EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Delivers Keynote at Heartland Institute Climate Conference

Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), delivered the keynote speech at a conference hosted by the Heartland Institute in Washington DC on Wednesday morning. The Heartland Institute is a think tank that has promoted skepticism toward the scientific consensus on climate change.

In 2012, the organization displayed billboard posters comparing climate advocates to the Unabomber.

During his speech, Zeldin stated that the EPA would no longer rely on what he described as flawed assumptions in climate science. He referred to established climate science and emphasized using accurate, present-day facts. Zeldin also criticized media descriptions of his positions as controversial for not aligning with statements from figures including John Kerry, Al Gore, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

" — Lee Zeldin (The Guardian) Zeldin remarked that it is controversial to reject predictions of imminent global catastrophe. He described previous administrations' responses to scientists' warnings on greenhouse gas emissions as overlooking the role of carbon dioxide in supporting planetary life.

Zeldin accused past policymakers and scientists of forming a group that selected specific models and methodologies while discouraging challenges to them.

Heartland Institute The Heartland Institute has received funding from oil companies including Shell and ExxonMobil, as well as from the Mercer family, Republican donors.

The organization contributed to Project 2025, a policy blueprint for a potential second Trump administration. The Heartland Institute has described climate science as fake news since the early 2000s. Scientific consensus holds that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are causing global warming, leading to higher temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events.