Spinning the Spinners: Oxford Climate Action address Edelman’s greenwash July 16, 2008
Posted by JennieB in Activism, Climate Change, Greenwash, Oxford News.trackback
Today, activists from autonomous group Oxford Climate Action occupied the offices of London-based Edelman PR, the company chosen by E.On for assisting with lobbying and public relations for Kingsnorth Power station.
Whilst two people were inside the building, more activists climbed on a canopy overhanging the front of the building and displayed a banner reading ‘Edelman PR Spinning the Climate Out of Control’. Others are handing out flyers to the public explaining the action, why lobbying for the proposed new technology (Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS) for Kingsnorth power station is a rubbish idea, and also about the relationship between E.On and Edelman PR UK.
UK-based Edelman PR is fully owned by US multinational Daniel J Edelman Ltd. Daniel J Edelman Ltd has offices, and subsidiaries, in the US, Europe, South America and Asia. The company was founded in the 1952 by Daniel J Edelman and is now controlled by his son, Richard Edelman (the president and CEO)[1]. The UK branch has four subsidiaries and works for companies such as food company Mars, pharmaceuticals Pfizer and AstraZeneca, Microsoft, air and sea shipping company UPS, and Motorola. The UK company has also assisted in running campaigns for both Dove (the ‘Campaign for Natural Beauty’) and Levis Eco-Jeans.
In March 2008, E.On turned to Edelman UK for assistance. According to public relations industry journal PR Week:
“E.On has hired Edelman for a wide-ranging public affairs brief…Edelman would be responsible for promoting all of E.On’s interests across the gas, coal, nuclear and renewables sectors, not just lobbying for Kingsnorth”[2].
Dealing with the Devils
Edelman’s parent company has come under fire over the years for dubious and controversial activities. Both Source Watch and Spin Watch (public relations watchdogs) have reported on Edelman’s relationship with the tobacco industry and big pharma.
On the 21st June 2003, one of Edelman’s customers, AstraZeneca, pleaded guilty health care fraud “and agreed to pay $355 million to settle criminal and civil accusations that it engaged in a nationwide scheme to illegally market a prostate cancer drug.”[4]. Edelman have also worked with Wal-Mart who campaigners accuse of being ‘anti-union’[5]. Wal-Mart has also been called the “most ruthless company in the world” due to its appalling record on human rights, contempt for communities and the environment”[6]. Finally, both Edelman, and Edelman PR UK work with multinational drugs firm Pfizer which has been involved in price fixing, illegally testing drugs on children, blocking efforts to allow people in developing countries access to life-saving drugs and selling drugs linked to adverse side effects in pets[7].
For more information on the action, and for pictures, see: indymedia.org.uk.
References
[1] Author unknown, www.edelman.com, accessed 16/07/08
[2] Clare O’Connor, ‘EON turns to Edelman as nuclear debate rages’, PR Week, 13.03.08
Accessible on: www. prweek.com/uk/news/article/790575/EON-turns-Edelman-nuclear-debate-rages
[3] See both: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Edelman and spinwatch.org.
[4] Melody Petersen, ‘ AstraZeneca Pleads Guilty In Cancer Medicine Scheme’, New York Times 21/06/03
[5] Author unknown, Wake-Up Wal-Mart accessed 16/07/08
[6] George Monbiot, ‘Low Hanging Fruit’, Monbiot.com, 16/03/04, monbiot.com/archives/2004/03/16/low-hanging-fruit/, accessed 16/07/08
[7] Corporate Watch, ‘Pfizer and Aids’, corporatewatch.org , http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=330#aids, accessed 16/07/08
Hi there, I’m an employee of Edelman UK. If you’d like to hear the point of view of our UK CEO Robert Phillips on yesterday’s protest, then please take a look at the video here: http://www.chatteringclass.co.uk/?p=59
Thanks for responding, Tim. Readers are encouraged to check this out and make up their own minds.
Regards,
Jennie B (researcher, Corporate Watch).
Brilliant!!! Great response from the CEO – ladling out the propaganda as they do best but good to see we’ve got him responding… I was in the building and we never gave the quote ‘we just want to shout about it.’ We actually needed to inform the staff that the area was the source of dangerously high levels of greenwash which cause prolonged suffering and death – I’m sorry old bean but we had a job to do, we’re the greenwash busters and that’s our duty!
The group involved will be considering the offer for a conversation with miserable Edelmans fellow soon.
Thanks soupsoup, keep us updated.
Readers might also be interested in responses and reports from the following sources.
* News International’s freesheet, thelondonpaper (16/07/08):
http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/news/article/1157153641864?packedargs=aid%3D1157153641864%26suffix%3DArticleController
* Brand Republic (17/07/08):
http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/832313/FRONT-PAGE-Activists-target-Edelman-climate-change-protest/
It looks to me that Robert Phillips has burst the bubble of the protestors here. He has revealed the fact that they probably didn’t want people to know; that these protestors are not really interested in engaging in dialogue over the issue rather they are just out for a day of excitement linked to some self righteous postering over a complex issue that has no black and white answers.
1-0 to Robert Phillips I would say via a Oxford Climate Action group own goal.
I suppose if protestors take on a PR company its not surprising they come off worst in the subsequent PR battle.
Endleman has just made the climate change protestors look silly here.
> these protestors are not really interested in engaging in dialogue
How would dialogue be useful? Are you saying that Edelman are going to stop greenwashing corporate sponsored climate change cos some people engage in some crappy stakeholder focus group analysis with them? That would be reneging on their contract with their clients, not to mention admitting complicity in climate crime. Who cares about dialogue with PR companies; the important dialogue is with the public. And, as a member of the public the protestors have certainly convinced me much more effectively than the PR giant with its ad hominem avoidance of discussing the issue.
> a complex issue that has no black and white answers.
Building a giant power station and then claiming to be taking action on climate change does not sound like a shade of grey to me. It sounds like idiocy.
> I suppose if protestors take on a PR company its not surprising they come off worst in the subsequent PR battle.
Name calling by Edelman does not a victory make. They look to me like they’re trying to deflect any curiosity about the issues into a meaningless debate about whether the protestors should engage in dialogue. Who cares? We’re facing massive man-made climate chaos and building more power stations is not appropriate behaviour.
nffvtfpfgkdccjhuwell, hi admin adn people nice forum indeed. how’s life? hope it’s introduce branch