations present themselves as virtuous, philanthropic endeavors to improve the world (along their objectives and goals), they are effectively undermining democratic institutions by enabling a small group of activists to impose their elitist value system on the greater population with little dialogue or consultation. With seemingly unlimited funding, their influence is expected to expand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We will not be able to manage righteous risks until we manage the fuel that is powering the key drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Righteous Risks series will now look at some case studies where policymakers got a bit carried away with their sanctimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Enjoyed this read (free with no ads)? Support The Risk-Monger via&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/user?u=97155284\">Patreon<\/a><em>. Become a Gold-Monger patron for 5 \u20ac \/ $ per month and get David\u2019s newsletter.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the\u00a0introduction\u00a0to this series, righteous risks were defined as the threat to societal well-being when value-based motives influence decision-making more than facts and evidence. Policies should be determined according to the best pragmatic solutions to complex problems with conflicting interests being addressed through a consensus approach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":292995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"In the\u00a0introduction\u00a0to this series, righteous risks were defined as the threat to societal well-being when value-based motives influence decision-making more than facts and evidence. Policies should be determined according to the best pragmatic solutions ","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818056,691825793,691825791,691825790,691825752,691825792],"class_list":["post-292984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-climate-change","tag-ftx-sam-bankman-fried","tag-industry-lobbies","tag-policy-management","tag-righteous-risks","tag-social-media-campaigns","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/OIG-23.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1edy","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":292845,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=292845","url_meta":{"origin":292984,"position":0},"title":"Righteous Risks: Introduction","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/28\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Investors struggle today to safely measure financial and economic risks, reduce exposures and identify opportunities. Governments must invest to limit exposures to infrastructure risks.","rel":"","context":"In \"Environmentalism\"","block_context":{"text":"Environmentalism","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=environmentalism"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0hwbppafuozktqa14dncj.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0hwbppafuozktqa14dncj.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0hwbppafuozktqa14dncj.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0hwbppafuozktqa14dncj.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0hwbppafuozktqa14dncj.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":293779,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=293779","url_meta":{"origin":292984,"position":1},"title":"Righteous Risks Part 3: The Electric Vehicle Halo","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"It seems the automotive industry is suffering from the sins of its own zealots. Automotive leaders began to believe their piety and felt that transitioning to EVs would not only make them smell better, but they could also make a lot of money selling more cheaply manufactured cars at the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"CO2\"","block_context":{"text":"CO2","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=co2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-85.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-85.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-85.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-85.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":256821,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=256821","url_meta":{"origin":292984,"position":2},"title":"Fauci, Fear, Balance and the Grid","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/10\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Reflecting on the U.S. response to the covid pandemic, Dr. Fauci provides some important insights on managing complex risks \u2013 with relevance to climate change and the electric grid transition.","rel":"","context":"In \"\u201cgreen\u201d grid\"","block_context":{"text":"\u201cgreen\u201d grid","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=green-grid"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0-Fauci-fear.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0-Fauci-fear.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0-Fauci-fear.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0-Fauci-fear.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0-Fauci-fear.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":245480,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=245480","url_meta":{"origin":292984,"position":3},"title":"Climate Uncertainty &#038; Risk: the presentation","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/25\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Even people that don\u2019t know much about climate science have heard that 97% of climate scientists agree.\u00a0 But exactly what do they agree on?\u00a0 Not nearly as much as is portrayed in the media.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-769.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-769.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-769.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-769.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-769.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":288086,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=288086","url_meta":{"origin":292984,"position":4},"title":"A bad recipe for science","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/18\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"From Climate Etc. by Judith Curry Politically-motivated manufacture of scientific consensus corrupts the scientific process and leads to poor policy decisions An essay with excerpts from my new book Climate Uncertainty and Risk. In the 21st\u00a0century, humankind is facing a myriad of complex societal problems that are characterized by deep\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fdrzdpxbjrpy.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fdrzdpxbjrpy.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fdrzdpxbjrpy.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fdrzdpxbjrpy.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fdrzdpxbjrpy.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":326325,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=326325","url_meta":{"origin":292984,"position":5},"title":"Annual GWPF lecture: Climate Uncertainty and Risk","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/05\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Apart from politicization, arguably the biggest issue is that we have oversimplified both the climate change problem and its solution. The UN has framed climate change as a tame and simple problem, with an obvious solution that is demanded by the science.","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0climatechange-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0climatechange-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0climatechange-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0climatechange-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0climatechange-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=292984"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":292997,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292984\/revisions\/292997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/292995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=292984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=292984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=292984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}