The Climate Realism Show
by The Heartland Institute
A weekly live show every Friday at 1 p.m. ET. The Heartland Institute's Anthony Watts, H. Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, host Jim Lakely, and special guests review the "Crazy Climate News of the Week" and the biggest stories on global climate and energy policy from a realist, not alarmist, point of view.
Episodes
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Climate, Energy, and The Midterm Blue Wave — The Climate Realism Show #224
The Republican Party got a good old-fashioned butt-whuppin’ in the midterm elections on Tuesday as Democrats swept both houses of Congress making Donald Trump the lamest of lame duck presidents. The Democratic “blue wave” was so strong, they took statewide offices in places once considered safely...
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Paper Straws Suck: SCIENCE! — The Climate Realism Show #223
It turns out the green scolds’ war on plastic straws really sucked. A new study from South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment found that plastic straws have a smaller environmental footprint than plastic straws, and paper straws produce more than six times the carcinogens. Oops!…
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California’s Bullet Train: Speeding Into Absurdity — The Climate Realism Show #222
Environmentalists in California pushed for, and got approved, a ballot initiative in 2008 to build a bullet train from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Instead of flying, which is a sin against the climate, Golden State residents could settle into their seats, look out the window, and feel good…
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Crappy Feet: Penguins Cause, And Maybe Stop, Climate Change — The Climate Realism Show #221
Remember when cows were destroying the planet with their burps? Now penguins are melting Antarctica with their poop. But wait! Other scientists say penguin poop might actually help stop climate change. So which is it? Should there be a federal program to fit penguins with diapers to save the...
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Suncor v. Boulder: Biggest Climate Case Ever — The Climate Realism Show #220
The Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments in the most-important climate case in many years, perhaps ever. Suncor v. Boulder may decide whether climate activists can sue modern society out of existence, or whether common sense, the proper application of the Constitution, and science will…
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Covering NYC Climate Week — The Climate Realism Show #218
It’s Climate Week again in New York City. Hollywood celebrities, titans of global industries, high-ranking government officials from around the world, climate justice advocates, and other assorted weirdos are once again raising their voice in unison to make us destroy our economies and do what…
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Massive Victory: EPA Power Grab Ends — The Climate Realism Show #217
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Monday announced the repeal of an Obama/Biden rule that regulated emissions of greenhouse gases from power plants with the intent to shutter all coal and most natural gas power plants in America. This was a long-time coming and the usual...
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What The Heck Is Dairy Net Zero? - TCRS #216
Net Zero, overall, might be dying in Europe. It’s being rejected by voters in seemingly every election in recent years, and even Democrats here in America don’t talk about it anymore when it used to be a pillar of their platform. So why is something called “Dairy Net Zero,” a green zombie from…
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The Best of Climate Realism - TCRS #215
Today the team is traveling to the 42nd Heartland Anniversary Benefit, hosting Governor Ron DeSantis and other distinguished guests. While Jim and the crew are away, enjoy some of the best speeches from past International Conferences on Climate Change (there were a lot to pick from!) We hope you...
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Nepal Disaster - The Climate Realism Show #214
The scenes coming out of Nepal of the glacier collapse and flash flood of mud, ice, and water are horrifying. The amount of devastation is almost hard to fathom, and the landscape is changed forever. Mainstream media outlets are blaming the disaster on climate change, and pointing to human…
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The Climate Regulations Driving Up Costs Across America - #212
California may be only one state, but are its climate regulations effectively becoming national policy? In Episode #212 of The Climate Realism Show, host Andy Singer is joined by Linnea Lueken, Anthony Watts, and H. Sterling Burnett to break down how California’s climate and environmental...
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The Muppets Mouth Climate Propaganda — The Climate Realism Show #21
There is no let-up in the culture’s attempt to scare our kids about climate change. The latest development is a segment on Sesame Street to teach kids not to be scared of extreme weather. The producers deny it’s a political climate message, but even The New York Times doesn’t buy that. On Episode...
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Climate Scientist Fired. Was It For Countering the Narrative? — The Climate Realism Show #210
One of Denmark’s most internationally recognized climate researchers, Dr. Henrik Svensmark, was just sacked from his long-time position at the Technical University of Denmark. Unlike many climate scientists, Svensmark conducted actual science experiments, and his work on the effects cosmic rays…
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Blame Canada! Smoky Skies and Climate Change — The Climate Realism Show #209
Wildfires in Canada have become a major story in the US because the smoke from those fires have traveled a very long way, covering the skies of cities in the Upper Midwest as far south as Chicago, over nearly all of Michigan, and to major population centers in the Northeast. Much media coverage...
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Giant Bond Villain Space Mirror Approved by Feds — The Climate Realism Show #208
How many Bond villain schemes can climate alarmists come up with? Apparently one every month or so. The latest scheme to “save the planet” and help make solar installations viable at night is to put giant mirrors in space to reflect sunlight down on earth during the night. And the U.S. Federal...
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Trump Restoring Real Climate Science — The Climate Realism Show #207
For many years, the U.S. Global Change Research Program has been a font of climate alarmist propaganda instead of a federal department focused on science. That is now changing. The Trump administration, which shut down the office, is reopening it under new management with a real scientist who is...
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We’re Winning! Climate Alarmism Is Losing Its Grip
Is the media’s nonstop climate panic finally losing steam? Major outlets are scaling back climate coverage. The Washington Post fired 13 Climate Desk reporters, NPR disbanded its climate desk, Politico is folding E&E News into its main operation, and the latest UN climate negotiations in Germany...
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Godzilla El Niño is Coming! — The Climate Realism Show #205
Ocean temps are rising in the tropical Pacific Ocean, a natural and regular phenomenon called El Niño. Climate modelers say this year's could be one of the biggest ever, and some have nicknamed it "Godzilla El Niño!" That's a fun name, but what can we expect in this El Niño cycle? The Climate...
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Europe Boils – The Climate Realism Show #204
Summer has arrived in Europe a little early this year and alarmists in the media say it’s unprecedented, dangerous, all because of climate change. But what if it is not our fault? What if it’s not all that unusual? We will sweat the details. On Episode #203 of The Climate Realism Show, we will…
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They Want to Dim the Sun to Save the Earth – The Climate Realism Show #203
The world seems to not lack for climate alarmist Bond villains with wild schemes to “save the earth” by way of geo-engineering that ranges from the silly to the dangerous. A company is now poised to “cool the earth” by spraying the skies of the world with “sunlight-reflecting aerosols.” What…
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British Voters Dump the Greens – The Climate Realism Show #202
Voters in this month’s elections in Great Britain delivered a shocking win for Reform UK, and was a clear rebuke of the “green” Net Zero agenda of the political elites. Politicians and parties that put the environmental movement over the real-world concerns of Britons, especially energy costs…
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Killing Net Zero with a Thousand Cuts – The Climate Realism Show #201
Upon taking office in 2025, Donald Trump immediately got busy reversing and defunding the previous administration’s radical climate and energy agenda. That sent a message to the world: You may still cast America as the “villain” in your narrative of panic, but America will no longer play the…
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It's ‘Weather’ Season … Again. What to Expect – The Climate Realism Show #200
Spring is here, which means it is Hurricane Season, Tornado Season, Allergy Season, all normal and natural aspects of life on Earth. Climate alarmists, however, will be telling you this year promises to be the worst season ever, and it’s your fault. We will prepare you to counter this propaganda...
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Taking Back Earth Day – The Climate Realism Show #199
Earth Day 2026 came and went without the energy and attention of past years. There was less climate scolding and fewer denunciations of the “high-carbon lifestyle” than in years past. As Heartland’s Anthony Watts said, “Earth Day today feels increasingly detached from the kind of environmental...
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Conference Rattles Climate Activists – The Climate Realism Show #198
Last week, the 16th International Conference on Climate Change made international news. It also disheartened the environmental left and the media because it was clear from that two-day event that Climate Realism is Rising. We will go over some of the highlights of the conference — including a...
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Heatwave Horse Hockey – The Climate Realism Show #196
According to the legacy media, the first early heatwave of the year in the West would be “virtually impossible without human-induced climate change.” That is bunk based on junk science, and is not even unprecedented, as we will explain on Episode #195 of The Climate Realism Show. The Heartland...
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Space Mirrors to Save Solar Power? | The Climate Realism Show #194
It sounds like something a Bond villain would think up. A startup wants to put giant mirrors into space to reflect sunlight back toward the Earth at night. Why would someone want to do this? To disturb the sleep of everyone on the “dark side” of the planet? No, but that would happen. To help…
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Climate Paper Tigers – The Climate Realism Show #193
The Climate Panic Industrial Complex has had complete control over the media narrative and public policy for more than two decades. Then Donald Trump returned to the White House and quickly set about canceling the entire agenda—and he’s still not done. And the climate alarmists are confused.…
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Unlearning Climate Alarmism – The Climate Realism Show #191
An encouraging trend is growing. Bright young people who were convinced of the truth of climate alarmist dogma open their eyes and mind to the actual data on the climate. Then they become climate realists, and even evangelists for science and truth. Anika Sweetland is one of those people. She is…
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The Endangerment Finding Is Dead. Here’s Why It Matters — The Climate Realism Show #190
It’s finally done. The Trump administration on Thursday announced that the Endangerment Finding for carbon dioxide is dead. No longer will the federal government treat CO2 as a gas that harms human health and welfare. It has been the lynchpin of regulatory overreach for nearly two decades…
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Zombie Carbon Taxes – The Climate Realism Show #189
The election of Donald Trump in 2024 looked like it brought an end to the previous administration’s radical environmental policies. America walked out on the global climate scammers, canceled green energy projects, and is still trying to claw back billions of dollars shoveled out the door to...
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Winter Misery – The Climate Realism Show #188
Most of the United States is enduring the worst winter weather in years, digging out of a foot or more of snow and enduring record-breaking temperatures well below normal. It’s simply miserable out there. Yet, comically, the legacy media is blaming it all on global warming or man-caused climate...
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IT’S OVER! US Out of UN Climate Regime (Guest: Lucy Biggers)
President Donald Trump on Wednesday withdrew the United States from the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced that the United States is out of the Green Climate Fund...
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Crazy Climate News of 2025 – The Climate Realism Show #186
A year of crazy climate news comes to a close as Christmas and New Year’s approaches. What were the craziest of 2025? You’ll have to tune in to find out. In our last episode of 2025, The Heartland Institute’s Jim Lakely, Anthony Watts, Sterling Burnett, and Linnea Lueken will share their picks…
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EPA Exits Climate Alarm Business - The Climate Realism Show #185
The signs are all around us. The climate cult is losing its grip on our politics and culture. The UN’s climate conference, COP30 in Brazil, was a flop that even the alarmist cheerleaders in the legacy media could not ignore. A major paper justifying radical climate action was just retracted. The...
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Good News: Climate Cult In Decline — The Climate Realism Show #184
The signs are all around us. The climate cult is losing its grip on our politics and culture. The UN’s climate conference, COP30 in Brazil, was a flop that even the alarmist cheerleaders in the legacy media could not ignore. A major paper justifying radical climate action was just retracted. The...
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Foolish Fossil Fuel Phase-Out — The Climate Realism Show #183 (Guests: Tony Heller and Craig Rucker)
The latest annual UN climate conference, COP 30, is coming to a close. Already a failure, the delegates of doom who gathered in Brazil decided that they needed a serious goal to cap off the conference. What did they come up with? Nothing less than the coming up with a concrete roadmap for the...
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Worst COP Ever? — The Climate Realism Show #182 (Guest: Chris Martz)
Is COP30 shaping up to be the worst UN climate conference ever? The 30th Conference of the Parties is underway in the Brazilian jungle — some of which was cleared and paved to bring the private jet-set and bureaucrats into the venue. And just days in, the whole thing is already descending into...
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Climate, Energy, and the Election— The Climate Realism Show #181
Both Democrats and President Trump wanted to make Tuesday’s off-year elections the “Energy Election.” And it was not a good night for Republicans. Left-wing climate media say this is proof voters oppose Trump’s roll-back of “green” energy mandates and subsidies. Is there any truth to that? On...
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NEVERMIND: Bill Gates Recants Climate Doomerism — The Climate Realism Show #180
After years of funding and fueling climate panic, Bill Gates has done an about-face. In a new 17-page memo released ahead of COP-30 in Brazil, Gates admits that rising temperatures will “not lead to humanity’s demise” and urges the climate community to drop its “doomsday outlook.” This marks a...
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Joe Rogan, Climate Realist — The Climate Realism Show #179
Joe Rogan just hosted climate scientists Will Happer and Richard Lindzen — and the results were explosive. For more than two hours, they dismantled the core claims of climate alarmism in front of Rogan’s massive global audience. Here is the link to the appearance on Joe Rogan:...
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The Global Climate Tax NARROWLY Avoided — The Climate Realism Show #178
The United Nations narrowly avoided approve a new tax on carbon-dioxide emissions from shipping today. Their goal was to raise at least $10 billion a year and put it in a new “Net Zero Fund” to “mitigate negative impacts” on nations supposedly suffering because of climate change. Trump threatened...
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Where Are All the Hurricanes? (Guest: Joe Bastardi) — The Climate Realism Show #177
In September 2025, no hurricanes made landfall in the United States — the first time that’s happened in a decade. What’s going on with this year’s hurricane season? We ask WeatherBELL Analytics’ Joe Bastardi, one of America’s best hurricane forecasters, to share his insights. In Episode #177 of…
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Has the World Given Up on Fighting Climate Change? — The Climate Realism Show #176
When The New York Times starts to wonder if the world has given up on fighting climate change, maybe it’s time to believe them? The paper’s “Climate Forward” event the other day featured a New York Times staffer sounding forlorn that we’ve missed “the one chance we have to save the one planet…
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Why the U.S. Should Skip the UN’s COP30 Climate Summit — Interview with James Taylor
The UN is gearing up for COP30 in Brazil, where global elites will once again lecture the world about “climate catastrophe.” But behind the rhetoric lies hypocrisy: bulldozing the Amazon to host the event, while new science shows the rainforest is actually thriving thanks to carbon dioxide. In…
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The Climate Realist President — The Climate Realism Show #175
At the United Nations this week — during “Climate Week” in New York City — Donald Trump delivered what may be the most honest climate speech ever given by an American president. He called climate alarmism “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” mocked failed doomsday predictions…
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Climate Realism Is HOT in the UK — The Climate Realism Show #174
The media has started to notice that opposition to the “net zero” agenda is fueling a political revolution in Great Britain. POLITICO just ran a hit piece on The Heartland Institute and its climate science and policy presentation at a Reform UK party event this month. It treats as a scandal that...
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Britain Cooling on Global Warming — The Climate Realism Show #172
A new poll out of the United Kingdom shows that Brits who think the dangers of global warming are exaggerated and phony has soared by 50 percent compared to four years ago. So it is also not a surprise that the Labour Party’s “net zero” agenda is increasingly hated by the British public, too. Is…
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Big Climate Strikes Back — The Climate Realism Show #172
When five independent scientists dared to produce the first U.S. government report to reject the climate alarmist narrative, Big Climate vowed to strike back. And it has. This week, a group of 85 scientists released a rebuttal to the Department of Energy’s “Critical Review of Impacts of…
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National Academy of Sciences Goes to War Over CO₂
The EPA is moving to rescind the 2009 “endangerment” finding that declared CO₂ a pollutant—supposedly dangerous to human health, well-being, and the planet. Now that the public comment period is open, the National Academy of Sciences is rushing activist scientists into action to defend it. The...
About this show
A weekly live show every Friday at 1 p.m. ET. The Heartland Institute's Anthony Watts, H. Sterling Burnett, Linnea Lueken, host Jim Lakely, and special guests review the "Crazy Climate News of the Week" and the biggest stories on global climate and energy policy from a realist, not alarmist, point of view.
Hosted by
The Heartland Institute