In response to Greta, the climate deniers hire their own European teen who believes things
In response to Greta, the climate deniers hire their own European teen who believes things
Feb 24, 2020 3:04pm Eastern Standard Time by Hunter, Daily Kos Staff
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1921677
"SNIP.....
You can easily imagine the scene: Inside the archconservative Heartland Institute, moldy Skeksis leaders convene in a dark conference room. Climate denial is a withering industry. The changes are happening too quickly, the evidence is too dramatic, and the public is losing interest in their decades-old, monotonous rhetoric. But what to do to update the Heartland denial message? What will breathe new life into the anti-science, anti-evidence movement? What does the public like these days? From somewhere in the huddle, a croaking voice pipes up:
"Blonde European teen girls who seem to really believe in things?"
And behold, the Heartland Institute's newest climate denial campaign is born. Meet Climate Denial Poochie Naomi Seibt, the institute’s newly hired “anti-Greta Thunberg.” You like European teens talking about the climate, right? Here, now we have one too! And she even copies Greta's most famous lines, but this time it’s to mock climate science!
The cynicism of all involved is, to be honest, damn impressive. As reported by The Washington Post, there seems to have been no particular effort made to hide that the Heartland Institute went out to collect an "anti-Greta" to push as a new, hip public face for its climate denial, and did so for no reason other than Thunberg’s worrying worldwide popularity. Seibt, a 19-year-old German YouTuber of middling popularity who had been making a name for herself among the German far-right for her climate denial, anti-feminism, and anti-immigration clips, was seen as someone who could be groomed into being that Greta Thunberg counter.
......SNIP"
= new reply since forum marked as read
Last week, the Heartland Institute was again trumpeting climate science denial at its 13th “International Conference on Climate Change” at the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C. But by a number of measures, the Chicago-based free market think tank's science denial doesn't exactly seem to be a growing — or cohesive — movement at this point.
That's even with more media coverage than five years ago, and with friends in high places. In early 2017, following the election of President Trump, attendees of the Heartland Institute conference were clearly excited to have a climate denier in the White House. Frontline reported that the mood at the conference was “jubilant.” Even last year, the organization was projecting an air of optimism. Former Congressman Tim Huelskamp was still Heartland president and confidently declaring victory for the climate denial movement. “It took a while, but we think we’ve won the battle — Al Gore was wrong,” Huelskamp said. So, how are things going for Heartland these days?
The first big news out of the 2019 conference was the announcement that Heartland’s board had elected a new president after the sudden and unexplained resignation of Huelskamp from that position in June.
Ed. - If you don't know Huelskamp, he's former KS congressman (1 or 2 terms, can't recall) who is such an asshole that he got kicked off of all of his committes by his own party.
EDIT
Since President Trump's election, Heartland has started a new series of events to promote fossil fuel use called the “America First Energy Conference.” This theme fits with its past, though apparently waning, financial support from oil, gas, and coal companies. According to Frontline, the most recent of these conferences held in 2018 wasn’t very well attended, reporting that “most of the day it had an audience of 100 or fewer.” A firsthand account from a conference attendee noted similar activity at the conference last week, with the hotel hallways often hosting more people than the presentation room. However, while Heartland climate denial conferences may have dwindling sponsors, activities, and attendees, they can still claim to be very popular among old, white men. There is never a shortage of gray hair in the audience at a climate denial conference.
Presentation at the Heartland Institute's 13th International Conference on Climate Change.
EDIT
https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/07/29/hard-times-climate-denial-heartland-institute
Not political in the least!!!
