Thread by @MartynMcL

EXCL: A right-wing US climate denial think tank is to convene an ‘alternative’ summit in Glasgow during COP26. Environmental groups and climate experts have warned to expect misinformation, pseudoscience, and 'hardcore' climate denial tactics. scotsman.com/news/politics/…

The upcoming ‘climate reality forum’ is being convened by the Heartland Institute, a hardline US org which has previously received funding from the fossil fuel industry. It is among the most vocal actors in the so-called global climate realism movement.

Heartland intends to send its own delegation to Glasgow, made up of scientists, economists, policy experts, to counter what its president, James Taylor, described as UN-led “propaganda” and “political groupthink.”

Mr Taylor couldn’t tell me the venue hosting the event, or the precise dates, but it will coincide with COP26, posing a potential headache for the UN and UK Govt, as well as those authorities managing the summit on the ground in Glasgow.

The Heartland Institute is also organising a separate conference in Las Vegas next week, where speakers include Christopher Monckton, the notorious climate sceptic (and former UKIP president in Scotland).

Others taking part in the US event include Benny Peiser from the Global Warming Policy Foundation, the climate sceptic group founded by former Tory chancellor, Lord Lawson, and William Happer, a former advisor to the Trump White House. Naturally.

Now, the Heartland Institute, while very active in US conservative circles, isn’t well known in the UK. But from speaking with those who’ve studied organised climate denial, I came to realise it’s an incredibly well resourced organisation pushing controversial messaging.

.@GeoffreySupran, a @harvard expert in climate denial, said Heartland does “dirty work” on behalf of “fossil fuel interests and libertarian billionaires.” He told me: “Heartland’s overall strategy is not to win the climate debate, but just to make it seem like there is one.”

Environmental sociologist @redunlap1 told me Heartland promotes “hardcore” climate denial, challenging established climate science findings. Namely, the earth is warming, it's due primarily to human activities, and it's having negative impacts for humans and the global ecosystem.

.@jeremiahbohr, associate professor of sociology at @uwoshkosh said he believed Heartland’s events were designed to “create enough confusion and doubt in public debate to provide cover for politicians looking to delay or obstruct proactive climate mitigation.”

Environmental groups have reacted with dismay at Heartland’s event during COP26. @mmachch, head of campaigns at @FoEScot said it was “known peddlers of dangerous misinformation and pseudoscience.”

.@kateblaguette, head of climate at @GreenpeaceUK, told me: “This gang of climate deniers pipe up every year but they bring absolutely nothing to the debate and have nothing to offer anyone except other fantasists.”

Anyway, I'm off for a week, so will be blissfully ignoring Twitter. But if you have a story about COP26, ping me a DM and I'll chase it up. Thanks for reading.