Alfred (Al) Pekarek

Credentials

• Ph.D., University of Wyoming (1974).
• B.A. University of Minnesota-Twin (1965).

Source: [1]

Background

Al Pekarek is a past associate professor of geology at St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn., and is a consulting geologist in the petroleum industry.

Pekarek has been involved in petroleum exploration, primarily in the Rocky Mountains and the Basin and Range province. Company experience includes working for Wexpro, Sun, Snyder, and Husky.

Pekarek's name appears on Senator James Inhofe's list of "prominent scientists" who dispute the science of man-made global warming.

Stance on Climate Change

"Climate is certainly cyclical; we've got natural drivers, and we appear to have entered another cooling phase. On a positive note...are there any benefits to increasing carbon dioxide? Absolutely yes. What are they?... Higher crop yields...this sometimes I think could be providential...because under those trying circumstances [of global cooling], with more c02, plants might actually do better." [2]

Key Quotes

Pekarek has called Obama’s proposed cap-and-trade plan "a potentially economy-crippling tax" and said that there had been no significant national debate on the issue of climate change "because believers in global warming do not accept the challenge." [3]

Key Deeds

October, 2009

Pekarek was featured at an event called "Cap & Tax" sponsored by the Rochester Tea Pary Patriots. Elaine Garry, president and CEO of People's Cooperative Service -- of one of southeast Minnesota's major utility companies -- also spoke at the event, as her company was concerned about the potential impact of cap and trade. [4]

See video of his speech below:

March 4, 2008

Pekarek is listed as a "climate expert" who signed the 2008 Manhattan Declaration on Climate Change.  The declaration was first presented for consideration at the Heartland Institute's 2008 International Conference on Climate Change. [5]

The declaration was created by the International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC), a group of climate skeptics directed by Tom Harris, and concludes that "attempts by governments to legislate costly regulations on industry and individual citizens to encourage CO2 reduction will slow development while having no appreciable impact on the future trajectory of global climate change."

December 13, 2007

Pekarek is listed as a signatory to a 2007 open letter to the UN Secretary General.  The letter describes global warming as a natural phenomenon, and claims that the IPCC's reports are not adequate as justification for climate change policy. [6]

April, 2006

Pekarek signed a 2006 open letter to Prime Minister Harper that urged the government stall any action on climate policy.

Affiliations

• Natural Resources Stewardship Project (NRSP) — Past "Allied Expert." The NRSP is now defunct.  [7]

• The Heartland Institute — "Expert." [8]

Publications

According to an ISI search of publications, Pekarek does not have a single piece of research published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Resources

1. "Faculty/Staff," St. Cloud State University. Archived May 28, 2010.

2. "Cap and Trade - Speaker 2 - Dr Alfred Pekarek - Part 3 of 3," YouTube Video. Uploaded by RochesterTeaParty, October 28, 2009.

3. Lawrence Schumacher. "Minnesota: Audience takes sides on climate change at Bachmann forum," St Cloud Times, April 9, 2009. Republished by Climate Ark.

4. Heather J. Carlson. "People's CEO concerned about emissions legislation," Monday Post-Bulletin, October 19, 2009. republished by iStockAnalyst.com, October 21, 2009.

5. "CLIMATE EXPERTS WHO SIGNED MANHATTAN DECLARATION," International Climate Science Coalition. Accessed February, 2012.

6. "Open Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations," December 13, 2007. Reprinted by the Science and Public Policy Institute.

7. "NRSP People," The Natural Resources Stewardship Project. Archived March 15, 2007.

8. "Heartland Experts: Mr. Alfred Pekarek," The Heartland Institute. Accessed February 7, 2012.