A new United Nations report says the world is "losing ground" in the fight against climate change, and the Associated Press says the United States is a big reason why. But the U.S. stepping back from the global climate effort is estimated to make the world just 0.1°C warmer by the year 2100. That's an amount too small to even measure.

Meanwhile, UN officials have quietly admitted there's no way to hold warming to the 1.5°C goal they've been pushing for a decade. Their new plan: let temperatures climb to about 1.8°C, then somehow pull enough carbon dioxide out of the air to bring them back down.

On this segment of The Climate Realism Show, the panel from The Heartland Institute breaks down:

• Why the 1.5°C target was a compromise number pulled out of thin air at the 2015 Paris climate talks

• Why adding more CO2 to the atmosphere has less and less effect on temperature

• Why "pre-industrial times," one of the coolest periods in recent history, is a convenient starting point for climate alarm

• Why blaming America makes no sense while China builds a new coal plant every week and India keeps expanding its coal use

• Why the real complaint is that the U.S. stopped paying for the rest of the world's climate projects

From The Climate Realism Show #222, "California's Bullet Train: Speeding Into Absurdity."

#ClimateRealism #ClimateChange #ParisAgreement #GlobalWarming #ClimatePolicy

Learn more about The Heartland Institute: https://heartland.org/

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Eighteen years after California voters approved high-speed rail, the state has spent more than $15 billion without laying a single mile of high-speed track. More than $677 million of that went to environmental paperwork alone: over 130,000 pages of review materials that would stand 40 feet tall and weigh 1,300 pounds if stacked together.

What's in those reports? Proposals to have biologists count bumblebees one by one, $480,000 to dig small mammal burrows by hand, $352,490 for lizard surveys, and a $119.4 million overhead tube partly to limit noise for waterfowl and shorebirds.

On this segment of The Climate Realism Show, the panel — Heartland's Jim Lakely, Linnea Lueken, Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, and guest Lois Perry — look at how environmental red tape and well-connected contractors turned California's "train to nowhere" into a black hole for state and federal dollars, and why the same rules that were supposed to make it green are the ones keeping it from being built.

From The Climate Realism Show #222, "California's Bullet Train: Speeding Into Absurdity." Join us LIVE every Friday at 1 p.m ET on this channel. (https://www.youtube.com/theheartlandinstitute)

#ClimateRealism #CaliforniaBulletTrain #HighSpeedRail #CaliforniaPolitics #GovernmentSpending

Read the story this clip is based on at City Journal: https://www.city-journal.org/article/high-speed-rail-california-environmental-reports

Find out more about what we do at The Heartland Institute: https://heartland.org/

Is coal really as dirty as you've been told? In this episode of Energy at a Glance, Linnea Lueken, Senior Fellow at The Heartland Institute, walks through coal's real environmental footprint.

Coal generates more electricity worldwide than any other single source, yet it's constantly under attack in Europe and North America over its reputation for dirty air. That reputation has roots in reality: decades ago, coal use in homes and at power plants left soot everywhere. But scrubbers and other modern emissions-control technology have changed the picture dramatically.


📊 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Which pollutants coal plants emit, including carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas rather than "dirty" or toxic pollution

• How pollution controls cut particulate matter by 99.8%, sulfur dioxide by 98%, and nitrogen oxides by 83%

• How the entire U.S. coal power sector reduced sulfur dioxide by 93% and nitrogen oxides by 90% between 1990 and 2021

• Why coal's total land footprint, counting mining, processing, and the plant itself, is just 17% of wind and 28% of solar for the same energy output

• How modern mines use drainage treatment and water handling to prevent land and water pollution

• What land reclamation means, and how mining companies restore land as close as possible to its original condition

• Why coal plants use so much water, and why carbon capture technology makes the water demand even higher

• How once-through cooling returns warmer water to lakes and rivers, and why that concern can be managed

#Coal #Energy

Violent riots are rocking France and other parts of Europe, raising serious questions about mass migration, political extremism, and the future of Western civilization.

The Heartland Institute President James Taylor joined One America News Network (OAN) on October 20, 2026, to discuss the escalating unrest in France and Italy, arguing that the violence is not simply the result of student protests but reflects deeper political and cultural conflicts fueled by radical Marxist movements and Europe's immigration policies.

Taylor challenges the mainstream media's portrayal of the unrest, arguing that years of open-border policies and political failures have contributed to growing instability across Europe.

"This is a pre-planned uprising by Marxists," Taylor argues, warning that the unrest could accelerate the political shift toward conservative parties that have consistently opposed mass migration.

Taylor also discusses the potential economic fallout as violence threatens tourism in major European destinations such as Paris, Nice, Rome, and Venice.

Could the riots mark a turning point for European politics? Will growing public frustration over immigration and unrest propel conservative parties to new electoral victories?

Watch James Taylor's full interview on OAN for his analysis of Europe's escalating crisis and what it could mean for the future of Western civilization.

Learn more about The Heartland Institute: https://www.heartland.org

President Donald Trump has struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring millions of tons of Russian diesel fuel into the American and global markets, temporarily easing U.S. sanctions in an effort to bring down soaring fuel prices. But will the deal actually provide relief for American consumers and businesses?

The Heartland Institute's Senior Fellow Anthony Watts joins One America News Network (OAN) to explain why diesel prices matter to virtually every sector of the American economy—and why Trump's agreement with Putin could help, but may not deliver immediate results.

Diesel powers America's trucking industry, farms, trains, ships, and supply chains. With diesel prices exceeding $6 per gallon, the high cost of fuel is putting enormous pressure on businesses and consumers alike.

Watts examines the potential benefits of increased Russian diesel supplies, the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on global energy markets, and the challenges Russia faces in delivering the promised fuel. He also addresses concerns that the agreement could help finance Russia's war in Ukraine.

The bottom line: More diesel on the global market is welcome news, but Watts cautions that shipping delays, limited Russian refining capacity, and geopolitical turmoil mean Americans shouldn't expect dramatic price relief anytime soon—or necessarily before the November midterm elections.

Topics discussed:

Trump's diesel agreement with Vladimir Putin

Why high diesel prices hurt the entire U.S. economy

Whether Russian fuel can lower prices at the pump

The impact of the Iran conflict on global energy markets

Concerns about Russian revenue and the war in Ukraine

Whether the deal will make a difference before Election Day

Learn more about The Heartland Institute at https://heartland.org

Environmentalists in California pushed for, and got approved, a ballot initiative in 2008 to build a bullet train from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Instead of flying, which is a sin against the climate, Golden State residents could settle into their seats, look out the window, and feel good about themselves for being “green” as they were whisked to their destination. It’s now almost 20 years on and not a single track has been laid despite $15 billion being spent. And what’s the biggest holdup? Some of the most-absurd environmental roadblocks you can imagine.

On Episode #222 of The Climate Realism Show, we will examine what might be the world’s greatest climate grift, the California train that even Gov. Gavin Newsom said may never be built in our lifetimes, as well as other Crazy Climate News of the Week. Now that the U.S. is getting out of the global climate grift, how much will temperatures rise? We will report on a positive “butterfly effect” not reported by once-panicked corporate media. And now that even the Labour Party has opened up the North Sea to natural gas drilling again, they say it won’t do a thing to reduce energy costs. Is that true?

Join The Heartland Institute’s Sterling Burnett, Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely and guest Lois Perry for another weekly, 90-minute dose of fun and spirited discussion about the climate on Friday, October 23 at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Participate in the show by leaving your comments and questions in the live chat.

Learn more about The Heartland Institute: https://heartland.org/

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Remember when cows were destroying the planet with their burps? Now penguins are melting Antarctica with their poop. But wait! Other scientists say penguin poop might actually help stop climate change. So which is it? Should there be a federal program to fit penguins with diapers to save the planet?

On Episode #221 of The Climate Realism Show, we will waddle into that latest bizarre climate headline and other Crazy Climate News of the Week. The New York Times is blaming climate change for the “gentrification of seafood,” whatever that means. The Washington Post is sounding the planetary alarm yet again, warning that Earth’s “vital signs” are deteriorating and climate tipping points could be around the corner. We will debunk that, and more.

Join The Heartland Institute’s Sterling Burnett, Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, and Jim Lakely for another fun 90 minutes on Friday, October 16 at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Participate in the show by leaving your comments and questions in the live chat.

Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

SHOW NOTES:

1. THE GENTRIFICATION OF SEAFOOD
NY TIMES: How Climate Change Is Causing ‘the Gentrification of Seafood’: As environmental forces make fishing and harvesting more costly, the price of once-everyday fish has ballooned.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/dining/seafood-prices-shellfish-climate-change.html

2. CHECKING EARTH’S VITAL SIGNS
WASHINGTON POST: The Earth’s vital signs are concerning, a new report says:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/10/14/earths-vital-signs-are-concerning-new-report-says

3. CRAPPY FEET: PENGUINS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
NY POST: Too much penguin poop in Antarctica is accelerating snow melt and rising sea levels
https://nypost.com/2026/10/13/science/penguin-poop-could-be-accelerating-antarctic-decline-study/

4. AL ROKER IS WRONG
WUWT: Just the Numbers, Ma’am. Chris Martz on Isaias and Gulf Sea Surface Temperatures
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/10/12/just-the-numbers-maam-chris-martz-on-isaias-and-gulf-sea-surface-temperatures/

The Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments in the most-important climate case in many years, perhaps ever. Suncor v. Boulder may decide whether climate activists can sue modern society out of existence, or whether common sense, the proper application of the Constitution, and science will prevail. The questions asked by the justices on Monday don’t look great for the alarmist side, but you never know.

On Episode #220 of The Climate Realism Show we will break down this monumental case with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who was at the Supreme Court to hear the arguments, and Steve Milloy, senior policy fellow at the Energy and Environment Legal Institute.

We will also cover some of the Crazy Climate News of the Week, including the climate panic movie “Digger” shoveling Warner Bros.' money into a furnace, Virginia’s insane and environmentally destructive solar power plan, and debunking a so-called record wildfire season in the U.K.

Join us Friday at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Participate in the show by leaving your comments and questions in the chat.

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For the first time in more than 100 years, no hurricanes formed in the Atlantic Ocean from the start of hurricane season through September. This is amazing, and great news for people who live in Hurricane Alley in the US, but this is not what the climate alarmists promised us. Humans would be punished for creating global warming with an endless parade of larger, stronger, and deadlier storms. So what happened? We have a couple of meteorologists to explain.

On Episode 219 of The Climate Realism Show the Heartland Institute’s Sterling Burnett, Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, and Jim Lakely will also discuss some of the Crazy Climate News of the Week, including the end of quest to eliminate the internal combustion engine, a critical climate case going to the Supreme Court, and climate change putting humans at risk of more mosquito bites, bat attacks, and being mauled by bears.

Join us Friday at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Participate in the show by leaving your comments and questions in the chat.

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It’s Climate Week again in New York City. Hollywood celebrities, titans of global industries, high-ranking government officials from around the world, climate justice advocates, and other assorted weirdos are once again raising their voice in unison to make us destroy our economies and do what they say. We will have a look at the goings on and determine if these are the wails of a dying movement, or if they are changing their messaging without letting go of their quest for power.

On Episode 218 of The Climate Realism Show the Heartland Institute’s Sterling Burnett, Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, and Jim Lakely will discuss Climate Week with Tom Harris, executive director of the International Climate Science Coalition in Canada. We will also discuss some of the Crazy Climate News of the Week, including whether climate lawsuit money is drying up, how climate zealots are coming for your shower time, and an update on the disaster of electric buses.

Join us Friday at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Participate in the show by leaving your comments and questions in the chat.

Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

At the World Prosperity Forum in Zurich—held alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos—climate scientist Anika Sweetland delivers a provocative and deeply personal address that challenges the foundations of modern climate orthodoxy.

Drawing on her own education and professional experience, Sweetland recounts how climate science training fostered fear, despair, and unquestioned consensus rather than open scientific inquiry. She argues that generations of students have been indoctrinated with alarmist narratives that distort climate history, suppress debate, and justify sweeping political and economic control.

In this speech, Sweetland examines:

- The psychological impact of climate alarmism on children and students

- Media-driven climate narratives and shifting doomsday predictions

- Historical climate cycles, ocean dynamics, and orbital forces

- The role of international institutions and the concentration of power

- Why carbon dioxide is portrayed as a villain—and why she disputes that claim

- How climate policy, finance, and governance have become tightly intertwined

Presented as a counterpoint to the centralized, collectivist worldview promoted at Davos, this talk embodies the mission of the World Prosperity Forum: to challenge prevailing narratives, defend sovereignty, and restore open debate on climate, energy, and economic policy.

Whether you agree or disagree, this is a speech designed to provoke critical thinking and question what is taught, what is funded, and who benefits from the dominant climate narrative.

As the World Economic Forum convened in Davos, an alternative vision was taking shape just miles away in Zurich.

On Day 5 of the World Prosperity Forum, James Taylor, President of The Heartland Institute, delivered a data-driven challenge to the centralized, alarmist energy narratives dominating global policy discussions. His message was clear: prosperity depends on energy that is affordable, reliable, and genuinely clean—not politically favored, top-down mandates.

Drawing from Heartland’s landmark policy brief, Affordable, Reliable, and Clean: An Objective Scorecard to Assess Competing Energy Sources, Taylor presents a full-system comparison of coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, and biomass—factoring in real-world costs policymakers often ignore.

In this keynote, Taylor explains:
-- Why electricity demand is surging—and why blackouts are becoming inevitable under current policies

-- How wind and solar’s hidden costs drive higher prices, grid instability, and land destruction

-- Why natural gas remains the gold standard for affordability, reliability, and environmental stewardship

-- How rare earth mineral dependence and foreign supply chains create national security risks

-- Why voters are already punishing leaders who ignore energy affordability

This is not a theoretical debate. Rising electricity prices, grid fragility, and declining living standards are reshaping politics across the U.S. and Europe right now.

If you care about economic growth, energy realism, and policies grounded in evidence—not ideology—this presentation lays out the scorecard Davos won’t show you.

Watch. Share. Decide for yourself.

Ofcom called her "dangerous" because she was laughing at the net zero agenda—and the British people started laughing with her.

Lois Perry, Director of The Heartland Institute UK/EU and founder of CAR26, speaks at the World Prosperity Forum in Zurich to discuss the seismic political shift happening in Britain.

From being chased out of COP26 by security guards (and doing a live TV interview from a disabled toilet) to helping reshape the UK's political landscape, Lois shares how a "loud blonde Essex girl" took on the climate establishment—and won.

In this conversation:

🇬🇧 Why British citizens have "had enough" of net zero policies

🗳️ The rise of Reform UK and what it means for freedom

🤝 How Heartland UK is building bridges across party lines

📺 The media's failed attempts to silence climate skeptics

💡 How "follow the science" fatigue from COVID opened the door to questioning net zero

The World Prosperity Forum brings together leaders committed to freedom and prosperity as an alternative voice to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

For years, the World Economic Forum and its allies pushed the “Great Reset” as an inevitable future: lockdowns, net-zero mandates, ESG controls, digital currencies, food restrictions, and top-down global governance.

That future is now unraveling.

Speaking on Day 1 of The Heartland Institute’s World Prosperity Forum in Zurich, held alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos, Marc Morano delivers a sweeping, data-driven takedown of the Great Reset agenda, explaining why its momentum has collapsed in real time.

Morano walks through how COVID lockdowns became the blueprint for climate authoritarianism, why ESG and net-zero banking are imploding, how energy reality and AI power demands shattered green orthodoxy, and why even longtime climate activists, corporations, and governments are quietly backing away.

This presentation covers:
• The rise and fall of the Great Reset narrative
• How COVID destroyed elite “appeal to authority”
• Why ESG, net-zero, and climate finance are collapsing
• The energy reality confronting AI, tech giants, and governments
• Why public resistance is stronger than ever
• The ongoing danger of climate being merged into public health

The World Prosperity Forum exists to challenge the centralized, collectivist, and alarmist worldview promoted in Davos. This talk captures that counter-argument in full.

In this World Prosperity Forum speech, Linnea Lueken, Research Fellow at The Heartland Institute, examines the growing gap between mainstream climate alarmism and what measured climate data actually shows.

The World Prosperity Forum exists to provide counter-arguments to the World Economic Forum’s overly centralized, socialist collectivist, and alarmist worldview, bringing data, realism, and open debate back into global policy discussions.

Lueken contrasts headlines warning of “unprecedented,” “rapid,” and “dangerous” warming with observed trends that, in her view, do not support an emergency narrative. She explains the difference between climate model projections and real-world measurements, and why rapid single-event attribution claims are often treated as settled science before the evidence warrants it.

Topics covered include:

- Observed warming rates compared to hotter climate model projections, and why the “hot model” problem matters

- U.S. temperature trends and how measurement location and station siting can skew record claims

- Historical climate context using proxy records

- Drought and precipitation trends, including what the IPCC reports about Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes

- Wildfires, including global burned-area trends and European examples using European Space Agency and Copernicus satellite data

- Hurricanes, including frequency and intensity metrics such as accumulated cyclone energy

- “Billion-dollar disasters” and why rising costs do not necessarily indicate worsening weather trends

- A critique of rapid event-attribution studies and how outlets like CNN, BBC, and the Associated Press often frame them

- The human impact of alarmism, including fear, climate anxiety, and the case for energy resilience

Subscribe for more talks and debates from the World Prosperity Forum, along with weekly episodes of In The Tank and Climate Realism Show.