Source: [1]
Craig Idso is the chairman and former president of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change (Co2Science.org). The center's claimed mission is to "separate reality from rhetoric in the emotionally-charged debate that swirls around the subject of carbon dioxide and global change."
The Center's publication is CO2 Science, a weekly magazine that features articles questioning the science behind man-made climate change. Craig's father Sherwood B. Idso is currently the president of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide on Global Change, while his brother, Keith Idso, is the Center's Vice President.
Craig Idso served as Director of Environmental Science at Peabody Energy from 2001-2002 in St. Louis, MO. According to ExxonSecrets, Craig and Keith Idso produced a report for the Western Fuels Association titled "The Greening of Planet Earth Its Progression from Hypothesis to Theory" in January, 1998. [2]
According to documents leaked from the Heartland Institute, Craig Idso has been receiving $11,600 a month from the Heartland Institute through his Center for the Study of CO2 & Global Change
The following are some of the key points made by the Center for Carbon Dioxide and Global Change: [3]
"A weak short-term correlation between CO2 and temperature proves nothing about causation."
"Strong negative climatic feedbacks prohibit catastrophic warming."
"Growth-enhancing effects of CO2 create an impetus for cooling."
"There is no evidence for warming-induced increases in extreme weather."
"Elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 are a boon to the biosphere."
"Atmospheric CO2 enrichment brings growth and prosperity to man and nature alike."
"The Industrial Revolution has been a tremendous boon to humanity, as it has lifted large numbers of our kind from poverty to prosperity. It has also helped the rest of the biosphere - and thereby us once again - via the powerful aerial fertilization effect of the carbon dioxide that has gone into the atmosphere as a consequence of the burning of fossil fuels. Indeed, it's been win, win, win for all of life; and if there's ever been a recipe for success, this is it." [4]
May 21 - 23, 2012
Craig Idso was a speaker at the Heartland Institute's 7th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7).
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.
September, 2011
Idso is a lead author of the 2011 Interim Report of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), published by the Heartland Institute. [5]
Other lead authors include prominent climate skeptics Robert M. Carter and S. Fred Singer. Other contributors included Joseph D‘Aleo, Indur Goklany, Sherwood Idso, Madhav Khandekar, Anthony Lupo, Willie Soon, and Mitch Taylor.
August, 2011
According to SourceWatch, Idso was a featured speaker at the 2011 American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Annual Meeting, speaking at a workshop initially titled "Warming Up to Climate Change: The Many Benefits of Increased Atmospheric CO2" but which was renamed "Benefit Analysis of CO2" [6]
He was joined by fellow climate skeptics Roger Helmer and Robert Ferguson. The workshop was hosted by ALEC's Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force.
June, 2011
Spoke at the Heartland Institute's Sixth International Conference on Climate Change. His speech was titled "Co2-Induced Global Warming: Is the IPCC Presenting an Honest Assessment of the Evidence?" [7]
May, 2010
Spoke at the Heartland Institute's Fourth International conference on Climate Change. His speech was titled "Quantifying the Effects of Ocean Acidification on Marine Organisms." [7]
June 2, 2009
Craig Idso was a leading author of the first Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) report, titled "Climate Change Reconsidered" (PDF), published by the Heartland Institute. His co-author was climate skeptic Fred Singer.
Contributors included numerous other prominent climate change skeptics: [8]
March 30, 2009
Idso's signature is displayed alongside a full-page ad funded by the CATO institute that appeared in numerous newspapers including the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune in 2009.
The advertisement criticizes President Obama's declaration that "few challenges facing America and the world are more urgent than combating climate change," saying that "with all due respect Mr. President, that is not true." It goes on to describe how "there has been no net global warming for over a decade," and that the dangers of global warming are "grossly overstated." [12]
March, 2009
Spoke at the Heartland Institute's 2009 International Conference on Climate Change. His speech was titled "Carbon Dioxide, Global Warming and Coral Reefs: Prospects and the Future." [7]
November, 2003
Co-authored a report entitled "Enhanced or Impaired? Human Health in a CO2-Enriched Warmer World" (PDF) with his father Sherwood Idso and brother Keith Idso.
The report argues that global warming and an increase in atmospheric CO2 would be a boon to humanity.
*The Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global change responded to the question of whether they were funded by the Western Fuels Association as follows:
"In spite of what you think, you could be wrong. But as we do not divulge this information, you may also continue to think that you are right. In either case, we are not inclined to confirm or deny your conclusion..."
Idso has published three documentaries with the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change: Carbon Dioxide and the Climate Crisis: Reality or Illusion?, Carbon Dioxide and the Climate Crisis: Avoiding Plant and Animal Extinctions, and Carbon Dioxide and the Climate Crisis: Doing the Right Thing.
Sample publications include:
Idso has also published many of his articles on skeptical science blogs including Climate Realists.
"Chairman," Co2Science. Accessed January, 2012.
C.D. Idso and K.E. Idso. "Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming: Where We Stand on the Issue," C02Science (1998). Accessed January, 2012.
C. D. Idso and K. E. Idso. "Energy, Carbon Dioxide and Earth's Future: Pursuing the Prudent Path," Co2Science (1999). Accessed January, 2012.
"Climate Change Reconsidered: 2011 Interim Report" (PDF), nipccreport.org.
"Craig Idso," SourceWatch Profile.
"Craig D. Idso, PH.D.", International Conference on Climate Change.
"Climate Change Reconsidered" (PDF), nipccreport.org.
"Heartland Experts: Craig Idso," The Heartland Institute. Accessed January, 2012.
"Chairman," Co2Science. Accessed January, 2012.], ["Climate Change Reconsidered: 2011 Interim Report" (PDF), nipccreport.org.
"Personnel: SPPI Personnel 2012," scienceandpublicpolicy.org. Accessed January, 2012.
"Climate Change Reality," The Cato Institute.
"Craig D. Idso," Wikipedia entry.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
This post is the second of a two part series. Read the first installment, Unreported Emissions From Natural Gas Blow Up BC's Climate Action Plan.
Methane leaks from British Columbia's natural gas industry are likely at least 7 times greater than official numbers increasing the entire provinces' carbon footprint by nearly 25%. That's like putting 3 million more vehicles on BC's roads.
As...
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