"The ultra-conservative group's climate conference showed how far it has fallen after an internet sting and a disastrous ad."
"It was an odd choice of icon for the ultra-conservative Heartland Institute. But there he was in round glasses, beard, and halo of curls staring out from T-shirts and coffee mugs at their gathering of climate change contrarians this week, the scientist whose internet sting set Heartland on its current course of collapse.
Heartland's seventh climate conference, which runs until Wednesday, was a much diminished event, compared to earlier lavish gatherings which spilled out over several floors of a hotel in New York's Time Square, and attracted up to 800 followers.
The tables were set for 270 at this year's gala, featuring the Czech president and climate contrarian Václav Klaus, and there were well over 100 no-shows. In a further sign of Heartland's cash crunch, meals were not included in this year's conference package. ...
John Dunn, a Heartland policy adviser, sees his role as fighting 'enviro-fascist madness'. In his speech, he sought to ridicule recorded evidence of growing drought and heatwaves due to climate change. 'Warm is good for people, and it's particularly good for people as they get older,' said Dunn. 'The people that warm spells kill are already moribund.' He went on to say that only extreme cold caused extra deaths."
Suzanne Goldenberg reports for the Guardian May 22, 2012.
SEE ALSO:
"Peter Gleick Cleared of Forging Documents in Heartland Expose" (Guardian)
"Heartland Denial-a-Palooza Sponsors Have Received $67 Million From ExxonMobil, Koch and Scaife Foundations
(DeSmogBlog)
"Achy Breaky Heartland Institute: May Chicago Meeting Brief" (Greenpeace/Huffington Post)
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