The Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change is run by its president, Sherwood B. Idso, and his sons, founding chairman Craig Idso and vice chairman Keith Idso. The Center owns the website “CO2 Science,” and is closely affiliated with a longtime climate denial outfit called the Science and Environmental Policy Project, a name-on-paper organization that has promoted doubt over established scientific research for decades.
The Idso’s have produced a decades worth of scientific papers that have been used to attack U.S. and international climate change policies. Their conclusions represent an extreme fringe of scientific viewpoints–touting the supposed benefits of industrial carbon dioxide emissions–that are at odds with a majority of the world’s science institutions and 97% of published scientific research on the topic.
Examples of climate scientists debunking claims made by the Idso family can be found on RealClimate. Refutations of scientific literature that undermine the conclusions of “CO2 Science” are available on Skeptical Science, run by John Cook.
The Idso’s and their organization have received funds from the largest U.S. oil company–ExxonMobil–and the largest U.S. coal mining company–Peabody Energy. Craig Idso obtained his Ph.D in Geology at Arizona State University, under the supervision of Robert C. Balling, who himself published studies that were financed by ExxonMobil. Craig Idso was also a consultant for Peabody Energy.
Craig Idso is a frequent guest speaker at conferences hosted by The Heartland Institute. Heartland has has contracted Craig Idso, and given an award to Sherwood Idso for his career as a climate science skeptic.
Craig Idso has briefed state legislators, lobbyists, pundits, and other attendees of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) conferences. At an ALEC meeting in 2011, Idso told lawmakers that society “should let CO2 rise unrestricted, without government intervention.” At ALEC’s annual meeting in 2014, Idso told lawmakers, “Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant. It is a benefit. It is the very elixir of life.” Idso has reused this tagline, which has been promoted by Koch-funded groups like the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation.
More Information:
Mother Jones Dirty Dozen list: Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change (A.K.A. The Idso Family)
DeSmogBlog profile: profile: Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change (CO2 Science)
SourceWatch profile: Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
ExxonSecrets profile: Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
DeSmogBlog profile: Craig D. Idso
Skeptical Science profile: Craig Idso
DeSmogBlog profile: Sherwood B. Idso
SourceWatch profile: Sherwood B. Idso
ExxonSecrets profile: Sherwood Idso
DeSmogBlog profile: Keith B. Idso
ExxonSecrets profile: Keith Idso
SourceWatch profile: Keith Idso
