Bjorn Lomborg and the Anti-Climate Crowd

Bjorn Lomborg is breaking bread with another right wing think tank this week. The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research will be hosting the “skeptical environmentalist” for a speech on Thursday.

Lomborg continues to tour the world delivering his message of “don’t worry – be happy” around environmental issues - particularly global warming. In May he will be hosting the Copenhagen Consensus 2008 conference. Expect to see another contrived conclusion that climate change it too expensive to deal with.

Part of his cachet with the media is that he portrays himself as an environmentalist and a one-time supporter of Greenpeace, though the organization has no record of his membership.

Looking closer however, the company Bjorn Lomborg keeps is a long way from the green end of the spectrum.

The Manhattan Institute describes their mission to: “develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility”. They have hosted such anti-Kyoto luminaries as Senior Research Fellow Max Schulz, and Sallie Baliunas - listed as a spokesperson for the Institute in 2004.

Sallie Baliunas is described by ExxonSecrets.org as: “a darling of the anti-climate movement, Baliunas has been a central scientist in the fight against action on climate change. She is used by virtually all of the Exxon-funded front groups as their scientific expert.”

As for the Manhattan Institute itself, they received over $200,000 in funding from ExxonMobil since 1998, including $30,000 in 2006.

This is certainly not the first time Bjorn Lomborg has rubbed elbows with the anti climate crowd. Here is photo of speaking at the Adam Smith Institute.

He also accepted an award in 2001 from the Competitive Enterprise Institute. This notorious climate denier group received over $2 million in support from Exxon Mobil since 1998 - some of it specifically earmarked for “global climate change outreach”.

Bjorn Lomborg’s latest book tour was also sponsored by non-other than the Fraser Institute, something that Bjorn Lomborg admitted during a media interview in 2007. In 2003-04, Exxon shelled out $120,000 to the Fraser Institute - in part to pay for their anti Kyoto work.

Lomborg often claims that his message of moderation makes him equally reviled by both ends of the spectrum on climate change. That might be compelling if true. However, he seems awfully well loved by the Exxon crowd. And I haven’t seen Greenpeace offering him any awards…