Craig Rucker
Credentials
- M.P.A., SUNY Albany.1โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
Background
Craig Rucker is the co-founder and executive director of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), which was founded in 1985 to โpromote a positive voice on environment and development issues.โ2โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014. 3โAbout,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
Rucker’s strong belief in the โpower of the market combined with the applications of safe technologies,โ to โoffer humanity practical solutions to many of the world’s pressing concerns,โ resulted in โa number of leading scientists, academics, and policy leadersโ joining Rucker in his CFACT efforts, according to CFACT’s โAboutโ page.4โAbout,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014. Those who joined Rucker’s CFACT include co-founder David Rothbard, as well as Director of Communications, Marc Morano, and Senior Policy Advisor, Paul Driessen.5โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
The Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow has received funding from ExxonMobil, Chevron, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars from foundations associated with Richard Mellon Scaife. In 2011, Craig Rucker received $103,895 from CFACT for his role as executive director, according to 2011 IRS Forms (PDF).6โ2011 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990 – PDF): Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow,โ retrieved from CFACT.org. Archived November 21, 2014.
Rucker has decades of experience providing โexpertise to a wide range of government, academic, media, and industry forums,โ with his written work appearing in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, USA Today, and the BBC. While at CFACT, Rucker has held the โprimary responsibility for helping build CFACT’s Collegians program on more than 40 campuses across the country,โ and has both attended and brought teams of student delegates to UN conferences in Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun, Montreal, and more.7โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
Stance on Climate Change
โCFACT is committed to educating the public and exposing global warming for what it truly is โ a massive redistribution scheme. This scheme is not designed to strengthen the U.S. economy, but to throttle it down.โ8Craig Rucker. โCFACTโs new billboard exposes global warming โ in their own words,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
Key Quotes
2015
On the UN climate agreement reached in 2015:9Michael Bastasch. โSkeptic Warns UN Treaty โPlants The Seedsโ Of New โClimate Regimeโ,โ The Daily Caller, December 14, 2016. Archived March 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/myTis
โThis agreement will not meaningfully alter the temperature of the Earth, even under the U.N.โs own computer models.
โThe bad news is that it plants the seeds of a new UN climate regime that left unchecked will swell into a bureaucratic behemoth.โ
2014
โCFACT students ventured outside the air conditioned comfort of the conference center yesterday and took to the Cancun streets spelling out, โstop energy poverty now!โ and voicing their opposition to a climate treaty loud and clear. It is easy for us to envision the harm a global warming treaty would do to the United States and its allies, but do give thought to the devastating trap it will create for the those who have never had electricity.โ10Craig Rucker. โA Cancun Christmas Carol,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, December 3, 2010. Archived December 1, 2014.
โRenewable energy schemes can no longer be justified by claims that we are rapidly running out of fossil fuels that are causing dangerous man-made global warming. Hydraulic fracturing has obliterated the depletion myth, while climate change fears are belied by a 16-year hiatus from planetary warming, historic lows in hurricane and tornado activity, and the abject failure of CO2-focused climate computer models.โ11Craig Rucker. โNot so bright lights,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, August 14, 2013. Archived December 1, 2014.
2013
โPresident Obamaโs alternative strategy of using the EPA and other agencies to wage a backdoor war on carbon energy through misdirection and pretext, robs the people and their elected representatives, who would not support these restrictions voluntarily, of their constitutional prerogatives. Green movement radicals have always been at their core, fundamentally anti-democratic.
โObservational science just isnโt there for global warming extremism. The UKโs Met Office data shows no warming for the past 16 years. NOAAโs data shows any warming there may have been, has been confined to only three quarters of a degree. How much (if any) of that little bit of warming is due to your over the top car driving, air traveling, warm single family home lifestyle is more than debatable.
โWhat should Washington due about warming? Harken to Hippocrates and ‘first, do no harm.’ From CFACTโs considered perspective, Washington should find the courage to do nothing.โ12Craig Rucker. โGlobal warming? Washington should find the courage to do nothing,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, February 2, 2013.
Key Actions
October 31โNovember 12, 2021
Rucker, representing CFACT, attended the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. According to Peter Murphy, one of CFACT’s other representatives shown in the official provisional list of registered participants (PLOP), CFACT activists handed out copies of Marc Morano‘s Climate Hustle 2 film during the event.13Peter Murphy. “COP 26: Armageddon awaits at the UN Climate Conference,” CFACT, November 3, 2021. Archived November 3, 2021. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/tx2Qo 14“Provisional list of registered participants” (PDF), UNFCCC, November 1, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Murphy wrote:15Peter Murphy. “COP 26: Armageddon awaits at the UN Climate Conference,” CFACT, November 3, 2021. Archived November 3, 2021. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/tx2Qo
“CFACT got to ask the only question permitted by NGOs. I stepped forward and asked them to comment about scientific findings which show that increased carbon emissions actually boost crop yields, which have led to record harvests for feeding the world. This would mean that CO2 isnโt just a ‘problem,’ but a benefit to helping feed the world. The panelists were having none of it โ with one of them saying that any impact from CO2 has only a’negative’ effects, particularly on Africa, the region he represented.
Call that real climate denial.”
Listed CFACT representatives included:
- Craig Rucker
- Harry Wilkinson
- Marc Morano
- Peter Murphy
- Travis Burk
February 25โMarch 3, 2021
Craig Rucker published an article in the Boston Herald, Inside Sources, and The Chippewa Herald arguing against tax incentives for electric vehicles. In the articles, Rucker echoed talking points of several anti-EV initiatives that have been backed by industry, as documented by DeSmog’s Koch vs Clean project.16Craig Rucker. โLifting the veil on electric vehicle subsidies,โ Boston Herald, February 27, 2021. Archived March 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/C3b8g 17Craig Rucker. โElectric Vehicle Subsidies and Other Fantasies,โ InsideSources, February 25, 2021. Archived March 9. 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/EvixQ 18Craig Rucker. โOpinion: Electric Vehicle Subsidies and Other Fantasies,โThe Chippewa Herald, March 3, 2021. Archived March 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/EvixQ 19Ben Jervey. โKoch-funded Group, Fueling US Forward, Echoes America Rising Squared in Misleading Attack on Electric Cars,โ DeSmog, July 10, 2017.
โZero-emission fantasies also ignore the essential role of fossil fuels in manufacturing ZEVs,โ Rucker claimed. โFrom mining and processing the myriad metals and minerals for battery modules, wiring, drive trains and bodies, to actually making the components and finished vehicles, every step requires oil, natural gas, or coal.โ20Craig Rucker. โLifting the veil on electric vehicle subsidies,โ Boston Herald, February 27, 2021. Archived March 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/C3b8g
He also claimed: โa 2015 study found the richest 20% of Americans received 90% of these generous EV subsidies. Lobbyists are clearly more valuable than engineers for EV manufacturers and drivers.โ21Craig Rucker. โLifting the veil on electric vehicle subsidies,โ Boston Herald, February 27, 2021. Archived March 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/C3b8g
April 6, 2020
Rucker, representing CFACT, is signatory to an American Energy Alliance letter to President Donald Trump supporting the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule which would scrap federal fuel economy mandates under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program.22CAFE-Coaliton-to-Trump-April-2020-9 (PDF), American Energy Alliance.
Describing CAFE, the letter contends: โThose families and individuals who prefer or need trucks, SUVs, and crossovers pay more to subsidize those who buy smaller vehicles or electric vehicles under the existing mandate. This significant, needless, and unjust cost is a very real regressive tax on American families that has made our country worse off.โ23CAFE-Coaliton-to-Trump-April-2020-9 (PDF), American Energy Alliance.
July 11, 2019
Craig Rucker, representing CFACT,ย wasย a signatoryย to anย American Energy Allianceย open letter to President Trump, congratulating him for rolling backย Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and urging him not to cut a deal with California to allow them to operate with separate regulations.24โDear Mr. President:โ (PDF), American Energy Alliance, July 11, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at Desmog.
โYour efforts to reform this mandate will save consumers money, preserve their choices, and ensure that the federal government, and not a single state, sets national policy,โ the letter reads.25โDear Mr. President:โ (PDF), American Energy Alliance, July 11, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at Desmog.
โThe existing mandate makes cars more expensive. โฆ In short, because of the mandate, those consumers who prefer trucks, SUVs, or crossovers pay more to subsidize those who buy smaller vehicles or electric vehicles.โ26โDear Mr. President:โ (PDF), American Energy Alliance, July 11, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at Desmog.
September 13, 2018
Crag Rucker dressed up as Al Gore and led a CFACT march against the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.27โCFACT exposes ‘climate zombies’ at California conference,โ CFACT, September 14, 2018. Archived September 17, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/A4JA5
โI (Craig Rucker), as Al Gore, stepped to the fore and said, ‘I ride around the world in personal jets and limoโs, everyone else should take public transportation.’ ‘Save the Earth stop global warming’ the climate zombies replied,โ Rucker wrote at CFACT.28โCFACT exposes ‘climate zombies’ at California conference,โ CFACT, September 14, 2018. Archived September 17, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/A4JA5
Rucker and the CFACT group repeated a number of myths around global warming, claiming โClimate models have never been right, but that doesnโt matter. [โฆ] Sea levels have risen at the same rate for centuries. Polar bears are increasing. Who cares?โ29โCFACT exposes ‘climate zombies’ at California conference,โ CFACT, September 14, 2018. Archived September 17, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/A4JA5
August 7, 2018
Rucker spoke at the Heartland Institute‘s โAmerica First Energy Conferenceโ (AFEC 2018) in New Orleans, Louisiana.30โSpeakers,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived August 1, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mwtga
โThe purpose of this event is to promote and expand energy freedom in the United States, as outlined in President Donald Trumpโs bold America First Energy Plan, a proposal first released during the 2016 presidential campaign. The presidentโs plan marks a decisive change in direction from the Obama administrationโs ‘war on fossil fuels’ and focus on the theory of catastrophic man-caused climate change,โ the conference description reads.31โAbout,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived July 23, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/E4Gnt
Rucker spoke on a panel titled โBattling Russia and America’s Big Green Machine.โ32โCRAIG RUCKER,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived August 1, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/4jyDA
April 24, 2018
Rucker posed with Will Happer and Marc Morano for a photo at the Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters the afternoon Scott Pruitt unveiled a โsecret scienceโ initiative that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from using any studies that do not make the raw data public.33Josh Siegel. โScott Pruitt announces new EPA rule to combat ‘secret science’,โ Washington Examiner, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/d7avT
At EPA HQ with Dr. Will Happer waiting for EPA chief Pruitt pic.twitter.com/luf0dmRlpV
โ Marc Morano (@ClimateDepot) April 24, 2018
A range of Pruitt’s conservative allies attended the event at EPA headquarters, however press was not invited. Among those present was Lamar Smith, who tried to create a similar rule through legislation, but it failed to pass. Senator Mike Rounds, who authored a similar bill in the Senate, also attended. Emails released under a Freedom of Information Act request revealed Lamar Smith’s staff coordinated with Pruitt on the rule, E&E News reported.34โPruitt to unveil ‘secret science’ effort today โ sources,โ E&E News, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/6eQLq
Critics have noted that the rule would prevent the EPA from using all available data, with examples including data from patients that needs to be kept private and data subject to industry confidentiality.
โAdministrator Pruitt is very clearly trying to exclude and ignore longstanding pollution and medical science that is peer-reviewed, embraced by the National Academy of Sciences among others, and also based on health data that people were promised would be kept confidential,โ John Walke, the clean air director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, told the Washington Examiner.35Josh Siegel. โScott Pruitt announces new EPA rule to combat ‘secret science’,โ Washington Examiner, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/d7avT
April 23, 2018
The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, represented by Craig Rucker, was among 22 groups signed on to an open letter asking President Trump to ignore recent criticism of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.36โCoalition letter to the President on Scott Pruitt,โ (PDF) Heartland Institute, 2018. Archived .pdf on file with DeSmog.
In a speech to the U.S. Senate, a group of Democratic senators identified the organizations as front groups for the Koch Brothers and other wealthy donors, nicknamed the โWeb of Deceit.โ The senators outlined how, in addition to funding from the Koch network, many of the groups use untraceable โdark moneyโ funneled through groups like Donors Capital Fund and Donors Trust to influence legislation, particularly with regards to climate and pollution.
Senator Whitehouse outlined it as โa web of deceit conceived and bankrolled by the Koch brothers and other self-interested billionaires to advocate for very selfish and unpatriotic policies.โ Whitehouse added: โThis web of deceit has infiltrated and populated the Trump administration, and it is swamping the interests of everyday Americans.37Senator Whitehouse. โTime to wake up: Web of Deceitโ April 23, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/HzIsa
The full list of pro-Pruitt signatories and their respective organizations is as follows:
- Saulius โSaulโ Anuzius – 60 Plus Association
- Fred Birnbaum – Idaho Freedom Foundation
- L. Brent Bozell III – Media Research Center
- Amy Oliver Cooke – Independence Institute
- Wesley Denton – Conservative Partnership Institute
- Viv Forbes – The Carbon Sense Coalition
- Frank J Gaffney – Center for Security Policy
- Steve Goreham – Climate Science Coalition of America
- Phil Kerpen – American Commitment
- Andrew Langer – Institute for Liberty
- Lisa B. Nelson – American Legislative Exchange Council
- Rick Manning – Americans for Limited Government
- Jenny Beth Martin – Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund
- William Perry Pendley – Mountain States Legal Foundation
- Thomas Pyle – American Energy Alliance
- George Rasley – ConservativeHQ.com
- Sandy Rios – American Family Association
- Craig Richardson – Energy & Environment Legal Institute
- Craig Rucker – Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)
- Dr Jameson Taylor – Missisippi Center for Public Policy
- Kyle Wingfield – Georgia Public Policy Foundation
April 3, 2018
Craig Rucker co-wrote an Op-Ed with David Rothbard in the Reno Gazette Journal where they criticized electric cars and renewable energy. The Op-Ed was published on April 3, 2018, the same day Rothbard passed away.38โIs your neighbor’s Tesla costing you money?: Rothbard, Rucker,โ Reno Gazette Journal, April 3, 2018. Archived April 15, 2018.
โThere may be hidden costs in the pursuit of ‘clean energy,’ and they may affect consumers more than expected,โ the Rucker and Rothbard wrote in the opinion piece, pointing the finger at Californiaโs Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.39โIs your neighbor’s Tesla costing you money?: Rothbard, Rucker,โ Reno Gazette Journal, April 3, 2018. Archived April 15, 2018.
โRealistically, the ZEV mandate means cash-strapped consumers in heartland America will be paying more to buy a conventional car,โ they wrote. โIf ZEV mandates increase, more Americans could be compelled to purchase electric cars โ or face escalating auto prices. That could mean even middle class Americans struggling to afford a car. But that might well be the grand intention of those pushing so hard for electric cars โ to simply price conventional automobiles out of reach for everyday Americans.โ40โIs your neighbor’s Tesla costing you money?: Rothbard, Rucker,โ Reno Gazette Journal, April 3, 2018. Archived April 15, 2018.
July 2017
Craig Rucker promoted the Australian premier of Climate Hustle with Marc Morano through a CFACT mailer. Rucker and CFACT president and founder David Rothbard are set to accompany Morano on the trip.41โTaking the Facts Down Under,โ Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. Retrieved from mailchimp. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/IyM20
Rucker said: โCFACT has a lot of fans and followers in Australia who have long wanted us to make a trip. We were beckoned to come and are excited to premiere our film Climate Hustle.โ42Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
Event dates were also listed on Joanne Nova‘s blog:43โFinally, see ‘Climate Hustle’ in Australia โ Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney.โ JoNova, June 27, 2017. Archived July 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nvByX
July 12- Melbourne, Australia
Village Roadshow Theatrette- State Library of Victoria
Doors open at 5:30 PM, film to start at 6:00 PM
Reception and Q/A session to followJuly 15- Brisbane, Australia
Sponsored by the Australian Institute for Progress
New Farm Cinema
Doors open at 4:30 PMJuly 18- Sydney, Australia
Club Five Dock
Doors open at 7:00 PM
Before the film’s Australian debut, Climate scientist Professor Will Steffen reviewed portions of the film for DeSmog.44Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
Steffen is an emeritus professor at Australian National University and a member of the not-for-profit Climate Council. He said: โThis is just the usual rubbish from the usual suspects – a re-hash of misleading and downright incorrect arguments that denialists have trotted out for a long time.โ45Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
Reviewing a section that downplays the role of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, Steffen noted it โmisrepresents how the carbon cycle worksโ by ignoring how oceans and land absorb CO2 โ a very basic and well-known mechanism in the carbon cycle.46Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
Steffen added, โWhat the film didn’t say is that both oxygen and nitrogen, which comprise about 99 per cent of the atmospheric gases, are transparent to UV, visible and heat radiation. They don’t play a role in the energy balance at the Earth’s surface.โ47Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
Dr. Andrew King, a climate scientist at Monash University in Melbourne, also had an opportunity to look at the film. He described the section on carbon dioxide’s role as โmuddled.โ48Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
โWhilst there are certainly other potential drivers of changes in the climate we know that over the last century we have greatly increased the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and, through detection and attribution analyses, we know that the rising levels of atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases have driven the rise in global temperature,โ King said. โChanges in other potential drivers, like solar activity, simply can’t explain the 1C rise in global temperature we have observed.โ49Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
Nova also listed some groups involved in organising the trip included the Galileo Movement (once managed by current One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts), the Australian Environment Foundation, the Australian Tax Payers Alliance, and the Australian Institute for Progress.50โFinally, see ‘Climate Hustle’ in Australia โ Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney.โ JoNova, June 27, 2017. Archived July 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nvByX
May 8, 2017
Rucker, representing CFACT, is a signatory to an open letter to President Donald J. Trump urging him โto withdraw fully from the Paris Climate Treaty and to stop all taxpayer funding of UN global warming programs.โ51โDear Mr. Presidentโ (PDF), retrieved from Competitive Enterprise Institute. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
DeSmog reported that the 40 groups represented in the letter, including the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), The Heartland Institute, and the Heritage Foundation, have received a combined total of millions of dollars from the Koch Brothers, ExxonMobil, and other industry groups.52Graham Readfearn. โConservative Groups Pushing Trump To Exit Paris Climate Deal Have Taken Millions From Koch Brothers, Exxon,โ DeSmog, May 10, 2017.
Analysis also showed that the groups accepted about $80 million through Donors Capital Fund and Donors Trust, two groups that have been confirmed is a key financial source for key U.S-based cliamate change denial groups.53Susanne Goldberg. โConservative groups spend up to bn a year to fight action on climate change,โ The Guardian, December 20, 2013. Archived May 12, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/TB2yy
March 23, 2017
Craig Rucker was a moderator at the Heartland Institute‘s Twelfth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC12). He was present at two panels on March 23, including a breakfast keynote featuring Walter Cunningham and a presentation by Jay Lehr, as well as Panel 2B. View videos below.54โCRAIG RUCKER,โ ClimateConference.heartland.org. Archived April 4, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jjL1X
Breakfast Keynote, Cunningham, and Lehr:
Panel 2B: Cost-Benefit Analysis:
December 12, 2016
Craig Rucker was an attendee at a private meeting also attended by Trump’s EPA Transition team lead Myron Ebell on Capitol Hill. E&E News reported that the event was not open to the public or to the press and Ebell refused to give any details. The event was hosted by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and held in the hearing room of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. The EPW committee is chaired by Senator James Inhofe who, like Trump, has described human-caused climate change as a hoax.55George Cahlink. โTrump EPA adviser Myron Ebell meets with Hill aides,โ E&E News, December 12, 2016.
DeSmog reported that the event featured the โWho’s Who of Climate Science Deniers.โ Australian Senator Malcolm Roberts, who spoke at the event, also wrote that the meeting was a gathering of the Cooler Heads Coalition and listed some of the participants on Facebook:56Graham Readfearn. โDonald Trumpโs Aide at EPA Myron Ebell Meets with Whoโs Who of Climate Science Deniers,โ DeSmog, December 13, 2016. 57โYesterday I spoke at an event for the Competitive Enterprise Institute called Cooler Heads Coalition in Washington. [โฆ]โ Facebook post by Malcolm Roberts – QLD Senate – One Nation, December 13 at 6:38 pm. Archived image on file at DeSmog.
Names mentioned above included:
- Tony Heller
- Tim Ball
- Fred Singer
- Ken Haapala
- Craig Rucker
- Randy Randall
- Steve Milloy
- Marc Morano
- James Delingpole
- Chris Horner
- Myron Ebell
- Tom de Weise
- James Taylor
- Pat Michaels
- Austin Smithson
- Brandon Middleton
- Marlo Lewis
DeSmog also noted that three of the attendeesโMyron Ebell, Randy Randol, and Steve Milloyโhad all been part of the Global Climate Science Communications Team in the late 1990s, a group organized by the American Petroleum Institute. According to an early memo, the group said โvictory will be achieved when [โฆ] Average citizens ‘understand’ (recognize) uncertainties in climate science; recognition of uncertainties becomes part of the ‘conventional wisdom’.โ58โGlobal Climate Science Communications Plan (1998),โ SourceWatch.
May 18, 2016
Craig Rucker was a signatory to a full page color advertisement in The New York Times titled โAbuse of Powerโ (PDF) sponsored by The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI). The ad serves as an open letter from 43 signatories including organizations and individuals in response to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker, and the coalition of Attorneys General investigating groups denying man-made climate change.59โCEI Runs โAbuse of Powerโ Ad In New York Times,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, May 18, 2016. Archived May 31, 2016. 60โAbuse of Power: All Americans have the right to support causes they believe inโ (PDF), Competitive Enterprise Institute. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
โAttempts to intimidate CEI and our allies and silence our policy research are unconstitutional,โ said CEI president Kent Lassman. โThe First Amendment protects us and everyone has a duty to respect it โ even state attorneys general. CEI will continue to fight for all Americans to support the causes in which they believe.โ61โCEI Runs โAbuse of Powerโ Ad In New York Times,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, May 18, 2016. Archived May 31, 2016.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute received a subpoena from AG Walker on April 7, 2016. On April 20, CEI filed an objection to the subpoena calling it โoffensive,โ โun-American,โ and โunlawful,โ and are contending that AG Walker is โviolating CEIโs First Amendment rights.โ62โCEI Runs โAbuse of Powerโ Ad In New York Times,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, May 18, 2016. Archived May 31, 2016.
The โfreedom of speechโ argument was echoed by ExxonMobil’s legal team, as well as numerous other conservative groups including the Pacific Legal Foundation, and Heritage Foundation and the recently-formed Free Speech in Science Project, a group created by the same lawyers who defended the Competitive Enterprise Institute in the past.63Steve Horn. โExxon’s Lawyer in Climate Science Probe Has History Helping Big Tobacco and NFL Defend Against Health Claims,โ DeSmog, May 10, 2016.
The CEI letter lists the following signatories:
- Kent Lassman โ President & CEO, Competitive Enterprise Institute
- C. Boyden Gray โ Former White House Counsel
- Andrew C. McCarthy โ Former Chief Assistant United States Attorney, Southern District of New York
- Michael B. Mukasey โ U.S. Attorney General, 2007-2009; U.S. District Judge, 1988-2006
- Ross McKitrick โ Professor of Economics, University of Guelph
- Ronald D. Rotunda โ Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence, Chapman University
- Richard S. Lindzen โ Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Sciences, MIT
- William Happer โ Emeritus Professor of Physics, Princeton University
- Jim DeMint โ President, The Heritage Foundation
- James H. Amos, Jr. โ President & CEO, National Center for Policy Analysis
- John A. Baden โ Chairman, Foundation for Research on Economics & the Environment
- Lisa B. Nelson โ CEO, American Legislative Exchange Council
- Paul Driessen โ Author & Energy Policy Analyst
- Thomas J. Pyle โ President, Institute for Energy Research
- Steven J. Allen โ Vice President & Chief Investigative Officer, Capital Research Center
- David Ridenour โ President, National Center for Public Policy Research
- Steven J. Milloy โ Publisher, JunkScience.com
- Brooke Rollins โ President & CEO, Texas Public Policy Foundation
- Paul Gessing โ President, Rio Grande Foundation
- Ron Arnold โ Researcher & Author
- William Perry Pendley โ President, Mountain States Legal Foundation
- Adam Brandon โ President & CEO, FreedomWorks
- Hank Campbell โ President, American Council on Science and Health
- Craig Rucker โ Executive Director, Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow
- Tom McCabe โ CEO, Freedom Foundation
- Richard B. Belzer โ Economist
- Heather R. Higgins โ President & CEO, Independent Women’s Voice
- Joseph G. Lehman โ President, Mackinac Center for Public Policy
- Sabrina Schaeffer โ Executive Director, Independent Women’s Forum
- Joseph Bast โ President, The Heartland Institute
- John C. Eastman โ Founding Director, The Claremont Instituteโs Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence
- Robert Alt โ President & CEO, The Buckeye Institute
- Michael Pack โ President & CEO, The Claremont Institute
- Josh Blackman โ Assistant Professor, South Texas College of Law
- Lynn Taylor โ President, Tertium Quids
- David Rothbard โ President, Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow
- Tracie Sharp โ President & CEO, State Policy Network
- Kenneth Haapala โ President, Science and Environmental Policy Project
- Tim Phillips โ President, Americans for Prosperity
- Myron Ebell โ Director of the Center for Energy & Environment, Competitive Enterprise Institute
- George Landrith โ President, Frontiers of Freedom
- John Tillman โ CEO, Illinois Policy Institute
- Craig D. Idso โ Chairman, Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
July 7โ9, 2014
Craig Rucker was a moderator at the Heartland Instituteโs Ninth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC9) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rucker was part of Panel Nine’s discussion, โCommunicating Climate Change: The Blogosphere,โ with Marc Morano, Tony Heller, and Russell Cook.64โReturn of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,โ DeSmog, July 7, 2014. Archived July 14, 2014. 65โ9th International Conference on Climate Change Speakers,โ Heartland Institute. Archived July 14, 2014.
View DeSmogโs in-depth research on the other speakers and sponsors from Heartland’s ICCC9.
November 19, 2013
Craig Rucker attended COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland with the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow‘s Marc Morano and Walt Cunningham. Rucker stated that โone of the things [CFACT is] concerned about is that these climate policies do harm people,โ and that decarbonization was having a โdevastasting effect on poor people around the globe,โ noting that CFACT โsleeps well at nightโ because their policies โhelp, not hurt people.โ66โCFACT COP 19 in Warsaw Poland,โ YouTube.com, November 19, 2013.
February 8, 2013
Craig Rucker is a guest on Alex Epstein‘s โPower Hour,โ a podcast presented by his for-profit think tank, the Center for Industrial Progress. Rucker is interviewed by Epstein about his โeye-opening adventures at UN global warming events.โ67โPower Hour: the UN Global Warming Saga with Craig Rucker,โ Center for Industrial Progress, February 8, 2013. Archived December 1, 2014.
November 16, 2011
Craig Rucker attends COP17 in Durban, South Africa with the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow‘s Marc Morano, as well as Lord Christopher Monckton, to โdebunk climate propaganda and provide balanced perspective at [the] UN’s COP17.โ 68โCFACT to debunk climate propaganda and provide balanced perspective at UNโs COP17 in Durban, South Africa,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, November 16, 2011. Archived November 21, 2014. In a CFACT press release, journalists who were seeking โto improve upon the annual one-sided climate conference propaganda fest,โ were encouraged to speak with CFACT representatives, noting they would be โavailable for all media.โ69โCFACT to debunk climate propaganda and provide balanced perspective at UNโs COP17 in Durban, South Africa,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, November 16, 2011. Archived November 21, 2014.
August 2, 2002
Rucker was signatory to an open letter by Myron Ebell and Fred L. Smith that congratulated President George W. Bush for not attending the World Summit on sustainable Development in Johannesburg:70โAn Open Letter To President Bush About The World Summit On Sustainable Development,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, August 2, 2002. Archived November 5, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mMFvn
โWe applaud your decision not to attend the summit in person. Although so-called environmental groups may in the next few weeks pressure you to attend, we believe there are good reasons not to give in to this pressure,โ they wrote.71โAn Open Letter To President Bush About The World Summit On Sustainable Development,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, August 2, 2002. Archived November 5, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mMFvn
โWe also strongly support your opposition to signing new international environmental treaties or creating new international environmental organizations at the Johannesburg Summit,โ the letter added. In our view, the worst possible outcome at Johannesburg would be taking any steps towards creating a World Environmental Organization, as the European Union has suggested.โ72โAn Open Letter To President Bush About The World Summit On Sustainable Development,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, August 2, 2002. Archived November 5, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mMFvn
March 16, 1989
Craig Rucker and David Rothbard approached the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) requesting โcorporate involvement and supportโ towards the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow’s efforts, according to CMA document‘s minutes. It was documented that Rucker and Rothbard established CFACT to โfight the Public Interest Research Groups.โ73โChemical Manufacturers Association Minutes,โ Chemical Industry Archives, March 16, 1989.
Affiliations
- Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow โ co-founder and executive director.74โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014. 75โCommittee For a Constructive Tomorrow,โ SourceWatch.
- Heartland Institute โ International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC) attendee.76โ9th International Conference on Climate Change Speakers,โ Heartland Institute. Archived July 14, 2014. 77โReturn of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,โ DeSmog, July 7, 2014. Archived July 14, 2014.
- Mackinac Center for Public Policy โ Adjunct Scholar.78โAUTHORS: Craig Rucker,โ Mackinac Centre for Public Policy. Archived March 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/DBnWf
Social Media
- @CJRucker on Twitter.
Publications
According to a search for Craig Rucker on Google Scholar, he has not published any research on climate science in a peer-reviewed journal.79โCraig Rucker,โ Google Scholar.
Other Resources
Resources
- 1โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
- 2โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
- 3โAbout,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
- 4โAbout,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
- 5โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
- 6โ2011 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990 – PDF): Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow,โ retrieved from CFACT.org. Archived November 21, 2014.
- 7โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
- 8Craig Rucker. โCFACTโs new billboard exposes global warming โ in their own words,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
- 9Michael Bastasch. โSkeptic Warns UN Treaty โPlants The Seedsโ Of New โClimate Regimeโ,โ The Daily Caller, December 14, 2016. Archived March 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/myTis
- 10Craig Rucker. โA Cancun Christmas Carol,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, December 3, 2010. Archived December 1, 2014.
- 11Craig Rucker. โNot so bright lights,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, August 14, 2013. Archived December 1, 2014.
- 12Craig Rucker. โGlobal warming? Washington should find the courage to do nothing,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, February 2, 2013.
- 13Peter Murphy. “COP 26: Armageddon awaits at the UN Climate Conference,” CFACT, November 3, 2021. Archived November 3, 2021. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/tx2Qo
- 14“Provisional list of registered participants” (PDF), UNFCCC, November 1, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 15Peter Murphy. “COP 26: Armageddon awaits at the UN Climate Conference,” CFACT, November 3, 2021. Archived November 3, 2021. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/tx2Qo
- 16Craig Rucker. โLifting the veil on electric vehicle subsidies,โ Boston Herald, February 27, 2021. Archived March 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/C3b8g
- 17Craig Rucker. โElectric Vehicle Subsidies and Other Fantasies,โ InsideSources, February 25, 2021. Archived March 9. 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/EvixQ
- 18Craig Rucker. โOpinion: Electric Vehicle Subsidies and Other Fantasies,โThe Chippewa Herald, March 3, 2021. Archived March 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/EvixQ
- 19Ben Jervey. โKoch-funded Group, Fueling US Forward, Echoes America Rising Squared in Misleading Attack on Electric Cars,โ DeSmog, July 10, 2017.
- 20Craig Rucker. โLifting the veil on electric vehicle subsidies,โ Boston Herald, February 27, 2021. Archived March 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/C3b8g
- 21Craig Rucker. โLifting the veil on electric vehicle subsidies,โ Boston Herald, February 27, 2021. Archived March 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/C3b8g
- 22CAFE-Coaliton-to-Trump-April-2020-9 (PDF), American Energy Alliance.
- 23CAFE-Coaliton-to-Trump-April-2020-9 (PDF), American Energy Alliance.
- 24โDear Mr. President:โ (PDF), American Energy Alliance, July 11, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at Desmog.
- 25โDear Mr. President:โ (PDF), American Energy Alliance, July 11, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at Desmog.
- 26โDear Mr. President:โ (PDF), American Energy Alliance, July 11, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at Desmog.
- 27โCFACT exposes ‘climate zombies’ at California conference,โ CFACT, September 14, 2018. Archived September 17, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/A4JA5
- 28โCFACT exposes ‘climate zombies’ at California conference,โ CFACT, September 14, 2018. Archived September 17, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/A4JA5
- 29โCFACT exposes ‘climate zombies’ at California conference,โ CFACT, September 14, 2018. Archived September 17, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/A4JA5
- 30โSpeakers,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived August 1, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mwtga
- 31โAbout,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived July 23, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/E4Gnt
- 32โCRAIG RUCKER,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived August 1, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/4jyDA
- 33Josh Siegel. โScott Pruitt announces new EPA rule to combat ‘secret science’,โ Washington Examiner, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/d7avT
- 34โPruitt to unveil ‘secret science’ effort today โ sources,โ E&E News, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/6eQLq
- 35Josh Siegel. โScott Pruitt announces new EPA rule to combat ‘secret science’,โ Washington Examiner, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/d7avT
- 36โCoalition letter to the President on Scott Pruitt,โ (PDF) Heartland Institute, 2018. Archived .pdf on file with DeSmog.
- 37Senator Whitehouse. โTime to wake up: Web of Deceitโ April 23, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/HzIsa
- 38โIs your neighbor’s Tesla costing you money?: Rothbard, Rucker,โ Reno Gazette Journal, April 3, 2018. Archived April 15, 2018.
- 39โIs your neighbor’s Tesla costing you money?: Rothbard, Rucker,โ Reno Gazette Journal, April 3, 2018. Archived April 15, 2018.
- 40โIs your neighbor’s Tesla costing you money?: Rothbard, Rucker,โ Reno Gazette Journal, April 3, 2018. Archived April 15, 2018.
- 41โTaking the Facts Down Under,โ Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. Retrieved from mailchimp. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/IyM20
- 42Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
- 43โFinally, see ‘Climate Hustle’ in Australia โ Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney.โ JoNova, June 27, 2017. Archived July 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nvByX
- 44Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
- 45Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
- 46Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
- 47Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
- 48Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
- 49Graham Readfearn. โNotorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,โ DeSmog, July 6, 2017.
- 50โFinally, see ‘Climate Hustle’ in Australia โ Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney.โ JoNova, June 27, 2017. Archived July 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nvByX
- 51โDear Mr. Presidentโ (PDF), retrieved from Competitive Enterprise Institute. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 52Graham Readfearn. โConservative Groups Pushing Trump To Exit Paris Climate Deal Have Taken Millions From Koch Brothers, Exxon,โ DeSmog, May 10, 2017.
- 53Susanne Goldberg. โConservative groups spend up to bn a year to fight action on climate change,โ The Guardian, December 20, 2013. Archived May 12, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/TB2yy
- 54โCRAIG RUCKER,โ ClimateConference.heartland.org. Archived April 4, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jjL1X
- 55George Cahlink. โTrump EPA adviser Myron Ebell meets with Hill aides,โ E&E News, December 12, 2016.
- 56Graham Readfearn. โDonald Trumpโs Aide at EPA Myron Ebell Meets with Whoโs Who of Climate Science Deniers,โ DeSmog, December 13, 2016.
- 57โYesterday I spoke at an event for the Competitive Enterprise Institute called Cooler Heads Coalition in Washington. [โฆ]โ Facebook post by Malcolm Roberts – QLD Senate – One Nation, December 13 at 6:38 pm. Archived image on file at DeSmog.
- 58โGlobal Climate Science Communications Plan (1998),โ SourceWatch.
- 59โCEI Runs โAbuse of Powerโ Ad In New York Times,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, May 18, 2016. Archived May 31, 2016.
- 60โAbuse of Power: All Americans have the right to support causes they believe inโ (PDF), Competitive Enterprise Institute. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 61โCEI Runs โAbuse of Powerโ Ad In New York Times,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, May 18, 2016. Archived May 31, 2016.
- 62โCEI Runs โAbuse of Powerโ Ad In New York Times,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, May 18, 2016. Archived May 31, 2016.
- 63Steve Horn. โExxon’s Lawyer in Climate Science Probe Has History Helping Big Tobacco and NFL Defend Against Health Claims,โ DeSmog, May 10, 2016.
- 64โReturn of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,โ DeSmog, July 7, 2014. Archived July 14, 2014.
- 65โ9th International Conference on Climate Change Speakers,โ Heartland Institute. Archived July 14, 2014.
- 66โCFACT COP 19 in Warsaw Poland,โ YouTube.com, November 19, 2013.
- 67โPower Hour: the UN Global Warming Saga with Craig Rucker,โ Center for Industrial Progress, February 8, 2013. Archived December 1, 2014.
- 68โCFACT to debunk climate propaganda and provide balanced perspective at UNโs COP17 in Durban, South Africa,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, November 16, 2011. Archived November 21, 2014.
- 69โCFACT to debunk climate propaganda and provide balanced perspective at UNโs COP17 in Durban, South Africa,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, November 16, 2011. Archived November 21, 2014.
- 70โAn Open Letter To President Bush About The World Summit On Sustainable Development,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, August 2, 2002. Archived November 5, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mMFvn
- 71โAn Open Letter To President Bush About The World Summit On Sustainable Development,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, August 2, 2002. Archived November 5, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mMFvn
- 72โAn Open Letter To President Bush About The World Summit On Sustainable Development,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, August 2, 2002. Archived November 5, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mMFvn
- 73โChemical Manufacturers Association Minutes,โ Chemical Industry Archives, March 16, 1989.
- 74โCFACT Staff,โ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
- 75โCommittee For a Constructive Tomorrow,โ SourceWatch.
- 76โ9th International Conference on Climate Change Speakers,โ Heartland Institute. Archived July 14, 2014.
- 77โReturn of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,โ DeSmog, July 7, 2014. Archived July 14, 2014.
- 78โAUTHORS: Craig Rucker,โ Mackinac Centre for Public Policy. Archived March 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/DBnWf
- 79โCraig Rucker,โ Google Scholar.