EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Defends Climate Stance at Heartland Institute Conference
Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), delivered a provocative keynote speech at a conference hosted by the Heartland Institute, a prominent climate-denying thinktank. The event took place in Washington DC on Wednesday morning, drawing significant criticism from environmental groups and climate experts.
Zeldin's Defense of EPA's Direction
In his address, Zeldin declared that the EPA would no longer rely on what he called "bad, flawed assumptions" in climate science, instead prioritizing what he described as "accurate, present-day facts." He specifically targeted media portrayals of his approach, mocking descriptions of him as "controversial" for not following what he termed "blind obedience" to climate warnings from figures like John Kerry, Al Gore, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"It's controversial that we won't sign up for the script that the world is imminently about to end," Zeldin stated during his speech, which was met with approval from the conference audience.
Criticism from Environmental Groups
Zeldin's participation in the Heartland Institute event sparked immediate backlash. Just last month, more than 160 environmental and public health organizations demanded his resignation or removal, accusing him of betraying the EPA's core mission more brazenly than any previous administrator. The Environmental Defense Fund Action placed posters around the conference venue criticizing Zeldin's involvement, with vice-president Joanna Slaney stating, "Lee Zeldin is executing on the playbook of denial written by the Heartland Institute."
The Heartland Institute's Background
The Heartland Institute has long rejected the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change, having previously compared climate advocates to the Unabomber in 2012 billboard campaigns. The organization has received funding from major oil companies including Shell and ExxonMobil, as well as from the Mercer family, prominent Republican donors. The thinktank contributed to Project 2025, the far-right policy blueprint for a potential second Trump administration.
EPA's Regulatory Rollbacks Under Zeldin
Since taking office, Zeldin has overseen significant changes at the EPA:
- Exempting polluting facilities from environmental regulations
- Shuttering climate and environmental research offices
- Reducing the agency's workforce
- Rolling back dozens of environmental and climate protections
The most controversial action has been the repeal of the "endangerment finding," the legal foundation for most US climate regulations. This move was celebrated by the Heartland Institute but widely condemned by scientists and environmental experts.
Conference Highlights and Additional Speakers
The Heartland Institute conference featured several notable presentations:
- Anthony Watts, a senior fellow at the institute, praised the endangerment finding repeal, stating that carbon dioxide "is not a pollutant and never was."
- Craig Rucker, president of the conservative group CFACT, introduced Zeldin as a "friend of sound science [and] climate realism, a real rock star."
- James Taylor, Heartland Institute's president, opened the conference by claiming "there is no climate crisis" and promoting the debunked theory that increased carbon emissions benefit plant growth.
- Authors of a controversial Department of Energy report supporting the endangerment finding repeal presented their work, despite the report being criticized by climate scientists as making a "mockery of science."
Zeldin's Justification for EPA Actions
In his concluding remarks, Zeldin defended his agency's direction as consistent with his confirmation hearing pledges and the will of American voters who supported Donald Trump's return to office. "What we are doing in the last 14 months is no surprise," he asserted. "It is what I pledged during my confirmation hearing, and it is what the American public voted for when they put Donald J Trump back in office. And thank God they did."
The EPA administrator's appearance at the climate-denying conference represents a significant moment in the ongoing debate over environmental policy and climate science in the United States, highlighting the deep divisions between the current administration's approach and mainstream scientific consensus on climate change.
