As readers of this blog will know, this blog raises fair questions about the funding of environmental activism. My goal is to raise fair questions and to do so in a fair way. Since I ask about the funding of others, it seems only fair that I answer questions about my own sources of income.
If you follow me on Twitter (I'm @FairQuestions), you will know that I am sometimes called a shill of the oil industry or it is implied that I am somehow secretly supported or funded by oil interests or conservative political interests. That is entirely untrue.
The truth is, I am not funded or directed by anyone. I write this blog entirely of my own initiative. That was the case when I first started this blog in 2010 and that is still the case four years down the road. If the research and writing that is presented here were funded by anyone, I would have no hesitation to say so.
If you do a quick search of the internet, you will find that there are two web-sites that appear to have used some of my research: Our Decision and Money Trail. Both projects invited me to participate, however since both of them have undisclosed funders, I declined.
During the first few years that I wrote this blog, I had no income whatsoever in relation to the research and writing that is presented here. That changed in 2011 when I received a couple of invitations to speak at various conferences, and I received a couple of modest honorariums. While I was writing this blog regularly during the first half of 2012, I voluntarily disclosed those honoriums. (For that, click here). I had anticipated that eventually somebody would ask "who funds you?" so I have had a post at this blog to answer this question since September of 2011.
Since June of 2012 when I thought I was done with writing this blog, I have continued to contribute occasionally to The Financial Post and have been invited to speak at several events sponsored by industry associations affiliated with the oil and gas industry, or the mining industry, including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, the Pipeline Contractors Association of Canada, the Canadian Association of Geophysical Contractors, the Inuvik Petroleum Show and the Yukon Chamber of Mines. I have also spoken at several events sponsored by companies and investment firms that are invested in the Canadian oil and gas industry. It is because of these honorariums that I have been able to afford to continue writing over the past year.
During 2014, I also received several honorariums for articles that have been published by The Financial Post, for Alberta Oil magazine and Business in Calgary (<$5,000 in all).
No doubt about it, receiving speaking fees or honorariums or funding of any kind does put a writer in a potential dilemna. I understand that. Under my current circumstances, I feel that the best that I can offer to do is to be transparent about my situation.
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