Guest Post by Joe Bast
In a December 28 post, blogger Greg Laden, a self-described “biological anthropologist and science communicator,” ranked The Heartland Institute’s efforts to expose global warming alarmism as one of the “top climate stories of 2012”. I suppose we should be flattered, but his error-filled explanation for including us in the list requires some corrections:
- Heartland isn’t a “climate denial ‘think’ tank.” Last time I checked, no Heartland spokesperson ever denied the existence of the climate, or even climate change.
- Heartland didn’t “implode” or “suffer major damage” in 2012. In fact, we increased receipts by about 15% from 2011, increased the number of donors nearly four-fold, more than doubled the number of policy advisors (to 237), and set records for press attention and online traffic for our sites. 2012 was a breakthrough year for us, thanks in no small part to the attention generated by our work on global warming/cooling.
- We have never tried to “prove that cigarette smoking was not bad for you.” We do argue that taxes on smokers are too high and second-hand smoke is not the public health threat that anti-smoking zealots claim.
- We were not “caught red handed trying to fund an effort explicitly (but secretly) designed to damage science education in public schools.” That description is based on a fake memo circulated by disgraced water scientist Peter Gleick. We announced the curriculum project in our members newsletter and explained there that our intent is to help de-politicize the issue. How is that a bad thing?
- We did run a billboard about global warming, but it did not “equat[e] people who thought the climate science on global warming is based on facts and is not a fraud with well-known serial killers.” The billboard simply pointed out that Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, still believes in global warming, and asked viewers if they do, too. We know why lefties went nuts over it – Kaczynski, after all, is one of their own – but it wasn’t inaccurate or offensive.
- We lost a few corporate donors who couldn’t stand the heat when liberal advocacy groups, using a donor list stolen by the aforementioned Peter Gleick, circulated online petitions demanding that they stop funding us. But as already mentioned, we gained many more donors than we lost and had an exceptionally good fundraising year.
- Laden ends by saying The Heartland Institute, “which never was really that big, is now no longer a factor in the climate change.” He’s right that we aren’t very big – about $6 million a year – but he’s wrong about the role we continue to play in the international debate. Our Eighth International Conference on Climate Change, held in Munich on November 31-December 1, 2012, was a huge success. We’ve got projects on climate already lined up for 2013 that make 2012 look like a dress rehearsal.
In short, Heartland played a major role in shaping the debate over global warming in 2012, and we expect to play an even larger role in 2013. Sometimes it takes a little controversy to break through media bias and public indifference. Heartland achieved this in 2012.
Joe Bast is the president of the Heartland Institute
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Note to get a window into the strange and hateful mind of Greg Laden, all you need to do is read his about page here and scroll down. Pity the soul that lives in Texas or West Virginia.
– Anthony
Rocky Road;
Yeah, I remember being afforded a glimpse of a room containing a few of the latest Bernoulli drives, about 4′ high and 2′ diameter, each holding an unheard of 10 MB, on several platters. For about $100K each, back when $1000 was a lot of money. They were owned by a bank, of course.
Joe Bast;
I disagree with all the “billboard” slammers. The motivation, content, and effect were all excellent.
Jim, the family member does not “do” computer, so it was only cable TV input.
As I said, I was able to overcome the difficulty posed. However, if you had compared Ted’s belief to Al Gore’s or David Suzuki’s, It would have been so much better than to point at the viewer of the ad.
Next time !
Thanks!
“However, if you had compared Ted’s belief to Al Gore’s or David Suzuki’s, It would have been so much better than to point at the viewer of the ad.”
If the billboard did that, you would not have heard about it. Have you taken the test that asks you to pick either Ted Kazynski or Al Gore as the author of several sentences and paragraphs. The sentiments and writing style are so similar, it is almost impossible to pick the correct author most of the time. I know many in the skeptical community that have taken the test, but I don’t know anyone outside the community that has even heard about it. It gets no coverage.
The Heartland billboard hit a nerve with the MSM and the public. Consequently, there are more people paying attention and some of them are discerning the truth.
Greg Laden is a real “winner”.
Greg Laden who identifies himself as a feminist, claims men are testosterone damaged women.
Jim Lakely
Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.
Mike M says: January 1, 2013 at 7:19 am
Lucy Skywalker says: * it explains the serious cover-up that exists concerning the real energy alternatives (over-unity motors , ……
… I’m proudly comfortable be associated with someone like Fred Singer because he strives to base his opinions on scientific facts.
In stark contrast however, I am about as comfortable being associated with anyone who claims to have ‘harnessed’ perpetual motion as I am being associated with 911 ‘truthers’ because none of them have ever demonstrated their machinery to work in a verifiable scientific setting, (closed box). Just like CAGW hoaxsters, they supply their own manufactured ‘proof’ and purchased testimonials because their only real intent is to swindle people.
Don’t be fooled, no one has ever demonstrated that they know how to violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics within the confines of the limited universe in which we live.
Mike, thanks for that reality check. I forgot to append evidence to my WUWT post – which, in order to uphold “nullius in verba”, I generally try to do. You inspired me as to which evidence to use, thanks. Please get back to me on my website email address, WHEN you have studied the evidence presented here. It is precisely because you cannot see this close, precise, free-of-theory examination of evidence anywhere else, that this lady has spoken up. She is a professor of mechanical engineering. Here it is.
Some people are going to be challenged to revise, not the Second Law per se, just their interpretations of it. There’s lots of evidence to be found, in between the fraudsters and doubters and showmen and suppressors. You just need to look carefully and without preconceptions, as per real Scientific Method.
Jim Clarke said
“thisisnotgoodtogosaid
‘However, if you had compared Ted’s belief to Al Gore’s or David Suzuki’s, It would have been so much better than to point at the viewer of the ad.’
If the billboard did that, you would not have heard about it. Have you taken the test that asks you to pick either Ted Kazynski or Al Gore as the author of several sentences and paragraphs. The sentiments and writing style are so similar, it is almost impossible to pick the correct author most of the time. I know many in the skeptical community that have taken the test, but I don’t know anyone outside the community that has even heard about it. It gets no coverage.
The Heartland billboard hit a nerve with the MSM and the public. Consequently, there are more people paying attention and some of them are discerning the truth.”
It could be said that more are tending to accept the skeptical side, but “more compared to what” is important too.
If it’s more than before, fine.
If it’s not more than turn the other way, not so fine.
Here’s where that billboard ad will hurt: When (or indeed if) a case against Gleick comes to court.
Any juror (and/or judge) who’s heard of the billboard ad will be less inclined to be outraged at Gleick’s behavior, and thus less inclined to find him guilty and/or to mulct him heavily.
It might also affect the willingness of a prosecutor to bring criminal charges against him.
These downsides far outweigh any actual or potential upsides.
Here’s a hypothetical ad that would be far more outrageous, but that has some parallels to the Unabomber ad. I.e., it would have sacrificed the high road in exchange for some short-term benefits–and that the sacrifice wouldn’t be worth it in the long run:
Image: Herr Adolf H.
Caption: He thought second-hand smoke was dangerous. Do you?
That would be universally regarded as “going too far” and hitting below the belt. It would mean that the media would treat other emanations from such an organization (such as its conferences and publications) as unworthy of attention (or not “fit to print”).
The Unabomber ad has had and will have something of the same effect–although that’s not fair. But it would have been wise to recognize that it would be used as an excuse by an unfair media to (further) marginalize Heartland.
Re Greg Laden:
http://www.liangbuacave.org