Climate denial, Koch brothers style

If you've ever visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York, you're aware of the David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing.

But this isn't the billionaire's only foray into Jurrasic-era thinking.

The U.K.–based Independent newspaper has revealed that a group with ties to the Koch family has indirectly supported the Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, which has poured millions of dollars into efforts to deny that human beings are contributing to climate change.

According to the Independent, Donors is receiving vast sums from the Knowledge and Progress Fund, which is operated by the Koch family.

"Some commentators believe that such convoluted arrangements are becoming increasingly common to shield the identity and backgrounds of the wealthy supporters of climate scepticism—some of whom have vested interests in the fossil-fuel industry," the Independent reported.

David and his brother Charles own the second-largest private company in the United States, Koch Industries, according to Forbes magazine.

Last year, the contiguous U.S. (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) shattered the record for the highest average temperature on an annual basis by a full degree.