The Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) is a
climate change denial
Climate change denial, or global warming denial, is denial, dismissal, or doubt that contradicts the scientific consensus on climate change, including the extent to which it is caused by humans, its effects on nature and human society, or th ...
advocacy organisation set up by
S. Fred Singer's
Science & Environmental Policy Project
The Science & Environmental Policy Project (SEPP) is an advocacy group financed by private contributions based in Arlington County, Virginia. It was founded in 1990 by atmospheric physicist S. Fred Singer.
SEPP disputes the prevailing scientific ...
, and later supported by the
Heartland Institute
The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking.
Founded in 1984, it worked wit ...
lobbying group, in opposition to the assessment reports of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) a ...
(IPCC) on the issue of
global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
.
The NIPCC presents itself as an "international panel of nongovernment scientists and scholars who have come together to present a comprehensive, authoritative, and realistic assessment of the science and economics of global warming". Because it is not a government agency, and because its members are predisposed to dispute that
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
is caused by human
greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and lar ...
, NIPCC claims to offer an independent “second opinion” of the evidence reviewed – or not reviewed – by the IPCC. The scientific validity of the claims made by the NIPCC report have been heavily criticized, as has the methodology of their reports and the lack of expertise of many of their authors.
History
NIPCC states that their purpose is to objectively analyze and interpret data and facts without conforming to any specific agenda. They intend their organizational structure and purpose to stand in contrast to those of the United Nations’s
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) a ...
(IPCC), which they contend is government-sponsored, politically motivated, and predisposed to believing that climate change is a problem in need of a
U.N.
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
solution.
NIPCC traces its beginnings to an informal meeting held in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Italy, in 2003, organized by
S. Fred Singer and the
Science & Environmental Policy Project
The Science & Environmental Policy Project (SEPP) is an advocacy group financed by private contributions based in Arlington County, Virginia. It was founded in 1990 by atmospheric physicist S. Fred Singer.
SEPP disputes the prevailing scientific ...
(SEPP). The purpose was to produce an independent evaluation of the available scientific evidence on the subject of
carbon dioxide-induced global warming in anticipation of the release of the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). NIPCC scientists concluded the IPCC was biased with respect to making future projections of climate change, discerning a significant human-induced influence on current and past climatic trends, and evaluating the impacts of potential carbon dioxide-induced environmental changes on Earth’s
biosphere
The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
.
To highlight such perceived deficiencies in the IPCC’s AR4, in 2008, SEPP partnered with the
Heartland Institute
The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking.
Founded in 1984, it worked wit ...
to produce “Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate”, a summary of research for policymakers that has been widely distributed and translated into six languages. In 2009, the
Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
The Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Tempe, Arizona. It is seen as a front group for the fossil fuel industry, and as promoting climate change denial. The Center produces a w ...
joined the original two sponsors to help produce ''Climate Change Reconsidered: The 2009 Report of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC)'' as an alternative to the reports of the IPCC.
In 2011, the three sponsoring organizations produced ''Climate Change Reconsidered: The 2011 Interim Report of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC)'', a review and analysis of new research released since the 2009 report or overlooked by the authors of that report.
In 2013, the Information Center for Global Change Studies, a division of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republ ...
, translated and published an abridged edition of the 2009 and 2011 NIPCC reports in a single volume. On June 15, the Chinese Academy of Sciences organized a NIPCC Workshop in
Beijing
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Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
to allow the NIPCC principal authors to present summaries of their conclusions.
In September 2013, NIPCC released ''Climate Change Reconsidered II: Physical Science'', the first of three volumes expanding and bringing up-to-date the original 2009 report as well as offering a counterpoint to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report.
In 2014, the second volume of ''Climate Change Reconsidered II'', subtitled "Biological Impacts", was published. It offered more than 1,000 pages of reviews of scientific research finding the impact of man-made global warming is benign and even beneficial to mankind and the natural world.
In November, 2015, the three lead NIPCC authors –
Craig Idso,
Robert M. Carter
Robert Merlin Carter (9 March 1942 – 19 January 2016) was an English palaeontologist, stratigrapher and marine geologist. He was professor and head of the School of Earth Sciences at James Cook University in Australia from 1981 to 1998, and was ...
, and
S. Fred Singer – wrote a small book titled ''Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming: The NIPCC Report on Scientific Consensus'' stating that no survey or study shows a
consensus on important scientific issues in the climate change debate, and that most scientists do not support the claims of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
From March through June 2017, the Heartland Institute mailed 300,000 copies of the second edition of this book to K-12 and college science teachers across America.
Publications
In April 2008, Singer’s Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP) and The Heartland Institute partnered to produce "Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate", subtitled “Summary for Policymakers of the Report of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change.” The 48-page report listed 24 contributors from 14 countries and included a foreword by
Frederick Seitz
Frederick Seitz (July 4, 1911 – March 2, 2008) was an American physicist and a pioneer of solid state physics and lobbyist.
Seitz was the 4th president of Rockefeller University from 1968–1978, and the 17th president of the United States Nat ...
, one of the world’s most renowned scientists. (Seitz passed away on March 2, 2008.) It was released at Heartland’s First International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC-1) on March 2–4, 2008.
In 2008, Singer conducted an extensive international tour to promote the new report. He spoke at events in the
Netherlands
)
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, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
(June 3–4),
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
-EU (June 5),
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
(June 6–12),
Vienna
en, Viennese
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, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
,
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
(June 19–20), and
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
(June 22–25). Local free-market think tanks arranged those events. Heartland distributed approximately 100,000 copies of Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate in 2008, and the booklet has been translated into
French,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, and
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
.
In the tradition of the IPCC, NIPCC had published its "Summary for Policymakers" in advance of completing the underlying report. The first full report, produced with a new partner, the Center for the Study of Global Warming and Global Change, was released in 2009. It was titled "Climate Change Reconsidered: The Report of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC)".
In 2011, NIPCC produced its third report, "Climate Change Reconsidered: The 2011 Interim Report". The volume summarized new research produced after the deadline for inclusion in the 2009 report as well as some research that had been overlooked when the first volume was produced.
In September 2013, NIPCC released ''Climate Change Reconsidered II: Physical Science'', the first of three volumes expanding and bringing up-to-date the original 2009 report as well as offering a counter-point to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report. Also in 2013, four NIPCC scientists produced a Scientific Critique of IPCC’s 2013 "Summary for Policymakers".
In 2014, the second volume of ''Climate Change Reconsidered II'', subtitled "Biological Impacts", was published. It offered more than 1,000 pages of reviews of scientific research finding the impact of man-made global warming is benign and even beneficial to mankind and the natural world. Also in 2014, a team of climate scientists led by
Robert M. Carter
Robert Merlin Carter (9 March 1942 – 19 January 2016) was an English palaeontologist, stratigrapher and marine geologist. He was professor and head of the School of Earth Sciences at James Cook University in Australia from 1981 to 1998, and was ...
, a NIPCC lead author, produced a Commentary and Analysis on the
Whitehead & Associates 2014 NSW Sea-Level Report, finding the Whitehead report does not provide reliable guidance to the complicated issues of measuring, forecasting, and responding to sea-level rise.
In November, 2015, NIPCC released ''Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming: The NIPCC Report on Scientific Consensus''. The three lead NIPCC authors – Craig Idso, Robert M. Carter, and S. Fred Singer – reveal how no survey or study shows a “consensus” on the most important scientific issues in the climate change debate, and how most scientists do not support the alarmist claims of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This short book is a preliminary version of Chapter 2 of the forthcoming and final volume in the ''Climate Change Reconsidered II'' series, to be subtitled "Benefits and Costs of Fossil Fuels" which was published in 2017.
Organization
NIPCC is a project of three independent
nonprofit organizations
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
:
Science and Environmental Policy Project
The Science & Environmental Policy Project (SEPP) is an advocacy group financed by private contributions based in Arlington County, Virginia. It was founded in 1990 by atmospheric physicist S. Fred Singer.
SEPP disputes the prevailing scientific ...
(SEPP),
Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change
The Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Tempe, Arizona. It is seen as a front group for the fossil fuel industry, and as promoting climate change denial. The Center produces a w ...
(CO2 Science), and
The Heartland Institute
The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking.
Founded in 1984, it worked wit ...
. Contributions to all three organizations help support the project.
S. Fred Singer, the founder of NIPCC, acts as chairman and ambassador of the group. As a
retired professor of environmental science, he travels the world meeting with fellow scientists, discussing NIPCC’s research, and recruiting new members to the group.
Craig D. Idso, founder and chairman of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, leads the research and writing effort for NIPCC publications. He hosts the CO2Science.org website featuring reviews of new research that will be edited for inclusion in the next edition of Climate Change Reconsidered, and works with an international team of authors, editors, contributors, and reviewers.
Joseph L. Bast
Joseph Lee Bast is an American right-wing political activist. He is the former president and CEO of The Heartland Institute, an American nonprofit conservative and libertarian public policy think tank based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He ret ...
, president of The Heartland Institute, leads the publication and promotional efforts of NIPCC. He and Heartland’s staff edit and produce NIPCC books, host the events at which the reports are released, and market the project’s efforts.
See also
*
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) a ...
References
External links
NIPCC Website
{{Authority control
Organizations of environmentalism skeptics and critics
Climate change denial
Heartland Institute
Organizations established in 2003