IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/climat/v177y2024i1d10.1007_s10584-023-03655-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Climate change countermovements and adaptive strategies: insights from Heartland Institute annual conferences a decade apart

Author

Listed:
  • Maxwell Boykoff

    (University of Colorado)

Abstract

What kind of ancestors will those involved in climate change countermovements (CCMs) be? Among CCMs, the Heartland Institute has been an adaptive conservative think tank in the United States (USA) over the past decades, with funding from carbon-based industry-linked groups that has amplified the reach of their claims while shaping their power and influence in the USA public sphere. Through inductive qualitative methods and grounded theory, this study appraises their ongoing clout as garnered through interviews and participant observations from the 14th International Conference on Climate Change hosted by the Heartland Institute in 2021. Thematic findings are compared and contrasted with previous interview data and participant observations at the 2011 Heartland Institute conference. This research finds ten key themes—five comparisons and five contrasts—that point to adaptive strategies deployed in ongoing and wider CCM efforts that effectively shape sustainability technology and climate policy. Similarities over time are (1) freedom and liberty; (2) attacks on relevant-expert scientists, science, and “alarmism”; (3) rhetoric of embattled underdogs fighting orthodoxies; (4) evidence of righteousness and confidence; and (5) adversarial mentalities. Differences are (1) waning attention, (2) diminished influence, (3) an increased appetite for “culture wars,” (4) more personal reflection on legacy, and (5) increased entrenchment in state-level activities such as anti-environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles initiatives. Spanning a decade, this work assesses how these Heartland Institute climate contrarians’ claims provide insights into ongoing adaptive CCM activities with critical attention paid to how they politicize and polarize decision-making at multiple scales in contemporary society.

Suggested Citation

  • Maxwell Boykoff, 2024. "Climate change countermovements and adaptive strategies: insights from Heartland Institute annual conferences a decade apart," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(1), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:177:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10584-023-03655-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-023-03655-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10584-023-03655-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10584-023-03655-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert Brulle & Jason Carmichael & J. Jenkins, 2012. "Shifting public opinion on climate change: an empirical assessment of factors influencing concern over climate change in the U.S., 2002–2010," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 114(2), pages 169-188, September.
    2. Jason T. Carmichael & Robert J. Brulle & Joanna K. Huxster, 2017. "The great divide: understanding the role of media and other drivers of the partisan divide in public concern over climate change in the USA, 2001–2014," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 141(4), pages 599-612, April.
    3. Robert Brulle, 2014. "Institutionalizing delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizations," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(4), pages 681-694, February.
    4. Kim, Sung Eun & Urpelainen, Johannes & Yang, Joonseok, 2016. "Electric utilities and American climate policy: lobbying by expected winners and losers," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 36(2), pages 251-275, June.
    5. Ben Lockwood & Matthew Lockwood, 2022. "How Do Right-Wing Populist Parties Influence Climate and Renewable Energy Policies? Evidence from OECD Countries," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 22(3), pages 12-37, Summer.
    6. Wei Shen & Lei Xie, 2018. "The Political Economy for Low-carbon Energy Transition in China: Towards a New Policy Paradigm?," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(4), pages 407-421, July.
    7. Richard Heede, 2014. "Tracing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and methane emissions to fossil fuel and cement producers, 1854–2010," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 229-241, January.
    8. Hubert Schmitz, 2017. "Who drives climate-relevant policies in the rising powers?," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 521-540, September.
    9. Dylan Bugden, 2022. "Denial and distrust: explaining the partisan climate gap," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 1-23, February.
    10. Downie, Christian, 2018. "Ad hoc coalitions in the U.S. energy sector: Case studies in the gas, oil, and coal industries," Business and Politics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(4), pages 643-668, December.
    11. Jared Cory & Michael Lerner & Iain Osgood, 2021. "Supply Chain Linkages and the Extended Carbon Coalition," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 65(1), pages 69-87, January.
    12. Robert Brulle & Christian Downie, 2022. "Following the money: trade associations, political activity and climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 175(3), pages 1-19, December.
    13. Núria Almiron & Maxwell Boykoff & Marta Narberhaus & Francisco Heras, 2020. "Dominant counter-frames in influential climate contrarian European think tanks," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(4), pages 2003-2020, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert Brulle & Christian Downie, 2022. "Following the money: trade associations, political activity and climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 175(3), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Robert J. Brulle, 2018. "The climate lobby: a sectoral analysis of lobbying spending on climate change in the USA, 2000 to 2016," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 289-303, August.
    3. Jeremiah Bohr, 2017. "Is it hot in here or is it just me? Temperature anomalies and political polarization over global warming in the American public," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 142(1), pages 271-285, May.
    4. Oliver Lazarus & Sonali McDermid & Jennifer Jacquet, 2021. "The climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Clarke, Christopher E. & Evensen, Darrick T.N., 2023. "Attention to news media coverage of unconventional oil/gas development impacts: Exploring psychological antecedents and effects on issue support," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    6. Saatvika Rai, 2020. "Policy Adoption and Policy Intensity: Emergence of Climate Adaptation Planning in U.S. States," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 37(4), pages 444-463, July.
    7. Sugandha Srivastav & Ryan Rafaty, 2023. "Political Strategies to Overcome Climate Policy Obstructionism," Papers 2304.14960, arXiv.org.
    8. Srivastav, Sugandha & Rafaty, Ryan, 2021. "Five Worlds of Political Strategy in the Climate Movement," INET Oxford Working Papers 2021-07, Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
    9. Hilary Boudet & Chad Zanocco & Greg Stelmach & Mahmood Muttaqee & June Flora, 2021. "Public preferences for five electricity grid decarbonization policies in California," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 38(5), pages 510-528, September.
    10. Xu, Yilan & Huang, Yi, 2022. "Does climate change news inform flood insurance take?," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322178, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    11. Timo Busch & Lena Judick, 2021. "Climate change—that is not real! A comparative analysis of climate-sceptic think tanks in the USA and Germany," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 1-23, January.
    12. Sarah P. Church & Belyna Bentlage & Roberta Weiner & Nicholas Babin & Brian R. Bulla & Katelyn Fagan & Tonya Haigh & J. Stuart Carlton & Linda S. Prokopy, 2020. "National print media vs. agricultural trade publications: communicating the 2012 Midwestern US drought," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 43-63, July.
    13. Rakhmindyarto, Rakhmindyarto & Setyawan, Dhani, 2020. "Understanding the political challenges of introducing a carbon tax in Indonesia," MPRA Paper 111586, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 02 Aug 2020.
    14. Peter Frumhoff & Richard Heede & Naomi Oreskes, 2015. "The climate responsibilities of industrial carbon producers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 157-171, September.
    15. Robert J. Brulle & Melissa Aronczyk & Jason Carmichael, 2020. "Corporate promotion and climate change: an analysis of key variables affecting advertising spending by major oil corporations, 1986–2015," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 159(1), pages 87-101, March.
    16. Lawrence C. Hamilton, 2018. "Self-assessed understanding of climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 151(2), pages 349-362, November.
    17. Joshua A. Basseches & Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo & Maxwell T. Boykoff & Trevor Culhane & Galen Hall & Noel Healy & David J. Hess & David Hsu & Rachel M. Krause & Harland Prechel & J. Timmons Roberts & J, 2022. "Climate policy conflict in the U.S. states: a critical review and way forward," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 1-24, February.
    18. Shelley Boulianne & Mireille Lalancette & David Ilkiw, 2020. "“School Strike 4 Climate”: Social Media and the International Youth Protest on Climate Change," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 208-218.
    19. David Klenert & Franziska Funke & Linus Mattauch & Brian O’Callaghan, 2020. "Five Lessons from COVID-19 for Advancing Climate Change Mitigation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 751-778, August.
    20. Mireille Chiroleu‐Assouline & Thomas P. Lyon, 2020. "Merchants of doubt: Corporate political action when NGO credibility is uncertain," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 439-461, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:177:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10584-023-03655-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.