By Jim Lakely
Speech by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, others, showed the world that climate realism on the rise
APRIL 10, 2026 — The Heartland Institute’s 16th International Conference on Climate Change — co hosted by CFACT, the CO2 Coalition, and Watts Up With That — kicked off with a bang and made global news with the opening keynote by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. Click the image below or here to watch the video, and the links to 20 stories about Zeldin and the event below.
Media outlets that covered his speech included …
The New York Times:
Climate Change Denial Sees a Resurgence in Trump’s Washington
A conference near the White House drew hundreds of people who reject the scientific consensus on climate change. The mood was triumphant.
Wall Street Journal:
New York Times Keeping the Climate Faith
Associated Press:
Zeldin tells climate skeptics to ‘celebrate vindication’ after repeal of baseline climate rule
CBS News:
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin tells climate skeptics to “celebrate vindication” after law repealed
Le Moande (France):
Climate change deniers have had their day: the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency tramples on science during a conference in Washington
For the first time in the history of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, its administrator delivered a speech at a conference organized by the Heartland Institute, one of the most influential bastions of climate skepticism in the country.
American Thinker:
Lee Zeldin, a giant in the room
PJ Media:
This Is the Best Thing You’ve Heard an EPA Administrator Say
Yahoo News:
EPA chief tells climate skeptics to celebrate rule repeal as March heat breaks records
The Hill:
Zeldin gives keynote address at climate skeptic conference
Bloomberg:
Lee Zeldin Touts EPA Rollbacks at Climate Denial Conference
POLITICO:
At climate contrarian gathering, allies urge Trump to keep Zeldin at EPA
At a Heartland Institute conference near the White House, climate contrarians celebrated the rollback of regulations under EPA chief Lee Zeldin while urging Trump not to elevate him to attorney general, fearing it would stall their agenda.
RedState:
Zeldin Zings Climate Fanatics, Says US Will No Longer Bend the Knee to ‘Gloom and Doom’ Crowd
Inside Climate News:
Zeldin Celebrates Endangerment Finding Repeal With Climate Skeptics
The Guardian:
Trump’s EPA chief Zeldin gives keynote speech at climate-denying group’s event
News Prima (Italy):
In the US, the head of environmental protection goes to the conference of climate deniers
The shocking position: “CO₂ emissions are healthy: they could have benefits for plant growth and, in general, for society.”
Just the News:
Zeldin touts EPA rescinding ‘endangerment finding’ on greenhouse gases, says ‘celebrate vindication’
The New York Times:
Climate Denial Comes to Washington
A conference of climate change deniers, a warning about the world’s largest penguin species, record low snowpack in the West, plus more climate news.
Newsmax:
Climate Skeptics Urge Trump to Keep Zeldin at EPA
ClearTechnica:
EPA Head Lee Zeldin Celebrates Victory Over Climate Science
World Magazine:
EPA head Lee Zeldin defends axing climate change policies
Did you miss the conference?
Watch the archived live-streams at the climate conference website. (NOTE: Forgive some technical glitches. Each of the presentations will be re-posted on that site in the near future.)
Jim Lakely is the Vice President and Director of Communications of The Heartland Institute.
Well Done..! Continuing to lead the fight against alarmism..!
It is a long march down the winding road back to climate reality.
I was not surprised that much of the herein cited MSM coverage was negative. I was surprised that there was significant MSM coverage. THAT indicates progress. We can no longer just be ignored.
To quote the aphorism attributed (probably wrongly) to Gandhi: “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” So we are now along the way to winning the climate war in the ridicule to fight phases. MSM is in the ridicule phase. Climate lawfare already entered the fight phase and has lost EVERY case so far (by my count over 20, while the Montana not yet fully decided exception would apply only in Montana due to a quirk in that state’s mining future harm law). The general fight phase will be short, because warmunists got nothing to fight with—Models proved wrong, predictions failed, renewable ‘solutions’ manifestly do NOT work at scale…
The Climate Alarmists must be asking themselves how they got into this situation.
They spent billions of dollars on getting the Climate Crisis message out, and have all the lefty politicians and the scientific institutions and the News Media on their side and they are still losing!
The reason is it is becoming apparent to more people that there is no evidence that CO2 is having any discernible effect on the Earth’s climate or weather.
True, though I do notice that plants seem happier- now that they have more CO2 to inhale. 🙂
“climate deniers”
I have never denied there is a climate. It appears when they say “climate,” they mean CAGW without speaking it. What a bunch of maroons.
That’s nice…now, who’s the next president and how long will it take to undo all the progress? If climate crisis doesn’t work they have a bag full of tricks to achieve global governance and sustainability…which we now know means a return to the 19th century.
One of my biggest disappointments with Trump is how little of his executive orders have been backed up by legislation, and how little he seems to care about keeping the House and Senate in the midterms. Those EOs can be undone by EOs too easily. The GOP may yet pull off wins come November, but Trump’s actions make it look like he doesn’t care.
The Republicans don’t have a big enough majority in Congress to pass any bill they want.
They would be putting Trump’s entire agenda into law if they could.
Seven more Republican Senators and a few more representatives and life would be good for the country.
Or the Senate could abolish the Filibuster and then Republicans could go around the Democrats and get something done.
The problem with that is Republicans may not be able to get 50 votes out of their 53 Senators. There may be enough holdouts to prevent the bill from passing.
Maybe this continued non-payment of government employees will persuade enough Republican Senators to bust the Filibuster and get people paid and the government back on track.
Politicians of both parties in Congress have decided that the best way to be reelected is to do nothing. That leaves them free to complain about what the President is doing. When was the last time you saw an interview with a member of Congress that really delved into policy details that they would support..
I think that Trump is keeping his powder dry for the mid-terms. There are lots of issues simmering here where the data will be unequivocal – massive democrat fraud in California, proof of 2020 election fraud everywhere. Given the short attention spans of many voters, it would be a waste to use them now. He’ll most likely drop them in October, primarily onto social media. Who gives a shhh!t about CNN and MS No One Watches any more. Meanwhile, he’s getting on with his pet projects whether or not they’re popular. Plus, the democrats have no leadership of note.
I hope I’m right.
I’m more optimistic as I think the American public is so tired of everything woke. One clue is:
Bill Maher BRUTALLY EXPOSES Why The Left Keeps LOSING Voters On Live TV
“19th century”
No. 14th century and prior times, aka the dark ages (and the pun is intended).
Without the preposterous endangerment finding they have nothing supporting their absurd delusions. Sanity is returning!
And yet, even though the CO2 Endangerment Finding has been rescinded, The True Believers continue with their advocacy and activism.
The clueless are incapable of admitting they are wrong because it is a faith based ideology that has abandoned reason for advocacy.
It doesn’t matter what they admit is wrong. It matters what they convince the courts of.
Sorry, but I must disagree. They did not need the endangerment finding to support their delusions. It is just a legal construct to allow regulation of CO2 by EPA.
Just read Alan Carlin’s June 2009 comments on the Technical Support document for the EF. It is a masterful analysis of the legal and technical problems with the draft EF, but they did not have any impact on the progress of the document.
I hope sanity is returning, but I suspect it will have no impact on those who are deluded.
“They did not need the endangerment finding to support their delusions.”
The point I didn’t articulate well enough is that without the endangerment finding the house of cards supporting their delusions about CO2 being harmful and needing regulation collapses. They can no longer force those delusions on society through government coercion.
This conference is a really good thing. I see the negative press as an opportunity rather than hurtful. Any article that refers to us as deniers, science deniers, climate deniers or trash us for stating that CO2 is not only beneficial but necessary should directly and publicly be challenged. We should get in their face and challenge them, we will put our science up against theirs any day just give us the place and time.
Name-calling is all they have left.
I think Zeldin is still front runner for new USAG. He’d be a great AG, I don’t have a problem with Harmeet Dhillon either, she’s fabulous also..
I like Harmeet, too.
Excellent news. I’m delighted!
A brief aside about Le Monde, France’s largest daily newspaper: it has become a bastion of climate alarmism. This paper is in the hands of true leftists. It enjoys a reputation for neutrality (much like AFP, a “fact-checking” organization that stamps a patronizing red cross over any information that goes against the prevailing orthodoxy).
There was a time when Le Monde was a very high-quality newspaper, with in-depth articles that genuinely informed the public and analyzed the global geopolitical situation. Now, it’s no longer possible to express oneself there unless one aligns exactly with the orthodoxy.
The fight must continue. One thing worries me: when eco-leftists realize they’ve lost, in the eyes of the public, on the scientific front, I fear they may turn to acts of terrorism. So many young people have been drawn into this millenarian cult that I’m concerned about what they might do as a “last resort.”
Then we win!
But it might end up being a really Pyrrhic victory. Jut take a look at the lengths some are willing to go to … look at how willing they are to put people in the cold and dark in the middle of a brutal cold spell to ‘make their point’ (Berlin) ….
Let’s hope that will remain an isolated event and won’t become the norm.
That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. If they come to collectively consider that large-scale violence is the only way to “save the world,” I fear we could be in for very, very unpleasant surprises. Imagine small groups of Ted Kaczynski–like figures spreading terror in the West, sabotaging infrastructure in the name of their eco-delusional ideology.
Leftist do tend towards violence.
But I don’t think they will have much success in the United States. The Right will fight back if pushed far enough and they have the means to do so.
I’m not too worried about the USA. On the other hand, for Europe…
“Watch the archived live-streams at the climate conference website. (NOTE: Forgive some technical glitches. Each of the presentations will be re-posted on that site in the near future.)”
Put them on YouTube!
Sadly, YouTube is not a site where freedom of speech is honored.
Of the 20 headlines, only 2 were neutral, which is what real news papers are obliged to present.
13 of 20: denier, skeptics, contrarians.
Such is the state of our information space.