Denialgate
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In addition to the funding provided to some "independent" climate skeptics such as [[Anthony Watts]], the papers reveal that Heartland actively solicits funding from industrial interests allied with Heartland's own stances in favor of [[fracking]], charter schools, and the deregulation of the financial industry, and in opposition to climate activism and universal healthcare. | In addition to the funding provided to some "independent" climate skeptics such as [[Anthony Watts]], the papers reveal that Heartland actively solicits funding from industrial interests allied with Heartland's own stances in favor of [[fracking]], charter schools, and the deregulation of the financial industry, and in opposition to climate activism and universal healthcare. | ||
| − | The proposed budget and fundraising plan include proof that the Heartland Institute actively fabricates local "grass-roots" opposition to issues, as with their plan for "Operation Angry Badger," which would create and fund a series of small websites in Wisconsin to support the restrictions on collective bargaining by unions that were recently passed in that state. The documents also describe Heartland's work on paying David Wojick to product a global warming curriculum for K-12 schools" that casts the science as a controversy and that global warming may not be ascribed to human activity,<ref>http://thinkprogress.org/green/2012/02/14/425354/internal-documents-climate-denier-heartland-institute-plans-global-warming-curriculum-for-k-12-schools/?mobile=nc</ref> consistent with Heartland's position on global warming. | + | The proposed budget and fundraising plan include proof that the Heartland Institute actively fabricates local "grass-roots" opposition to issues, as with their plan for "Operation Angry Badger," which would create and fund a series of small websites in Wisconsin to support the restrictions on collective bargaining by unions that were recently passed in that state. The documents also describe Heartland's work on paying David Wojick to product a global warming curriculum for K-12 schools "that casts the science as a controversy and that global warming may not be ascribed to human activity,<ref>http://thinkprogress.org/green/2012/02/14/425354/internal-documents-climate-denier-heartland-institute-plans-global-warming-curriculum-for-k-12-schools/?mobile=nc</ref> consistent with Heartland's position on global warming. |
==The smoking gun memo== | ==The smoking gun memo== | ||
Revision as of 18:59, 22 February 2012
| Not just a river in Egypt |
| A dirty dozen gems |
Denialgate refers to the release of controversial documents from the Heartland Institute, a conservative American think tank. The name is analogous to Climategate.
The documents were obtained by Peter Gleick, an environmental scientist concentrating on freshwater habitats and climate change and also co-founder of the Pacific Institute, who has been one of the leading voices in modern climatology. The documents revealed the organization's plans for their work to "debunk" climate change, including payments made to prominent "independent" climate skeptics like Fred Singer.[1]
Contents |
Contents
The documents were fairly uninteresting and mostly only related to a recent board meeting. They include a list of personnel and board members, a proposed fundraising plan for 2012, a proposed budget for 2012, an agenda and minutes for the meeting, and a few other minor papers. Most of the most inflammatory quotes and numbers that were publicized by climate advocates are actually found within the forged memo included with the other documents, which misstated or cartoonishly exaggerated Heartland's unpleasant goals and methods.
In addition to the funding provided to some "independent" climate skeptics such as Anthony Watts, the papers reveal that Heartland actively solicits funding from industrial interests allied with Heartland's own stances in favor of fracking, charter schools, and the deregulation of the financial industry, and in opposition to climate activism and universal healthcare.
The proposed budget and fundraising plan include proof that the Heartland Institute actively fabricates local "grass-roots" opposition to issues, as with their plan for "Operation Angry Badger," which would create and fund a series of small websites in Wisconsin to support the restrictions on collective bargaining by unions that were recently passed in that state. The documents also describe Heartland's work on paying David Wojick to product a global warming curriculum for K-12 schools "that casts the science as a controversy and that global warming may not be ascribed to human activity,[2] consistent with Heartland's position on global warming.
The smoking gun memo
One of the documents, a memo on "Climate Strategy", contains particularly damaging statements. The Heartland Institute claims this document is a fabrication. Many sources express strong doubt about authenticity, giving specific reasons to discredit it. Defenders of Gleick, however, still claim, without addressing the obvious concerns, that "there is no reason to think it is fake." In other words, it confirms what they believe about Heartland, therefore it is not fake. Logic like this will not save the planet.[3][4][5]
Origins
Gleick describes the process of obtaining the documents:
- At the beginning of 2012, I received an anonymous document in the mail describing what appeared to be details of the Heartland Institute's climate program strategy. It contained information about their funders and the Institute's apparent efforts to muddy public understanding about climate science and policy. I do not know the source of that original document but assumed it was sent to me because of my past exchanges with Heartland and because I was named in it.
- Given the potential impact however, I attempted to confirm the accuracy of the information in this document. In an effort to do so, and in a serious lapse of my own and professional judgment and ethics, I solicited and received additional materials directly from the Heartland Institute under someone else's name. The materials the Heartland Institute sent to me confirmed many of the facts in the original document, including especially their 2012 fundraising strategy and budget. I forwarded, anonymously, the documents I had received to a set of journalists and experts working on climate issues.[6]
The Heartland Institute has responded that "[a] mere apology is not enough to undo the damage" and that while "Gleick also claims he did not write the forged memo... [t]his too is unbelievable. Many independent commentators already have concluded the memo was most likely written by Gleick."[7] Joe Bast, president of the Heartland Institute, ascribes Gleick as the source of the climate strategy document.
While the reactions to Gleick's misdeed(s) from climate skeptics have ranged uniformly from anger to outrage, the reception from his fellow climate activists has been much more mixed. Richard Littlemore (author of Climate Cover-up) continues to refer to him as a "whistleblower" and says that "[f]or his courage, his honor, and for performing a selfless act of public service, he deserves our gratitude and applause,"[8] whereas other commentators like Andrew Revkin point out that Gleick's continued dishonesty "leaves his reputation in ruins and threatens to undercut the cause he spent so much time pursuing":
- One way or the other, Gleick’s use of deception in pursuit of his cause after years of calling out climate deception has destroyed his credibility and harmed others. (Some of the released documents contain information about Heartland employees that has no bearing on the climate fight.) That is his personal tragedy and shame (and I’m sure devastating for his colleagues, friends and family).
- The broader tragedy is that his decision to go to such extremes in his fight with Heartland has greatly set back any prospects of the country having the “rational public debate” that he wrote — correctly — is so desperately needed.[9]
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ "In the Climate Advocacy Wars the Biggest Casualty Is Reality", Chron.com
- ↑ http://thinkprogress.org/green/2012/02/14/425354/internal-documents-climate-denier-heartland-institute-plans-global-warming-curriculum-for-k-12-schools/?mobile=nc
- ↑ Megan McArdle, "Leaked Docs from Heartland Institute Cause a Stir But Is One a Fake" The Atlantic.
- ↑ *What Gleick did
- ↑ http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/2012/02/21/peter-gleick-the-heartland-revelations-and-situational-journalism/
- ↑ "The Origin of the Heartland Documents", The Huffington Post.
- ↑ "Statement by the Heartland Institute on Gleick Confession," Watt's Up with That?
- ↑ "Whistleblower Authenticates Heartland Documents", Desmogblog
- ↑ "Peter Gleick Admits to Deception in Obtaining Heartland Climate Files", Dot Earth.