THE FIREBREAK

Halting activist wildfires: Evidence-based exposés on radical NGOs, billionaire funding, and media bias in science policy.
Editor: @zaruk

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

Bridgewater's Greg Jensen, on Odd Lots, said AI won't be regulated until it starts killing people.
This can be translated as "until the lawsuits overwhelm the companies". This is a problem if you have a lawmaking system based on adversarial regulation.
https://t.co/3PUt4NIEsZ

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

Is it wise to let self-interested lawyers be de facto lawmakers?
Is adversarial regulation better than risk management to write laws?
@zaruk discusses how the Meta settlement is just one more case of litigation abuse, like climate, pesticides, plastics...
https://t.co/3PUt4NIEsZ

[Carrie Severino @JCNSeverino]

The institutional ties between some of the most esteemed law firms in the country, which represent major energy companies in climate lawsuits, and the Environmental Law Institute are alarming.

These energy companies are engaged in multibillion-dollar litigation; their law firms shouldn’t be supporting groups like ELI that develop the very climate theories being deployed against their clients.

[Genetic Literacy Project @GeneticLiteracy]

'In the church of #environmentalism, should the #activists (the zealots) be given the torch to lead the movement, turning sustainable decisions into a condemnation of the heathens?' writes David @Zaruk of @the_firebreak. 'The humble who recognize that they pollute and strive to pollute less will just find another church (and they have).' #Realpolitik #GreenDeal https://t.co/teVvSORRJ3

[AG @AGHamilton29]

Why is it that these organizations consistently only lower their standards in one direction on these issues?

And then only acknowledge it after they get caught….

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

The US Supreme Court will hear #SuncorVBoulder where the fossil fuel industry is charged to pay damages for climate change
The media circus is on but did Boulder actually file the case?
@zaruk shows @EarthRightsIntl leading this case, funded by foundations
https://t.co/oOhZFK4XdX

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

ProPublica is a news outlet funded by foundations to attack industry ($79M in 2025).
Its entire article against Averhealth relied on a scientist who, after 2 months, tried to extort the lab.
Her unsubstantiated claims were thrown out, but not the story.
https://t.co/0xY4tBpwKV

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

When @propublica, a news outlet with $79 million in foundation funding, goes after an industry group, they'd better have the facts, check the facts and listen when the facts are presented.
They didn't, so now Averhealth is suing them for defamation.
https://t.co/0xY4tBpwKV

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

In the conclusion to the #SalmonWars, @zaruk shows how professionalized philanthropy consultants are providing the funds to create a litigation infrastructure designed to put salmon farmers out of business

This is green colonialism at its most disgraceful
https://t.co/kwHMP47TJK

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

Norway dominated the farmed salmon market. When Chile rose rapidly to #2, taking export markets, the Norwegian state agencies started to intervene. Like foundations, they funded media, researchers and lawfare to try to undermine Chilean salmon aquaculture.
https://t.co/MttTSWHeF0

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, keeps showing up on news programs to amplify his attacks on companies like Meta and Paramount.
Why don't the journalists do their job and ask him how much he's getting paid by interest groups?
It isn't rocket science
https://t.co/5S5YEvyrrT

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

Environmental issue management has been taken over by a professionalized philanthropy. Networked consultants who ruthlessly execute everything needed to win campaigns.
Today it is salmon...
Tomorrow it might be your industry.
Pt 2 of the Salmon Wars series
https://t.co/YrRc1N2TOs

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

How does professionalized philanthropy control an issue?
In #SalmonWars Part 2, @zaruk shows how $ 100s of millions in foundation funding via fiscal sponsors choreograph the media, lobbyists, NGOs and lawyers.

Consequences don't matter to US carpetbaggers
https://t.co/YrRc1N2TOs

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

Why was a Washington Post "Climate Zeitgeist Reporter" invited to brief the National Academies scientific committee?
Let's be cynical. Two weeks before the Boulder lawfare case is heard in October, Shannon will be amplifying the report like it was her own.
https://t.co/zHMUgnbPd8

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

NGOs used to represent the public. They were funded by their members and public donations.
Now with unimagined amounts coming in from networks of foundations via consultants aiming at impact campaigns, the interests of the public no longer matters.
https://t.co/NWj4pLQ1zL

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

Activists with funding and networks from professionalized philanthropy are investing in coordinated campaigns against salmon aquaculture.
Pt 1 of the Chilean Salmon War looks at the hundreds of millions pouring into campaigns against salmon farming.
@zaruk
https://t.co/NWj4pLQ1zL

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

While we can't stop foundations from pumping millions of dollars into policy debates to dominate the narrative and control the outcome, there are things we can do to limit their ethical and procedural violations. Here are 5 recommendations from @zaruk.
https://t.co/vWZMGhttpp

[THE FIREBREAK @the_firebreak]

In the last decade, foundations have moved into the environmental-health policy arena.
@zaruk argues this is due to the professionalization of philanthropy, where political consultants took over management of the passive billions and dominated the issues.
https://t.co/vWZMGhttpp

[Clive Bates @Clive_Bates]

Ugh: low-grade advocacy masquerading as journalism. Imagine signing up a whole newspaper to alignment with the dominant (but mostly wrong) orthodoxy.

Why not have a goal to be “relentlessly curious, challenging, and evidence-led”?

FYI @JMacNYC