The Heartland Institute’s 9th International Conference on Climate Change kicks off July 7 in Las Vegas. Registration is still open to scientists, legislators, and the general public.
Among the keynote speakers are Greenpeace cofounder Patrick Moore; U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (via video); Australian MP George Christensen; Christopher Monckton, Viscount of Brenchley; broadcast meteorologist legend John Coleman; and scientists Patrick Michaels, Roy Spencer, Joe Bastardi, and Jay Lehr.
Last of Its Kind?
Heartland Institute president Joseph Bast concluded each of the last several ICCCs by proclaiming that particular conference would be the last because of the tremendous time, effort, and expense necessary to plan and host them. ICCC-8 in 2012 appeared likely to indeed be the last ICCC as The Heartland Institute did not hold an ICCC in 2013. Responding to widespread pleas to hold another ICCC, the Heartland Institute earlier this year announced ICCC-9 would take place in Las Vegas.
“I strongly urge anyone who has always wanted to attend a Heartland Institute climate conference to attend this year’s gathering in Las Vegas,” said conference host and Heartland Institute senior fellow for environment policy, James Taylor. “We really worked hard to make this conference possible, and this may indeed be our last.”
Personal Relationships
“For anybody who follows the global warming debate, attending a Heartland Institute ICCC is a must,” Taylor added. “There is a special excitement in the air, with so many climate science experts in the room, celebrating their David-vs.-Goliath efforts to disseminate the truth despite alarmists’ best efforts to stifle them.”
“Sitting at a small dinner table with science greats like S. Fred Singer, Bill Gray, Willie Soon, and Bob Carter and taking in their personal perspectives on the issues is an unforgettable pleasure,” said Taylor. “Sitting at a breakfast table and enjoying the sharp wit of Christopher Monckton, Marc Morano, and Peter Ferrara will fire you up not just for the day but for the entire year. And where else will you have the opportunity to have lunch with a famous astronaut like Walter Cunningham?”
Special Factors in 2014
A convergence of several factors persuaded The Heartland Institute to hold another ICCC this year. Among the factors:
• The Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) published two new volumes in the Climate Change Reconsidered series during the past year. The Climate Change Reconsidered volumes comprehensively summarize the latest scientific findings in the climate science debate. NIPCC will be publishing a third new Climate Change Reconsidered volume around the time of the climate conference. Climate Change Reconsidered authors will review the latest findings during multiple breakout sessions at the conference.
• The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its Fifth Assessment Report, and the Obama administration published its National Climate Assessment, each of which has been panned by global warming skeptics. Speakers in several sessions will address the major flaws in the two assessments.
• The Obama administration threatened and then followed through on a proposal to severely restrict power plant carbon dioxide emissions. Health experts will address the asserted health benefits of the restrictions, climatologists will address the asserted climate impact, and economists will address the asserted economic impacts.
• Climate activist groups and wealthy political donors such as billionaire anti-energy activist Tom Steyer are seeking to place the global warming debate at the forefront of the 2014 U.S. midterm elections. ICCC-9 political and public policy experts will provide cutting-edge analysis of the global warming debate outside the halls of science.
Conference Logistics
ICCC-9 will take place July 7-9 at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas. Registration for the full conference, including all meals, keynote sessions, and breakout sessions, is only $129. The Heartland Institute has also secured a block of reduced rate hotel rooms at Mandalay Bay. A limited number of scholarships are also available
The timing of the conference will allow interested attendees to attend the popular FreedomFest annual conference, held July 9-12 in Las Vegas. FreedomFest speakers include Dinesh D’Souza, Steve Forbes, John Stossel, Michael Medved, Grover Norquist, and P. J. O’Rourke.
The Heartland Institute hosted the first International Conference on Climate Change in 2009 in New York City. Subsequent venues included Chicago, Washington DC, Sydney, and Munich. Speakers have included President of the European Union Vaclav Klaus, U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, U.S. Reps. James Sensenbrenner and Dana Rohrabacher, George H.W. Bush administration Chief of Staff John Sununu, European MP Roger Helmer, Australian Senator Cory Bernardi, and hundreds of scientists, economists, and public policy experts from around the world.
Jim Lakely ([email protected]) is communications director for The Heartland Institute.
Jim Lakely is the Vice President and Director of Communications of The Heartland Institute.
