DeSmog

Marc Morano

Marc Morano

Credentials

Background

Marc Morano is the executive director and chief correspondent of ClimateDepot.com, a project of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT). Morano is also the Communications Director at CFACT, a conservative think-tank in Washington D.C. that has received funding from ExxonMobil, Chevron, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars from foundations associated with Richard Mellon Scaife. According to CFACT’s 2011 IRS Form (PDF), Morano was the highest paid staff member with a salary of $150,000 per year.2“2011 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990 – PDF): Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. Retrieved from CFACT.org, January 7, 2013.  Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Morano’s blog Climate Depot regularly publishes articles questioning man-made global warming.3Meet The Climate Denial Machine,” Media Matters for America, November 28, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/vOFXj 4Leslie Kaufman. “Dissenter on Warming Expands His Campaign,” The New York Times, April 9, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/K26K 5CFACT Staff,” Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 2, 2017 Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/gRjXR

Although he has no scientific expertise in the area, Morano has become a prominent climate change denier. He has been called “the Matt Drudge of climate denial,” the “King of the skeptics,” and a “central cell of the climate-denial machine.” He was also listed as one of 17 top “climate killers” by Rolling Stone Magazine.6The Climate Killers,” Rolling Stone, December, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/M6Cfb He has accused climate scientists of “fear mongering,” and has claimed that proponents of man-made global warming are “funded to the tune of $50 billion.7CFACT’s Morano: King of the skeptics,” CFACT, December 17, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/AIq4X

From 2006 to 2009, Morano was the communications director for Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the minority chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Prior to the last election, Inhofe was the majority chair of the EPW committee. In the 2002 election cycle, Senator Inhofe received more in donations from the oil and gas sector than any other Senator. Inhofe is known for his infamous quote that the threat of catastrophic global warming is the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people,” and as his communications director, Morano has spent his recent years propagating this message.8Climate Change Update: Senate Floor Statement by U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe(R-Okla)inhofe.senate.gov, January 4, 2005. Archived March, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/daqGZ

According to Marc Morano’s archived profile at the Heartland Institute, he “joined the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as the majority Communications Director in June 2006 after a decade and a half as a working journalist, documentary maker, radio talk show host, and national television correspondent.” Apart from being a regular speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s International Conference on Climate Change, Morano is also listed on their website as a “global warming expert.”9Experts: Marc Morano,” The Heartland Institute. Archived May 3, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/r2ErX

Prior to working for Senator Inhofe, Morano was a journalist with Cybercast News Service, which is owned and operated by the Media Research Center (MRC). The MRC is supported in part by right-wing foundations and funding from industry, including over $200,000 from ExxonMobil. From 1992 to 1996, Morano also worked as a producer for the Rush Limbaugh Television Show and was known as “Limbaugh’s man in Washington.” Morano often appears on Fox News to promote his ideas regarding climate change.10About Changing Worldviews,” The Center for Changing World Views. Archived August 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/2q5vH

Stance on Climate Change

November 16, 2017

In a debate with state senator Michael Barrett at the UN climate conference, COP23, Morano compared carbon pricing to the Salem witch trials:11Ben Jervey. “Climate Depot’s Marc Morano Returns to UN Climate Talks to Mock Activists, Spin Climate Denial,” DeSmog, November 16, 2017.

“Carbon pricing harkens back to the idea, you know, that Massachusetts had to deal with, is the witchcraft trials. The idea that witches change the weather. Now they’re claiming SUVs and our coal plants are changing the weather,” Morano said.12Ben Jervey. “Climate Depot’s Marc Morano Returns to UN Climate Talks to Mock Activists, Spin Climate Denial,” DeSmog, November 16, 2017.

November 2009

“The bottom line is, not only do we not face a climate crisis, but if we face a climate crisis what Congress is proposing, what the United Nations is proposing, is scientifically meaningless. It would have no detectable impact. So we’d all be doomed if we had to rely on them for a solution.”13ClimateGate: the Fraud of ‘Global Warming’ and ‘Climate Change’ — by Marc Morano of Climate Depot,” YouTube Video. Uploaded by TCCTV on November 24, 2009.

Comments Surrounding 2021 Capitol Insurrection

Morano posted multiple times about the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, including a tweet during the insurrection where Morano wrote, “Striking fear in politicians is not a bad thing.” Later, after the uprising had failed, he circulated a claim that there had been a “false flag” operation at the Capitol, and posted a message indicating that he condemned “all such violence.”

On Jan 14, Morano posted a condemnation of the violence:

Key Quotes

September 22, 2020

“COVID is the exact same playbook as climate,” Morano said in an interview at NewsMax for the Howie Carr show.14The Howie Carr ShowNewsMax, September 22, 2020. Archived .mp4 and .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

” There’ve been studies recently, the last few years showing that mask wearing is associated with higher incidence of flu and influenza because you end up touching your mouth, more, adjusting it and getting the virus in. It’s it’s an amazing thing. But this is about obedience to government.”

September 15, 2020

In response to Joe Biden’s claims that recent wildfires in the West and hurricanes in the Gulf Coast were caused by anthropogenic climate change, Morano asserted that “Biden has gone full climate astrology,” also stating, “This is unscientific gibberish.”15Chris Woodward & Billy Davis. “Dems blame Trump and ‘Mother Earth’ for CA fires,” One News Now, September 15, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/J15GG

September 14, 2020

Responding to Tom Steyer’s appearance on CNN on September 14th, 2020, in Steyer had said, “The number one thing we can do is elect a different president whose going to recognize the problem, deal with it forcefully at home, deal with it forcefully overseas. That’s actually the only solution we have to this problem is honest to God, Joe Biden.”16Transcripts: Tom Steyer is Interviewed about Wildfires; Absentee Ballots on Hold in Pennsylvania; Coronavirus Pandemic Update from Around the World; Champions for Change Carla Gautier Castro. Aired 8:30-9a ET,” CNN, September 14, 2020. Archived October 6, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/Yh59k Morano commented at Climate Depot: “Contrary to these claims, governments cannot legislate the weather. Climate activists like Steyer think we need more taxes and regulations to somehow stop bad weather and a changing climate.”17Tom Steyer claims we can vote ourselves better weather! ‘The only solution we have’ to stop California wildfires is electing Joe Biden,” Climate Depot, September 14, 2020. Archived October 6, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/xoF4d

June 2020

Morano claimed on Twitter that wearing facemasks to prevent the spread of coronavirus was “nonsense”:

Wearing Facemasks Nonsense Tweet

As part of another thread, Morano described himself as a “proud ‘mask slacker'”

Mask Slackers

April 30, 2020

Morano appeared alongside Heartland Institute President James Taylor in a CFACT video titled “Is the coronavirus lockdown the future environmentalists want?” During the video, he advocated for lockdown protestors to break the law because “the police can’t arrest everyone”:18Is the coronavirus lockdown the future environmentalists want?” CFACT video featuring Marc Morano and Heartland Institute president James Taylor, April 30 2020. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“[00:59:41] I think we have to acknowledge at a national level that lockdowns, there’s no science to support essentially that they work. Especially, I can understand a flattening the curve or at least some kind of limited. Very limited. But you don’t lockdown… We need to acknowledge that they were wrong and not allow future lockdowns. That’s number one.19Is the coronavirus lockdown the future environmentalists want?” CFACT video featuring Marc Morano and Heartland Institute president James Taylor, April 30 2020. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

[01:00:20]  I’m going to advocate absolute breaking of the law tonight. If you have people going to the beach and getting arrested, it’s easy for police to show up, arrest a few people or go to a park and arrest someone. But if people start showing up en mass to the beach, the police can’t arrest everyone.20Is the coronavirus lockdown the future environmentalists want?” CFACT video featuring Marc Morano and Heartland Institute president James Taylor, April 30 2020. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

And if you start having owners of businesses start, and we’re seeing this now, artists and other shops declaring themselves—tailor shops—declaring themselves nonessential, they’re opening up. More of them do it, the police can’t arrest everyone. This is my key thought. The Berlin Wall was not taken down because the East German government passed a law that said, let’s remove the law. It came down because the people no longer gave their consent for a wall to be up. So when the people no longer give their consent through lockdown, through this kind of mass civil disobedience, that’s how you fight it. Not through calling your congressman or senator and complaining into a voicemail. You’ve got to act. And I think that’s what has to happen here. Sorry. I’m calling for lawbreaking tonight.”21Is the coronavirus lockdown the future environmentalists want?” CFACT video featuring Marc Morano and Heartland Institute president James Taylor, April 30 2020. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Earlier in the video, Morano commented “The idea of green living is actually antithetical to virus panic and viral fears”22Is the coronavirus lockdown the future environmentalists want?” CFACT video featuring Marc Morano and Heartland Institute president James Taylor, April 30 2020. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

[00:45:35] The idea of green living is actually antithetical to virus panic and viral fears. Why don’t we use the virus fears to oppose their rules? We’ve always been told, you know, if a driver is, a lone driver in a car driving commuting to and from work, it’s bad for the planet and polluting.

Well, given the age of virus scares, and we’re all supposed to be terrified of all these viruses now, why would you want to pack on mass transit that’s green-approved? Why would you want to take the subway system? Why would you want to be on the commuter train when you can take your glorious fossil-fuelled car in isolation away from the virus. So, I would argue, let’s turn the fears around, you know, where necessary to throw it back at them.

[00:46:27] Let’s use that against them because they want everyone living in crowded urban areas. I remember one climate activist years ago wanted everyone… wanted to design cities after termite nests. The idea is to have everything just centrally planned, perfectly smart planned out. If you now look at in the lens of the virus scare, which they are promoting shamelessly, that doesn’t fly. So, let’s use their own rhetoric against them.

Morano also expressed fears that COVID would bolster climate action:

[00:10:40] “Everything that they’ve wanted to see in society has now essentially become a temporary reality. And now many of the top UN leadership, many of the climate activists, people like John Kerry, Al Gore, they can’t avoid jumping on this bandwagon, and they are – I’m not saying they’re all happy that this happened – but they see this as an opportunity they can’t wait to exploit, and they are going to… they’re going to use, now, the virus fears going forward to bolster climate action.”

December 29, 2017

In a statement to OneNewsNow, Morano described efforts by U.S. Mayors to sign on to a climate pact to tackle climate change at a local level following President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, as “meaningless symbolism”:23“‘Meaningless symbolism’ cheaper at the local level,” OneNewsNow, December 29, 2017. Archived January 4, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9KGMo

“If people want to do meaningless symbolism, there’s no reason to do it at the national level where it’s going to cost a lot of money across all 50 states,” Morano said.

“If people want to waste money and do symbolic gestures and start ratcheting down their cities’ energy use and emissions and start putting in mandates for energy that doesn’t produce the same for fossil fuels – more power to them. But the big news here is the United States as a country is saying ‘no’ to the United Nations.”24“‘Meaningless symbolism’ cheaper at the local level,” OneNewsNow, December 29, 2017. Archived January 4, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9KGMo

June 2016

Marc Morano has claimed that today’s youth are being indoctrinated by the environmental movement:

“Accurate climate science is being suppressed, meaning the kids don’t get to hear opposing views,” said Morano. “It’s narrative-crafting, the same kind of thing you would expect from any partisan campaign group.

“And then you add in the media, with people like Leonardo DiCaprio and Laurie David telling kids if you’re a global warming skeptic, you are not cool. I guess they’re afraid the kids will instantly become skeptics if they hear any opposing ideas.”25Massachusetts Loses Climate Action Case Brought by Youths,” Heartland Institute, June 22, 2016. Archived June 23, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/hk4JL

December 31, 2014

Morano on Pope Francis and climate change (see Climate Depot and view the original Fox News video clip below): “The Pope has picked a contentious scientific issue which – now going on almost two decades of no global warming, sea ice recovering, sea level rise actually decelerating, On every metric from polar bears on down, the global warming narrative has weakened. And to now have the Pope jump on that bandwagon would sow confusion among Catholics.”26Suzanne Goldenberg. “Republicans’ leading climate denier tells the pope to butt out of climate debate,” The Guardian, June 11, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/r1vTW 27Watch: Morano on Fox News on Pope Francis & Climate: ‘On every metric from polar bears on down, the global warming narrative has weakened’,” Climate Depot, December 31, 2014. Archived September 3, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ga9qM 28Pope Francis turning attention to climate change,” Fox News, December 31, 2014. Archived video on file at DeSmog.

August 2014

“I’m not a scientist, but I do play one on TV occasionally. Ok, hell, more than occasionally. […] You go up against scientists, most of them are going to be in their own little sort of policy wonk world or area of expertise. Very arcane, very hard to understand, hard to explain, and very boring.“”29Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1 [49:22 – Merchants of Doubt]

“Gridlock is the greatest friend a global warming skeptic has because that’s all you really want. There’s no legislation we’re championing. We’re the negative force. We’re just trying to stop stuff.”30Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1 [53:33 – Merchants of Doubt]

“I don’t know what [Ben Santer’s] complaint is. But I’ll give you the philosophy behind it […] I think people should be thanking me. I was doing a service. And people go like ‘oh, they’re death threats.’ Well, I get death threats. I enjoy them. I usually email back. So I think it was one of the healthiest things that could have happened in the climate debate. I make no apologies for it. I still do it and I enjoy doing it.”31Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1[51:24 – Merchants of Doubt]

June 2014

“I am jealous of the leadership of Canada & Australia. It is so sad being in America – The rest of the world is abandoning carbon pricing as the U.S. is jumping right in.”32Marc Morano on Canadian TV: Americans are jealous of Abbott and Harper,” JoNova, June 9, 2014. Archived Aug 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/rmJKv

November 2013

Marc Morano appeared at the COP19 United Nations climate talks in Warsaw, Poland, alongside the executive director of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, Craig Rucker:

“Coal is the moral choice, particularly for the developing world… The model for the world right now should be Australia. Australia gets it. Scientifically they get it, politically they get it and particularly when it comes to the United Nations, they get it. They are pulling out of this, they are repealing their carbon tax and Canada seems to be intrigued by what Australia is doing.”33Climate Denial Group CFACT Congratulates Australia During Warsaw Talks,” DeSmog, November 19, 2013.

August 21, 2013

“The IPCC summary for policymakers is used to scare politicians and goad the public into action. The UN is all about politics.”34UN Scientists Who Have Turned on UNIPCC Man-Made Climate Fears – A Climate Depot Flashback Report,” Climate Depot, August 21, 2013 Archived August 25, 2016. Archive.is URL:  https://archive.is/feH4O

August 20, 2013

In reference to the IPCC’s AR5 leaked climate report, on August 20, 2013, just three months before the UNIPCC’s COP19 in Warsaw, Poland, Morano says on FoxNews.com:

“All of these fatuous figures are pulled out of the air to support the IPCC ideologies and not based upon any statistical analysis or science.”35Leaked Draft of Climate Report Struggles with Drop In Warming,” FoxNews.com, August 20, 2013. Archive.is URL:  https://archive.is/wPtsY

June 2012

Watch Peter Sinclair interview Marc Morano at the Heartland Institute ICCC7 conference in 2012:

May 2012

In response to a quote by New York Times Journalist Andrew Revkin, which describes Climate Depot as “divisive and toxic,” Morano responded:

“‘Toxic’? If by ‘divisive and toxic’ you mean Climate Depot is serving to derail the man-made global warming agenda and its sub-prime science and politics, I happily plead guilty!”36New York Times journalist Andrew Revkin Fumes: Climate Depot’s Morano is ‘divisive and toxic’,” Climate Depot, May 8, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/r4pU3

March 2010

With reference to scientists involved in the “climategate” controversy (all of which were since publicly exonerated), Morano has said:

“I seriously believe we should kick them while they’re down. They deserve to be publicly flogged.”37Cyber Bullying Intensifies as Climate Data Questioned,” Scientific American, March 1, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ES47J

April 2009

“The goal [of Climate Depot] is to expand on key elements from the award-winning Senate EPW website and quite simply revolutionize climate and environmental news dissemination. Unlike much of the establishment media, CFACT’s news outlet will provide the public with links to all sides of the climate and environmental debate, with links to Gore’s blog, environmental groups, the United Nations, as well as skeptical voices. It is very hard to get accurate information on global warming and environmental issues. Much of what the media reports is simply a regurgitation of the rhetoric from partisan and ideologically driven environmental groups, foundations, and the United Nations, which are spinning data to promote a cause.” (Note, the EPW website is also Senator James Inhofe’s Press Blog).38Marc Morano. “Climate Depot Aims To Redefine Global Warming Reporting,” Climate Depot, April 6, 2009. Archived July 16, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PB4La

April 9, 2009

“Even in the Senate, I’d put up any of the stories we did against any pablum Time or Newsweek has put out on global warming. We’d link to the other side; we’d present their arguments. They do one-sided screeds.”39Leslie Kaufman. “Dissenter on Warming Expands His Campaign,” The New York Times, April 9, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/K26K

July 2008

Addressing the 9th Annual National Freedom21 Conference in 2008, Morano said:

“I like to joke that Inhofe is as far left as I’ll go for an employer.”40Marc Morano speech to National Freedom21 Conference, 2008,” Whatisagendra21.net, July 2008.

Key Actions

December 12, 2022

After James Inhofe’s early retirement from the U.S. Senate in February 2022, a report by E&E News examined the large network of his former staffers, many of whom occupy influential positions in the energy industry and climate denial industry.41Timothy Cama. “Inhofe’s legacy: A vast alumni network on climate, energy,” E&E News, December 22, 2022. Archived May 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mcT37

Morano was among those named in the report:42Timothy Cama. “Inhofe’s legacy: A vast alumni network on climate, energy,” E&E News, December 22, 2022. Archived May 26, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mcT37

“Marc Morano, another former Inhofe staffer, has dedicated his career to denying climate change as founder and executive director of Climate Depot.”

[…]

“Morano, the Climate Depot executive director, said that Inhofe ‘helped me immensely to understand how to oppose bad ideas in Washington, and he aided me in launching my climate opposition career,'” said Morano.

August 30, 2022

Morano published a book entitled “The Great Reset: Global Elites and the Permanent Lockdown.” According to the book’s description, Morano warns of the “left’s sinister push to use a worldwide crisis to infuse our lives with the values of collasal [sic] statism and dystopian self-hatred.” The description suggests globalists are using “climate emergency” and COVID-19 to hasten the imposition of a “rebranded Soviet system.”43Marc Morano. The Great Reset: Global Elites and the Permanent Lockdown, Regnery Publishing (August 30, 2022). Description via Amazon.

March 6, 2022

Morano gave an interview to Dartmouth College’s conservative student newspaper, the Dartmouth Review.  When asked if he believed that climate is changing, and what the causes are, Morano claimed:44Debunking the Climate Myth: An Interview with Marc Morano,The Dartmouth Review, March 6, 2022. Archived April 17, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wRDVP

“​​To answer your question, yes, mankind does influence the climate. We influence it through carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gasses, but we can also cool it through aerosols.

The way to look at it is there’s hundreds of factors that influence the climate. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been one of mankind’s contributions, but the climate is a very complex system. We’ve had many times higher CO2 levels in the past. We’re actually within the coldest 10% of geologic periods right now.”

The interviewer responded that, based on Morano’s statements, 

“In that context, where there is no climate crisis and it’s this fiction created out of studies or timelines that have been manipulated or are incomplete, should politicians be doing anything at all to address the climate?”

Morano responded: 

“The Green New Deal wouldn’t affect global emissions. The UN Paris agreement would not even affect emissions. Assuming all the countries adopted it, there would be an imperceptible temperature difference.

“It’s all virtue signaling and essentially restructuring the economy, causing a lot of pain and giving progressives that ideological vision that would do nothing for the climate.

“To answer your question, we should actually promote prosperity, technology, and wealth. […]”

The interviewer then asked him:

“If you personally were in charge of an organization like a College Republicans or a Review-style conservative student newspaper, what actions would you take to stop this climate hysteria?”

Morano responded::

“Science is hard. Start debating science with people, they’re not going to know what to believe. …

“If I were on a college campus, the first thing I would do is to pick apart whatever someone proposed to do. Let’s talk about the Green New Deal’s impact on climate. Let’s see the numbers.

“You can see this for the cap-and-trade bill. You can see it for the UN Paris Agreement. Even if you enact all of this stuff, John Kerry’s admitted it, emissions would continue to rise because of China, the developing world, and India.

“Unless you’re going to somehow wave a magic wand and/or crush the billion people who don’t have running water and electricity still left in the world, you’re not going to get anywhere. Climate activism is all virtue signaling by people who are being conned into supporting an agenda of progressivism, which is too afraid to stand on its own merits and is using this sort of patina of climate change.

Either from the climate or from a virus, it’s the same thing. I would go after these ‘solutions’ and then I would just keep an open debate.”

July 12, 2022

Morano, in an interview with Tucker Carlson, blamed the collapse of the Sri Lankan government on climate policy, saying:45From the July 12, 2022, edition of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Media Matters for America. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“I think green energy and the whole war on the agriculture [sic], the voters cannot support this anymore. We’re seeing what’s happening in Sri Lanka, we’re seeing what’s happening in the Netherlands, there’s protests in other countries growing. Canada is following the same line with fertilizer. This is a war against modern civilization, make no mistake about it.”

Many experts have blamed the economic crisis in Sri Lanka on poor economic management by its President, Mahinda Rajapaksa.46Sri Lanka: Why is the country in an economic crisis?” BBC News, July 14, 2022. Archived March 21, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JkpKB

October 31–November 12, 2021

Morano, representing CFACT, attended the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. According to Peter Murphy,47Peter Murphy. “COP 26: Armageddon awaits at the UN Climate Conference,” CFACT, November 3, 2021. Archived November 3, 2021. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/tx2Qo 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.48“Provisional list of registered participants” (PDF)UNFCCC, November 1, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Murphy wrote:49Peter 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 isn’t just a ‘problem,’ but a benefit to helping feed the world. The panelists were having none of it — 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:

August 27/28, 2021

Morano was a speaker at the Steamboat Institute’s 13th annual Freedom Conference.5013th Annual Freedom Conference and Festival – Park Hyatt Beaver Creek,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived September 3, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FmW97

Morano’s book, Green Fraud: Why the Green New Deal is Even Worse Than You Think, was reportedly the center of a dispute that resulted in the Steamboat Institute cancelling its books sales at the conference.51Conservative conference cancels book sales after bookseller balks at ‘Green Fraud’,” The Washington Times, August 30, 2021. Archived September 3, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/SszX3

Off the Beaten Path, the Steamboat Springs bookstore had said in an email that it was did not want to be “associated with a title that disputes the reality of climate change.”

Jennifer Schubert-Akin, Steamboat Institute’s CEO and Chairwoman, said event organizers had concluded ““either you’re going to sell all of our books, or you’re going to sell none of our books.”

“[W]e will never allow partner bookstores to censor by picking and choosing which speaker books they sell based on their political preferences,” she commented.

Morano commented on the events:

“Climate activists have been gunning for me for years,” said Mr. Morano. “Any dissent is seen as an assault on their messaging. A one-party state view must be imposed!”

March 31, 2021

Alex Epstein had Morano as a guest on an episode of Power Hour where he discussed the Green New Deal and tactics to “successfully opposing it.”52The Roots of the Green New Deal,” YouTube video uploaded by user “ImproveThePlanet,” March 31, 2021. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Morano commented of Epstein:

“[W]hat is lacking [in the energy conversation] is more of Alex Epstein, Morano said. “We need to simplify all of this down to the level where the politician and the talk radio audience listener to the someone in the crowd can understand. And I don’t think anyone in America is doing it better than you are in terms of these energy talking points, because it is the most needed thing and they were simple […]. If people don’t understand something viscerally, they’re just not going to push it or fight against it. They’re going to feel intimidated. […] Unless the public can understand the concept simply, easily, and explain it in a sentence or two, you’ve lost the issue.

March 24, 2021

Morano launched a new book titled Green Fraud: Why The Green New Deal is Even Worse Than You Think, which devotes a portion of the book to equating the Green New Deal with lockdowns due to COVID.53Marc Morano Talks His New Book ‘Green Fraud: Why The Green New Deal is Even Worse Than You Think’,” Regnery Publishing, March 24, 2021. Archived March 31, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sO8hm

“Essentially, they’re talking about how we’re going to go from the COVID lockdowns to the climate lockdowns,” Morano claimed.54Marc Morano Talks His New Book ‘Green Fraud: Why The Green New Deal is Even Worse Than You Think’,” Regnery Publishing, March 24, 2021. Archived March 31, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sO8hm

A portion of the book focuses on what Morano describes as the “COVID-Climate Connection” where he asserts “COVID-19 lockdown policies that have provided the opportunity to expand the size of the government in favor of speculative ‘science.'”55Marc Morano Talks His New Book ‘Green Fraud: Why The Green New Deal is Even Worse Than You Think’,” Regnery Publishing, March 24, 2021. Archived March 31, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sO8hm

“The left is using COVID lockdowns to cripple small businesses and empower the progressive woke-left that controls corporate America. Essentially, they’re talking about how we’re going to go from the COVID lockdowns to the climate lockdowns,” Morano claimed.56Marc Morano Talks His New Book ‘Green Fraud: Why The Green New Deal is Even Worse Than You Think’,” Regnery Publishing, March 24, 2021. Archived March 31, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sO8hm

September 24, 2020

Morano starred in the 2020 film Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy, produced by the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT). According to DeSmog‘s reporting, it showcased a “thinning roster of climate science deniers.”57Ben Jervey. “Climate Hustle 2: Showcasing a Thinning Roster of Climate Science Deniers,” DeSmog, September 24, 2020

Introducing the film, Morano implied that the COVID-19 lockdown could act as a precursor to the reorganisation of society along ecological lines, stating: “The film’s message is even more urgent given the lockdowns in the United States and in the world in response to the Coronavirus. This movie will reveal how a future ‘climate lockdown’ could be implemented.” He added: “In short, if you like living under a Coronavirus government lockdown, you’ll love living under a climate emergency.”58Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy. CFACT/ CDR Communications, Inc., 2020

Morano characterised environmentalism as an elitist ideology, stating: “so this is what it all comes down to, a climate monarchy. Leaders living one way with a lavish lifestyle. While the public, let’s call them the masses, live a life of deprivation and limits. Politicians deciding and determining our economic and energy choices in order to prevent an alleged climate crisis.”59Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy. CFACT/ CDR Communications, Inc., 2020

Morano disputed that climate change had caused wildfires in California, stating: “well, if you go back a hundred years, you can see that the wildfires were much worse. And global wildfires in recent years, just the last two decades have declined.” He added: “there’s no trend in droughts.”60Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy. CFACT/ CDR Communications, Inc., 2020

Commenting on an interview with former President Donald Trump, in which Trump had stated “I don’t think science knows, actually,” when asked about the severity of global warming, Morano defended Trump’s remarks. He stated: “well, once again, Trump is actually echoing the words of the Princeton physicist Freeman Dyson, who actually said what’s needed in climate science is a little humility. So when Trump says scientists don’t know, he is right there with some of the brightest minds of science in the entire 20th century.” Morano added: “there’s peer reviewed studies, there’s scientists, two recent studies came out showing that global cooling could happen due to low sunspot activity for decades to come.”61Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy. CFACT/ CDR Communications, Inc., 2020

Morano downplayed the severity of climate change – induced extreme weather, stating: “ global sea level is not accelerating.” He added: “we are overdue for the next ice age, geologically speaking. So who knows what’s going to happen, as Trump said. Even the scientists don’t know,” also citing climate science denier Professor Robert Giegengack.62Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy. CFACT/ CDR Communications, Inc., 2020

Morano criticised the Green New Deal, stating: “so, first of all, they’re being sold a lie that somehow the Green New Deal is going to affect the climate when in fact, it won’t even affect global carbon dioxide emissions.” He added: “ if we actually faced the climate emergency that they claimed, the last thing you would want is a centrally planned top down, in the words of Vaclav Klaus, masterminding from above climate policy that affected every aspect of your life with government bureaucracy.”63Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy. CFACT/ CDR Communications, Inc., 2020

Morano stated that restricting fossil fuel development in the United States would only lead to dirty technologies being outsourced to poorer countries, stating: “carbon taxes, global trees, they’re going to end up increasing emissions because we’re going to outsource it to people who are less efficient and ethical with their use of environmental, energy, environmental policy.”64Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy. CFACT/ CDR Communications, Inc., 2020

Morano argued that climate change was a confected tool of elite politicians attempting to enforce an authoritarian agenda, stating: “ if you go back to the 1960s, all the previous environmental scares had the same solutions they’re proposing today: wealth redistribution, central planning, sovereignty-limiting treaties. It doesn’t matter what scare it was. Global warming is merely the latest environmental scare to require the same solutions.”65Climate Hustle 2: Rise of the Climate Monarchy. CFACT/ CDR Communications, Inc., 2020

September 24, 2020

Climate Hustle 2, the sequel to Morano’s prior film Climate Hustle, is set for online release. “Our first one was exposing the science as the hustle,” Morano told OneNewsNow“This one tells you about the agenda behind it, such as what’s behind the Green New deal, what’s behind the Paris climate agreement, and what’s behind the whole climate agenda.”66‘Climate Hustle’ sequel reveals big plans of Big Brother,” OneNewsNow, September 17, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/wbPQH

CFACT’s senior policy advisor Paul Driessen blamed “cancel culture” for Twitter’s ban of the Climate Hustle 2 account, and said Amazon Prime Video had also removed Climate Hustle 1 from its website:67‘Subversive’: Round up of reviews/attacks on Climate Hustle 2: Congressman calls film ‘dangerous’ – Media Matters: Morano ‘most notorious denier’ – Amazon Prime & Twitter try to censor,” Climate Depot, September 23, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/v94nB

“Cancel Culture is actively suppressing any climate skeptic views. Twitter actively banned Climate Hustle 2 and froze CFACT’s Twitter account. On appeal the account was unfrozen, but the ban adversely affected thousands of CFACT Twitter followers. Amazon Prime Video has removed Climate Hustle 1 from its website. CFACT tried to appeal, but Amazon didn’t respond.” Driessen did not specify if Twitter gave an official reason for the ban.68‘Subversive’: Round up of reviews/attacks on Climate Hustle 2: Congressman calls film ‘dangerous’ – Media Matters: Morano ‘most notorious denier’ – Amazon Prime & Twitter try to censor,” Climate Depot, September 23, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/v94nB

Vaclav Klaus, the former President of the Czech Republic, commented in the film: “The green agenda and the environmentalist agenda and the fighting climate agenda is trying to basically stop the existence of the free market system which we were fighting for and we were dreaming about in the communist era for decades. They want to dictate it, control, regulate, mastermind from above.”69It’s Coming! Climate Hustle 2 Set for Sept. 24 Worldwide release! Exposes agenda behind Green New Deal & UN Paris Pact,” Climate Depot, September 4, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/AzUyx

According to Morano, “The film lays out the climate claims and ‘solutions’ and devastates them with such climate experts as Climatologist Dr. Tim Ball, Greenpeace co-Founder Dr. Patrick Moore, MIT Climate Scientist Dr. Richard Lindzen, Climatologist Dr. David Legates, Nobel Prize-Winning Scientist Dr. Ivar Giaever, Geologist Dr. Robert Giegengack and many more.” (DeSmog URLs added).70It’s Coming! Climate Hustle 2 Set for Sept. 24 Worldwide release! Exposes agenda behind Green New Deal & UN Paris Pact,” Climate Depot, September 4, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/AzUyx

September 22, 2020

Morano appeared on the Howie Carr show at NewsMaxTV where he discussed the upcoming release of Climate Hustle 2 as well as his views on the COVID, lockdowns, and climate change:71The Howie Carr ShowNewsMax, September 22, 2020. Archived .mp4 and .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

“COVID is the exact same playbook as climate,” Morano said. “First. The first thing you do with a virus is try to calm the public and make rational decisions. What’s the first thing our public health bureaucracy did? They came out and tried to instill as great a fear in everyone as possible. That’s how they got the lockdowns, mask mandates. These weren’t even in the CDC playbook for decades. They weren’t. They weren’t in the playbook for how to deal with the virus.”

Morano went as far as to claim wearing masks could increase spread of the flu, and “it’s all about obedience to government”:72The Howie Carr ShowNewsMax, September 22, 2020. Archived .mp4 and .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

Marc Morano: [00:05:38] There’ve been studies recently, the last few years showing that mask wearing is associated with higher incidence of flu and influenza because you end up touching your mouth, more, adjusting it and getting the virus in. It’s it’s an amazing thing. But this is about obedience to government. And what happened was with climate and COVID—this whole climate-COVID connection, they gin up fear. They come out with emergency situations. No time for argument, debate. If you dissent, you are banned from the media. Any doctors or epidemiologists who were against the lockdown’s were banned from YouTube. It’s the exact same playbook. And the climate activists love this. Al Gore, Greta Thunberg, John Kerry have all praised the lockdown’s and said this is what we need for climate and that they’re lusting after these lockdowns.73The Howie Carr ShowNewsMax, September 22, 2020. Archived .mp4 and .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

“We’re facing a true technocracy rule by experts,” Morano added, going on to criticize New Zealand’s goal of trying to go to zero cases, giving it as an example of “logic, science, everything on its face.”74The Howie Carr ShowNewsMax, September 22, 2020. Archived .mp4 and .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

“I will go so far to say the Texas governor has been weak on this,” Morano noted. “The governor who I like is Kemper of Georgia. He has been fantastic. He’s banned localities, even from allowing mask mandates.” […] “So we’re facing, because of this climate-COVID, connection, We’ve lost our democracy. How many legislators voted on a lockdown?”75The Howie Carr ShowNewsMax, September 22, 2020. Archived .mp4 and .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

Later in the interview, Morano suggested Donald Trump had not gone far enough on his rollbacks of climate change regulations:76The Howie Carr ShowNewsMax, September 22, 2020. Archived .mp4 and .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

“Donald Trump, I believe, has failed in his administration to push back on climate science and the whole narrative. He had an opportunity, those first four years he had a scientist on his staff, federal scientist named Will Happer to 200 peer reviewed studies. Considered the foremost expert, he went to do a climate commission bringing together two dozen dissenting scientists for the first time ever pushback in the U.N. Trump actually supported it.

But his office delayed, delayed, delayed until was too close to the election. None of Donald Trump’s cabinet has pushed back on the science of this. They do great job with regulations. So without anyone in power pushing back, you have very few senators, congressmen. I used to work for Senator Inhofe. He’s willing to push back, but very few others.”77The Howie Carr ShowNewsMax, September 22, 2020. Archived .mp4 and .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

September 15, 2020

Marc Morano joined Tucker Carlson on Fox News where he went on to claim recent wildfires were not unprecedented and constituted “climate ambulance-chasing at its core.”78Marc Morano debunks wildfire ‘hustle’ on Tucker Carlson,” YouTube video uploaded by user “cfact,” September 16, 2020. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“This is not an unprecedented fire. […] California’s had droughts of up to 200-plus years that have lasted centuries. Recent times in California are nothing compared to the past of where it’s been. And globally, droughts are not increasing according to the UN. Wildfires are not. There is no way. This is climate ambulance-chasing at its core, weaponizing weather events to say, look, there’s a bad weather event here. We need a Green New Deal. They’re using science to lobby for politics.”79Marc Morano debunks wildfire ‘hustle’ on Tucker Carlson,” YouTube video uploaded by user “cfact,” September 16, 2020. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Media Matters reported Fox News had recently been breaking out “all the tools in the denier playbook” to downplay the role of climate change in western wildfires.80Fox breaks out all the tools in the denier playbook to downplay climate change’s role in western wildfires,” Media Matters, September 17, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/e59Oz

“Fox shows are following a playbook that they have used with other major fire disasters linked to climate change, including last year’s catastrophic bushfires in Australia and previous catastrophic fires in California,” Media Matters wrote. “The goal of Fox’s coverage is always the same: deflect from the scientific reality of climate change and paint Democratic policies as the true culprits in worsening the wildfires.”81Fox breaks out all the tools in the denier playbook to downplay climate change’s role in western wildfires,” Media Matters, September 17, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/e59Oz

Fox News had used the exact same line—”weaponizing weather”—in an August 2019 segment on the Amazon fires.82Fox breaks out all the tools in the denier playbook to downplay climate change’s role in western wildfires,” Media Matters, September 17, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/e59Oz

“Carlson’s climate-denying rants fly in the face of well-established scientific evidence that climate change is both prolonging the fire season and intensifying the size and scale of the fires. Climate scientists have also called these wildfires ‘unprecedented’ and linked a climate-fueled drought to conditions worsening the fires.”83Fox breaks out all the tools in the denier playbook to downplay climate change’s role in western wildfires,” Media Matters, September 17, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/e59Oz

While Carlson has claimed “not a single scientist” could link climate change to the fires, Climate scientist Daniel Swain—who had one of his quotes featured on Carlson’s show—noted the use of his quote was “fundamentally misrepresenting climate scientists’ public statements on wildfires and climate change.”84Fox breaks out all the tools in the denier playbook to downplay climate change’s role in western wildfires,” Media Matters, September 17, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/e59Oz

April 30, 2020

Morano joined Heartland Institute president James Taylor for an episode of CFACT‘s “Truth Talks” series. 85Craig Rucker. “CFACT & Heartland expose lockdown aspirations of climate radicals,” CFACT, May 1, 2020. Archived September 23, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/feh4l

According to the CFACT description, “Marc Morano kicked things off by explaining that the climate Left has been clamoring for coronavirus-style lockdowns for years. These radical activists and bureaucrats are desperate to keep the shutdown going in the name of ‘climate action.’

‘Lockdowns…this is what the climate community has preached for decades about global warming! And particularly, in the last couple years, [they wanted to impose] through the Green New Deal,’ Marc said. ‘The climate activists for lack of a better word, are jealous!'”

“While climate radicals drool over the shutdown of the global economy, our fight for freedom must go on,” CFACT concluded. “As James Taylor said toward the end of the event: ‘This is a bait and switch at the expense of our most important and basic freedoms.'”

December 3, 2019

The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) distributed pamphlets written by Morano at a press conference held by the Greta Thunberg-founded “Fridays for Future” youth group at the UN’s COP25 climate summit in Madrid.86Craig Rucker. “Greta’s ‘person of the year,’ but her climate kids are emotional and vacuous at COP 25,” cfact.org, December 11, 2019. Archived December 11, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/mij1P. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

CFACT described the press conference as being staged by “crying kids.”87Craig Rucker. “Greta’s ‘person of the year,’ but her climate kids are emotional and vacuous at COP 25,” cfact.org, December 11, 2019. Archived December 11, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/mij1P. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The introduction to Morano’s document contained the following passages:

“Teen school-skipping climate activists are testifying to the U.S. Congress and the United Nations and young children are being recruited for lawsuits against the U.S. government for its alleged climate ‘inaction.’ The phrase ‘climate emergency’ has emerged as the favorite for climate campaigners. But the arguments put forth by global warming advocates grossly distort the true facts on a host of issues, ranging from rising sea levels and record temperatures to melting polar caps and polar bears, among others. In short, there is no ‘climate crisis’ or a ‘climate emergency.’”88Craig Rucker. “Greta’s ‘person of the year,’ but her climate kids are emotional and vacuous at COP 25,” cfact.org, December 11, 2019. Archived December 11, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/mij1P. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

October 28, 2019

Morano appeared before the Pennsylvania House Committee on Environmental Resources and Energy.89Stephen Caruso. “’The stakes are too high’: Climate skeptics meet their own critics at state House committee hearing,” Pennsylvania Capital-Star, October 28, 2019. Archived November 4, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/Jy5wZ 90Climate Science Denial Returns to Harrisburg,” Pennsylvania Spotlight, October 28, 2019. Archived November 7, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/KA6fD

He testified against a proposal for the state to join a regional cap-and-trade program with eight other states, claiming that there was no scientific consensus on climate change and that statistics proving otherwise were “pulled out of thin air.”91Stephen Caruso. “’The stakes are too high’: Climate skeptics meet their own critics at state House committee hearing,” Pennsylvania Capital-Star, October 28, 2019. Archived November 4, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/Jy5wZ 92Climate Science Denial Returns to Harrisburg,” Pennsylvania Spotlight, October 28, 2019. Archived November 7, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/KA6fD

In Morano’s written testimony, he commented: “I am not a scientist, although I do occasionally debate scientists on TV. My background is in political science, which happens to be an ideal background for examining man-made global warming claims and its so-called ‘solutions.’”93“Submitted Written Testimony of Marc Morano, the Publisher of CFACT’s Climate Depot’ (PDF), October 28, 2019. Retrieved from Pennsylvania General Assembly website. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

David Legates and Gregory Wrightstone, both affiliated with the Heartland Institute, also testified at the hearing. When asked during the hearing where his funding came from, Wrightstone commented “I get no funding from anybody.”94Climate Science Denial Returns to Harrisburg,” Pennsylvania Spotlight, October 28, 2019. Archived November 7, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/KA6fD

September 19, 2019

Morano spoke at an event at Georgetown University designed to rebut a nearby official climate change debate forum for 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.95Jenni Fink. “Georgetown College Republicans Host Rebuttal to Climate Forum Featuring 2020 Candidates,” Newsweek, September 19, 2019. Archived September 19, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/nkuC3

The Georgetown event, “Climate Forum: a Rebuttal,” was sponsored by the Georgetown University College Republicans (GUCR), and also featured CFACT’s Paul Driessen, Caleb Rossiter of the CO2 Coalition, Kenny Stein of the Institute for Energy Research, and Patrick Michaels of the Cato Institute.96Climate Forum: A Rebuttal,” Facebook, September 19, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

GUCR advertised the event on Facebook as “bringing five climate policy &[sic] climate science experts to provide an alternative perspective.”97Annemarie Cuccia, Sarah Watson. “Protesters Disrupt Rebuttal to Climate Change Forum,” The Georgetown Voice, September 19, 2019. Archived September 20, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/gGu5f

As Morano began his presentation, titled “’Climate Emergency’ Cancelled! Politicians Cannot Legislate Weather, Storms, and the Climate,” student protesters disrupted the proceedings, causing campus police to remove everyone from the room.98Riley Rogerson. “College Republicans’ Climate Forum Rebuttal Met With Protests,” The Hoya, September 20, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/0wqbq

When the event resumed, Morano began his talk:

“The day we can go to Walmart, buy a solar panel, put it on a house and get off the grid is the day we can stop having an argument over climate policy. Until that happens, don’t ban everything that works for energy that’s not ready to take over.”99Riley Rogerson. “College Republicans’ Climate Forum Rebuttal Met With Protests,” The Hoya, September 20, 2019. Archived September 25, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/0wqbq

September 11, 2019

Morano appeared on The Ezra Levant Show to comment on one scientist’s thought experiment about the potential for cannibalism to alleviate climate change.100Ezra Levant. “Socialism or cannibalism: Marc Morano says environmentalists are only giving us two choices,” The Rebel, September 11, 2019. Archived September 11, 2019. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/DhlkH

Framing the idea as a way to trick the populace into accepting socialism, Morano told the host:

“They’re just trying to shock the public so that we’ll take action on climate, turn to central planning, give up liberty, give up free markets, in order to save us from a climate calamity, and, apparently now, cannibalism it’ll save us from. So if we go socialist, hey, we don’t need to eat humans.”101Socialism or cannibalism: Marc Morano says environmentalists are only giving us two choices,” The Rebel, September 11, 2019. Archived September 11, 2019. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/DhlkH

August 14, 2019

Morano appeared on Fox News’s Tucker Carlson Tonight to implicate Al Gore in a conspiracy to raise meat prices while profiting from the increasing popularity of meat substitutes.102Marc Morano Appears on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ To Discuss Climate Change,” Grabien.com, August 14, 2019. Video uploaded by user ClimateDepot. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

He also claimed the Democratic Party was complicit in this scheme:

“If a Democrat wins the White House there’s going to be a whole, you know, fake meat stimulus,” Morano said.103Marc Morano Appears on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ To Discuss Climate Change,” Grabien.com, August 14, 2019. Video uploaded by user ClimateDepot. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

August 13, 2019

Morano scored a #1 ranking atop a Nature Communications analysis of climate science deniers based on media visibility.104Alexander Michael Petersen, Emmanuel M. Vincent, Anthony LeRoy Westerling. “Discrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians,” Nature Communications, August 13, 2019. Archived August 14, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/WC84u. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The study found deniers and skeptics of mainstream climate science appeared disproportionately in media compared to actual climate scientists, concluding that a lack of editorial rigor in new media outlets was giving deniers like Morano a larger platform.105Alexander Michael Petersen, Emmanuel M. Vincent, Anthony LeRoy Westerling. “Discrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians,” Nature Communications, August 13, 2019. Archived August 14, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/WC84u. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Appearing immediately after Morano in the study’s rankings were Sen. James Inhofe, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Judith Curry, and Roy Spencer.106Alexander Michael Petersen, Emmanuel M. Vincent, Anthony LeRoy Westerling. “Discrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians,” Nature Communications, August 13, 2019. Archived August 14, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/WC84u. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

June 15, 2019

Morano published an article on Climate Depot entitled “Lord Monckton corrects Pope Francis on climate: ‘The totalitarians got the science wrong’ – Carbon dioxide is NOT a ‘satanic gas” featuring a letter from British climate science denier Christopher Monckton to Pope Francis, in which Monckton writes:107Marc Morano. “Lord Monckton corrects Pope Francis on climate: ‘The totalitarians got the science wrong’ – Carbon dioxide is NOT a ‘satanic gas’,” Climate Depot, June 15, 2019. Archived June 19, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/kbOso

“I have listened carefully, and I can inform Your Holiness that science is divided on the climate question. A small number of totalitarian profiteers of doom in various self-serving national academies have issued pompous statements about it, but a large number of papers from reputable scientists, and a larger amount of hard data, suggest that global warming is and will continue to be a non-event.”108Marc Morano. “Lord Monckton corrects Pope Francis on climate: ‘The totalitarians got the science wrong’ – Carbon dioxide is NOT a ‘satanic gas’,” Climate Depot, June 15, 2019. Archived June 19, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/kbOso

May 22, 2019

Testifying before the House Committee on Natural Resources, Morano objected to the findings of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) on global extinction rates.109John R. Platt. “Rise of the Extinction Deniers,” Scientific American, June 22, 2019. Archived July 1, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/eGVDi The IPBES Global Assessment Report predicted that up to one million species would become extinct as a direct consequence of human activity.110Media Release: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES),” IPBES.net, May 6, 2019. Archived July 1, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/Gk0jM. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Morano’s prepared testimony dismissed the IBPES report as alarmist propaganda, saying:

“The UN’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), hypes and distorts biodiversity issues for lobbying purposes. This report is the latest UN appeal to give it more power, more scientific authority, more money, and more regulatory control.”111Submitted Written Testimony of Marc Morano, Publisher of CFACT’s Climate Depot,” NaturalResources.House.gov, May 22, 2019. Archived July 1, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Also testifying was former IPBES chair Sir Robert Watson, who summarized the report’s findings:

“The evidence is unequivocal – biodiversity, which is important in its own right and essential for human well-being is being destroyed by human activities at a rate unprecedented in human history.”112Key Findings from the Global Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Robert T. Watson, Former chair of IPBES,” NaturalResources.House.gov, May 22, 2019. Archived July 1, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Morano targeted Watson in his testimony, saying:

“Make no mistake about it, Sir Robert Watson, Dr. Eduardo S. Brondizio and Dr. Yunne Shin, are the leaders of the UN’s bastardization of species endangerment science and are fully engaged in using what they claim to be ‘science’ to lobby for more power and expanding bureaucracy of the United Nations.”113Submitted Written Testimony of Marc Morano, Publisher of CFACT’s Climate Depot,” NaturalResources.House.gov, May 22, 2019. Archived July 1, 2019. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

May 6, 2019

Morano appeared in a segment on Fox News’ Special Report With Bret Baier as a critic of the U.N. report warning of imminent threats to the global ecosystem, including the extinction of innumerable species of plant and animal life:114Fox’s flagship ‘hard news’ show hosts a climate change denier to downplay major UN report about humans causing mass extinctions,” Media Matters, May 7, 2019. Archived May 7, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bcw24

“This is politics, not science,” Morano said. “The U.N. is trying to expand its base to include climate and species. They are looking for more treaties, more regulation. They have identified a problem, they’ve juiced it up, and put themselves in charge of solving the problem. That is called a self-interested lobbying organization.”115Fox’s flagship ‘hard news’ show hosts a climate change denier to downplay major UN report about humans causing mass extinctions,” Media Matters, May 7, 2019. Archived May 7, 2019. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bcw24

May 2, 2019

Morano narrated an animated video for Clear Energy Alliance that featured images of dogs urinating on carpets as an analogy for what he perceives as scientific malfeasance. Citing the opinions of other climate science deniers as proof of “dodgy distortions” in climate studies, Morano claimed that the scientific consensus on climate change is founded upon flawed studies:116Marc Morano. “Bad Data,” Clearenergyalliance.com, May 2, 2019. Archived May 10, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/Rn5Q1. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“Remember when kids used to tell their teachers, ‘the dog ate my homework.’ Well, now we’ve got some climate change scientists who might as well be saying the same thing about the raw data backing up their research. A lot of the data is incomplete, inconsistent and just flat out wrong,” Morano said.

“It’s no laughing matter because this research is being used as justification for spending trillions of dollars on policies that probably won’t do anything more than bankrupt the world.”117Marc Morano. “Bad Data,” Clearenergyalliance.com, May 2, 2019. Archived May 10, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/Rn5Q1. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

April 30, 2019

Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Morano commented on Beto O’Rourke’s plan to address climate change by cutting pollution. Morano rejected the concept of CO2 as a pollutant by stating:118On Fox & Friends, climate change denier Marc Morano claims CO2 is not pollution because ‘we exhale carbon dioxide’,” Media Matters, April 30, 2019. Archived May 7, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/ycCew

“(W)e inhale oxygen, we exhale carbon dioxide, so he’s calling CO2 pollution, which it’s not.”

February 27, 2019

Morano touted a new Global Warming Policy Foundation report by Susan Crockford citing increased human-polar bear interactions as evidence of a rising polar bear population in the Canadian Arctic:

“Far from the 2007 predictions of a 67% decline in global polar bear numbers, the new report reveals that numbers have risen to the highest levels in decades. Happy International Polar Bear Day!119Marc Morano. “STUDY: Polar Bear numbers reach new highs – Population increases to the highest levels in decades,” Climate Depot, February 27, 2019. Archived March 6, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/aOCEl

February 27, 2019

Morano appeared before the Congressional Western Caucus alongside Myron Ebell and David Legates to provide testimony in opposition to the proposed Green New Deal.120Watch: Morano testifies at Congressional Hearing On The Green New Deal as AOC Backs Out: The Dem Party has shifted ‘into serious, unscientific, nutty territory’ – Urges GOP NOT to offer ‘Green New Deal-lite’,” Climate Depot, February 27, 2019. Archived March 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/bMwSD. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

After touting his own credentials in written testimony, Morano declared:

“The Green New Deal is neither ‘Green’ or ‘New’ and it is a ‘Raw Deal.’ It is one Big Bowl of Crazy.”121Watch: Morano testifies at Congressional Hearing On The Green New Deal as AOC Backs Out: The Dem Party has shifted ‘into serious, unscientific, nutty territory’ – Urges GOP NOT to offer ‘Green New Deal-lite’,” Climate Depot, February 27, 2019. Archived March 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/bMwSD. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Describing the Green New Deal as yet another example of government overreach intended to further a big government agenda, Morano stated:

“’Global warming’ is merely the latest environmental scare with the same solutions of wealth redistribution and central planning. ‘Global warming’ is merely the latest environmental scare with the same big government solution.”122Watch: Morano testifies at Congressional Hearing On The Green New Deal as AOC Backs Out: The Dem Party has shifted ‘into serious, unscientific, nutty territory’ – Urges GOP NOT to offer ‘Green New Deal-lite’,” Climate Depot, February 27, 2019. Archived March 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/bMwSD. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Emphasizing his belief that proposed environmental policies are nothing more than Trojan horses for eroding American liberties, Morano concluded:

“ […] the ‘Green New Deal’ is neither ‘green’ or ‘new.’ The environmental Left has been using green scares to push for the same solutions we see today — wealth redistribution, central planning, sovereignty limiting treaties — since the overpopulation scars (sic) of the 1960s and 1970s.”123Watch: Morano testifies at Congressional Hearing On The Green New Deal as AOC Backs Out: The Dem Party has shifted ‘into serious, unscientific, nutty territory’ – Urges GOP NOT to offer ‘Green New Deal-lite’,” Climate Depot, February 27, 2019. Archived March 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/bMwSD. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

In oral testimony before the caucus, Morano described the Green New Deal as a:

“[…] nothing more than a massive planned recession for the U.S. economy.”124Watch: Morano testifies at Congressional Hearing On The Green New Deal as AOC Backs Out: The Dem Party has shifted ‘into serious, unscientific, nutty territory’ – Urges GOP NOT to offer ‘Green New Deal-lite’,” Climate Depot, February 27, 2019. Archived March 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/bMwSD. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Describing the GND as a litmus test for Democrats, Morano also warned the caucus of the potential for capitulation to some of its proposals by Republicans:

“The greatest danger we face right now from the Green New Deal […] is very simply the Republican Party coming up with the Green New Deal Lite.”125Watch: Morano testifies at Congressional Hearing On The Green New Deal as AOC Backs Out: The Dem Party has shifted ‘into serious, unscientific, nutty territory’ – Urges GOP NOT to offer ‘Green New Deal-lite’,” Climate Depot, February 27, 2019. Archived March 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/bMwSD. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Following his testimony, Morano and others held a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol where he described the Green New Deal as:

“[…] pure climate nonsense. It hearkens back to medieval witchcraft to think that we could pass legislation that would affect our weather, our storms, our temperature.”126Watch: Morano testifies at Congressional Hearing On The Green New Deal as AOC Backs Out: The Dem Party has shifted ‘into serious, unscientific, nutty territory’ – Urges GOP NOT to offer ‘Green New Deal-lite’,” Climate Depot, February 27, 2019. Archived March 5, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/bMwSD. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

February 8, 2019

Morano appeared in a video published by Clear Energy Alliance entitled “science is falsifiable.” Morano, referring to the concept of falsifiability, puts climate science in the same category as horoscopes, claiming there is no way to disprove it so the concept is unscientific:127Science is Falsifiable,” YouTube video uploaded by user “Clear Energy Alliance,” February 8, 2019. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

Some excerpts below:128Science is Falsifiable,” YouTube video uploaded by user “Clear Energy Alliance,” February 8, 2019. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

“If any and all climate conditions are being attributed to climate change, then how can we design any observation or experiment that would make climate change falsifiable? We can’t if it’s not falsifiable. It’s not science.”

“Today, a sort of climate astrology has taken over. Many climate claims have descended into the realm of the predictions of Nostradamus or the Mayan calendar. There’s no way anyone can falsify global warming theory now because any weather event that happens proves their case.  And if that isn’t confusing enough already, how do we design an experiment to know what changes in climate are due to human activities or part of the natural order of things?

[…] In other words, is there any experiment or observation that can distinguish what is man caused climate change and what is simply just natural climate? There isn’t one today and there may never be one.”

Portions of Morano’s video could be viewed as an example of a straw man argument, where he puts forward a wide range of supposed claims by environmentalists and frames the as contradictory. Commentators have noted that the argument that climate science is not falsifiable is often supported by straw man arguments, and that the claim itself runs counter to Karl Popper’s ideas.129Hans Custers. “Is Climate Science falsifiable?” My view on climate change, February 17, 2014. Archived February 14, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/8ZIk5

There have also been research articles130David Mercer. “Why Popper can’t resolve the debate over global warming: Problems with the uses of philosophy of science in the media and public framing of the science of global warming,” Public Understanding of Science, May 5, 2016. and commentary concluding that it is problematic to use Popper’s theories and the philosophy of science to debate global warming.131Popper,” …And Then There’s Physics, May 27, 2016. Archived February 14, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/C9lcI

January 3, 2019

Morano, appearing on Fox & Friends, claimed that the use of fossil fuels is beneficial to the environment:

“Oddly, the more carbon-based fuels you can introduce in the developing world — Africa, South America, Asia — the cleaner the environment gets. You have less people burning dung in their huts, you have less people dumping sewage into the rivers, because you get infrastructure.”132On Fox & Friends, climate denier attacks proposed Green New Deal: ‘Carbon-based fuels actually improve the environment’,” Media Matters, January 3, 2019. Archived January 7, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.vn/jjsgP

He also criticized any attempt to mitigate climate change through government action:

“…they always had the same solution: More government control, central planning and this is no different. The Green New Deal and this idea of mobilizing to fight the climate is the exact same — they’re proposing central planning, has nothing to do with climate.”133On Fox & Friends, climate denier attacks proposed Green New Deal: ‘Carbon-based fuels actually improve the environment’,” Media Matters, January 3, 2019. Archived January 7, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.vn/jjsgP

November 6, 2018

A ballot measure in Nevada to require the acquisition of 50 percent of the state’s energy from renewable sources by 2030 was adopted by a margin of almost 20 points. Nevadans concerned about the state’s significantly degraded air quality initiated the measure as a constitutional amendment.134Douglas Kennedy and Rebecca Kasten. “Nevada ballot proposals asks voters whether state should use more clean energy,” Fox News, November 6, 2018. Archived November 6, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/Sz0RP 135Nevada Question 6, Renewable Energy Standards Initiative (2018),” Ballotpedia. Accessed November 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/AuvFu

Commenting on the proposal before its passage, Morano dismissed the proposal:

“This is not a solution to anyone’s health concern. Eventually you end up with government picking winners and losers in the energy sector, government banning the energy that works, and you’re gonna have higher energy costs.”136Douglas Kennedy and Rebecca Kasten. “Nevada ballot proposals asks voters whether state should use more clean energy,” Fox News, November 6, 2018. Archived November 6, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/Sz0RP

October 15, 2018

After President Donald Trump appeared on the October 14 edition of CBS’ “60 Minutes” and delivered a new iteration of an often repeated talking point of climate change science denial, Morano posted the following response on his website:

“…President Trump’s climate remarks were scientifically, politically and economically accurate. Finally, the United States has a president who understands “global warming”!”137Marc Morano, “Analysis: Trump KO’s ’60 Minutes’ on ‘climate change’ – Trump’s skeptical remarks were ‘scientifically, politically and economically accurate,’” Climate Depot, October 14, 2018. Archived October 26, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/tM3fo

Morano was responding to statements made by Trump in his interview with Lesley Stahl:

“I think something’s happening. Something’s changing and it’ll change back again. I don’t think it’s a hoax, I think there’s probably a difference. But I don’t know that it’s manmade. I will say this. I don’t wanna give trillions and trillions of dollars. I don’t wanna lose millions and millions of jobs. I don’t wanna be put at a disadvantage. …I’m not denying climate change. But it could very well go back.”138President Trump on Christine Blasey Ford, his relationships with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un and more,” 60 Minutes, October 14, 2018. Archived October 16, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/tLtRk

In a follow-up email to his supporters, Morano also said of the President’s remarks:

“Once again, President Trump is accurately citing Earth’s history. …The climate has varied over billions of years, millions of years, hundreds of thousands of years, thousands of years, hundreds of years and decades.”139Scott Waldman. “Did Trump create a new talking point for skeptics?“, E&E News, October 16, 2018. Archived October 16, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/QHP1y

Offering a different take on Trump’s comments was Susan Joy Hassol, director of Climate Communication and writer for National Climate Assessment:

“This is the No. 1 myth, it’s a reflection of ignorance; climate has changed before, climate scientists are quite aware of that,” she said. “We also know why it’s changed before and the long time scales on which it has changed before, and we know how different current global warming is from all of those.”140Scott Waldman. “Did Trump create a new talking point for skeptics?“, E&E News, October 16, 2018. Archived October 16, 2018. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/QHP1y

August 7, 2018

Morano spoke at the Heartland Institute’s “America First Energy Conference” (AFEC) in 2018.  He spoke on a panel titled “Battling Russia and America’s Big Green Machine.” View video below:141Marc Morano,” America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived September 17, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/VVjVI 142Marc Morano on Panel 5B: Battling Russia and America’s Big Green Machine,” YouTube video uploaded by user “The Heartland Institute,” August 10, 2018.

April 24, 2018

Morano tweeted an image, posting with Steve Milloy at the EPA HQ ”celebrating the end of secret science.” That afternoon, Pruitt had unveiled the “secret science” initiative that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from using any studies that do not make the raw data public.143Josh Siegel. “Scott Pruitt announces new EPA rule to combat ‘secret science’,” Washington Examiner, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/d7avT

“The science that we use is going to be transparent, reproducible and able to be analyzed by those in the marketplace,” Pruitt said of the initiative. “This is the right approach. Today is a red letter today. It’s a banner day. It’s an agency taking responsibility for how we do our work and respect the process to make sure we can enhance confidence in our decision making.”144Josh Siegel. “Scott Pruitt announces new EPA rule to combat ‘secret science’,” Washington Examiner, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/d7avT

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.145Josh Siegel. “Scott Pruitt announces new EPA rule to combat ‘secret science’,” Washington Examiner, April 24, 2018. Archived April 24, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/d7avT

“Administrator 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,” John Walke, the clean air director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, told the Washington Examiner.

In another tweet, Morano presented his book—“The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change”—to a smiling Scott Pruitt:

Prominent climate change denier Will Happer also posed for a photo with Morano, along with CFACT’s executive director Craig Rucker:

April 4, 2018

After a long list of controvesies came to light surrounding Scott Pruitt, Morano came to the EPA Administrator’s defense on a Fox News segment with Doug McKelway.146EPA administrator under fire for travel and security choices,” Fox News, April 3, 2018.

According to Morano, “Right now, Pruitt is a marked man in Washington. Scott Pruitt has been a lightning rod. He has been the incarnation of evil for environmental groups and climate activists. So they are doing everything they can to go after him147.””EPA administrator under fire for travel and security choices,” Fox News, April 3, 2018.

Regarding Pruitt’s decision to roll back emissions standards for vehicles, Morano said of CAFE standards: “They statutorily kills the American SUV as we know it.” View the segment below.148EPA administrator under fire for travel and security choices,” Fox News, April 3, 2018.

February 26, 2018

Morano wrote The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change, published by Regnery Publishing. Anthony Watts, who described Morano as a “friend” said the book was a “must read” and also wrote a recommendation at the beginning of the book.149Anthony Watts. “A must-read: The Politically Incorrect Guide® to Climate Change,” Watts Up With That, February 25, 2018. Archived February 27, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/YZYsz

NewsBusters, the publication of the climate-change-denying Media Research Center (MRC), also promoted Morano’s bookNewsBusters mentioned that in the book, Morano cited Richard Tol (an economist) in order to claim a consensus on man-made climate change does not exist:150Gabriel Hays. “Marc Morano’s New Book is Climate Alarmists’ Worst Nightmare,” NewsBusters, March 7, 2018. Archived March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/cOmDS

“The repeated claim of a 97 percent ‘consensus’ in support of catastrophic man-made climate change? It’s nothing more than a talking point designed to silence anyone who dares to question the very dubious ‘science’ on global warming.”

In March 2018, Morano posed for a photo with Chris Horner, who wrote the first edition of the book, as well as Tony Heller (AKA Steve Goddard), and Steve Milloy of Junk Science. Heller described them as the “The Washington DC global warming scam demolition team.”151Hot Off The Press,” The Deplorable Climate Science Blog, March 7, 2018. Archived March 10, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/rocSl

Heller also tweeted the image:

November 16, 2017

Marc Morano was on site at the United Nations climate talks where he sat on-camera to debate Massachusetts state senator Michael Barrett about President Trump’s pledge to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.152Ben Jervey. “Climate Depot’s Marc Morano Returns to UN Climate Talks to Mock Activists, Spin Climate Denial,” DeSmog, November 16, 2017.

DeSmog captured videos of Morano boasting about the U.S. intent to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement:153Ben Jervey. “Climate Depot’s Marc Morano Returns to UN Climate Talks to Mock Activists, Spin Climate Denial,” DeSmog, November 16, 2017.

He later responded to a question about the 97% consensus, equating  equating Harvard-educated scientists and politicians to the judges in the Salem witch trials:154Ben Jervey. “Climate Depot’s Marc Morano Returns to UN Climate Talks to Mock Activists, Spin Climate Denial,” DeSmog, November 16, 2017.

August 22, 2017

Ezra Levant interviewed Morano on The Ezra Levant Show. During the interview, Morano said that Steve Bannon‘s departure from the White House was a huge loss for climate change deniers.155Marc Morano: Bannon’s departure ‘bad news for climate skeptics‘,” The Rebel, August 22, 2017. Archived August 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/KL2st

Morano: “We’ve lost a major voice. Now, you’re right, Scott Pruitt’s a great voice. Energy Secretary Rick Perry has been a great voice, but it doesn’t change the fact we’ve lost a major skeptic in the White House with influence and power. You guys remember, personnel is power.”

Levant: “That’s a good point. And, as you they say, personnel is policy as well. […]”156Marc Morano: Bannon’s departure ‘bad news for climate skeptics‘,” The Rebel, August 22, 2017. Archived August 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/KL2st

Morano also described his experience while working in the U.S. Senate for Senator James Inhofe. Morano said that he was told by members of his own staff in the Environment & Public Works Committee to “lay off” of pushing climate change skepticism because it was affecting their ability to get jobs, “because Inhofe was being painted as an extremist for denying global warming.”157Marc Morano: Bannon’s departure ‘bad news for climate skeptics‘,” The Rebel, August 22, 2017. Archived August 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/KL2st

“It matters. People don’t want to stand up to the Washington establishment because it means jobs, it means money, it means reputation. And that is why the loss of someone like Bannon has a big impact.”158Marc Morano: Bannon’s departure ‘bad news for climate skeptics‘,” The Rebel, August 22, 2017. Archived August 24, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/KL2st

July 2017

As promoted by CFACT mailer, Morano is scheduled to appear at the Australian premier of Climate Hustle, accompanied in Australia by CFACT’s Executive Director Craig Rucker, as well as CFACT president and founder David Rothbard. Event dates were also listed on Joanne Nova‘s blog:159Taking the Facts Down Under,” Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. Retrieved from mailchimp. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/IyM20 160Finally, see ‘Climate Hustle’ in Australia — Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney.” JoNova, June 27, 2017. Archived July 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nvByX 161Graham Readfearn. “Notorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,” DeSmog, July 6, 2017.

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 follow

July 15- Brisbane, Australia
Sponsored by the Australian Institute for Progress
New Farm Cinema
Doors open at 4:30 PM

July 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.162Graham Readfearn. “Notorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,” 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: “This 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.”163Graham Readfearn. “Notorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,” DeSmog, July 6, 2017.

Reviewing a section that downplays the role of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, Steffen noted it “misrepresents how the carbon cycle works” by ignoring how oceans and land absorb CO2 – a very basic and well-known mechanism in the carbon cycle.164Graham Readfearn. “Notorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,” DeSmog, July 6, 2017.

Steffen added, “What 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.”165Graham Readfearn. “Notorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,” 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 “muddled.”166Graham Readfearn. “Notorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,” DeSmog, July 6, 2017.

 “Whilst 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,” King said. “Changes in other potential drivers, like solar activity, simply can’t explain the 1C rise in global temperature we have observed.”167Graham Readfearn. “Notorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,” DeSmog, July 6, 2017.

Craig Rucker said: “CFACT 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.”168Graham Readfearn. “Notorious Climate Science Denier Marc Morano Flying to Australia With Misleading Climate Hustle Movie,” 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.169Finally, see ‘Climate Hustle’ in Australia — Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney.” JoNova, June 27, 2017. Archived July 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nvByX

December 12, 2016

Marc Morano 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.170George Cahlink. “Trump EPA adviser Myron Ebell meets with Hill aides,” E&E News, December 12, 2016.

DeSmog reported that the event featured the “Who’s Who of Climate Science Deniers.”171Graham Readfearn. “Donald Trump’s Aide at EPA Myron Ebell Meets with Who’s Who of Climate Science Deniers,” DeSmog, December 13, 2016. 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:172Yesterday I spoke at an event for the Competitive Enterprise Institute called Cooler Heads Coalition in Washington. […]” Facebook post by Malcolm Roberts – QLD Senate – One Nation, December 13 at 6:38 pm. Archived image on file at DeSmog.

Malcolm Roberts Facebook Post

Names mentioned above included:

DeSmog also noted that three of the attendees—Myron Ebell, Randy Randol, and Steve Milloy—had 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 “victory will be achieved when […] Average citizens ‘understand’ (recognize) uncertainties in climate science; recognition of uncertainties becomes part of the ‘conventional wisdom’.”173Global Climate Science Communications Plan (1998),” SourceWatch. 174“Draft Global Climate Science Communications Plan” (PDF), Joe Walker. Retrieved from InsideClimateNews.

September 1, 2016

Marc Morano spoke at the Uintah Basin Energy Summit, which has prompted some controversy from environmental groups:175Paul Rolly The Salt Lake Tribune. “Rolly: Climate-change denier to speak at energy summit — and you’re paying for it,” The Salt Lake Tribune, August 29, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jj7hF

“I could see it if an oil and gas association brought him in to speak to their skepticsim about the climate change argument,” Sat Matt Pacenza, executive director of HEAL Utah. “But this is a government-sponsored event, and he is being paid with taxpayer money.”176Paul Rolly The Salt Lake Tribune. “Rolly: Climate-change denier to speak at energy summit — and you’re paying for it,” The Salt Lake Tribune, August 29, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jj7hF

The state Office of Energy Development, which is also sponsoring the conference, noted in a statement: “our views on climate change do not align with those of Mr. Morano” reports KUER News.

Others, including Utah State University physicist, Rob Davies, have doubted Marno’s message. Davies described Morano as a “paid confusionist.”  Davis describes it as a missed opportunity for eastern Utah and the energy industry:177Judy Fahys. “Energy Summit Speaker Sparks Controversy Before Utah Appearance,” KUER.org, August 29, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fyUDM

“They deserve really good information as to what the potential changes are and why,” says Davies. “And I just can’t see someone like Marc Morano bringing constructive, good information to those communities on this topic.”178Judy Fahys. “Energy Summit Speaker Sparks Controversy Before Utah Appearance,” KUER.org, August 29, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fyUDM

Barry Bickmore, a Brigham Young University geologist, shares Davis’s view:

“They’re just bringing in somebody who can give them a really good sales pitch for what they want to hear,” says Bickmore. “In a way, though, it’s sad because they could be preparing for the inevitable transition away from fossil fuels.”179Judy Fahys. “Energy Summit Speaker Sparks Controversy Before Utah Appearance,” KUER.org, August 29, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fyUDM

Joshua Murdock provides coverage of the Energy Summit in an article at UB Media where he notes that a number of climate experts dispute claims made by Morano. He comments on Morano’s presentation: “Morano said that extreme weather is declining around the globe and that the link between climate change, which he says is a myth, and extreme weather is fabricated. Morano then said that the oft-touted 97 percent consensus on climate change being real and anthropogenic (meaning human-caused) was illegitimate because less than 100 scientists were polled to arrive at the 97 percent value.”180Joshua Murdock. “Experts dispute statements made at Uintah Basin Energy Summit,” UB Media, September 12, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uVNyL

He notes that Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Science, offers evidence contrary to Morano’s claims:”There’s different kinds of extreme weather, some of which is increasing because of climate change, some of which is decreasing, some of which we’re not quite sure what the impacts are,” Schmidt said. Pennsylvania State University Evan Pugh Geoscience Professor Richard Alley, Ph.D. also counters a number of Morano’s statements. While Morano made claims that increasing polar bear populations and a growth of Arctic sea ice rebut evidence of climate change, Alley and Schmidt note that polar bear populations have increased largely due to new restrictions on hunting, and that sea ice continues to decrease:181Joshua Murdock. “Experts dispute statements made at Uintah Basin Energy Summit,” UB Media, September 12, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uVNyL

“We’re looking at unprecedented levels of low sea ice,” said Schmidt, adding that 2016 would likely feature the second-lowest amount of ice in recorded history and that ice amounts are trending sharply downward. “The statistically significant long-term trend shows Arctic sea ice is shrinking, especially in late summer, with high confidence,” said Alley. “There are year-to-year variations, but the climate is for shrinkage.” Schmidt added that polar bear populations are not evidence of climate change, but rather something that could be impacted by climate change.

“The data are very strong that the planet is warming, as shown by analyses by NASA, NOAA, the Berkeley Earth group and others, by data from thermometers in the air including those well away from cities, thermometers in the ocean and in the ground, taken up by balloons and looking down from space, and changes in temperature-sensitive snow and ice and plants and animals,” said Alley. “There is year-to-year variability, but averaging across that ‘weather,’ the signal of climatic warming is very clear.”182Joshua Murdock. “Experts dispute statements made at Uintah Basin Energy Summit,” UB Media, September 12, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/uVNyL

August 2016

Marc Morano is the vice president of a group titled Climate Exit (Clexit), and a member of the “Clexit Committee.”183The Clexit Committee comprises” (PDF), Clexit.net. Archived.pdf on file at Desmog. According to Clexit’s founding statement (PDF), “The world must abandon this suicidal Global Warming crusade. Man does not and cannot control the climate.”184“After Brexit, Clexit” (PDF), Clexit.net. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

As DeSmog reported, another key member of Clexit’s “60 well-informed science, business and economic leaders” is Hugh Morgan, a former board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia and former CEO of Western Mining Corporation with close ties to Australia’s Liberal party.185“After Brexit, Clexit” (PDF), Clexit.net. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 186Hugh Morgan AO,” Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived February 22, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/1ObOB

According to Clexit’s founding statement:

“If the Paris climate accord is ratified, or enforced locally by compliant governments, it will strangle the leading economies of the world with pointless carbon taxes and costly climate and energy policies, all with no sound basis in evidence or science […]”187“After Brexit, Clexit” (PDF), Clexit.net. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

June 22, 2016

After a Massachusetts court sided with a group of teenagers by ruling the state had failed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,188Massachusetts Court Sides with Teenagers in ‘Historic’ Climate Victory,” CommonDreams, May 17, 2016. Archived June 23, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FVJ8q Marc Morano claimed that today’s youth are being indoctrinated by the environmental movement:189Massachusetts Loses Climate Action Case Brought by Youths,” Heartland Institute, June 22, 2016. Archived June 23, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/hk4JL

“It’s a brilliant tactic by the environmental left,” Morano said. “It gives the kids something tangible they can hold on to and it radicalizes them about the environment early on. However, kids are being spoon-fed a version of science that does not comport with reality.

“The environmental left carefully censors or bans opposing ideas, like in Portland, Oregon, where you now can’t even mention in school textbooks climate change may not be as bad as we thought,” Morano said.

“Accurate climate science is being suppressed, meaning the kids don’t get to hear opposing views,” said Morano. “It’s narrative-crafting, the same kind of thing you would expect from any partisan campaign group.

“And then you add in the media, with people like Leonardo DiCaprio and Laurie David telling kids if you’re a global warming skeptic, you are not cool,” said Morano. “I guess they’re afraid the kids will instantly become skeptics if they hear any opposing ideas.”

May 2, 2016

Marc Morano’s Climate Hustle was released in U.S. theatres. The Washington Times reports John Coleman defended the film after Bill Nye described it as  “not in our national interest and the world’s interest.” Anthony Watts (who is listed among the film’s “key scientists”) also gave the film a positive review.190‘Climate Hustle’ debuts as skeptics take on global-warming ‘consensus’,” The Washington Times, May 1, 2016. Archived August 26, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XtLXp

“I have always been amazed that anyone would pay attention to Bill Nye, a pretend scientist in a bow tie,” Coleman said on Climate Depot.

“As a man who has studied the science of meteorology for over 60 years and received the [American Meteorological Society] Meteorologist of the Year award, I am totally offended that Nye gets the press and media attention he does,” Coleman said. “And I am rooting for the ‘Climate Hustle’ film to become a huge hit — bigger than ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ by Al Gore.”191‘Climate Hustle’ debuts as skeptics take on global-warming ‘consensus’,” The Washington Times, May 1, 2016. Archived August 26, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XtLXp

The film was produced by the Committee for Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) and CDR Communications.192Background on Climate Hustle Host and Producers,” ClimateHustle.org. Archived .pdf on file at Desmog. As noted at DeSmog’s project, ClimateHustler.org,  CFACT has received funding from ExxonMobil, Chevron, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars from foundations associated with Richard Mellon Scaife. CFACT has also received at least $7.8 million in “dark money” through DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund.193Homepage, climatehustler.org. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/NB9qn

CDR Communications was behind the 2010 video by the Cornwall Alliance titled Resisting the Green Dragon, which claimed environmentalism was a “false religion” and a “global government” power grab. Chris Rogers of CDR Communictions is also chairman of The James Partnership, the umbrella arm that includes the Cornwall Alliance as one of its projects and pays the salary of Calvin Beisner, Cornwall’s founder and spokesperson.194Graham Readfearn. “The Evangelical Christian Climate Deniers Behind Marc Morano’s Climate Hustle Documentary,” DeSmog, November 19, 2015.

Individuals listed as “Key Scientists” in Climate Hustle include the following:195“Background on Key Scientists Appearing in Climate Hustle” (PDF), ClimateHustle.org. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

April 2016

Marc Morano refused $20,000 in bets from science presenter Bill Nye. Nye said he was willing to bet Morano that 2016 would be one of the ten hottest years on record. He also offered a bet the current decade would be the hottest on record.196Graham Readfearn. “Exclusive: Climate Hustle’s Marc Morano Turns Down $20k Global Warming Bets From Bill Nye The Science Guy,” DeSmog, April 11, 2016.

Morano turned down both bets, telling DeSmog it was “silly” to take a bet when it was “obvious” the official records would show more global warming.197Graham Readfearn. “Exclusive: Climate Hustle’s Marc Morano Turns Down $20k Global Warming Bets From Bill Nye The Science Guy,” DeSmog, April 11, 2016.

Video below:

December 10, 2015

The New Republic’s Alex Newman interviewed Marc Morano during the COP21 climate talks in Paris. Morano declared that he and other climate deniers came to Paris to be “the turd in the punch bowl.”

“We planned this during this week because the whole world will be watching the UN and the climate, so we wanted to be essentially, well for lack of a better word, the turd in the punch bowl, and that’s what we are here,” Morano said in the interview, while dressed in a “climate monarch” costume.

December 7, 2015

Marc Morano’s documentary film, Climate Hustle, debuted December 7, 2015 in Paris, France during the COP21 United Nations summit on climate change.198Matthew Kasper, “Climate Hustle, Latest Global Warming Denial Documentary, Set For World Premiere In Paris During COP21,” Republic Report, November 13, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/s7OHs 199Climate Hustle,” SourceWatch. Accessed November 14, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bOG35 200Background on Key Scientists Appearing in Climate Hustle,” Climate Hustle. Archived January 11, 2016.

“We are putting together what I think is the most comprehensive, unique, entertaining and humorous climate documentary that has ever been done or attempted,” Morano had said before the film was released.201Graham Readfearn. “Marc Morano’s Climate Hustle Film Set For Paris Premiere With Same Old Denial Myths,” DeSmog, November 12, 2015.

“The reason that this is a unique film,” Morano has said, “is that we are going for a pop culture-friendly… sarcastic approach and we actually give both sides in this movie.”

In an interview with Ezra Levant, Morano said:

“I am not interviewing a lot of the main climate sceptical scientists because I feel like they have been interviewed by many other people and their stories have been told. I am trying to find another layer of scientist whose stories have not been out there yet. You will see a lot of new names in this.”202Graham Readfearn. “Marc Morano’s Climate Hustle Film Set For Paris Premiere With Same Old Denial Myths,” DeSmog, November 12, 2015.

See a preview of the film below:

At the Paris premier of the film, reporters from Desmog and the Irish Times were denied entrance after having their RSVPs accepted days earlier.203Graham Readfearn. “The Fakery of the Paris ‘Red Carpet’ Premiere of Marc Morano’s Climate Hustle Film,” DeSmog, December 30, 2015.

November 20, 2015

Marc Morano spoke at an event hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation titled “At the Crossroads Energy & Climate Policy Summit.” He spoke as part of Session VII, titled “Status of Climate Policy and Mandate: From EPA to Paris,” focusing on federal mandates and “global agreements to shackle energy.”204At The CrossRoads Energy & Climate Policy Summit,” Crossroads-Summit.com. Archived July 4, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DesmogBlog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/oSTWM

Event speakers included:205At The CrossRoads Energy & Climate Policy Summit,” Crossroads-Summit.com. Archived July 4, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DesmogBlog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/oSTWM

Robert E. MurrayFounder, Chairman, President, and CEO of Murray Energy Corporation, the nation’s largest underground coal mining commpany.
H. Leighton StewardMember, TheRightClimateStuff.com
Dr. Don EasterbrookProfessor Emeritus of Geology at Western Washington University
Dr. Will HapperCyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics, Emeritus, Princeton University
Dr. Richard LindzenAlfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT
Dr. Patrick MooreAuthor and founding member of Greenpeace
Dr. E. Calvin BeisnerSpokesman for the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation
Horace CooperAdjunct Fellow, National Center for Public Policy Research
Dr. Caleb RossiterAdjunct Professor, School of International Service and Adjunct Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences at American University
Mark P. MillsSenior Fellow, Manhattan Institute and founder andCEO, Digital Power Group
Dr. Hal DoironFormer NASA Engineer and Chairman, The Right Climate Stuff Research Team
Walter CunninghamFighter Pilot, Col. USMCR-Ret.; Physicist; Apollo 7 Astronaut
Dr. George L. StegemeierPresident, GLS Engineering, Inc.
Stephen MooreDistinguished Visiting Fellow on the Project for Economic Growth at the Heritage Foundation
Robert L. Bradley Jr.CEO, Institute for Energy Research
Mike NasPartner, Environmental and Legislative Affairs Practice Group, Jackson Walker L.L.P.
Marc MoranoFounder, ClimateDepot.com
Ray GiffordPartner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
Brian LloydExecutive Director, Public Utility Commission of Texas
John CornynU.S. Senator and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn

June 11–12, 2015

Marc Morano was a speaker on Panel 14: “Action Items for Policymakers,” at the Heartland Institute’s Tenth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC10) in Washington, D.C., with Myron Ebell and Bette Grande.206Speakers,” Heartland Institute. Archived June 30, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/lpiqu

At the event, Greenpeace investigator Connor Gibson questioned Marc Morano‘s role in the national climate discussion, illustrating his role in attacking the science, attacking anyone who questions his relevance in conversations around climate change.207Connor Gibson, ”Climate Change Deniers Hate Me. Here’s Why,’ Huffington Post, June 16, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/MbmEJ

At minute 2:48 of Greenpeace’s interview with Morano, he aggressively rejects documentation that 2014 was the hottest year on record.

2014 was the hottest year of global temperatures recorded in human history, as studied and published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and reported worldwide (BBC, TIME, Scientific American). The AP clarification statement (not a retraction) that Morano mentions did not alter the conclusion of the NASA study, nor the wide body of evidence published by scientists since the 1970s.208Connor Gibson, “Get Rich or Lie Tryin’! Climate Hustler Marc Morano,” PolluterWatch, November 14, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FWtT8

View Marc Morano’s Panel 14 presentation at the Heartland Institute’s ICCC10, below:209Panel 14: Action Items for Policymakers with Marc Morano, Bette Grande, and Myron Ebell,” Heartland Institute, June 11, 2015. Archived July 15, 2015. 

May 12, 2015

Marc Morano signed an open letter to Pope Francis on climate change inviting the Pope to reconsider his views on climate change before his encyclical letter on the environment210.“An Open Letter to Pope Francis on Climate Change,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. April 27, 2015. Archived August 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xvSs7

The open letter was coordinated and signed by Calvin Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance. According to the letter, “Good climate policy must recognize human exceptionalism, the God-given call for human persons to ‘have dominion’ in the natural world (Genesis 1:28), and the need to protect the poor from harm, including actions that hinder their ascent out of poverty.”211An Open Letter to Pope Francis on Climate Change,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. April 27, 2015. Archived August 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xvSs7

April 28, 2015

Marc Morano traveled to Vatican City, Italy, with Christopher Monckton and Calvin Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance, for a press event hosted by the Heartland Institute in order to “dissuade Pope Francis from lending his moral authority to the politicized and unscientific climate agenda of the United Nations,” according to a Heartland Institute press release.212World’s Leading Scientific ‘Skeptics’ of Man-Caused Global Warming Invite Public and Press to Lunch Event April 28 Just Outside the Vatican,” Heartland Institute. April 27, 2015. Archived May 29, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/qL25x 213Pope Francis Should Answer to ExxonMobil Rather Than God, Imply Climate Deniers,” DeSmog. April 27, 2015.

DeSmog attended the event and noted that “just nine journalists made up the audience at Heartland’s press conference“:

Morano’s full PDF presentation can be viewed online at the Heartland Institute website. According to Morano, “The Vatican and the Pope should be arguing that fossil fuels are the moral choice for the developing world.” His full presentation can be viewed below via The Heartland Institute’s YouTube channel.214Marc Morano – Rome “Prebuttal” Press Conference, April 27, 2015,” (YouTube Video) from user HeartlandTube Uploaded May 6, 2015.

March 2015

Marc Morano is one of several climate change skeptics cc’d on an email from S. Fred Singer in hopes of countering the documentary film “Merchants of Doubt,” which exposes the network of climate change skeptics and deniers trying to delay legislative action on climate change.215Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1

The October, 2014 email was leaked to journalists before the documentary was released. “Can I sue for damages?” Singer asked in the email. “Can we get an injunction against the documentary?”

InsideClimate News reports in their article “Leaked Email Reveals Who’s Who List of Climate Denialists,” how “Many of those copied on the email thread, such as Singer and communications specialist Steven Milloy, have financial ties to the tobacco, chemical, and oil and gas industries and have worked to defend them since the 1990s.”216Katherine Bagley. “Leaked Email Reveals Who’s Who List of Climate Denialists,” InsideClimate News. March 12, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/CVOi5

InsideClimate News also documented all those who were cc’d on the email, including the following skeptics and groups:

November 5, 2014

The Heartland Institute‘s “environmental science and policy experts” published comments following the release of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) “Synthesis Report,” completing the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5).217Heartland Institute Experts Comment on Latest United Nations Climate Report,” Heartland Institute, November 5, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/CBLqi

Marc Morano wrote it was “hard to fathom yet another IPCC report attempting to crank up climate fears,” and the new IPCC report was “boring, boring, boring,” noting he was having “extreme difficulty covering the latest IPCC report. Please give us something new and different!”218Heartland Institute Experts Comment on Latest United Nations Climate Report,” Heartland Institute, November 5, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/CBLqi

October 9, 2014

Marc Morano was quoted in the Heartland Institute‘s press release, “Heartland Institute Climate Experts Comment on 18 Straight Years of No Global Warming,” which stated “the global mean surface temperature has not risen for 18 consecutive years. This extends the so-called ‘pause’ in global warming to a new record, one not predicted by the climate models of the United Nations’ International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).219“Marc Morano. “Heartland Institute Climate Experts Comment on 18 Straight Years of No Global Warming,” Heartland Institute, October 9, 2014. Archived October 16, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nuCrS

Morano wrote:

“As the global temperature standstill hits 18 years beyond what the models predicted the climate activists are left with more than 50 excuses to explain why temperatures are not rising.

“The ‘pause’ reveals that it is scientifically obvious that carbon dioxide is not the overriding driver of the climate. The global warming movement has morphed into a coalition of ‘climate cause deniers.’ They deny the hundreds of causes and variables of climate change and pretend CO2 is the ‘control knob’ overriding all the others.”220Marc Morano. “Heartland Institute Climate Experts Comment on 18 Straight Years of No Global Warming,” Heartland Institute, October 9, 2014. Archived October 16, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nuCrS

September 25, 2014

Marc Morano attended the “At the Crossroads; Energy & Climate Policy Summit” in Houston, Texas, hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and The Heritage Foundation. Morano presents in “Panel III: History, Politics, and Economics,” with Rupert Darwall and Stephen Moore.221Marc Morano. “Speakers,” At the Crossroads; Energy & Climate Policy Summit, Texas Public Policy Foundation, The Heritage Foundation, September 25/26, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/GUScV

August 30, 2014

Marc Morano, James Taylor, William O’Keefe, Tim Phillips, and S. Fred Singer were all featured in the film Merchants of Doubt, based on the 2010 non-fiction book by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway. According to the film’s synopsis on its website, Merchants of Doubt “lifts the curtain on a secretive group of highly charismatic, silver- tongued pundits-for-hire who present themselves in the media as scientific authorities – yet have the contrary aim of spreading maximum confusion about well-studied public threats ranging from toxic chemicals to pharmaceuticals to climate change.”222Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1

In the film, Morano talks about how he has posted climate scientists’ email addresses on his website, including a former IPCC lead author Ben Santer, which incited hate mail and death threats asThe Washington Post reported:223Marc Morano. “Climate Depot inciting violence?! UN IPCC’s Ben Santer ‘points to Morano’s work as a major source of worry’: ‘If something were to happen I would hold people like Mr. Morano personally responsible’,” ClimateDepot, February 2, 2011. Archived August 10, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mblFU 224Andrew Freedman. “Cooling off the heated climate change rhetoric,” The Washington Post, February 2, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/rqqct

“[Morano] attacked me in a very unjust way on his website and posted my email address, and in my view such behavior is basically an incitement to hatred,” Santer said

“Those [emails] are of concern, particularly when you have loved ones and it’s clear that some of these people out there are not very rational.”225Andrew Freedman. “Cooling off the heated climate change rhetoric,” The Washington Post, February 2, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/rqqct

Earlier in the documentary, Morano describes how he intentionally goes after climate change scientists:

“You can’t be afraid of the absolute hand-to-hand combat, metaphorically, and you’ve got to name names and you’ve got to go after individuals. You can’t just go after a system. And that’s what I think I enjoy the most; is going after the individuals. Because that’s where something lives or dies.” [49:49]

He also discussed Santer’s email:

“I’d say it’s possible I posted Ben Santer’s email in the early days of Climate Depot, maybe the first six months. He’s far from the only one I’ve done that to.”226Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1 – [50:54]

Katharine Hayhoe (another climate scientist) talking about hate emails and death threats she receives, says that “sometimes it’s one a week. Sometimes when your email address gets posted on [Marc] Morano’s website, it’s 200 or more in a day.”227Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1 – [51:13]

Ben Santer: “I think the most disturbing emails or letters were ones that suggest there will be direct physical harm to you and to your family.”228Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1 – [51:31]

Morano’s response: “I don’t know what his complaint is. But I’ll give you the philosophy behind it […] I think people should be thanking me. I was doing a service. And people go like ‘oh, they’re death threats.’ Well, I get death threats. I enjoy them. I usually email back. So I think it was one of the healthiest things that could have happened in the climate debate. I make no apologies for it. I still do it and I enjoy doing it.”

Morano also discussed his early days working with Senator John Inhofe and how that influenced the formation of Climate Depot:

“I got a call from Senator James Inhofe’s office to be the new communications director. It was probably at the lowest point, when I started in June 2006, for global warming skeptics.”

“[After the release of Al Gore’s film] we decided for Inhofe to go on the offensive. […] We went after James Hansen and Michael Oppenheimer and had a lot of fun with it. We mocked and ridiculed James Hansen.

I was authorized—I couldn’t believe they let me do this—I did a two-part, probably ten thousand word, unbelievably scathing critique on James Hansen. I’m not going to question his scientific work, but in terms of influencing the public. And actually, his scientific work isn’t really in question. It’s more of his public claims and publicity and interviews.

I still felt restrained, so I started doing what I called ‘the underground newsletters’ which went much further than anything else, we had a lot more fun, a lot more humour, wit, sarcasm, and sometimes nastiness. That went out, and that became the basis for ClimateDepot.229Merchants of Doubt; A Film By Robert Kenner,” Sony Pictures Classics, August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/T9HD1 – [47:14]

July 7–9, 2014

Marc Morano was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s Ninth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC9) in Las Vegas, Nevada.230Return of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,” DeSmog, July 7, 2014.

DeSmogBlog has done in-depth research on the other speakers and sponsors from Heartland’s ICCC9, which can be found here.

May 13, 2014

Morano debates with China Central Television (CCTV) anchor Anand Naidoo, a week following the release of the US government’s National Climate Assessment.

When Morano was asked about his qualifications for speaking about an issue such as climate science, he responded by saying, “I have a background in political science, which is the perfect qualification to examine global warming.”231Climate Depot’s Marc Morano vs CCTV Anchor Anand Naidoo” (YouTube Video), CCTV, May 13, 2014.

August 21, 2013

Marc Marano releases a “sampling of what current and former UN scientists have to say about the UN’s climate claims and its scientific method” on Climate Depot, a few months before the UNIPCC’s 19th COP in Warsaw, Poland. The “claims” come from well-known climate skeptics such as Vincent Gray, Kiminori Itoh, Arun Ahluwalia, Kenneth Green, John Christy and others.232UN Scientists Who Have Turned on UNIPCC Man-Made Climate Fears – A Climate Depot Flashback Report,” Climate Depot, August 21, 2013 Archived August 25, 2016. Archive.is URL:  https://archive.is/feH4O

December 27, 2012

Marc Marano was named “2012 Climate Change Misinformer of the Year” by the conservative watchdog group Media Matters for America. According to Media Matters, he has earned this title due to his “history of smears and lies” including his work running ClimateDepot.com, a group funded by the Heartland Institute.233Climate Change Misinformer Of The Year: Marc Morano,” Media Matters for America, December 27, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/LkgTy

December 5, 2012

Piers Morgan hosted a CNN “Debate” on climate change between Marc Morano and Bill Nye. CNN did not disclose that Morano doesn’t have a scientific background in the area, and that he has received funding from an organization linked to industry interests. During the segman, Morano cliams that “we’ve gone 16 years without global warming according to UN data.”234CNN Gives Climate Change Denial A Platform,” Media Matters, December 5, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/HXxdC

November 26, 2012

As one of five appearances in 2012, Marc Morano spoke on the Fox News program your World with Neil Cavuto to discuss his views on climate change. On this date, Morano suggests that there is no link between extreme weather and climate change, saying that “every time there’s a bad weather event the global warming activists think we need more taxes and regulations to somehow stop bad weather. This is a primitive form of science.”235Climate Change Misinformer Of The Year: Marc Morano,” Media Matters for America, December 27, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/LkgTy

He also compares climate models to end-of-the-world predictions, saying that “This has now reached the level of the Mayan calendar and Nostradamus when it comes to science.”

August 2, 2012

In an appearance on the Fox News program Your World with Neil Cavuto, Morano clamed that modern climate change predictions are failing and that they are akin to “medieval witchcraft, where we used to blame witches for controlling the weather.”

He also said that climate change has been supposedly proven to be based on “subprime science,” and that the “whole movement has collapsed.”236Climate Change Misinformer Of The Year: Marc Morano,” Media Matters for America, December 27, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/LkgTy

July 6, 2012

Morano appeared on the Fox News program Your World with Neil Cavuto and claimed that the goal of UN climate negotiations is “global governance” and the redistribution of wealth. “It`s very Orwellian,” he said. “This is stuff Orwell couldn’t conceive of, your home energy use, your travel, your train travel, airline travel all monitored by international agencies. It`s not the stuff of science fiction.”237Climate Change Misinformer Of The Year: Marc Morano,” Media Matters for America, December 27, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/LkgTy

May 21–23, 2012

Marc Morano was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s 7th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7). In his speech, Morano raised “concerns” over the fact that some of Mitt Romney’s advisors accepted the mainstream science of climate change. He added that “It’s very frustrating for global warming skeptics when you realize who is the Republican standard bearer right now and how far we’ve come […] We need a president who actually can stand up to this whole global warming brigade.””238Marc Morano Interview: ‘We may lose the war in the end’,” Climate Denial Crock of the Week, May 30, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8GH10

DeSmogBlog researched the co-sponsors behind Heartland’s ICCC7 and found that they had collectively received over $67 million from ExxonMobil, the Koch Brothers and the conservative Scaife family foundations.

May 15, 2012

Marc Morano defended the Heartland Institute’s unsuccessful billboard campaign that compared those who believe in man-made climate change to individuals associated with mass murder and terrorism.239Heartland Institute Compares Climate Advocates to Mass Murderers,” Polluterwatch, May 5, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/wbw1D The billboards featured pictures of Ted Kaczynski, Charles Manson and Fidel Castro next to the text “I still believe in Global Warming. Do you?” The Heartland  Institute was forced to take down the controversial billboards shortly after they were unveiled.240Group pulls plug on billboard linking global warming believers to terrorists,” The Washington Post, May 4, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/UMcqi

Morano described the billboard campaign as “edgy”:

“This is so silly. Every day now, skeptics are compared to Holocaust deniers and the media yawns. But Heartland does an edgy billboard accurately reflecting the views of those featured in it and the media acts as though they are offended?”241Jim Lakely. “MSM Condemns Heartland’s Experimental Billboard, Ignores What Climate Alarmists Do Everyday,” Somewhat Reasonable, May 15, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/weIpY

December 2011–September 2012

Marc Morano appeared numerous times on the Alex Jones’ show which has popularly discussed conspiracy theories. The following is a summary of Morano’s appearances provided by Media Matters for America as part of their profile on Marc Morano as “Climate Change Misinformer Of The  Year“:242Climate Change Misinformer Of The Year: Marc Morano,” Media Matters for America, December 27, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/LkgTy

  • After Morano predicted that Romney would win the election, Jones said that Obama might “start a war” to win re-election. Morano responded, “they could try to do that, yes, that’s always possible.” [YouTube video posted by TheAlexJonesChannel, 9/1/12]
  • Morano claimed that the UN climate summit in Rio was pushing a “global EPA” that is “going to be able to police the world.” He added, “Think of our own EPA that speaks French. If that doesn’t send chills up your spine, I don’t know what will.”  [YouTube video posted by TheAlexJonesChannel, 2/7/12]
  • Morano claimed scientists used “data that had been monkeyed around with” to state that July 2012 was the hottest month on record in the continental U.S. [YouTube video posted by TheAlexJonesChannel, [9/1/12]
  • Morano claimed that the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a leading body of thousands of scientists assessing climate change, is a “small group of scientists” that was “blocking studies that disagreed, blocking data that disagreed, and then essentially, sometimes, generating studies that did.” He later added that scientists are trying to “cover up the fact that sea level not only isn’t accelerating, it’s dropping.” In fact, sea levels have been rising for decades and have studies indicate this rise is accelerating.  [YouTube video posted by TheAlexJonesChannel, 2/8/12]
  • Morano said that those concerned about global warming are attempting to exert “a level of control that George Orwell didn’t contemplate,” adding: “He who controls carbon, and controls land use policy, and even the oceans, controls the world. And that’s what they’re going for. And this isn’t conspiracy talk, this is in their documents.” [YouTube video posted by TheAlexJonesChannel, 12/10/11]

July 2011

Morano was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC6).243Speakers,” Sixth International Conference on Climate Change (climateconference.heartland.org). Archived July 2, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/hkJbU

His speech was titled “R.I.P. Man-Made Global Warming Fears? 1988-2011.”

June 2010

Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP) gave Morano the Petr Beckmann Award for “demonstrating courage and achievement in defense of scientific truth and freedom.”244Marc Morano. “Climate Depot Aims To Redefine Global Warming Reporting,” Climate Depot, April 6, 2009. Archived July 16, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PB4La

May 2010

Morano was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s 4th International Conference on Climate Change245“4th International Conference on Climate Change” (PDF), The Heartland Institute. Archived May 7, 2016. Retrieved from the University of Hartford Server (uhaweb.hartford.edu). Archived .pdf on file at Desmog.

DeSmog concluded 19 of the 65 sponsors (including Heartland itself) had received a total of over $40 million in funding since 1985 from ExxonMobil (funded 13 orgs), and/or Koch Industries family foundations (funded 10 orgs) and/or the Scaife family foundations (funded 10 orgs).

February 18, 2010

Marc Morano received an award from Accuracy in Media for “outstanding contributions to journalism” for his “excellent reporting on the ClimateGate scandal that exposed the politicized science behind claims that the science is settled on global warming.”246Andrew Breitbart, Marc Morano to Receive Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Awards,” Accuracy in Media, February 16, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/L0aCQ

In his acceptance speech, Morano said that as of “the fall of 2009, more Americans believed in haunted houses than manmade global warming, and I’m not making that up. Science wins in the end.” He also said that he did not understand why Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist is “taken seriously.”247AIM: Marc Morano upon receiving The Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award at CPAC 2010,” YouTube video uploaded by user “aimaccuracy,” February 22, 2010.

December 2009

Marc Morano was listed as one of “17 polluters and deniers who are derailing efforts to curb global warming” in an article in Rolling Stone magazine, titled “The Climate Killers.” The article also describes Morano as the “Matt Drudge of climate denial.”248The Climate Killers,” Rolling Stone, December, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/M6Cfb

March 2008

Morano was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s 2008 International Conference on Climate Change.249“2008 International Conference on Climate Change” (PDF), The Heartland Institute. Archived March 7, 2010. Archived.pdf on file at DeSmog.

The conference was titled “Global Warming: Truth or Swindle,” and described as a “platform from which they [skeptics] can be heard.”

December 11, 2008

While he was working with Senator Inhofe, Morano helped author a report titled “More Than 700 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims,” which was initially released in 2008.

The report was debunked, and found to contain at least 84 individuals who took industry money, 49 retirees, 44 television weathermen, 20 economists, and 70 with no expertise in climate science.250Inhofe’s 400 Global Warming Deniers Debunked,” The Daily Green, January 11, 2008. Archived July 19, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Gylmn

January 13, 2006

While working for CNS news, Morano broke the “Swift Boat” story that suggested that senator John Kerry did not deserve the Purple Heart award he earned in Vietnam. FactCheck.org notes that “the veterans who accuse Kerry [of lying to receive his war medals] are contradicted by Kerry’s former crewmen, and by Navy records.”251Marc Morano. “Former Military Colleagues: Kerry ‘Unfit to Be Commander in Chief’,” CNSNews, May 3, 2004. Republished by Newsmax.com. Archived March 8, 2008. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/lvneG 252Republican-funded Group Attacks Kerry’s War Record,” FactCheck.org, August 6, 2004. Archived February 2, 2009. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/WUHP1

Climate Scientist Michael Mann has since accused Morano of using “Climategate” to “Swift Boat” climate scientists. Morano’s ClimateDepot claimed to have uncovered “collusion” and “deliberate manipulation of facts and data” by UN scientists. Michael Mann, who has been a subject of the accusations of ClimateDepot, said that Morano is funded by “vested interests to ‘swiftboat’ climate scientists, to try to distort our work, to try to undermine the public’s credibility in the science.”253Mann v. Morano: Climategate’s Michael Mann debates Climate Depot’s Morano on Live BBC Radio: Mann: ‘Morano’s a hired assassin’ — Morano: ‘Mann plays the part of martyr very well’,” Climate Depot, December 3, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/yj2rm

May 2004

According to SourceWatch, Cybercast News Service and Morano were the first sources of the “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” campaign against presidential nominee Senator John Kerry.

In the run up to the official launch of the Swiftboat campaign, Morano wrote, “hundreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is ‘unfit to be commander-in-chief.'”

Affiliations

Social Media

Publications

According to Climate Depot, Morano “has spent years researching climate change, environmental, and energy issues.”258Marc Morano. “Climate Depot Aims To Redefine Global Warming Reporting,” Climate Depot, April 6, 2009. Archived July 16, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PB4La

Based on an interview with Morano, he appears to attribute his experience in climate science to his work with Howard Phillips and with Rush Limbaugh‘s television program where he worked on “Environmental Issues.”259ClimateGate: the Fraud of ‘Global Warming’ and ‘Climate Change’ — by Marc Morano of Climate Depot,” YouTube Video. Uploaded by TCCTV on November 24, 2009.

According to Google Scholar, Marc Morano has never published research in a peer-reviewed journal on any subject. His only education appears to be in political science.

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