Lost in translation? Mais non!

Today the French newspaper L’Express attacked CEI and other skeptics of catastrophic global warming as “les négationnistes” or “deniers” — following the low ground captured by Senators Snowe and Rockefeller (see earlier posts on this).

It’s interesting too that the article needed some serious fact-checking — not only about the science of global warming, but about CEI. L’Express said that CEI is “une organisation de lobbying créée par ExxonMobil.” (Translation: “a lobbying organization created by ExxonMobil”)

Mais non! CEI was créée, founded, established — whatever he did — by Fred L. Smith, Jr. in 1984 — with no money or involvement by ExxonMobil (having a working spouse was helpful). For its first year, CEI operated from our apartment, with one underpaid employee knocking on the door each morning. (C’est une histoire triste, n’est-ce pas?)

What’s also shocking about this article is its — shall I say — l’arrogance francais. Check out this quote from the article: “Aujourd’hui, le doute n’est plus permis.” No translation needed.