JUNE 14, 2013 — Earlier this week, the Information Center for Global Change Studies, a division of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, published a Chinese edition of “Climate Change Reconsidered,” translating and combining the contents of two volumes in a series with the same title previously published by The Heartland Institute. Our news release and a blog post describing this important event were misinterpreted by critics as implying that the Chinese Academy of Sciences “endorses” the views contained in the original books. We have always recognized and now stress that this is not the case, and we apologize to those who may have been confused by such claims. We have removed the news release, blog post, and the PDF of the report itself so that a workshop on climate change issues scheduled to begin today in Beijing can proceed as scheduled.
To be clear, the release of this new publication does not imply that the CAS or any of its affiliates involved with its production “endorse” the skeptical views contained in the report. Rather, as stated in the two prefaces of the book, “by accurately reporting [the findings of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change] we reveal a part of the scientific debate that merits more widespread recognition and respect” (Heartland’s preface) and the purpose of the publication is “to help Chinese researchers to understand different opinions and positions in debates on climate change” (the translator’s preface).
We will work with our friends at the Information Center for Global Change Studies to ensure that public access to the report is restored with appropriately worded commentary on its significance.
Joseph L. Bast
President
The Heartland Institute
Joseph Bast is a Senior Fellow at The Heartland Institute. He cofounded Heartland in 1984, serving as executive director then as president & CEO until January 2018. His research and writing focuses on climate change and energy policy.
