Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty

The Acton Institute is an institution that is guided by “Judeo-Christian truths.” Acton operates out of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Rome, Italy. Acton Institute is intended to counter evangelical Christians who have publicly expressed the need to address climate change with urgency.

Acton featured the “Oregon Petition,” a controversial document with research by Dr. Willie Soon and Dr. Sallie Baliunas, in a dismissal climate advocacy efforts by religious groups. citing Bjorn Lomborg, a widely known pseudo-scholar who mainly tours among organizations promoting climate skepticism.

Acton media director Jay W. Richards states, “climate is changing all the time, the real question is if humans are causing it.” Richards is affiliated with the Cato Institute and sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), one of the most vocal anti-environmental fronts for the petrochemical and biotechnology industries.

Acton’s governing boards reveals other Koch connections through Dr. Alejandro A. Chafuen of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation and Michael Novak of the American Enterprise Institute, as well as affiliates of Amoco (BP) and Wolverine Gas and Oil.

The Acton Institute is a member of the State Policy Network.