H. Sterling Burnett
Credentials
- Ph.D., Applied Philosophy, Bowling Green State University (2001).1โH. Sterling Burnett, PhD,โ biography at ProCon, December 6, 2010.
- M.A., Applied Philosophy, Bowling Green State University, (1992).2โH. Sterling Burnett, PhD,โ biography at ProCon, December 6, 2010.
- B.A., Cultural Anthropology, Southern Methodist University, (1986).3โH. Sterling Burnett, PhD,โ biography at ProCon, December 6, 2010.
Background
H. Sterling Burnett is a senior fellow and and the managing editor of Environment & Climate News at the Heartland Institute. He was previously a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) for 18 years before joining Heartland in 2014.4โH. STERLING BURNETT,โ The Heartland Institute. Archived May 11, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/5H3uL
According to his bio at the National Center for Policy Analysis, โHe has held various positions in professional and public policy organizations, including serving as a member of the Environment and Natural Resources Task Force in the Texas Comptrollerโs e-Texas commission, board of directors of the Dallas Woods and Water Conservation Club, and adviser for the American Legislative Exchange Councilโs Natural Resources Task Force.โ5โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
Stance on Climate Change
February 22, 2004
โProponents of policies to control human-induced global warming cite science as the basis for their claims and proposals. There is only one problem โ as much as they claim otherwise, there is no scientific consensus for their theories.โ6H. Sterling Burnett. โClimate science or science fiction?โ The Washington Times, February 22, 2004. Archived March 30, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ojmAj
August 15, 2001
โIn other words, we do not know if the earth will get warmer or cooler in the future, and if temperatures do change, by how much or when, or if public policies can affect future temperature change.โ7โReality and Climate Change Policyโ (PDF), National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis No 376. (August 15, 2001).
December 5, 1998
โThe current warming trend began as Earth came out of the little ice ageโan important fact that is all too often overlooked in the global warming debate.โ8โLetters: Warmer than When?โ (PDF), Science News, Vol. 154, No. 23 (December 5, 1998), p. 355.
Key Quotes
January 31, 2018
Following President Donald Trumpโs State of the Union Address, Burnett said in a statement:9โPRESS RELEASE: HEARTLAND INSTITUTE EXPERTS REACT TO PRESIDENT TRUMPโS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS,โ The Heartland Institute, January 31, 2018. Archived February 5, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FeswS
โPresident Trump has done more to reduce the regulatory burden in one year than any president in history. Combined with the steps he has taken to enact his America First energy plan, these actions have contributed to the countryโs strong growth during the first year of the Trump administration. Based on recent business investment and consumer confidence polls, President Trumpโs policies are reinvigorating the economy.
โDuring his first State of the Union speech, President Trump was more than justified in touting his accomplishments so far. Under President Trump, the United States has increased energy production, reduced regulations, and cut taxes. Because of this, the United States is once again exporting freedom and prosperity around the globe.
โHaving said all this, there is still more to do. Unfortunately, most of the cities with major ports, including all those along the West Coast, are in blue states run by Democratic governors. These vital states remain stuck in the grips of radical environmental ideologies. The Trump administration, working with Congress, must get new coal, oil, and natural gas export terminals built as part of an infrastructure plan. State recalcitrance should not be allowed to interfere with interstate and international commerce that, constitutionally, is the domain of the federal government.โ
October 9, 2017
Following EPA administrator Scott Pruittโs announcement that the Trump administration would be scrapping the Clean Power Plan, Burnett issued the following statement via the Heartland Institute:10โPRESS RELEASE: HEARTLAND INSTITUTE EXPERTS REACT TO EPA SCRAPPING THE CLEAN POWER PLAN,โ The Heartland Institute, October 9, 2017. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/B9m3e
โ[โฆ] Even if it werenโt unconstitutional, itโs still terrible policy, because it imposes huge costs on individuals and businesses and makes the nationโs electric power supply less reliableโall while doing nothing to prevent climate change or to protect human health or the environment. Good riddance to a bad regulation.โ
2010
Burnett commented on the Gulf Oil Spill, claiming that โEnvironmentalists hyped the spill in an attempt to push the Senate to pass the largest energy tax in history.โ His policy center also issued a press release describing the situation on the Gulf Coast as โmore hype than reality.โH. Sterling Burnett. โLessons from the Horizon blowout: More hype than harm,โ The Hill (Blog), March 8, 2010.11Tom Henry. โSouthern Michigan faces long recovery after oil spill,โ Toledo Blade, August 8, 2010. Archived August 16, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/0CF9s
April 2007
โ[T]here is no predicted human health effect from increased CO2 emissions at any foreseeable level. [โฆ] nothing the EPA could do would reduce the speculative effects of global warming on sea levels, human health, or weather patterns โ since EPA regulations canโt affect these things, it ought not to regulate emissions as if it could.โ12โ(PRN) Supreme Court Ruling Doesnโt Mean EPA Will Regulate CO2 Emissions,โ PRNewswire-USNewswire, April 3, 2007. Republished by chron.com. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RzdAF
May 2006
In a May 2006 Fox News interview, Burnett compared Al Goreโs Inconvenient Truth to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebellsโ films. Burnett stated:13Judd Legum. โExxon-Backed Pundit Compares Gore To Nazi Propagandist,โ ThinkProgress, May 23, 2006.
โYou donโt go see Joseph Goebbelsโ films to see the truth about Nazi Germany. You donโt want to go see Al Goreโs film to see the truth about global warming.โ
Key Deeds
February 14, 2022
Burnett featured guest speaker Jason Isaac, director of the Texas Public Policy Foundationโs Life:Powered project, on an episode of the Heartland Daily Podcast.14โPOLITICIANS ARE RUINING TEXASโ POWER GRID (GUEST: JASON ISAAC),โ The Heartland Institute. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.
โAs it stands, subsidized renewable power sources forced onto the system have left Texans vulnerable to power outages, a problem that could worsen in the future,โ Burnett claimed in the podcastโs description.
Discussing the Texas power outages in 2021, Burnett commented:
โIโm saying we used to have other coal plants, but they were not just off line they had been closed. We had a lot of wind and solar, more wind in Texas than solar, but some solar that suddenly was politically mandated, but was not putting power on the grid. So thatโs the day. But what built up to it?โ
Jason Isaac responded:
โYeah, and itโs really these market distorting policies that have propped up one form of generation over another, put us in this situation to begin with. And youโve seen a decline in thermal generation over the last seven years because they canโt compete. And thatโs the big thing. The market design is the problem when you have wind, generate electricity because of the investment tax credit, the production tax credit, the property tax exemptions they get from the state of Texas and other incentives.โ
โWe shouldnโt depend on variable sources of unreliable electric generation on our grid. Because then where we are at the whims of nature, especially especially when we have reliable forms of thermal generation that are out there,โ Isaac said.
October 23, 2018
Burnett co-wrote an article at American Thinker with Heartland policy advisor Justin Askins titled โWhy Some Scientists Say Global Warming Is Out and Global Cooling Is In.โ In the article, Burnett and Haskins promote a global cooling study by Valentina Zharkova, an astrophysicist that they introduce as a climate scientist.15Justin Haskins and H. Sterling Burnett. โWhy Some Scientists Say Global Warming Is Out and Global Cooling Is In,โ American Thinker, October 23, 2018. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DMkWN
โAlthough Zharkova says her modelโs accuracy is 97 percent, sheโs not sure precisely how impactful lower solar magnetic activity will be โฆโ they wrote, claiming that โa cooling effect completely undermine virtually every single climate model predicting steady warming over the next century.โ16Justin Haskins and H. Sterling Burnett. โWhy Some Scientists Say Global Warming Is Out and Global Cooling Is In,โ American Thinker, October 23, 2018. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DMkWN
Burnett and Askins argued that man-made CO2 emissions are needed to combat global cooling: โIf climate alarmists are correct, then the planet would be much cooler today than it is now if humans were never to have produced significant amounts of carbon dioxide. That means that whatever cooling results from decreased solar activity would theoretically be much more extreme without humansโ CO2 emissions. Thatโs incredibly important, because cooler global temperatures have historically been linked to deadly living conditions for humans, plants, and wildlife.โ17Justin Haskins and H. Sterling Burnett. โWhy Some Scientists Say Global Warming Is Out and Global Cooling Is In,โ American Thinker, October 23, 2018. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DMkWN
A Sky News article from December 2017, from which Burnett and Askins pulled a quote from Zharkova, also included this additional context: โBut she cautions that her mathematical research cannot be used as proof that there will be a mini ice age this time around, not least because of global warming.โ The article also notes that โProfessor Zharkova warned that any downward impact on global warming will last only until the Sunโs two magnetic waves become active again in the 2050s.โ18โScientists predict โmini ice ageโ could hit UK by 2030,โ Sky News, December 27, 2017. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/z08iU
The Guardian reported that Zharkovaโs research has reignited the โimminent mini ice ageโ myth more than once, based on her research suggesting the sun would enter a quiet phase. โWhile she has created a model predicting an imminent period of quiet solar activity, other scientists have identified serious flaws in the model, and in any case, research has shown that another solar minimum would only have a small and temporary impact on Earthโs climate,โ The Guardian noted.19Dana Nuccitelli. โThe โimminent mini ice ageโ myth is back, and itโs still wrong,โ The Guardian, January 9, 2018. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/aPzgO
August 24, 2018
Burnett wrote a piece at The Hill criticizing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, suggesting they make vehicles less safe, and applauding the EPAโs decision to freeze fuel economy standards.20โA fuel-economy change that protect freedom and saves lives,โ The Hill, August 24, 2018. Archived September 6, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/Kunxd
โThe laws of physics will never change. In a vehicle crash, larger and heavier is safer than lighter and smaller. EPAโs fuel-economy freeze will prevent unnecessary deaths while protecting consumer choice,โ Burnett wrote.21โA fuel-economy change that protect freedom and saves lives,โ The Hill, August 24, 2018. Archived September 6, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/Kunxd
According to Burnett, having more fuel efficient vehicles is counter productive because people would drive more. โAs fuel efficiency increased and driving became cheaper, people drove more miles โ thereby negating the marginal gains of owning more-fuel-efficient vehicles,โ he wrote.22โA fuel-economy change that protect freedom and saves lives,โ The Hill, August 24, 2018. Archived September 6, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/Kunxd
August 7, 2018
Burnett spoke at the Heartland Instituteโs โAmerica First Energy Conferenceโ (AFEC 2018) in New Orleans, Louisiana.23โSpeakers,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived August 1, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mwtga
โThe purpose of this event is to promote and expand energy freedom in the United States, as outlined in President Donald Trumpโs bold America First Energy Plan, a proposal first released during the 2016 presidential campaign. The presidentโs plan marks a decisive change in direction from the Obama administrationโs โwar on fossil fuelsโ and focus on the theory of catastrophic man-caused climate change,โ the conference description reads.24โAbout,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived July 23, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/E4Gnt
Burnett spoke on a panel titled โ4B. Cafe Standards: Why They Need to Goโ and moderated another titled โThe Future of Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas.โ25โH. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D.,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived August 1, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/DJdaG
February 4, 2018
In January 2018, more than 200 scientists endorsed an open letter calling on the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) to remove climate change denier Rebekah Mercer from its board and to โend ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation.โ The New York Times reported that those among the AMNH letter calling for Mercer to step down were Michael E. Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, and Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University.26Robin Pogrebin and Somini Sengupta. โA Science Denier at the Natural History Museum? Scientists Rebel,โ The New York Times, January 25, 2018. Archived February 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/tAIv4
Burnett was among a group of climate change deniers who responded with their own open letter, calling for the AMNH โnot to cave in to this pressure.โ The letter was signed by numerous individuals with ties to groups funded by the Mercer Family Foundation such as Will Happer of the CO2 CoalitionRichard Lindzen, a fellow at the Cato InstituteCraig Idso, the chairman of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change. There are a number of signatories affiliated with the Heartland Institute, which has received over $5.78 million from the Mercer Family Foundation since 2008.27Graham Readfearn. โClimate Science Deniers Defend New Yorkโs American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,โ DeSmog, February 6, 2018.
The letter reads:28mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF โ Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That.
โThe Earth has supported abundant life many times in the geological past when there were much higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is quite likely that future generations will benefit from the enrichment of Earthโs atmosphere with more carbon dioxide.
โMake no mistake, the agitators are not defending science from quackery โ quite the contrary!โ
November 9, 2017
Burnett was a speaker and moderator at the Heartland Instituteโs โAmerica First Energy Conferenceโ at the Marriott Hotel in Houston, Texas. Burnett spoke or moderated four panels on November 9 including:29โH. STERLING BURNETT,โ America First Energy Conference. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fpygE
PANEL 1A: CLIMATE SCIENCE (Moderator)
PANEL 2B: PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT (Speaker)
- See PDF and PowerPoint of presentation.
PANEL 3B: PEACE DIVIDEND: BENEFITS OF ENDING THE WAR ON FOSSIL FUELS (Moderator)
PANEL 6B: REFORMING EPA (Moderator)
The event description read as follows:30โAbout,โ America First Energy. Archived October 11, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8bTTJ
โAt the America First Energy Conference, we plan to examineโone year and one day after Trumpโs shocking Election Day victoryโthe following:
โWhere does Trumpโs America First Energy Plan stand?
โHow much progress has been made in implementing it, and what remains to be done?
โWhat scientific and economic evidence is there that the plan is putting the nation on the right path for economic growth, environmental protection, or both?โ31โAbout,โ America First Energy. Archived October 11, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8bTTJ
In a fundraising letter obtained by DeSmog, Fred Palmer had promoted the event as having the goal to โreview the scientific and economic evidence that exposes the fraud inherent in the Obama-era regulation regimeโ while discussing โthe overwhelming benefits of fossil fuels to us all.โ32October 2017 Fundraising letter by Fred Palmer. On file at Desmog.
Many of the other speakers have regularly spoken at the Heartland Instituteโs past ICCCs. Notable speakers listed so far Joe Bast, Fred Palmer, Roger Bezdek, H. Sterling Burnett, Hal Doiron, Paul Driessen, John Dale Dunn, Myron Ebell, Heartlandโs new President Tim Huelskamp, Craig Idso, David Legates, Jay Lehr, Anthony Lupo, Ross McKitrick, Steve Milloy, Todd Myers, John Nothdurt, David Schnare, and numerous others.33โSPEAKERS,โ America First Energy. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OJWeX
As reported at the Houston Chronicle, speakers notably included two Trump Administration officials: Richard W. Westerdale II of the State Department and Vincent DeVito of the Department of Interior. David Bernhardt, deputy secretary of the Interior Department, was also formerly listed as a Heartland conference speaker, but apparently withdrew.34James Osborne. โTrump officials to appear at Houston event hosted by climate skeptics,โ Houston Chronicle, November 2, 2017. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XPtYc
Scott Pruitt also addressed the conference in a recorded video, personally thanking Heartland for โwhat youโre doing to advance energyโ and โfor what youโre doing to advance natural resources.35โScott Pruitt,โ America First Energy Conference. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/X4F6m
The Climate Investigations Center put up a parody of the America First Energy conference website, complete with profiles on the individual speakers and highlighting their corporate funding and ties to groups such as the Cooler Heads Coalition (CHC).36โAmerica First Energy Conference Stacked with Climate Change Deniers,โ Climate Investigations Center, November 6, 2017. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mISrd
November 3, 2017
Writing at The Heartland Institute, Burnett criticizes a report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that totalled the direct costs of extreme weather events. The report had concluded the costs of extreme weather events and fire would continue to increase as a result of human-caused climate change.37โCOSTS OF DECARBONIZATION GREATER THAN COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE,โ The Heartland Institute, November 3, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/o2oE8
Burnett disagreed, calling the report โvirtually useless for guiding climate change responses.โ He states that the โcomplex modelsโ used by the GAO โgrossly overstate the amount of warmingโ while โSimpler climate modelsโ by non-scientist Christopher Monckton or by other climate change deniers such as Willie Soon, David R. Legates, and William M. Briggs are โmore accurate.โ38โCOSTS OF DECARBONIZATION GREATER THAN COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE,โ The Heartland Institute, November 3, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/o2oE8
Burnett also argues that the GAO report โentirely ignores the tremendous benefits flowing from the use of fossil fuelsโ like the so-called โgreening of the Earthโ attributed to increased CO2 concentrations.39โCOSTS OF DECARBONIZATION GREATER THAN COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE,โ The Heartland Institute, November 3, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/o2oE8
March 23โ24, 2017
H. Sterling Burnett was the moderator of three panels at the Heartland Instituteโs 12th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC12).
Panel 1B) Climate Science
Panel 3A) Fossil Fuels and the Environment
Panel 5A) Sustainability
January 5, 2017
H. Sterling Burnett was a signatory to a Cornwall Alliance open letter supporting Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator under the Trump administration.40โOpen Letter Supporting Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator,โ Cornwall Alliance, January 5, 2017. Archived January 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xMash
โMr. Pruitt has also demonstrated understanding of and open-mindedness toward scientific insights crucial to the formulation and implementation of environmental regulation. He is prepared to hear all sides in debates over the risks and benefits of various activities that come under the purview of the EPA,โ reads the letter.
On January 12, 2017, Senate Democrats raised conflict of interest concerns regarding Scott Pruttโs fossil fuel ties. Pruitt had spent years working to combat the Obama Administrationโs Clean Power Plan.41Ben Jervey. โMapping EPA Nominee Scott Pruittโs Many Fossil Fuel Ties,โ DeSmog, January 13, 2017.
In an open letter to the Office of Government Ethics, members of the Senateโs environmental panel commented:42Ben Jervey. โMapping EPA Nominee Scott Pruittโs Many Fossil Fuel Ties,โ DeSmog, January 13, 2017.
โDuring his tenure as Attorney General of Oklahoma, Mr. Pruitt has blurred the distinction between official and political actions, often at the behest of corporations he will regulate if confirmed to lead EPA,โ the letter said. โPublic reporting based on documents produced by Freedom of Information Act requests illustrate how Mr. Pruitt and members of his staff have worked closely with fossil fuel lobbyists to craft his officeโs official positions.โ
Pruitt was further grilled on his fossil fuel ties at his confirmation hearing on January 18.43Ben Jervey and Steve Horn. โEPA Nominee Scott Pruitt Gets Grilled on Fossil Fuel Ties at Confirmation Hearing,โ DeSmog, January 18, 2017.
Some notable signatories of the Cornwall Alliance letter, as of January 5, 2017, included:
- Tim Ball
- Charles G. Battig
- E. Calvin Beisner
- H. Sterling Burnett
- Kenneth Chilton
- Donn Dears
- John Droz
- James E. Enstrom
- Joseph Farah
- Steve Goreham
- Jay Grimstead
- William Happer
- Richard Land
- David Legates
- Richard S. Lindzen
- Anthony R. Lupo
- Rod D. Martin
- Anthony J. Sadar
- Willie Soon
- Roy W. Spencer
- David J. Theroux
- James A. Wanliss
- Anthony Watts
- Peter W. Wood
- Thomas H. Wysmuller
- Benjamin Zycher
June 2015
Burnett was a moderator of a panel at Heartland Instituteโs Tenth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC10) in Washington, D.C.44โTenth International Conference on Climate Change, Program,โ (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 12, 2018.
He moderated panel 2, โClimate Science and Accurate Dataโ, which featured speakers Anthony Watts, Roy Spencer and J. Scott Armstrong.
Panel 2) Climate Science and Accurate Data
May 12, 2015
H. Sterling Burnett is a signatory to an open letter to Pope Francis on climate change. The letter invites the Pope to reconsider his views on climate change before his upcoming encyclical letter on the environment, which is widely expected to call for measures to prevent climate change in the interests of the worldโs poor.
The open letter was coordinated and signed by Calvin Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance. According to the letter, โGood climate policy must recognize human exceptionalism, the God-given call for human persons to โhave dominionโ 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.โ Another excerpt below:45โAn Open Letter to Pope Francis on Climate Change,โ Cornwall Alliance For The Stewardship of Creation. April 27, 2015. Archived with March 30, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gdNdc
โ[โฆ] the [climate] models are wrong. They therefore provide no rational basis to forecast dangerous human-induced global warming, and therefore no rational basis for efforts to reduce warming by restricting the use of fossil fuels or any other means.โ
Judith Curry comments on her blog Climate Etc. that โArguably the most effective โpushbackโ comes from Cal Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance, who coordinated An Open Letter to Pope Francis on Climate Change.โ46Judith Curry. โPope Francis, climate change, and morality,โ JudithCurry.com, April 29, 2015. Archived March 10, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/R4kGw
December, 2014
H. Sterling Burnett is a contributor to the book Climate Change: The Facts published by the Institute of Public Affairs and featuring โ22 essays on the science, politics and economics of the climate change debate.โ The Institute of Public Affairs, while not revealing most of its funders, is known to have received funding from mining magnate Gina Rinehart and at least one major tobacco company.โ47Institute of Public Affairs,โ SourceWatch. Accessed May 27, 2015.
Essays and articles from a range of climate change skeptics, while listed authors include:
- James Delingpole
- Donna Laframboise
- Dr Richard S. Lindzen
- Dr Alan Moran
- Jo Nova
- Dr Willie Soon
- Mark Steyn
- Anthony Watts
- Andrew Bolt
- Dr J. Scott Armstrong
- Dr Alan Moran
October 9, 2014
H. Sterling Burnett is quoted in the Heartland Instituteโs press release, โHeartland Institute Climate Experts Comment on 18 Straight Years of No Global Warming,โ which states โthe global mean surface temperature has not risen for 18 consecutive years. This extends the so-called โpauseโ in global warming to a new record, one not predicted by the climate models of the United Nationsโ International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).โ Burnett writes:48H. Sterling Burnett. โHeartland Institute Climate Experts Comment on 18 Straight Years of No Global Warming,โ Heartland Institute, October 9, 2014. Archived October 16, 2014.
โEighteen years of no warming. That means this yearโs high school graduates were raised to believe in and fear something that stopped happening before they were born. Weโve had as many years of relatively steady temperatures as we had actual years of warming since the ice age panic of the 1970s. Growing Antarctic ice sheets, increased greening of the earth, more walruses and polar bears than at any time since the beginning of the 20th century, fewer hurricanes and tornadoes, only a modest sea level rise, longer life spans and better overall health โฆ if these are the terrors of global warming, Iโll have more please.
โEvery one of the climate models missed the lull. Youโve got to ask yourself, โAre you going to believe what the modelers tell you, or are you going to believe your โlying eyes,โ which in this case is the actual measured temperature data?โ Iโll take hard data over faulty models any day.โ49H. Sterling Burnett. โHeartland Institute Climate Experts Comment on 18 Straight Years of No Global Warming,โ Heartland Institute, October 9, 2014. Archived October 16, 2014.
December 4, 2010
Attended the Cancun Climate Change Summit. He was interviewed by the BBC shortly before attending the summit:
April 9, 2008
Testified (PDF) before the Texas House Select Committee on Electric Generation & Environmental Effects on the topic of โElectrical Power for Texas: Economic and Environmental Considerations.โ50โStatement for the Record: Texas House Select Committee on Electric Generation & Environmental Effects On ELECTRIC POWER FOR TEXAS: ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONSโ (PDF), April 9, 2008. Republished by the National Center for Policy Analysis.
In his testimony, Burnett concludes, with regards to the concern that โthe [coal-fired] plants will emit large quantities of carbon dioxide and contribute to global warming,โ he has attached a โprimerโ that would explain why โthis should not be an issue preventing the building of new coal fired power plants.โ
March 2008
Burnett was a speaker at the Heartland Instituteโs First International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC1) in New York.51โFirst International Conference on Climate Change, Program,โ (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 12, 2018.
His speech, titled โPrecaution and Managing Future Risk in Climate Changeโ can be viewed below.
Precaution and Managing Future Risk in Climate Change
August 2, 2002
Burnett was signatory to an open letter to President Bush written by Myron Ebell and Fred L. Smith congratulating Bush for not attending the World Summit on sustainable Development in Johannesburg, an event that they warned could result in โcreating a World Environmental Organization.โ52โAn Open Letter To President Bush About The World Summit On Sustainable Development,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, August 2, 2002. Archived November 5, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mMFvn
December, 1997
In a report titled โAstroturf Troopersโ53Keith Hammond. โAstroturf Troopers,โ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive. Is URL: https://archive.is/uqFvL Mother Jones how the Global Climate Coalition (GCC) was โcoordinating a secret coalition of extreme right-wingers and astroturf groups.โ Internal memos (page 1, page 2)54โAstroturf Memo, page 1,โ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived November 1, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/eVd8Z obtained by Mother Jones listed the names of several astroturf groups and representatives. H. Sterling Burnettโs name appears on the list, beside the National Center for Policy Analysis.55โAstroturf Memo, page 2,โ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived November 2, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Nk3vS
Affiliations
- The Heartland Institute โ Senior fellow and and the managing editor of Environment & Climate News (joined Heartland in 2014. Formerly listed as a Heartland โExpert.โ56โH. STERLING BURNETT,โ The Heartland Institute. Archived May 11, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/5H3uL,57โH. STERLING BURNETT,โ The Heartland Institute. Archived March 30, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kSseC 58โExperts: H. Sterling Burnett,โ The Heartland Institute. Archived July 19, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FqXn8
- National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) โ Former senior fellow specializing in โenvironmental policy and gun policy.โ59โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) โ Adviser, Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Task Force.60โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) โ Environmental Research Associate (1990).61โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE) โ Research associate (1987)62โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) โ Senior Fellow (2005 โ ).63โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
- Environment & Climate News โ Contributing Editor (2005 โ ).64โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
- Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow โ Academic Adviser (2005 โ ).65โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
- Political Economy Research Center (PERC) โ PERC Fellow (1995) *Now known as the โProperty and Environment Research Center.โ66โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
- Social Philosophy and Policy Center โ Research Assistant (1991 โ 1992).67โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
Publications
According to a search of Google Scholar, H. Sterling Burnett has not published research in any peer-reviewed journals on the subject of climate change.
However, Burnett is a prolific author of skeptical articles and opinion pieces on the subject. For example:
- โGlobal Warming: Religion or Science?โ, Human Events, July 27, 2005.
- โHurricanes Arenโt Caused by Global Warming but Political Hot Air Is,โ Human Events, September 9, 2005.
- โReality and Climate Change Policyโ (PDF), National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis No 376. (August 15, 2001).
A list of Burnettโs publications in Environment & Climate News is available at the Heartland Institute.
Other Resources
- โH. Sterling Burnett,โ SourceWatch Profile.
- ExxonSecrets Factsheet: H. Sterling Burnett.
Profile image a screenshot from YouTube of H. Sterling Burnett, moderator at Heartland Instituteโs ICCC12.
Resources
- 1โH. Sterling Burnett, PhD,โ biography at ProCon, December 6, 2010.
- 2โH. Sterling Burnett, PhD,โ biography at ProCon, December 6, 2010.
- 3โH. Sterling Burnett, PhD,โ biography at ProCon, December 6, 2010.
- 4โH. STERLING BURNETT,โ The Heartland Institute. Archived May 11, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/5H3uL
- 5โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- 6H. Sterling Burnett. โClimate science or science fiction?โ The Washington Times, February 22, 2004. Archived March 30, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ojmAj
- 7โReality and Climate Change Policyโ (PDF), National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis No 376. (August 15, 2001).
- 8โLetters: Warmer than When?โ (PDF), Science News, Vol. 154, No. 23 (December 5, 1998), p. 355.
- 9โPRESS RELEASE: HEARTLAND INSTITUTE EXPERTS REACT TO PRESIDENT TRUMPโS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS,โ The Heartland Institute, January 31, 2018. Archived February 5, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FeswS
- 10โPRESS RELEASE: HEARTLAND INSTITUTE EXPERTS REACT TO EPA SCRAPPING THE CLEAN POWER PLAN,โ The Heartland Institute, October 9, 2017. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/B9m3e
- 11Tom Henry. โSouthern Michigan faces long recovery after oil spill,โ Toledo Blade, August 8, 2010. Archived August 16, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/0CF9s
- 12โ(PRN) Supreme Court Ruling Doesnโt Mean EPA Will Regulate CO2 Emissions,โ PRNewswire-USNewswire, April 3, 2007. Republished by chron.com. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RzdAF
- 13Judd Legum. โExxon-Backed Pundit Compares Gore To Nazi Propagandist,โ ThinkProgress, May 23, 2006.
- 14โPOLITICIANS ARE RUINING TEXASโ POWER GRID (GUEST: JASON ISAAC),โ The Heartland Institute. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.
- 15Justin Haskins and H. Sterling Burnett. โWhy Some Scientists Say Global Warming Is Out and Global Cooling Is In,โ American Thinker, October 23, 2018. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DMkWN
- 16Justin Haskins and H. Sterling Burnett. โWhy Some Scientists Say Global Warming Is Out and Global Cooling Is In,โ American Thinker, October 23, 2018. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DMkWN
- 17Justin Haskins and H. Sterling Burnett. โWhy Some Scientists Say Global Warming Is Out and Global Cooling Is In,โ American Thinker, October 23, 2018. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DMkWN
- 18โScientists predict โmini ice ageโ could hit UK by 2030,โ Sky News, December 27, 2017. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/z08iU
- 19Dana Nuccitelli. โThe โimminent mini ice ageโ myth is back, and itโs still wrong,โ The Guardian, January 9, 2018. Archived November 7, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/aPzgO
- 20โA fuel-economy change that protect freedom and saves lives,โ The Hill, August 24, 2018. Archived September 6, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/Kunxd
- 21โA fuel-economy change that protect freedom and saves lives,โ The Hill, August 24, 2018. Archived September 6, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/Kunxd
- 22โA fuel-economy change that protect freedom and saves lives,โ The Hill, August 24, 2018. Archived September 6, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/Kunxd
- 23โSpeakers,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived August 1, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mwtga
- 24โAbout,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived July 23, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/E4Gnt
- 25โH. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D.,โ America First Energy Conference 2018. Archived August 1, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/DJdaG
- 26Robin Pogrebin and Somini Sengupta. โA Science Denier at the Natural History Museum? Scientists Rebel,โ The New York Times, January 25, 2018. Archived February 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/tAIv4
- 27Graham Readfearn. โClimate Science Deniers Defend New Yorkโs American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,โ DeSmog, February 6, 2018.
- 28mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF โ Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That.
- 29โH. STERLING BURNETT,โ America First Energy Conference. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fpygE
- 30โAbout,โ America First Energy. Archived October 11, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8bTTJ
- 31โAbout,โ America First Energy. Archived October 11, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8bTTJ
- 32October 2017 Fundraising letter by Fred Palmer. On file at Desmog.
- 33โSPEAKERS,โ America First Energy. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OJWeX
- 34James Osborne. โTrump officials to appear at Houston event hosted by climate skeptics,โ Houston Chronicle, November 2, 2017. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XPtYc
- 35โScott Pruitt,โ America First Energy Conference. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/X4F6m
- 36โAmerica First Energy Conference Stacked with Climate Change Deniers,โ Climate Investigations Center, November 6, 2017. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mISrd
- 37โCOSTS OF DECARBONIZATION GREATER THAN COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE,โ The Heartland Institute, November 3, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/o2oE8
- 38โCOSTS OF DECARBONIZATION GREATER THAN COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE,โ The Heartland Institute, November 3, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/o2oE8
- 39โCOSTS OF DECARBONIZATION GREATER THAN COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE,โ The Heartland Institute, November 3, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/o2oE8
- 40โOpen Letter Supporting Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator,โ Cornwall Alliance, January 5, 2017. Archived January 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xMash
- 41Ben Jervey. โMapping EPA Nominee Scott Pruittโs Many Fossil Fuel Ties,โ DeSmog, January 13, 2017.
- 42Ben Jervey. โMapping EPA Nominee Scott Pruittโs Many Fossil Fuel Ties,โ DeSmog, January 13, 2017.
- 43Ben Jervey and Steve Horn. โEPA Nominee Scott Pruitt Gets Grilled on Fossil Fuel Ties at Confirmation Hearing,โ DeSmog, January 18, 2017.
- 44โTenth International Conference on Climate Change, Program,โ (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 12, 2018.
- 45โAn Open Letter to Pope Francis on Climate Change,โ Cornwall Alliance For The Stewardship of Creation. April 27, 2015. Archived with March 30, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gdNdc
- 46Judith Curry. โPope Francis, climate change, and morality,โ JudithCurry.com, April 29, 2015. Archived March 10, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/R4kGw
- 47Institute of Public Affairs,โ SourceWatch. Accessed May 27, 2015.
- 48H. Sterling Burnett. โHeartland Institute Climate Experts Comment on 18 Straight Years of No Global Warming,โ Heartland Institute, October 9, 2014. Archived October 16, 2014.
- 49H. Sterling Burnett. โHeartland Institute Climate Experts Comment on 18 Straight Years of No Global Warming,โ Heartland Institute, October 9, 2014. Archived October 16, 2014.
- 50โStatement for the Record: Texas House Select Committee on Electric Generation & Environmental Effects On ELECTRIC POWER FOR TEXAS: ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONSโ (PDF), April 9, 2008. Republished by the National Center for Policy Analysis.
- 51โFirst International Conference on Climate Change, Program,โ (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 12, 2018.
- 52โAn Open Letter To President Bush About The World Summit On Sustainable Development,โ Competitive Enterprise Institute, August 2, 2002. Archived November 5, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mMFvn
- 53Keith Hammond. โAstroturf Troopers,โ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived March 25, 2017. Archive. Is URL: https://archive.is/uqFvL
- 54โAstroturf Memo, page 1,โ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived November 1, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/eVd8Z
- 55โAstroturf Memo, page 2,โ Mother Jones, December 4, 1997. Archived November 2, 2005. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Nk3vS
- 56โH. STERLING BURNETT,โ The Heartland Institute. Archived May 11, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/5H3uL
- 57โH. STERLING BURNETT,โ The Heartland Institute. Archived March 30, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kSseC
- 58โExperts: H. Sterling Burnett,โ The Heartland Institute. Archived July 19, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FqXn8
- 59โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- 60โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- 61โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- 62โDr. H. Sterling Burnett: Senior Fellow,โ National Center for Policy Analysis. Archived April 9, 2002. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8rOvA
- 63โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
- 64โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
- 65โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
- 66โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD
- 67โH. Sterling Burnett: Member Profile,โ Energybiz. Archived April 26, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.fo/bYhLD