Craig D. Idso

Credentials

• Ph.D., Geography, Arizona State University.
• B.S., Geography, Arizona State University.
• M.S., Agronomy, University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 

Source: [1]

Background 

Craig Idso is the chairman and former president [1]of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change (Co2Science.org). The center's claimed mission [2]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 [3] is currently the president of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide on Global Change, while his brother, Keith Idso [4], 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 [5], 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 [6], Craig Idso has been receiving $11,600 a month from the Heartland Institute [7]through his Center for the Study of CO2 & Global Change

Stance on Climate 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."

Key Quotes 

"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]

Key Deeds 

May 21 - 23, 2012

Craig Idso was a speaker [8] at the Heartland Institute [9]'s 7th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7) [10].

DeSmogBlog researched the co-sponsors behind Heartland's ICCC7 [11] and found that they had collectively received over $67 million from ExxonMobil, the Koch Brothers [12]and the conservative Scaife family foundations [13].

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 [14], Indur Goklany [15], Sherwood Idso [3], Madhav Khandekar [16], Anthony Lupo [17], Willie Soon [18], and Mitch Taylor.

August, 2011

According to SourceWatch [19], Idso was a featured speaker at the 2011 American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) [20] 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 [21] and Robert Ferguson [22]. The workshop was hosted by ALEC's Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force [23].

June, 2011

Spoke [24] 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 [24] 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 [25]), published by the Heartland Institute. His co-author was climate skeptic Fred Singer.

Contributors included numerous other prominent climate change skeptics: [8]

• J. Scott Armstrong [26]
• Dennis Avery [27]
• Robert Carter [28]
• Piers Corbyn [29]
• Richard Courtney [30]
• Joseph d'Aleo [14]
• Don Easterbrook [31]
• Fred Goldberg [32]
• Vincent Gray [33]
• William Gray [34]
• Kesten Green [35]
• Kenneth Haapala [36]
• Zbigniew Jaworowski [37]
• Madhav Khandekar [16]
• William Kininmonth [38]
• Hans Labohm [39]
• Anthony Lupo [17]
• Howard Maccabee [40]
• Christopher Monckton [41]
• Lubos Motl [42]
• Nicola Scafetta [43]
• Harrison Schmitt [44]
• Tom Segalstad [45]
• George Taylor [46]
• Gerd Weber [47]

March 30, 2009

Idso's signature is displayed [48] alongside a full-page ad funded by the CATO institute [49] that appeared [50] 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 [24] at the Heartland Institute's 2009 International Conference on Climate Change [51].  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 [52]) 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.

Affiliations 

• Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change [53] - Chairman of the Board, Founder and Former President [1]. [1]

• Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) [54] — Previous Member, Board of Advisors [55]. [2 [56]]

• Heartland Institute [57] — "Expert [58]" and Senior Fellow, Environment.  [9]

• George C. Marshall Institute [59] — "Expert [60]."

• Peabody Energy — Former Director of Environmental Science [1].  [1]

• Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) [61] — Co-editor and Lead Author. [1], [10]

• Science and Public Policy Institute (SPPI) [62] — "Science Advisor [63]." [11]

Funding

• The Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change has received $100,000 from ExxonMobil [5]since 1998 and is suspected of being funded by the Western Fuels Association*.
• CFACT has received $582,000 from ExxonMobil [55] since 1998.
• The Heartland Institute has received $676,500 from ExxonMobil since 1998 [64] although they no longer disclose their funding sources. 
• The George C. Marshall Institute has received $840,000 from ExxonMobil since 1998. [65]
• The Arizona State University Office of Cimatology has received $49,500 from ExxonMobil since 1998 [66].

*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 [67] 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..."

Publications 

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? [68], Carbon Dioxide and the Climate Crisis: Avoiding Plant and Animal Extinctions [69], and Carbon Dioxide and the Climate Crisis: Doing the Right Thing [70].

Sample publications include:

•  "Enhanced or Impaired? Human Health in a CO2-Enriched Warmer World" (PDF). [71] Nov, 2003. Co-authored with Sherwood and Keith Idso. Argues that global warming and an increase in atmospheric CO2 would be a boon to humanity. 

• The Many Benefits of Atmospheric CO2 Enrichment [72]. Co-author with Sherwood Idso. 

• "Climate Change Reconsidered"(PDF) [73]. The Heartland Institute. 2009. Craig Idso and Fred Singer were the lead authors of this report by the NIPCC. 

• "Reconstructing Climatic and Environmental Changes of the Past 1000 Years: A Reappraisal. [74]" Energy and Environment. April 11, 2003. Co-authored with Willie Soon, Sallie Baliunas, Sherwood B. Idso, and David R. Legates. 

• "The Greening of Planet Earth Its Progression from Hypothesis to Theory [5]."January 1998. A report prepared for Western Fuels Association.

Idso has also published many of his articles on skeptical science blogs including Climate Realists [75]. 

Resources

1. "Chairman [1]," Co2Science. Accessed January, 2012.

2. ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Craig Idso [56].

3. C.D. Idso and K.E. Idso. "Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming: Where We Stand on the Issue [76]," C02Science (1998). Accessed January, 2012.

4. C. D. Idso and K. E. Idso. "Energy, Carbon Dioxide and Earth's Future: Pursuing the Prudent Path [77]," Co2Science (1999). Accessed January, 2012.

5. "Climate Change Reconsidered: 2011 Interim Report" (PDF [78]), nipccreport.org.

6. "Craig Idso [79]," SourceWatch Profile.

7. "Craig D. Idso, PH.D. [24]", International Conference on Climate Change.

8. "Climate Change Reconsidered" (PDF [25]), nipccreport.org.

9. "Heartland Experts: Craig Idso [80]," The Heartland Institute. Accessed January, 2012.

10. "Chairman [1]," Co2Science. Accessed January, 2012.], ["Climate Change Reconsidered: 2011 Interim Report" (PDF [78]), nipccreport.org.

11. "Personnel: SPPI Personnel 2012 [63]," scienceandpublicpolicy.org. Accessed January, 2012.

12. "Climate Change Reality [81]," The Cato Institute.

13. "Craig D. Idso [82]," Wikipedia entry.