The Climate Realism Show - podcast cover

The Climate Realism Show

The Heartland Institutewww.heartland.org
A weekly live show every Friday at 1 p.m. ET. The Heartland Institute's Anthony Watts, H. Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, host Jim Lakely, and special guests review the "Crazy Climate News of the Week" and the biggest stories on global climate and energy policy from a realist, not alarmist, point of view.
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Episodes

Suing Big Oil for LA Fires is All Wet - The Climate Realism Show #143

The historic and devastating fires in Los Angeles exposed the incompetence of leaders such as Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass. So how do state legislators want to address that? By allowing victims who had their lives destroyed sue Big Oil. Of course. The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts and Jim Lakely blow holes in that absurd political stunt and also discuss other recent to abuse the courts to push climate alarmism. Also, Lee Zeldin has just started his first week as administrator of ...

Jan 31, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 804

Making Climate Policy Sane Again - The Climate Realism Show #142

President Trump wasted no time after his inauguration on Monday reversing all of his predecessor’s executive orders that made climate alarmism and “green” energy the focus of American government. He didn’t just reverse bad policies, and pull us out of the Paris Climate Agreement, he went farther than he did in his first term to ramp up American energy production and rein in an Environmental Protection Agency that regulated far beyond its mandate. Among at least 47 climate- and energy-related EOs...

Jan 24, 20251 hr 23 minEp. 803

Trump’s Climate Cabinet - The Climate Realism Show #141

Senate committee rooms on Capitol Hill were buzzing with activity this week as many of President Trump’s picks for cabinet posts were underway. Three of the key hearings on climate and energy policy were Lee Zeldin for EPA, Doug Burgum for Interior, and Chris Wright for Energy. We hope you caught Heartland’s two three-hour long “watch parties” with gavel-to-gavel coverage this week, but there’s still more to examine. What did the hearing performances of Trump’s picks say about how they will serv...

Jan 17, 20251 hr 21 minEp. 802

LA Fires NOT Caused by Climate Change - The Climate Realism Show #140

Historic wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in Los Angeles County. Many homes of the rich and famous in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Pasadena have been reduced to rubble and ash. Entire neighborhoods were completely destroyed, and the fires have been blamed for at least five deaths. The speed at which the fires spread caught firefighters and residents off guard. Fed by hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds, embers were flying through the air seemingly everywhere and with n...

Jan 10, 20251 hr 36 minEp. 801

Biden’s Green Programs Fraudulent, Wasteful, and Abusive

Join us for a hard-hitting discussion with Dr. Sterling Burnett, director of the Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at The Heartland Institute, as he breaks down the recent Energy Department Inspector General's explosive findings. In this episode, Dr. Burnett examines claims of fraud, waste, and abuse in current federal green energy programs, offering his perspective on the path forward. He discusses the implications of these findings and presents his case for both executive and...

Dec 23, 20247 minEp. 800

Human CO2 Emissions Are a GOOD THING - The Climate Realism Show #139

It’s a fact that humans are increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But does it follow, as we’re constantly told, that this increasing of CO2 is poisoning the planet? What if the opposite is actually the case? This week’s guest, CO2 Coalition Executive Director Gregory Wrightstone, is going to explain why it’s not true that more CO2=Bad. On Episode #139 of The Climate Realism Show, The Heartland Institute’s H. Sterling Burnett, Jim Lakely, and Wrightstone will also cove...

Dec 20, 20241 hr 22 minEp. 799

H. Sterling Burnett on Climate Policy and America's Energy Future

In this episode of The Heartland Daily Podcast , Karen Schoen is joined by H. Sterling Burnett, Director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy and Managing Editor of Environment & Climate News . Together, they dive into the critical issues shaping America’s energy future and environmental policies. Burnett shares his expert insights on: Why the Paris Climate Treaty was never about the climate and how to put an end to it. The case for repealing the Biden adminis...

Dec 18, 202426 minEp. 798

Is Elon Musk Now a Climate Realist? - The Climate Realism Show #138

Elon Musk’s latest fortune was built on his Tesla electric vehicles, helped in no small measure by federal tax credits so more people could afford to buy the luxury items. For years, he’s marketed them as a way to help wean the world of oil and stop the imminent “climate change meltdown.” But The Washington Post reports that Musk’s abandonment of left-wing, trendy, virtue-signaling political views not only eventually led him to Donald Trump, but maybe out of the Climate Cult, altogether. And if ...

Dec 13, 20241 hr 22 minEp. 797

Top 10 Energy Priorities for America's Future

Join Sterling Burnett of The Heartland Institute as he delves into the critical intersection of climate policy and energy independence. This three-part series examines “Top 10 Climate and Energy Action Items for President Trump in His Second Term,” exploring the challenges posed by green energy policies under the Biden administration. From the impacts of the Paris Climate Accords to the future of oil and gas leasing, Burnett provides thought-provoking insights on maintaining affordable, reliable...

Dec 11, 202424 minEp. 796

EPA’s Big Green Money Scam

The investigative journalists at Project Veritas have a new scoop. President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency is reacting to soon losing power by shoveling tens of billions of your tax dollars out the door to left-wing “green” nonprofits. “”We’re throwing gold bars off the Titanic,” said Brent Efron, Special Advisor for Implementation, EPA. “We’re getting the money out.” Again, that’s your money. On Episode #137 of The Climate Realism Show, The Heartland Institute’s H. Sterling Burnett, A...

Dec 07, 20241 hr 22 minEp. 795

COP 29: Inside the Disaster in Baku - The Climate Realism Show #136

The latest annual United Nations climate conference, COP29, is about to wrap up in Baku, Azerbaijan – the second year in a row it has been held in a “petro state.” Add in the election of Donald Trump just before they convened, and it was a pretty grim affair if you are a global climate alarmist. But for some people it was a blast, including Craig Rucker and Marc Morano of CFACT, who attended as they usually do. They will provide us a report from the ground on what even supporters of the global c...

Nov 22, 20241 hr 20 minEp. 794

Maple Syrup and Hot Air: Debunking Canada’s Climate Hype – The Climate Realism Show #135

While the political tide has shifted right in the United States – and away from the climate alarmist agenda – our neighbors to the north are still currently all-in for the economically ruinous and scientifically unnecessary Net Zero agenda. But climate realists in the Great White North are pushing back, and a new book released in conjunction with The Heartland Institute will serve as an important weapon in the scientific and public relations arsenal. On Episode #135 of The Climate Realism Show, ...

Nov 15, 20241 hr 18 minEp. 793

Trump Causes Climate Activists to Melt Down - The Climate Realism Show #134

Donald Trump’s massive landslide victory in Tuesday’s presidential election has climate activists around the world melting down. Trump called measures to control climate change “one of the great scams” of the world, and said at one of his final rallies “who the hell cares?” if the sea levels rise. Trump will immediately get America out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and promised in his acceptance speech this week to get as much “liquid gold” out of ground in the United States as possible. Clima...

Nov 08, 20241 hr 26 minEp. 792

"Not So Fast," on Coal Closures, Its Still Vital To America (Guest: Matt Mackowiak)

"Not So Fast," is a campaign to make it obvious to the general public, regulators, and legislators alike that coal still plays a vital role to play in the U.S. electric power supply and in industrial production, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It is way too soo to put it out to pasture and doing so could be dangerous, putting our economy and national security at risk. The push to quickly end coal's use and rapidly expand the use of renewables will harm the U.S. and won't i...

Nov 04, 202419 minEp. 791

Climate Change Policies, Killing the American Dream

Climate change policy is often framed as a challenge to personal freedoms and choices, especially when policies seem to impose strict limits on individuals’ lifestyles and economic options. For example, regulations that mandate renewable energy or limit fossil fuel use can feel like a direct restriction on the American dream—the idea that with hard work, anyone can achieve prosperity and a higher standard of living. These policies sometimes require sacrifices that may impact businesses and worke...

Nov 01, 20241 hr 4 minEp. 790

Rhetoric and Reality - The Politics of Climate Change

The whole world seems to be nervously awaiting the outcome of the presidential election, which is just 10 days away — perhaps no group more than the global climate cabal. Climate and energy policy is a topic barely mentioned on the campaign trail, and in the debates. But voters are going to decide in November whether America keeps spending billions to be a “leader” in global climate action schemes or pull out of the scam altogether ... and maybe for good. On Episode #132 of The Climate Realism S...

Oct 25, 20241 hr 13 minEp. 789

Climate Alarmist Education - The Climate Realism Show #131

America’s educational system used to cover the “three Rs” — reading, writing, and ’rithmetic – but that has long been abandoned from elementary school through college and even medical school and replaced with ideological indoctrination. Now the University of California, San Diego is requiring students to take a class in “climate change” to earn a degree. Classes such as “The Astronomy of Climate Change”, “Gender and Climate Justice”, “Indigenous Approaches to Climate Change,” and “Environmentali...

Oct 23, 20241 hr 18 minEp. 788

Breaking Down Hurricane Milton - The Climate Realism Show #130

After a slow start to the 2024 Hurricane Season, it seems like Mother Nature wants to make up for lost time. First Helene hit the Florida Panhandle and caused a disaster in Appalachia. And this week, Hurricane Milton struck an area of the Florida Gulf Coast that hadn’t be hit with a storm this strong in more than 100 years. On Episode #130 of The Climate Realism Show, The Heartland Institute’s H. Sterling Burnett, Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, and Jim Lakely welcome back Stan Goldenberg, one of ...

Oct 11, 20241 hr 37 minEp. 787

Talking Hurricane Milton and Common Climate Myths on the Shaun Thompson Show

This week, Heartland Institute Senior Fellow Anthony Watts was a guest on the Shaun Thompson Show on AM 560 the Answer in Chicago. He was asked on the program to talk about Hurricane Milton approaching the Florida Gulf Coast and what Shaun calls the "climate grift." Anthony debunks a lot of climate myths in just a few minutes -- including how even The Washington Post had to admit that despite global warming alarmism, the Earth is experiencing the lowest global temperature in the last 450 million...

Oct 09, 202423 minEp. 786

The Aftermath and Myths of Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene will go down as one of the most-significant natural disasters (so far) in US History, and certainly of the 21st century. While the Florida panhandle was walloped when it made landfall, the storm did most of its shocking damage far from shore in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Entire towns were wiped clean off the surface of the earth and close to 200 lost their lives. The storm was bad, but the media has been spreading myths about both ...

Oct 04, 20241 hr 20 minEp. 785

It’s Climate Week in NYC - The Climate Realism Show #128

It’s climate week in New York City, yet another expensive and carbon-intensive gathering of global chicken littles clucking about the end of the world. More than 6,000 attendees from more than 100 countries converged on the Big Apple to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly Meeting, all the better to coordinate efforts to stop climate change by taking your freedom and money. But is Climate Week losing its cache and are there cracks in support for achieving goals like Net Zero? The He...

Sep 27, 20241 hr 11 minEp. 784

Trump Looms Over COP 29 - The Climate Realism Show #127

The United Nations' climate confab (COP 29) in Azerbaijan, of all places, will convene less than a week after America's presidential election. It will be pretty glum gathering if Donald Trump returns to the White House. The jet-setting climate bureaucrats may be putting on a brave face claiming that "global climate action" isn't dependent on who sits in the White House, but it's easy to believe that they are already having nightmares. What would Trump's election do to the global climate agenda? ...

Sep 20, 20241 hr 14 minEp. 783

Debate Prep for Trump on Climate

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will have their first and probably only debate on Tuesday. Climate is likely to come up as a debate topic, after not being emphasized for a while. How should Trump handle this topic? We have some tips for him to win “bigly” on climate and energy policy. On The Heartland Institute’s Episode #126 of The Climate Realism Show, H. Sterling Burnett, Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, and Jim Lakely will also review the “Crazy Climate News of the Week,” including the idea that...

Sep 06, 20241 hr 19 minEp. 782

Mourning Real Environmentalism – The Climate Realism Show #125 (Guest: Matt Wielicki)

One could pin the birth of the modern environmental movement to the early 20th century when Theodore Roosevelt’s love of nature led to the creation of America’s beautiful national parks, the preservation of land for future generations, and the beginning of a genuine effort to clean our land, water, and air. That agenda, which enjoyed broad support, has since given way to a professional “climate movement” that is obsessed with carbon dioxide emissions and addicted to gloom and doom messaging with...

Aug 30, 20241 hr 14 minEp. 781

Hurricane Season 2024: Were the predictions wrong again?

NOAA and other forecasters predicted the 2024 hurricane season would be among the most active in decades. Professional climate alarmist Michael Mann said human-caused global warming would prime the Atlantic Ocean to produce 33 named storms and several major hurricanes to lash the United States. The media, of course, jumped on that to sell gloom and doom to America. You might have noticed none of that has come to pass. The Climate Realism Show #124 will bring in Stanley Goldenberg, one of the cou...

Aug 23, 20241 hr 22 minEp. 780

We're NOT at a Climate Tipping Point – The Climate Realism Show #123

The New York Times on Sunday published a special section titled “How Close Are the Planet’s Climate Tipping Points?” The article is heavy on fancy infographics and short on actual references or facts about how many of the Earth’s natural features may be “in danger of collapse.” We will break it down and debunk the Times’ misinformation about coral reefs, the Greenland ice sheet, climate change causing loss of the Amazon Rainforest, and more. On Episode 123 of The Climate Realism Show, we welcome...

Aug 16, 20241 hr 27 minEp. 779

The Real Costs of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Heartland's H. Sterling Burnett was recently a guest on the Jeanne Ives Podcast. They discussed the recent announcement by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who touted another "win" as United Airlines committed to purchasing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for O'Hare International Airport, using state tax credits. Burnett questioned the environmental and economic validity of SAF, labeling it a "hoax" and expressing concerns about the true cost and impact of green energy initiatives. The conversat...

Aug 12, 202414 minEp. 778

The Great British Energy Company – The Climate Realism Show #122

The new Labour government in the UK wants to set up the “Great British Energy Company,” supposedly the answer to all of that country’s green energy dreams. But Heartland friend Lois Perry of CAR26 in the UK says it will be a nightmare – especially when you add that “publicly owned” renewable energy project to a reduction in fossil fuel extraction and the millions the UK has pledged to pay in “climate reparations.” On Episode 122 of The Climate Realism Show, we will also cover the Crazy Climate N...

Aug 09, 20241 hr 22 minEp. 777

Debunking Climate Myths

Heartland's H. Sterling Burnett was a guest on the Point of View Podcast. They discussed the accuracy of temperature measurements and the role of urban heat islands, the historical context of climate cycles, and the impact of human activity on global warming. Burnett also challenges predictions about climate disasters and highlights the benefits of increased CO2 levels for plant growth. In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Tune in t...

Aug 08, 202440 minEp. 776

'Green' Olympics Make Athletes See Red – The Climate Realism Show #121

The Paris Olympics are underway, and it pledged to be the “greenest” games ever. No air-conditioned dorms. Bed frames made of recycled cardboard. An emphasis on plant-based protein instead of meats and eggs. Well, those moves are going over with the athletes about as well as its opening ceremonies did with normal people. This is yet another case of climate virtue signaling crashing into reality. South Korean swimming stars decided to ditch the Olympic Village and check into the nice, air-conditi...

Aug 03, 20241 hr 14 minEp. 775
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