A national consumer watchdog group contends there are valid reasons for theextreme heat we’re experiencing. The U-S Public Interest Research Group helda press conferences at an Amoco gas station in Des Moines to release itsanalysis of fossil fuel companies’ contributions to global warming.Spokesperson Sarah Kogel-Smucker says 20 private companies produce 22percent of the world’s carbon pollution.Many of the companies are found in Iowa. She calls them the “Kingpins ofCarbon.” Kogel-Smucker says some U-S “carbon kingpins” are worse than entirecountries.The top 10 U-S “Carbon Kingpins” identified by the group (in order 1 to 10)are Exxon, Peabody, ARCO, Chevron, Mobil, Cyprus Amax, Amoco, Texaco,Consol, and Arch Coal.