‘Global warming is not a crisis!’ – Studying climate change skepticism on the Web

Abstract

This article makes a contribution to the study of the climate controversy by using Web data to research the status of skepticism within the climate debate. In March 2008 the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based libertarian public policy think-tank, organised the first international conference for climate change skeptics with the theme ‘Can You Hear Us Now? Global Warming is Not a Crisis!’ The event format was that of a traditional scientific conference with three days of parallel sessions and keynote speakers as well as online proceedings. In his opening remarks Heartland’s president Joseph L. Bast stressed that the conference featured talks by over 200 scientists and other experts from leading universities and organisations from all over the world. Bast stated that