The Steamboat Institute

The Steamboat Institute

Background

The Steamboat Institute is a conservative 501(c)(3)1About,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived March 8, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/q2pyu nonprofit organization founded on March 4, 2008.2“THE STEAMBOAT INSTITUTE: CELEBRATING 10 YEARS” (PDF), Steamboat Institute, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

According to its website, the group was founded  “out of genuine concern for the future of our country. We take seriously the concept that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”3About,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived March 8, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/q2pyu

The Institute lists its principles as “limited taxation and fiscal responsibility,” “limited government,” “free market capitalism,” “individual rights and responsibilities,” and “strong national defense.”4Inspiring Americans to Greatness (Annual Report 2019-20),” The Steamboat Institute, March 18, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The Steamboat Institute’s key events include an annual “Freedom Conference,” as well as  a “Campus Liberty Tour” throughout the year which features speakers like Alex Epstein of the Center for Industrial Progress.5About,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived March 8, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/q2pyu

The Steamboat Institute is an associate member6The Network: Colorado,” State Policy Network. Archived March 11, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/beFcH of the State Policy Network (SPN), a network of free market think tanks “fighting to limit government and advance market-friendly public policy at the state and local levels.”7About SPN,” State Policy Network. Archived September 16, 2015. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/EmLGg

Stance on Climate Change

The Steamboat Institute has regularly provided a platform for climate change deniers and fossil fuel proponents to spread their messages.

In 2010, the Steamboat Institute listed a number of honorary directors including prominent climate change deniers such as William M. Gray, Patrick J. Michaels, and Marc Morano.

In a January 2022 op-ed published in The Denver Gazette and The Colorado Springs Gazette, Steamboat Institute CEO and Chairman Jennifer Schubert-Akin wrote,8Colorado Media Features SI Energy & Climate Policy Op-Ed and Summit,” The Steamboat Institute, February 7, 2022. Archived March 11, 2022. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/c7hoy 9Jennifer Schubert-Akin. “PERSPECTIVE: Rethinking energy, climate, freedom and prosperity,” Denver Gazette, January 23, 2022. Archived March 11, 2022. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/L8yT9

“[C]arbon dioxide levels are already plummeting under the current energy mix without the need for further mandates. Per-capita carbon dioxide emissions in the United States have fallen by nearly one-third since 2005. In Colorado, they’ve dropped by nearly 25 percent.

“This CO2 reduction, which results from the free-market shale energy revolution that has displaced high-emission coal with low-emission natural gas, too often goes unmentioned in energy policy debates. It suggests that incessant, alarmist claims about ‘a climate crisis’ — at least in this country — are overwrought.”

[…]

“The Heritage Foundation used the same climate sensitivity model as the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and concluded that even if the U.S. eliminated all its emissions, the world would only be 0.137 of a degree Celsius cooler by 2100.”

“This tiny benefit is starkly contrasted by the major consequences green energy mandates have in hamstringing American businesses and industries by artificially raising their energy costs.”

[…]

“Unfortunately, such perspectives are often silenced by the muzzle of climate change doctrine, which is used as a cudgel to shut down debate around green energy mandates. Consider how activists routinely label good-faith opponents of even the most stringent environmental regulations as ‘climate deniers’ in an attempt to discredit them without engaging with their arguments.‘To provide space for this much-needed debate over energy and environment policy, Steamboat Institute is hosting a summit in Steamboat Springs on March 11 and 12 called ‘The Nexus of U.S. Energy Policy, Climate Science, Freedom and Prosperity.’ It features leading bipartisan policy experts in addition to [Bjorn] Lomborg, including Steven E. Koonin, undersecretary for science in the Obama administration; Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto, former Fish and Wildlife Service director; and Patrick Moore, co-founder and past president of Greenpeace.”

Funding

The following information is based on data collected from publicly available IRS Form 990 tax forms reviewed by DeSmog.

Annual Reports

The Steamboat Institute has listed some of its donors in its annual reports. Its 2017–2018 and 2019–2020 annual reports are available online.

Type & Name2017-2018 AR2019-2020 AR
CORPORATIONS
Latham Marine, Inc.Y
Mountain Valley BankY
MTI Logistics, LLCY
Sierra Valley AlmondsY
The Akin Firm, LLCY
Wood Ag Management, Inc.Y
Foundation/Nonprofit
Adolph Coors FoundationYY
Bipartisan Policy CenterY
Community First FoundationY
Diana Davis Spencer FoundationY
DonorsTrustY
Economic Literacy ColoradoY
El Pomar FoundationYY
Hatton Sumners FoundationY
Jack Roth Charitable FoundationY
Lynde and Harry Bradley FoundationYY
Mike Leprino Family FoundationY
Roe FoundationYY
Snider FoundationY
Strake FoundationY
The Anschutz FoundationYY
The Mill SeriesY
The Snider FoundationY
Woodford Foundation for Limited GovernmentYY
INDIVIDUALS
Albert “Rick” DowdenY
Alice and Bill BahrenburgY
Andrea and Eric WilsonY
Ann and Robert BallY
Anne and John DraperY
Anne and Rich LoweY
Barbara and Dale MorrisonY
Bridgett WagnerY
Bruce CarlockY
Caleb ChappellY
Carrie and John HaydenY
Casaca VineyardsY
Chenza and Ron LazofY
Cheri CarstenY
Christy BeltonY
Curt ThompsonY
Debbie and David DacusY
Debra Burlingame and Robert FrainaY
Donna and Thomas SpackmanY
Donna and Tom CoxY
Ellen and Jay BrunerY
George SolichY
Glenna and James FloydY
Grace-Marie TurnerY
Gregory Brown and Brandy MinickY
Gwen and Scott SanwickY
Hank SchafferY
Heidi and Jason GanahlY
Irene JohnsonY
Jack GrahamY
Janet and Tim BordenY
Jean P. SagouspeY
Judy and Charlie McNeilY
Judy and Reed SlingerlandY
June and Ed MacArthurY
Karen and Lee KorinsY
Karen and Robert WoltersY
Kate and Randy ThorntonY
Kelly and David WilsonY
Kristine and William BenslerY
Leslie and Bruce AllbrightY
Linda and John DarrY
Lorraine and James MannY
Marcy and Bruce BensonY
Margo and Cole McCombsY
Marlene and John ChildsY
Martin SokollY
Mary and Curt WeissY
Mary and Joseph HarkerY
Matthew SpaldingY
Meg and Chris CummingsY
Michael Williams/ALTIUS FinancialY
Nancy and Gary ScholtenY
Nancy BretzY
Pam VanattaY
Patricia and Roger BurtonY
Patsy LevangY
Paula and Tim O’LaughlinY
Penny and Punch MartynY
Rick Akin and Jennifer Schubert-AkinY
Robbin and Nicholas SchoeweY
Sandy and Gary NealeY
Sandy and Roger DorfY
Sherri and Walter “Buz” KoelbelY
Stella and John LillicropY
Stephen TeboY
Susan and William FriesellY
Terry and Rodger GlaspeyY
Thomas BirminghamY
Tom NelsonY
Toni and William ThomsonY
Toni GeorgeY
Virginia and Richard SrednickiY
William Banks and Michelle AveryY

990 Forms

Key People

*Scroll right to view affiliations.

Key Events

Annual “Freedom Conference”

“Freedom Conference”

The Steamboat Institute has described its annual Freedom Conference and Speaker Series as “a unique opportunity for citizen activists, and potential citizen activists, to have direct and personal contact with nationally recognized leaders in the conservative community.”10About,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived June 23, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/4lQOp

Speakers at the Inaugural Freedom Conference, August 28 to August 29, 2009:

NameAffiliations
Daniel J. MitchellCato Institute
Grover NorquistAmericans for Tax Reform
J. French HillDelta Trust & Banking Corp.
James Humes
Jennifer Schubert-AkinSteamboat Institute
Kirsten FedewaKirsten Fedewa & Associates
Marc MoranoSen. James Inhofe
Marcelo GaeteEntravision
Mario CarrerraEntravision
Michael ReaganReagan Legacy Foundation
Michele Bachmann
Mike Pence
Patrick J. MichaelsCato Institute
Tony BlankleyEdelman Worldwide
William M. GrayColorado State University

Speakers at the 2nd Annual Freedom Conference, August 27 to August 28, 2010:

NameAffiliations
Amy Oliver CookeThe Independence Institute
Brian Ivers
Christopher HornerCompetitive Enterprise Institute
Claudia RosettFoundation for Defense of Democracies
Clifford MayFoundation for Defense of Democracies
Daniel J. MitchellCato Institute
Grover NorquistAmericans for Tax Reform
J. French HillDelta Trust and Banking Corp.
Jason MatteraHuman Events
Jennifer Schubert-AkinSteamboat Institute
Karl Rove
Kelly VictoryLive Whole Health
Kellyanne ConwayWomanTrend
Michael D. TannerCato Institute
Peter BrookesHeritage Foundation
Robert M. GoldbergCenter for Medicine in the Public Interest
Sharron Angle
Tony BlankleyEdelman Worldwide
Virginia “Ginni” ThomasLiberty Central, Inc.
Yaron BrookAyn Rand Institute

Speakers at the Third Annual Freedom Conference, August 19 to August 20, 2011:

NameAffiliations
Alan Wilson
Amy Oliver CookeMothers Against Debt
Anthony Kearns
Bob Beauprez
Grace-Marie TurnerThe Galen Institute
Greg Zoeller
Hal ScherzDocs4PatientCare
James K. GlassmanGeorge W. Bush Institute
Jason MatteraHuman Events
Jim GeringerEnvironmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.
Joe Walsh
John HarpoleMercator Energy
John Suthers
Jonah GoldbergNational Review Online
Kate ObenshainYoung America’s Foundation
Kevin Jackson
Marco Rubio
Peter BrookesHeritage Foundation
Robert M. GoldbergCenter for Medicine in the Public Interest
Stephen MooreThe Wall Street Journal
Steve Russell
Todd Rokita
Tony Blankley

Speakers at the Fourth Annual Freedom Conference, August 24 to August 25, 2012:

NameAffiliations
Alan Wilson
Ann McElhinney
Dana Rohrabacher
Daniel J. MitchellCato Institute
Ernest IstookHeritage Foundation
Hannah GilesAmerican Phoenix Foundation
John Bolton
Kevin JacksonThe Black Sphere 
Mary Katharine HamFox News
Michelle Malkin
Peter BrookesHeritage Foundation 
Tom McDevittWashington Times

Speakers at the Fifth Annual Freedom Conference, August 23 to August 24, 2013:

NameAffiliations
Amy Oliver CookeIndependence Institute
Andrew MalcolmInvestor’s Business Daily
Bob Schaffer
Cory Gardner
Dave KopelIndependence Institute
Debra BurlingameKeep America Safe, 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America
Garrett Wiggins
Greg Zoeller
Jamie WeinsteinThe Daily Caller
Jennifer Schubert-AkinSteamboat Institute
Jim StergiosPioneer Institute
John Cooke
Jon CaldaraIndependence Institute
Justin Smith
Khristine BrookesCato Institute
Laura BoggsJeffco Public Schools
Liz Cheney
Lou Vallario
M. Zuhdi JasserAmerican Islamic Forum for Democracy
Michael WilliamsLeadership Program of the Rockies
Peter BrookesHeritage Foundation
Reverend C.L. Bryant
Richard B. Cheney
Rod Johnson
Scott Fischer
Thomas Krannawitter
William Perry PendleyMountain States Legal Foundation
Yaron BrookAyn Rand Institute
Yaron BrookAyn Rand Institute

Speakers at the 8th Annual Freedom Conference & Festival, August 26, 2016 to August 27, 2016:

NameAffiliations
Carly Fiorina
Jillian Kay Melchior
Mary KisselWall Street Journal
Matthew SpaldingHillsdale College, Steamboat Institute
Michael LedeenFoundation for Defense of Democracies
Michael T. Flynn
Tom RoganSteamboat Institute
Yaron BrookAyn Rand Institute

Speakers at the 9th Annual Freedom Conference & Festival, August 25 to August 26, 2017: 

NameAffiliations
Beverly GossageHSA Benefits Consulting
Bob BeltzWalden Media
Charles J. CooperCooper & Kirk, PLLC
Connor BoyackThe Tuttle Twins book series
Dan NjegomirColorado Politics
David Alan JohnsonSalt Entertainment
Dean A. ReuterThe Federalist Society
Grace-Marie TurnerGalen Institute
Hadley Heath ManningIndependent Women’s Forum
Ilan BermanAmerican Foreign Policy Council
James TarantoWall Street Journal
Jillian Kay MelchiorThe Wall Street Journal
John YooUC Berkeley
Mary KisselWall Street Journal
Mollie HemingwayThe Federalist
Peter BrookesHeritage Foundation
Rebekah Gregory
Sam SorboLet There Be Light
Steve ForbesForbes Media
Steve ForbesForbes
Tom RoganWashington Examiner
Wayne LaugesenColorado Springs Gazette

Speakers at the 10th Annual Freedom Conference & Festival, August 10 to August 11, 2018:

NameAffiliations
Brandon Van DyckLafayette College
Brent ChriteUniversity of Denver
Candace OwensTurning Point USA
Charlie KirkTurning Point USA
Hadley Heath ManningIndependent Women’s Forum
Jason RileyManhattan Institute, Wall Street Journal
Jillian Kay MelchiorWall Street Journal
Kay Coles JamesHeritage Foundation
Kelsey HarknessThe Daily Signal
Kevin Sorbo
Melanie SturmEngage to Win
Rajshree AgarwalEd Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets, University of Maryland
Robert PasnauCenter for Western Civilization, Thought & Policy, CU-Boulder
Ryan ZinkeDepartment of Interior
Sam Sorbo
Sebastian GorkaFox News
Shannon BreamFox News
Thomas J. Baker
Tom RoganWashington Examiner
Yaron BrookAyn Rand Institute

Listed sponsors

  • Ginny & Rich Srednicki
  • “The Lone Star Group” (David & Debbie Dacus, Donna & Tom Cox, Jimmy & Betsy Montgomery)
  • Kris & Bill Bensler
  • Ron & Chenza Lazof
  • Bill & Toni Thomson
  • Irene Johnson
  • El Pomar Foundation
  • Sierra Valley Almonds
  • Bill and Susan Friesell

Speakers at the 11th Annual Freedom Conference & Festival, August 22 to August 24, 2019:

NameAffiliations
Alan Dershowitz
Ann McElhinney
Asra NomaniMuslim Reform Movement
Bhaskar Sunkara
Braeden Sorbo
David L. BernhardtU.S. Department of the Interior
Ferkat Jawdat
Hadley Heath ManningIndependent Women’s Forum, Steamboat Institute
Helen Raleigh
Ilya ShapiroCato Institute
Jillian Kay Melchior
Jim BridenstineNASA
Jim DeMintConservative Partnership Institute
Kevin Sorbo
Kira MuratovaWalden Media
Marshall Walker LeeEmergent Order
Matthew SpaldingHillsdale College
Matthew Taylor
Michelle Taylor
Peter WallisonAmerican Enterprise Institute
Phelim McAleer
Philip WegmannRealClearPolitics, Steamboat Institute
Sam Sorbo
Stephen MooreHeritage Foundation
Stephon Ferguson
Ted TrimpaTrimpa Group
Trent EnglandOklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Listed sponsors

  • Virginia and Richard Srednicki
  • Irene Johnson
  • James and Lorraine Mann
  • Ron and Chenza Lazof
  • Kristine and William Bensler
  • William and Toni Thomson
  • Mary and Curt Weiss
  • El Pomar Foundation
  • Lee and Karen Korins
  • Andy and Toni George
  • Concerned Citizens
  • Cole and Margo McCombs
  • Bruce and Leslie Allbright
  • Ed & June MacArthur
  • Sierra Valley Almonds
  • Charles & Judy McNeil


Speakers at the 12th Annual Freedom Conference, August 28 to August 29, 2020:

NameAffiliations
Amber AtheySpectator USA, Steamboat Institute
Anastasia LinMacDonald-Laurier Institute
Arthur B. LafferLaffer Associates
Aurelia Skipworth
Charlie KirkTurning Point USA
Dave Bray
Elizabeth EastmanBruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, University of Colorado Boulder
Hadley Heath ManningIndependent Women’s Forum, Steamboat Institute
Heather Mac DonaldManhattan Institute
Jillian Kay MelchiorWall Street Journal, Steamboat Institute
John EastmanBruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, University of Colorado Boulder
Jorge Galicia
Kelsey BolarIndependent Women’s Forum, Steamboat Institute
Kim StrasselWall Street Journal
Mark HemingwayThe Federalist, RealClearInvestigations
Mollie HemingwayThe Federalist
Philip WegmannRealClearPolitics, Steamboat Institute
Richard Grenell
Rob Smith
Saagar Enjeti
Scott W. AtlasHoover Institution
Tom RoganThe McLaughlin Group, Washington Examiner, Steamboat Institute
Victor Davis HansonHoover Institution

Speakers at the 13th Annual Freedom Conference and Festival, August 27 to August 28, 2021:

NameAffiliations
Arthur B. LafferLaffer Associates
Carol Swain
Hadley Heath ManningIndependent Women’s Forum
Hugo GurdonWashington Examiner
Isabel BrownTurning Point USA
James CarafanoHeritage Foundation
Jared Polis
Jillian Kay MelchiorWall Street Journal
John YooUC Berkeley
Kristina ArriagaFacebook’s Oversight Advisory Trust
Kyle MannThe Babylon Bee
Lauren Boebert
Marc MaranoClimate Depot
Mary KisselStephens Inc.
Matthew SpaldingHillsdale College
Michael R. Pompeo
Morgan ZegersYoung Americans Against Socialism
Patrice OnwukaIndependent Women’s Forum
Philip WegmannRealClearPolitics
Robert L. Woodson Sr.Woodson Center, 1776 Unites
Scott AtlasHoover Institution
Tim Brown
Tom RoganWashington Examiner

The 14th Annual Freedom Conference and Festival is scheduled for 14h August 26 to August 27, 2022. As of March 14, 2022, speakers have not been announced.

*Note that details for the 2013, 2014, and 2015 conferences were not available on the Internet Archive.

“Campus Liberty Tour”

The Steamboat Institute describes its Campus Liberty Tour as follows:11Campus Liberty Tour,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived March 11, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/4qLV1

“Since 2018, Steamboat Institute has fearlessly entered the lion’s den of college campuses with compelling debates on the hot topics of the day, engaging conservatives, liberals and centrists. Our focus is on teaching students – and all who attend – how to think, not what to think.”

2018

Title: “Nationalism vs. Globalism: A Debate Between Nigel Farage and Vicente Fox”

Dates:

Debaters:

NameProvided Description
Nigel FarageArchitect of Brexit
Vicente FoxPresident of Mexico (2000–06)

Moderators:

Date(s)NameAffiliation
April 2, 2018Robert KaufmanCU-Boulder
April 5 and 6, 2017Mary KisselWall Street Journal

Sponsors:

  • Mike Leprino Family Foundation
  • American Council of Trustees and Alumni
  • Bipartisan Policy Center
  • Center for Western Civilization, Thought & Policy at the University of Colorado Boulder
  • Coyote Gold
  • ColoradoPolitics
  • The Daily Signal
  • Economic Literacy Colorado
  • Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets at the University of Maryland
  • Free to Be Coalition
  • Intercollegiate Studies Institute
  • Lafayette Symposium
  • Mountain Valley Bank
  • Network of enlightened Women (NeW)
  • Speech First
  • The Fund for American Studies
  • Peak View Park
  • The Center for the Study of Government and the Individual at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
  • Woodford Foundation for Limited Government
  • Bruce D. Benson
  • Tim Borden
  • Ed and June Macarthur
  • Kristine and William Bensler
  • Irene Johnson
  • Tina Snider
  • Buz and Sherri Koelbel

Title: “The Constitution and the Campaign to Impeach President Trump

Date: October 30, 2018

Speaker: William B. Allen, 2018–19 Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy at the University of Colorado Boulder, was the sole speaker at the event.”12The Constitution and the Campaign to Impeach President Trump,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived March 9, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/UJP61

Title: “Is President Trump a Danger to the Republic?

Date: November 1, 2018

Professor Stephen Presser, 2018-19 Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy at University of Colorado Boulder, was the event’s sole speaker.13Is President Trump a Danger to the Republic?The Steamboat Institute. Archived March 9, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/q4lsw

2019

Title: “Campus Liberty Tour – University of California, Berkeley – Alan Dershowitz & Richard Epstein

Date: January 30, 2019

Debaters:

NameDescription
Alan DershowitzProfessor of Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School
Richard A. EpsteinLawrence A. Tisch Professor of Law, NYU School of Law

Moderator:

Janice Rogers Brown, Former U.S. Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia

Title: ”Campus Liberty Tour – Pepperdine University – Amy Wax & Alan Dershowitz”

Date: January 31, 2019

Debaters:

NameDescription
Alan DershowitzProfessor of Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School
Amy WaxRobert Mudheim Professor of Law University of Pennsylvania Law School

Moderator

  • Robert Kaufman, Pepperdine School of Public Policy

Title: “Conservatives and Traditional Conservatives: A Call for Unity”

Date: February 26, 2019

Benjamin R. Teitelbaum, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, University of Colorado, Boulder, was the sole speaker, moderated by Mattias Karlsson, billed as a “Swedish Member of Parliament.”

Title: “Capitalism vs. Socialism – Yaron Brook vs. Bhaskar Sunkara”

Debaters:

NameDescription
Yaron BrookChairman of the Board, Ayn Rand Institute; Author of “Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government”
Bhaskar SunkaraFounding editor and publisher of Jacobin; Guardian US Columnist; Author of “The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality”

Moderators

DayNameDescription
September 17, 2019Jillian Kay MelchiorEditorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Journal; Steamboat Institute Tony Blankley Fellow (Aug 2015-June 2017)
September 18, 2019Tom RoganCommentary Desk, Washington Examiner
September 19, 2019Hadley Heath ManningPolicy Director, Independent Women’s Forum

Title: “How Should We Elect Our President? A Debate on National Popular Vote vs Electoral College

Date: October 10, 2019

Debaters:

NameDescription
Ted TrimpaPrincipal and CEO – Trimpa Group
Trent EnglandExecutive Vice President – Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Moderator: Jay Seaton, Publisher of The Daily Sentinel

2020

Title: ”Campus Liberty Tour – Middle Tennessee State University – Laffer vs. Marshall: Will a Wealth Tax Increase Prosperity?

Date: October 5, 2020

Debaters:

NameDescription
Arthur B. LafferFounder and Chairman, Laffer Associates
Leslie MarshallDemocratic Strategist, National Radio Host, Fox News Contributor

Moderator: Hadley Heath Manning, Policy Director, Independent Women’s Forum and Tony Blankley Senior Fellow with the Steamboat Institute

2021

Title: ”Looking Ahead & What Really Happened? A Two-Part Conversation with Professors John and Elizabeth Eastman”

Date: March 25, 2021

NameDescription
Elizabeth EastmanSenior Scholar in Residence – Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, University of Colorado Boulder
John Eastman2020-21 Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy – Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, University of Colorado Boulder, speaking in his personal capacity and as a Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute.

Title: ”Making Space for Diversity of Ideas: A Debate on Whether Universities Should Limit Political Expression or Academic Research and Writing of Faculty Members

Date: March 31, 2021

Debaters:

NameDescription
Alan DershowitzProfessor Emeritus, Harvard Law School
Jillian Kay MelchiorEditorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Journal; Tony Blankley Fellow, The Steamboat Institute (August 2015-June 2017)
Robert PostSterling Professor of Law, Yale Law School

Moderator: Jillian Kay Melchior, columnist, The Wall Street Journal and 2015-2017 Tony Blankley Fellow at The Steamboat Institute

Title: “Liberty and Justice for All: A Conversation on Social Justice and Identity Politics with Jason Riley and Donna Brazile:

Date: April 26, 2021

Speakers:

NameDescription
Donna BrazileVeteran Democratic Party Political Strategist
Jason RileyWall Street Journal Columnist and Editorial Board Member

Moderator: Patrice Onuwuka, Director of the Center for Economic Opportunity at Independent Women’s Forum and Tony Blankley Fellow at the Steamboat Institute

Title: “Liberty and Justice for All – A Conversation on Social Justice and Identity Politics

Dates: September 21 and 22, 2021

Speakers:

NameDescription
Jason RileyEditorial Board Member and Columnist at The Wall Street Journal
Richard FowlerHost of The Richard Fowler Show and Fox News Contributor

Moderators:

DateNameDescription
Sept 21, 2022Hadley Heath ManningPolicy Director at the Independent Women’s Forum and Steamboat Institute Tony Blankley Fellow
Sept 22, 2022Philip WegmannWhite House Reporter at RealClearPolitics and Steamboat Institute Tony Blankley Fellow

Title: “Should America Eliminate Fossil Fuel Use to Prevent Climate Catastrophe?

Dates: 

  • March 1, 2022 at University of Miami
  • March 2, 2022 at University of Colorado Boulder

Speakers:

NameDescription
Alex EpsteinPresident and Founder of the Center for Industrial Progress; Author of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels
Wesley ClarkChairman and CEO of Wesley K. Clark & Associates; Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO; Coproducer of the documentary Hot Money

Moderators:

NameDescription
Amber AtheyWashington Editor; Spectator USA; SI Tony Blankley Fellow
Jillian Kay MelchiorEditorial Page Writer; Wall Street Journal; SI Tony Blankley Fellow (2015-17)

Title: “Pathways to Personal Prosperity and Achieving Your Dreams: Government Programs or Free Enterprise?

Dates:

  • October 26, 2022 at University of Texas at Austin
  • October 27, 2022 at University of Maryland

Speakers/debaters:

NameDescription
Bakari SellersCNN Political Commentator
Charles PayneHost of Making Money, Fox Business Network

Moderators:

NameDescription
Carrie SheffieldSenior Policy Analyst, Independent Women’s Forum & Steamboat Institute Tony Blankley Fellow
Tom RoganCommentary Editor, Washington Examiner & Steamboat Institute Tony Blankley Fellow

Actions

March 2022

The Steamboat Institute hosted an event titled “The Nexus of U.S. Energy Policy, Climate Science, Freedom and Prosperity.”14The Nexus of U.S. Energy Policy, Climate Science, Freedom and Prosperity,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived February 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/peHkG

Featured speakers include Steve Koonin, Bjorn Lomborg, Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto, Jacki Pick Deason, Alex Epstein, Patrick Moore, James Carafano, Robert Bryce, and Andrew Dessler. Steamboat’s published videos below.

Steve Koonin’s opening address:

Alex Epstein versus Andrew Dressler debate on “Should America rapidly eliminate fossil fuel use to prevent climate catastrophe?”

Bjorn Lomborg‘s luncheon address:

Patrick Moore‘s keynote dinner address:

March 1–2, 2022

The Steamboat Institute hosted the “Campus Liberty Tour” with an appearance from Alex Epstein at an event titled “Should America Eliminate Fossil Fuel Use to Prevent Climate Catastrophe?” See video below.15Campus Liberty Tour: Should America Eliminate Fossil Fuel Use to Prevent Climate Catastrophe?The Steamboat Institute. Archived February 28, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/jpDt2

The EventBrite description listed the March 2 event as a collaboration with the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at University of Colorado Boulder.

January 2022

The Steamboat Institute posted an update regarding “extended front-page op-ed(s)” on “energy, climate, freedom and prosperity” authored by CEO and Chairman Jennifer Schubert-Akin.16Colorado Media Features SI Energy & Climate Policy Op-Ed and Summit,” The Steamboat Institute, February 7, 2022. Archived March 11, 2022. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/c7hoy

In the pieces, which were featured in the The Denver Gazette17Jennifer Schubert-Akin. “PERSPECTIVE: Rethinking energy, climate, freedom and prosperity,” Denver Gazette, January 23, 2022. Archived March 11, 2022. Archive URL:https://archive.ph/L8yT9 and The Colorado Springs Gazette, she criticized President Biden’s decision to raise fuel mileage standards on vehicles, and described the Green New Deal as “the most radical energy policy proposal.”

“While these initiatives may be well-intended, they raise electricity prices and reduce reliability for American families, small businesses, and industries, diminishing individual freedom and economic prosperity,” Schubert-Atkins claimed. “These consequences must be included in energy and environmental policy discussions to help determine whether the benefits of green regulations outweigh the drawbacks.”

Additional excerpts:

“Cities, states, and nations are locked in a green energy arms race, competing to implement the strongest environmental policies to try to fight climate change. Yet policy makers largely overlook the losers of this emissions competition: ordinary Americans who face unreliable and expensive electricity as a result.” 

”In the most extreme cases, green energy policies can result in death and destruction. Hundreds of Texans died last winter after a storm caused the state’s windmills, which provide about one-quarter of the state’s electricity, to freeze and the power grid to collapse.”

“The most common consequence of green energy policies is rising electricity prices. As environmental economist Bjorn Lomborg, who’s appearing at a Steamboat Institute energy policy summit in Steamboat Springs in March, explains in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed: ‘Limiting the use of fossil fuels requires making them more expensive and pushing people toward green alternatives that remain pricier and less efficient.’”

According to Schubert-Akin, natural gas production is to thank for CO2 reductions and worries about climate change are “overwrought”:

“[C]arbon dioxide levels are already plummeting under the current energy mix without the need for further mandates. Per-capita carbon dioxide emissions in the United States have fallen by nearly one-third since 2005. In Colorado, they’ve dropped by nearly 25 percent.

“This CO2 reduction, which results from the free-market shale energy revolution that has displaced high-emission coal with low-emission natural gas, too often goes unmentioned in energy policy debates. It suggests that incessant, alarmist claims about ‘a climate crisis’ — at least in this country — are overwrought.”

October 27, 2021

October 27, 2021 Climate Hustle producer Marc Morano was a speaker on episode 19 of the Steamboat Institute program, “Liberty Chats.” Morano was described as “one of the highest profile voices of climate realism in the world today.”18Liberty Chats, Episode 19: Marc Morano, Climate Depot,The Steamboat Institute, October 7, 2021. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/bccDT

August 28, 2021

Climate Hustle producer Marc Morano was a speaker at the Steamboat Institute’s 2021 “Freedom Conference” in Beaver Creek, Colorado.19Climate Hustle: The Green New Deal and the Rise of the Climate Monarchy,” YouTube video uploaded by user “Steamboat Institute,” August 30, 2021. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.

March 2021

The Steamboat Institute’s Emerging Leaders Council Member Karl Honneger interviewed Robert P. Murphy, a senior fellow with the Mises Institute.

August 28–29, 2020

Nigel Farage was a speaker at the Steamboat Institute’s 12th “Freedom Conference.”20(The Associated Press). “Freedom Conference moves 2020 location to Beaver Creek,” The Durango Herald, July 13, 2020. Archived March 9, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Cvr5y

Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk also spoke at the event2112th Annual Freedom Conference – Aug 28-29, 2020 – Beaver Creek, CO,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived March 9, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/BixN8

Contact & Address

According to the Steamboat Institute website:23About,” The Steamboat Institute. Archived March 8, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/q2pyu

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 883037
Steamboat Springs,
Colorado 80488

Washington, DC Address:
300 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003

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