Leon Marais Louw
Credentials
- Bachelor of Law. [1]
Background
Leon Louw is the executive director and co-founder of the Free Market Foundation. He is also a member of the advisory board to the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow and listed as a “global warming expert” by the Heartland Institute.
Louw is also the executive director of the Free Market Foundation’s “Law Review Project” (PDF) which describes itself as a “an independent legal research organisation founded to promote the removal of unnecessary, burdensome and unduly-restrictive laws with the aim of promoting economic development.” [2], [3]
Stance on Climate Change
“Climate change is probable. It may even be inevitable… . the best thing to do about it is to grow, to be prosperous, to be rich. Then you have all the wealth by which to deal with it.” [4]
Key Quotes
“Climate change hype has grave real world consequences. It gets rich countries to adopt silly policies and to impose devastating eco-imperialism on poor countries. The world’s rich millions can afford environmental extremism; its poor billions can’t. Climate change pseudo-science about human causality has been exposed repeatedly. What’s less appreciated is that there aren’t more natural disasters in need of an explanation.” [5]
Referring to new anti-smoking bylaws: “’It’s a kind of hysteria, a peculiar semi-religious fundamentalist puritanism’ said Leon Louw, director of the Free Market Foundation, which is pushing for an open society free of arbitrary regulations.
Louw believes the regulations are a ‘vicious assault” on peoples’ choices and lifestyles, saying passing the regulations could constitute a breach of freedom and result in job losses.
‘The anti-tobacco fanatics … the nicotine nazis will not stop until there is full prohibition,’ he said.” [6]
Key Deeds
December 7, 2011
Leon Louw was a speaker at a press conference arranged by CFACT that featured talks by Senator James Inhofe and Lord Christopher Monckton discussing “Climategate 2.0.” [7]
The conference was designed to coeinside with the UN Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa.
March 2008
Louw was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s First International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC1) where he gave a speech titled “The Negative Impacts of Climate Change Legislation of Africa’s Most Impoverished People” [4]
Affiliations
- The Heartland Institute — “Expert.” [8]
- Free Market Foundation — Executive Director since 1978. Director of “Law Review Project.” [9]
- Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) — Member, Board of Advisors. [10]
Publications
Co-author of the books South Africa: The Solution and Let the People Govern. According to a search of Google Scholar, Leon Louw has not published any articles in peer-reviewed journals on any subject.
Social Media
- @leonmlouw on Twitter
Resources
- “Leon Louw,” Who’sWho Southern Africa.
- “Free Market Foundation, South Africa,” eldis.org. Accessed August 2, 2012.
- “COMMENT to the DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM about the GREEN PAPER ON LAND REFORM, 2011” (PDF), The Law Review Project, November 29, 2011. Retrieved from the Free Market Foundation website.
- “First International Conference on Climate Change, Program,” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived Feb 8, 2018, Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/p3f7V
- Leon Louw. “Good News: Natural Disasters are Natural,” Stratek Business Strategy Consultants. Accessed August 2, 2012.
- Susan Njanji. “Smokers in a puff over law,” TimesLive, June 24, 2012.
- “Media Advisory: CFACT press conference to feature U.S. Senator Inhofe,” Climate Depot, December 6, 2011.
- “Experts,” The Heartland Institute. Accessed August 2, 2012.
- “Office Bearers,” Free Market Foundation. Accessed September 6, 2011.
- “CFACT Board of Advisors,” Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, July 8, 2009.
- “Leon Louw,” Wikipedia.
- “Leon Louw,” SourceWatch.
- ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Leon Louw.
- “BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES: LEON MARAIS LOUW” (PDF), Africanheritage.com. Accessed August 2, 2012.
- “The Economic Impact of Tobacco in Africa,” CNBC Africa, February 6, 2013. Accessed January 19, 2017.
