The Heritage Foundation is a Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank. It was founded in 1973 by two Congressional aides, Edwin Feulner and Paul Weyrich, with funding provided from beer baron Joseph Coors. Feulner and Weyrich created the Heritage Foundation to participate in an emerging conservative movement against Democrats and moderate Republicans, and they created Heritage in order to cultivate and influence politicians.
Climate Change:
The Heritage Foundation was a member of Cooler Heads Coalition, an association of organizations that deny climate change, from 1997-2013. In many of their recent posts, however, the Heritage Foundation has shifted from denying climate change outright to admitting that climate change is happening and that “human activity undoubtedly plays a role.” However, the Foundation downplays the extent to which climate change is happening, and they advocate for policies that would accelerate climate change, claiming that the suggested policies are costly and ineffective. On their website, on a page titled “The Right Way to Ensure a Cleaner Environment,” the Foundation maintains the position that the “apocalyptic warnings” and “alarmist, catastrophic predictions” of climate change have “consistently failed” to come to fruition.
The Foundation also claims that according to the policies that climate scientists recommend, there would be no noticeable difference in temperature increase. Additionally, these policies would come at an “enormous cost to the American people.” The Heritage Foundation maintains the position that the best way to sustain a healthy environment is through free-market principles, claiming that the principles that have been the key to economic success can also “deliver environmental success.” According to the Foundation, the recent advancements in clean energy have been due to economic freedom, not government command.
The Heritage Foundation also perpetuates the myth that the “science isn’t settled,” which is rhetoric that many climate change deniers and denial groups use. In an article published in 2018, Nicolas Loris, economist and Herbet and Joyce Morgan fellow, wrote that climatologists may be projecting “doom and gloom,” but not even the mainstream climatologists are using the United Nations’ “conveniently timed” climate report.
Many of the studies the Heritage Foundation uses are skewed or biased in some way. Its studies are generally overly conservative and/or funded by advocacy groups for coal producers.
Outreach and Events:
The Heritage Foundation has written and published a new Mandate for Leadership for every new presidential administration. In the second part of the Mandate published in 2017, the Foundation advised Trump to “defund enforcement of the Clean Power Plan and all other elements of Obama’s Climate Action Plan, as it will increase the cost of energy across the economy and erode the reliability of energy supplies– without mitigating global warming in any way.”
The Foundation also suggested opening access to different federal lands for drilling, as well as suggesting that the next administration should prohibit all federal agencies “from regulating greenhouse gas emissions,” one of Obama’s regulations, as well as ordering the EPA to “withdraw its endangerment finding” on the emissions because there is no “credible evidence” that the earth is heading towards “catastrophic warming” or that regulations will have any effect. The 2017 Mandate also suggested elimination of environment and land-related bureaus, such as the Coastal Climate Resilience Program, America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Endangered Species Conservation Fund, and the Endangered Species Management.
In the third part of the 2017 Mandate for Leadership, titled “Priorities for the President,” the Heritage Foundation suggested the president cut all spending for greenhouse gas regulations and to pass a bill with Congress that says that the Clean Air Act does not provide authority in regulating greenhouse gases. Part III also suggested a reform and clarification of the treaty process, specifically in regards to the Paris Agreement.
The Heritage Foundation disseminated its information via a forum on their website and a weekly newsletter. Their forum consists of commentaries, reports, and “Heritage Explains,” where the Foundation suggests and explains policy in a manner that aligns with their conservative principles.
The Heritage Foundation uses its immense platform to uplift other climate denial groups, such as the Heartland Institute. The Heritage Foundation participates in and supports the Heartland Institute’s Annual Conference each year. For the 2021 conference, Kevin Dayaratna, a senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, is one of the key speakers. He also spoke at the 12th Annual Conference in 2017 and the 13th Annual Conference in 2019. In addition to providing keynote speakers, the Heritage Foundation also gives awards at these conferences. In 2017, the Heritage Foundation awarded Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) with the Political Leadership on Climate Change Award. The Heritage Foundation also serves as a co-sponsor for these conferences, funding the conferences and hosting different parts.
The Heritage Foundation has also organized movie premiers and panels of films produced by other climate denial groups. In 2015, the Heritage Foundation hosted the premier and discussion panel of Where the Grass is Greener: Biblical Stewardship vs. Climate Alarmism, a film by the Cornwall Alliance.
The Heritage Foundation also co hosts different environment-related events. One example is the panel the Foundation co-hosted with the Pacific Legal Foundation in 2017 on EPA overreach and over-regulation of the waters of the United States (WOTUS).
The Heritage Foundation is based on five basic principles: free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional values, and strong national defense. While it began as a fringe organization, during Reagan’s time as President the Heritage Foundation found itself at the center of U.S. politics. Over half of the policy suggestions in the Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership were adopted by Regan, meaning that the Heritage Foundation played a very big role in shaping modern conservatism.
Today, the Heritage Foundation is a vast organization that continues to influence U.S. politics. Policy issue categories on the Foundation’s website include domestic policy, political thought, government spending, international news and policy, energy and environment, legal and judicial policy, infrastructure and technology, national security, culture, health care, poverty and welfare, and the economy. One of their “top issues” is election integrity.
Funding:
The Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization with an $80 million budget as of 2018. Because of this, the Heritage Foundation cannot be an “action organization;” the affiliated Heritage Action for America is the action-organization. The Heritage Foundation also does not have to disclose donors, and donations are tax-deductible. While the Heritage Foundation website claims that more than 500,000 American donate and asks that people donate in order to “advance your principles,” the majority of the Foundation’s budget comes from wealthy Republicans. Rebekah Mercer and her family foundation are one example of this, and have donated $500,000 a year since 2013. The Heritage Foundation also receives money from Donors Trust, the dark money funding group.
Associates:
While not climate related, it is worth noting that the Heritage Foundation was able to influence the selection of cabinet members under Trump. Scott Pruitt, Betsy DeVos, Mick Mulvaney, Rick Perry, and Jeff Sessions are prominent figures, and the Foundation estimates that at least 66 employees and alumni of the Heritage Foundation have joined the Trump administration in some form. Since Biden’s election, numerous members of the Trump administration have been hired by the Heritage Foundation. One of the most notable is Mike Pence, who will serve as a distinguished visiting fellow. Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli, and Mark Morgan, all immigration policy defenders under Trump, also joined the Heritage Foundation.
See Also:
Paul Weyrich
Joseph Coors
Climate of Denial