Marc Morano

 Credentials

• BA, Political Science, George Mason University. [1]

 Background

In 2009 Marc Morano became the executive director and chief correspondent of ClimateDepot.com, a project of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) —a conservative think-tank based out of Washington,

D.C. Climate Depot regularly publishes articles questioning man-made global warming.

From 2006 to 2009 Morano was the communications director for Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the minority chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Prior to the last election, Inhofe was the majority chair of the EPW committee.

In the 2002 election cycle, Senator Inhofe received more in donations from the oil and gas sector than any other Senator. [2]

Sen. Inhofe is known for his infamous quote that the threat of catastrophic global warming is the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people," and as his communications director, Mornano has spent his recent years propagating this message. [3]

Prior to working for Senator Inhofe, Morano was a journalist with Cybercast News Service, which is owned and operated by the Media Research Center (MRC). The MRC is supported in part by right-wing foundations and funding from industry, including over $200,000 from ExxonMobil.

From 1992 to 1996, Morano also worked as a producer for the Rush Limbaugh Television Show and was known as "Limbaugh's man in Washington." [4]

Stance on Climate Change

"The bottom line is, not only do we not face a climate crisis, but if we face a climate crisis what congress is proposing, what the United Nations is proposing, is scientifically meaningless. It would have no detectable impact. So we'd all be doomed if we had to rely on them for a solution. [5]

Key Quotes

"The goal [of Climate Depot] is to expand on key elements from the award-winning Senate EPW website and quite simply revolutionize climate and environmental news dissemination. Unlike much of the establishment media, CFACT's news outlet will provide the public with links to all sides of the climate and environmental debate, with links to Gore's blog, environmental groups, the United Nations, as well as skeptical voices. It is very hard to get accurate information on global warming and environmental issues. Much of what the media reports is simply a regurgitation of the rhetoric from partisan and ideologically driven environmental groups, foundations, and the United Nations, which are spinning data to promote a cause." [1] (Note, the EPW website is also Senator James Inhofe's Press Blog).

"Even in the Senate, I’d put up any of the stories we did against any pablum Time or Newsweek has put out on global warming. We’d link to the other side; we’d present their arguments. They do one-sided screeds." [6]

Key Deeds

July, 2011

Morano was a speaker at the Heartland Institute's Sixth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC6). [7]

His speech was titled "R.I.P. Man-Made Global Warming Fears? 1988-2011."

June, 2010

Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP) gave Morano the Petr Beckmann Award for "demonstrating courage and achievement in defense of scientific truth and freedom." [Marc Morano. [1]

May, 2010

Morano was a speaker at the Heartland Institute's 4th International Conference on Climate Change. ["4th International Conference on Climate Change" (PDF), The Heartland Institute. Accessed January, 2012, from the University of Hartford Server (uhaweb.hartford.edu).]

DeSmogBlog concluded 19 of the 65 sponsors (including Heartland itself) have received a total of over $40 million in funding since 1985 from ExxonMobil (funded 13 orgs), and/or Koch Industries family foundations (funded 10 orgs) and/or the Scaife family foundations (funded 10 orgs).

March, 2008

Morano was a speaker at the Heartland Institute's 2008 International Conference on Climate Change. [8]

The conference was titled "Global Warming: Truth or Swindle," and described as a "platform from which they [skeptics] can be heard."

December 11, 2008

While he was working with Senator Inhofe, Morano helped author a report titled "More Than 700 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims," which was initially released in 2008.

The report was debunked, and found to contain at least 84 individuals who took industry money, 49 retirees, 44 television weathermen, 20 economists, and 70 with no expertise in climate science. [9]

May, 2004

According to SourceWatch, Cybercast News Service and Morano were the first sources of the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" campaign against presidential nominee Senator John Kerry.

In the run up to the official launch of the Swiftboat campaign, Morano wrote, "[h]undreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is 'unfit to be commander-in-chief.'"

 Affiliations

• Climate Depot — Executive Director and Chief Correspondent. [1]

• The Heartland Institute — "Expert." [10]

• Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) — Communications Director, 2006 to 2009. [1]

 Publications

According to Climate Depot, Morano "has spent years researching climate change, environmental, and energy issues." [1]

Based on an inverview with Morano, he appears to attribute his experience in climate science to his work with Howard Phillips and with Rush Limbaugh's television program where he worked on "Environmental Issues." [5]

According to Google Scholar, Marc Morano has never published research in a peer-reviewed journal on any subject. His only education appears to be in political science.

 Resources

1. "Climate Depot Aims To Redefine Global Warming Reporting," Climate Depot, April 6, 2009.

2. "Oil & Gas: Top Recipients" (2002), OpenSecrets. Accessed January, 2012.

3. "Climate Change Update: Senate Floor Statement by U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe(R-Okla),"January 4, 2005. Retrieved January, 2012, from inhofe.senate.gov.

4. "Correspondents," The Center for Changing World Views. Accessed January, 2012.

5. "ClimateGate: the Fraud of 'Global Warming' and 'Climate Change' — by Marc Morano of Climate Depot," YouTube Video. Uploaded by TCCTV on November 24, 2009.

6. Leslie Kaufman. "Dissenter on Warming Expands His Campaign," The New York Times, April 9, 2009.

7. Speakers," Sixth International Conference on Climate Change (climateconference.heartland.org). Accessed January, 2012.

8. "2008 International Conference on Climate Change" (PDF), The Heartland Institute. Archived March 7, 2010.

9. "Inhofe's 400 Global Warming Deniers Debunked," The Daily Green, January 11, 2008.

10. "Heartland Experts: Marc Morano," The Heartland Institute. Accessed January, 2012.

11. "Marc Morano," SourceWatch profile.

12. ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Marc Morano.

13. John H. Richardson. "This Man Wants to Convince You Global Warming Is a Hoax," Esquire, March 30, 2010.