Recently the Environmental Defense Fund's Executive Director Fred Krupp has criticized the proposed merger between Exxon and Mobil on grounds that the two corporations oppose the Kyoto global warming treaty. Yet the Environmental Defense Fund ( EDF ) has carried out a similar merger with an opponent of the treaty.

An EDF non-profit subsidiary the "Environmental Resources Trust" (ERT) includes on its seven person board C. Boyden Gray.  Not only is Mr. Gray on the board, but he is Chairman of the board.  For Mr. Gray to chair this environmental project is surprising to say the least. In 1997 Gray led the industry campaign to neutralize the effort of EPA's chief Carol Browner to strengthen the nation's clean air standards.  It is the height of audacity to think of Gray as an environmentalist in that he has followed in the footsteps of James Watt -- the actions of both men have been so outrageous that they created issues for environmentalists to rally against and to base fund-raising appeals. Let's look at the reasons why Gray's presence on ERT's board is like inviting the wolf into the hen house.