ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə blˈuːmɜːɡ nˈuːz, ðə ɡɹˈuːp wʌz "fˈaʊndᵻd tə pɹəmˈoʊt sˈɪvəl dᵻfˈɛns dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə kˈoʊld wˈɔːɹ", ænd hˈæzbiːn "tɹænsfˈɔːɹmd ˌoʊvɚ ðə jˈɪɹz ˌɪntʊ ɐ fˈoːɹəm" ˈɔn "fɹˈɪndʒsˈaɪəns tˈɑːpɪks" sˈʌtʃ ɐz ɡlˈoʊbəl wˈɔːɹmɪŋ dᵻnˈaɪəl.
According to Bloomberg News, the group was "founded to promote civil defense during the Cold War", and has been "transformed over the years into a forum" on "fringe-science topics" such as global warming denial.