Here’s a cute little video about Al Gore and his stand on global warming:

The video apparently stirred up a minor controversy last summer.   It appeared as an advertisement on Google when people searched for “Al Gore” or “global warming.”  Here’s a little article from the Center for Media and Democracy that explains the flap.  (Source: The Wall Street Journal of August 3, 2006.)

The video “Al Gore’s Penguin Army,” which belittles the threat of global warming (suggesting viewers “stop exhaling”) and makes fun of the former vice-president, has a “home-made, humorous quality.”  Yet the filmmaker’s email links him to “DCI Group, a Washington, D.C., public relations and lobbying firm whose clients include oil company Exxon Mobil,” reports the Wall Street Journal.  Ads promoting the penguin video appeared to people searching for “Al Gore” or “Global Warming” on the Google search engine, but these ads “were removed shortly after The Wall Street Journal contacted DCI.”  DCI’s Tech Central Station Web site has also “sought to raise doubts about the science of global warming and about Mr. Gore’s film.”  The firm “declines to say whether or not DCI made the anti-Gore penguin video,” but an Exxon spokesperson said they “did not fund” and “did not approve it.”  What is certain is that “political operatives, public relations experts and ad agencies” are increasingly using video-sharing Web sites like YouTube to shape public opinion.  Ogilvy & Mather “plans to post amateur-looking videos on Web sites to spare word-of-mouth buzz about Foster’s beer,” and AT&T has used YouTube to post videos against net neutrality.

And what if this DCI outfit did make the video?  And what if one of its clients is Exxon Mobil?  Questionable science is still questionable science, and anyone has the right to publish their views about the issue of global warming.  Even if it happens to be published in the form of a funny video.

Note: According to the Center for Media and Democracy:

The DCI Group, LLC is top Republican lobby and public relations firm associated with telemarketing company Feather Larson & Synhorst DCI and the direct-mail firm FYI Messaging. The DCI group publishes the website Tech Central Station and has close ties to the George W. Bush administration. Incorporated in 1997 in Phoenix, Arizona, Timothy N. Hyde, Douglas M. Goodyear, and Thomas J. Synhorst are listed as the LLC’s managers. In addition, Christopher A. Holt is listed as a member.

The horror!  They’re criminals!

Technorati Tags: Al Gore, stand, global warming, minor controversy, last summer, advertisement, Google, Center for Media and Democracy, The Wall Street Journal, Al Gore’s Penguin Army, belittles the threat, stop exhaling, former vice-president, filmmaker, DCI Group, Washington, D.C., public relations, lobbying firm, clients, oil company, Exxon Mobil, Google search engine, Tech Central Station, raise doubts, science of global warming, Mr. Gore’s film, anti-Gore, Exxon spokesperson, political operatives, public relations experts, ad agencies, video-sharing, shape public opinion, Ogilvy & Mather, Foster’s beer, AT&T, YouTube, questionable science, funny video, Republican lobby and public relations firm, Feather Larson & Synhorst DCI, FYI Messaging, George W. Bush administration, Phoenix, Arizona, Timothy N. Hyde, Douglas M. Goodyear, Thomas J. Synhorst, managers, Christopher A. Holt