IceAgeNow

Background

IceAgeNow is a website originally located at iceagenow.com and later at iceagenow.info. It describes itself as “a Web site dedicated to showing that our climate is driven by natural cycles, not by humans” that fears that “one of those cycles – the Milankovitch Cycle – is leading us into the next ice age right now” and that “this nonsense about ‘global warming’ will leave us blindsided and unprepared.¹Heartland Institute, “International Conference on Climate Change: Global Warming: Was It Ever Really a Crisis?“ (PDF), March 8-10, 2009, page 32. Archived March 18, 2009.

IceAgeNow regularly publishes articles skeptical of climate change by its author, and sole employee, Robert Felix — a former architect.²“About author,” Magnetic Reversals and Evolutionary Leaps. Archived January 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/pTlyz George Monbiot at The Guardian describes IceAgeNow as primarily serving to promote Felix’s book about the “coming ice age.” Monbiot says that Felix selectively picks evidence in his attempt to disprove man-made global warming.³George Monbiot. “Junk science,” The Guardian, May 10, 2005. Archived October 30, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/7iNdL

“Is Felix a climatologist, a volcanologist or an oceanographer?” Monbiot asks. “Er, none of the above. His biography describes him as a ‘former architect’. His website is so bonkers that I thought at first it was a spoof. Sadly, he appears to believe what he says.” 

As the title of the website suggests, IceAgeNow regularly posts articles suggesting the possibility of global cooling. It often posts articles on localized weather events like low temperatures and snowfalls, implying that these are signs of global cooling. Skeptical Science has a comprehensive article on global cooling here.

Not by Fire but by Ice

Robert Felix uses his website to promote his books Not by Fire but by Ice (Sugarhouse Publishing, 2000)⁴“About the book,” IceAgeNow. Archived October 30, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Q98fb and Magnetic Reversals and Evolutionary Leaps. His general theory is that the reversal of the poles will lead to environmental changes and a coming ice age.⁵Homepage, Magnetic Reversals and Evolutionary Leaps. Archived October 30, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kX6Hj

IceAgeNow publishes “news” related to climate change skepticism and documenting heavy snowfalls and instances of cool temperatures as evidence for our descent into another ice age. In 2015, it also began promoting presidential candidate Donald Trump’s positions on climate change and the EPA, as well as those of other conservative politicians such as Ted Cruz who has described climate change as a “religion.” For example:⁶Samantha Page. “Ted Cruz: ‘Climate Change Is Not Science. It’s Religion’,” ThinkProgress, October 30, 2015. Archived May 29, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/AaOZJ

• October 30, 2015: Trump vows to cut funding for EPA 
• October 29, 2016:  “This is why the American people don’t trust the media” – Thank you Ted Cruz! 
• October 28, 2015: Trump – ‘We could use a big fat dose of global warming’  
• October 27, 2015: Trump on climate change – Video  
• October 26, 2015: Where do candidates stand on global warming?

Stance on Climate Change

March 2009

IceAgeNow described itself in a pamphlet for the Heartland Institute‘s Second International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC2):

“[O]ur climate is driven by natural cycles, not by humans. We fear that one of those cycles – the Milankovitch Cycle – is leading us into the next ice age right now. We also fear that this nonsense about ‘global warming’ will leave us blindsided and unprepared.”⁷Heartland Institute, “International Conference on Climate Change: Global Warming: Was It Ever Really a Crisis?“ (PDF), March 8-10, 2009, page 32. Archived March 18, 2009.

Funding

Funding details are not available for IceAgeNow, however appears the website’s primary purpose is to sell Robert Felix’s book and DVD, Not by Fire but by Ice.

Key People

Robert Felix appears to be the only employee of IceAgeNow.

According to WHOIS records, he registered the domain iceagenow.info on July 24, 2011. The previous website, IceAgeNow.com, was originally created on April 29, 2002.⁸“Historical WHOIS record(s) for IceAgeNow.info,” Domain Research Suite. Accessed January 4, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. ⁹“Historical WHOIS record(s) for IceAgeNow.com,” Domain Research Suite. Accessed January 4, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Actions

May 21–23, 2012

IceAgeNow was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute‘s Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7) in Chicago, IL.¹⁰“Cosponsors,” 7th International Conference on Climate Change. Archived May 10, 2012.

DeSmog researched co-sponsors behind the conference and discovered that they had received a total of over $67 Million from ExxonMobil, Koch, and Scaife family foundations.¹¹“A Closer Look at Heartland’s ICCC7 Denial-a-Palooza Speakers and Sponsors,” DeSmog, May 23, 2012.

June 30–July 1, 2011

IceAgeNow was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute‘s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC6) in Washington, DC.¹²Sixth International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), The Heartland Institute. Archived July 25, 2015.

DeSmog found that 17 of the 43 sponsors of the Heartland Institute’s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change, including the Heartland Institute itself, had collectively received over $46 million from either Scaife Foundations, Koch Foundations, or ExxonMobil.¹³Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-Palooza 6: Heartland’s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change, Courtesy of Koch, Scaife & Exxon,” DeSmog, June 30, 2011.

May 16–18, 2010

IceAgeNow was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute‘s Fourth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC4) in Chicago, IL.¹⁴4th International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), The Heartland Institute. 

DeSmog researched sponsors of the conference and found that 19 of the 65 co-sponsors had received over $40 million in funding from ExxonMobil and/or Koch Industries, and/or the Scaife family foundations since 1985.¹⁵Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-palooza Round 4: ‘International Conference on Climate Change’ Groups Funded by Exxon, Koch Industries,” DeSmog, May 13, 2010.

June 2, 2009

IceAgeNow.org was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute‘s Third International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC3).¹⁶“Co-Sponsors,” Third International Conference on Climate Change. Archived July 14, 2010. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/7M3LQ

March 8–10, 2009

IceAgeNow was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute‘s 2009 International Conference on Climate Change.¹⁷“Co-Sponsors,” The 2009 International Conference on Climate Change, February 10, 2009. Archived February 27, 2009. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Jf21C

DeSmog researched the funding behind the conference and found that sponsor organizations had received over $47 million in funding from energy companies and right-wing foundations, with 78% of that total coming from Scaife Family foundations.¹⁸“Heartland Institute’s 2009 Climate Conference in New York: funding history of the sponsors,” DeSmog.

IceAgeNow Contact & Location

As of June 2016, Ice Age Now listed the following contact information on its website:¹⁹“Contact,” Ice Age Now. Archived June 29, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RBk7a

Robert W. Felix, Author
[email protected]

Sugarhouse Publishing
PO Box 435
Bellevue, WA 98009

Related Organizations

• iceagenow.info
• iceagenow.com

Social Media

• @IceAgeNow on Twitter.

Other Resources

• “Iceagenow.com”, SourceWatch.

Resources

• 1
  Heartland Institute, “International Conference on Climate Change: Global Warming: Was It Ever Really a Crisis?“ (PDF), March 8-10, 2009, page 32. Archived March 18, 2009.
• 2
  “About author,” Magnetic Reversals and Evolutionary Leaps. Archived January 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/pTlyz
• 3
  George Monbiot. “Junk science,” The Guardian, May 10, 2005. Archived October 30, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/7iNdL
• 4
  “About the book,” IceAgeNow. Archived October 30, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Q98fb
• 5
  Homepage, Magnetic Reversals and Evolutionary Leaps. Archived October 30, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kX6Hj
• 6
  Samantha Page. “Ted Cruz: ‘Climate Change Is Not Science. It’s Religion’,” ThinkProgress, October 30, 2015. Archived May 29, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/AaOZJ
• 7
  Heartland Institute, “International Conference on Climate Change: Global Warming: Was It Ever Really a Crisis?“ (PDF), March 8-10, 2009, page 32. Archived March 18, 2009.
• 8
  “Historical WHOIS record(s) for IceAgeNow.info,” Domain Research Suite. Accessed January 4, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 9
  “Historical WHOIS record(s) for IceAgeNow.com,” Domain Research Suite. Accessed January 4, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 10
  “Cosponsors,” 7th International Conference on Climate Change. Archived May 10, 2012.
• 11
  “A Closer Look at Heartland’s ICCC7 Denial-a-Palooza Speakers and Sponsors,” DeSmog, May 23, 2012.
• 12
  Sixth International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), The Heartland Institute. Archived July 25, 2015.
• 13
  Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-Palooza 6: Heartland’s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change, Courtesy of Koch, Scaife & Exxon,” DeSmog, June 30, 2011.
• 14
  4th International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), The Heartland Institute. 
• 15
  Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-palooza Round 4: ‘International Conference on Climate Change’ Groups Funded by Exxon, Koch Industries,” DeSmog, May 13, 2010.
• 16
  “Co-Sponsors,” Third International Conference on Climate Change. Archived July 14, 2010. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/7M3LQ
• 17
  “Co-Sponsors,” The 2009 International Conference on Climate Change, February 10, 2009. Archived February 27, 2009. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Jf21C
• 18
  “Heartland Institute’s 2009 Climate Conference in New York: funding history of the sponsors,” DeSmog.
• 19
  “Contact,” Ice Age Now. Archived June 29, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RBk7a