Craig Rucker
Credentials
M.P.A., SUNY Albany
Source: [1]
Background
Craig Rucker is the co-founder and executive director of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), which was founded in 1985 to “promote a positive voice on environment and development issues.” [1] , [2]
Rucker's strong belief in the “power of the market combined with the applications of safe technologies,” to “offer humanity practical solutions to many of the world's pressing concerns,” resulted in “a number of leading scientists, academics, and policy leaders” joining Rucker in his CFACT efforts, according to CFACT's “About” page. [2] Those who joined Rucker's CFACT include co-founder David Rothbard, as well as Director of Communications, Marc Morano, and Senior Policy Advisor, Paul Driessen. [1]
The Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow has received funding from ExxonMobil, Chevron, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars from foundations associated with Richard Mellon Scaife. In 2011, Craig Rucker received $103,895 from CFACT for his role as executive director, according to 2011 IRS Forms (PDF). [9]
Rucker has decades of experience providing “expertise to a wide range of government, academic, media, and industry forums,” with his written work appearing in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, USA Today, and the BBC. While at CFACT, Rucker has held the “primary responsibility for helping build CFACT's Collegians program on more than 40 campuses across the country,” and has both attended and brought teams of student delegates to UN conferences in Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun, Montreal, and more. [1]
Stance on Climate Change
“CFACT is committed to educating the public and exposing global warming for what it truly is — a massive redistribution scheme. This scheme is not designed to strengthen the U.S. economy, but to throttle it down.” [4]
Key Quotes
“CFACT students ventured outside the air conditioned comfort of the conference center yesterday and took to the Cancun streets spelling out, “stop energy poverty now!” and voicing their opposition to a climate treaty loud and clear. It is easy for us to envision the harm a global warming treaty would do to the United States and its allies, but do give thought to the devastating trap it will create for the those who have never had electricity.” [10]
“Renewable energy schemes can no longer be justified by claims that we are rapidly running out of fossil fuels that are causing dangerous man-made global warming. Hydraulic fracturing has obliterated the depletion myth, while climate change fears are belied by a 16-year hiatus from planetary warming, historic lows in hurricane and tornado activity, and the abject failure of CO2-focused climate computer models.” [14]
“President Obama’s alternative strategy of using the EPA and other agencies to wage a backdoor war on carbon energy through misdirection and pretext, robs the people and their elected representatives, who would not support these restrictions voluntarily, of their constitutional prerogatives. Green movement radicals have always been at their core, fundamentally anti-democratic.
“Observational science just isn’t there for global warming extremism. The UK’s Met Office data shows no warming for the past 16 years. NOAA’s data shows any warming there may have been, has been confined to only three quarters of a degree. How much (if any) of that little bit of warming is due to your over the top car driving, air traveling, warm single family home lifestyle is more than debatable.
“What should Washington due about warming? Harken to Hippocrates and 'first, do no harm.' From CFACT’s considered perspective, Washington should find the courage to do nothing.” [15]
Key Deeds
July 7 - 9, 2014
Craig Rucker was a moderator at the Heartland Institute’s Ninth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC9) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rucker was part of Panel Nine's discussion, “Communicating Climate Change: The Blogosphere,” with Marc Morano, Tony Heller, and Russell Cook. [5] , [6]
View DeSmogBlog’s in-depth research on the other speakers and sponsors from Heartland's ICCC9.
November 19, 2013
Craig Rucker attended COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland with the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow's Marc Morano and Walt Cunningham. Rucker stated that “one of the things [CFACT is] concerned about is that these climate policies do harm people,” and that decarbonization was having a “devastasting effect on poor people around the globe,” noting that CFACT“sleeps well at night” because their policies “help, not hurt people.” [11]
February 8, 2013
Craig Rucker is a guest on Alex Epstein's “Power Hour,” a podcast presented by his for-profit think tank, the Center for Industrial Progress. Rucker is interviewed by Epstein about his “eye-opening adventures at UN global warming events.” [13]
November 16, 2011
Craig Rucker attends COP17 in Durban, South Africa with the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow's Marc Morano, as well as Lord Christopher Monckton, to “debunk climate propaganda and provide balanced perspective at [the] UN's COP17.” [8] In a CFACT press release, journalists who were seeking “to improve upon the annual one-sided climate conference propaganda fest,” were encouraged to speak with CFACT representatives, noting they would be “available for all media.” [8]
March 16, 1989
Craig Rucker and David Rothbard approached the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) requesting “corporate involvement and support” towards the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow's efforts, according to CMA document's minutes. It was documented that Rucker and Rothbard established CFACT to “fight the Public Interest Research Groups.” [12]
Affiliations
—Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, co-founder and executive director
—Heartland Institute, International Conference on Climate Change attendee
—Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Adjunct Scholar
Publications
According to a search for Craig Rucker on Google Scholar, he has not published any research on climate science in a peer-reviewed journal. [7]
Resources
“CFACT Staff,“ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
“About,” Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
“Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow,” SourceWatch.
Craig Rucker. “CFACT’s new billboard exposes global warming — in their own words,“ Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow. Archived November 20, 2014.
“Return of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,” DeSmogBlog, July 7, 2014. Archived July 14, 2014.
“9th International Conference on Climate Change Speakers,” Heartland Institute. Archived July 14, 2014.
“Craig Rucker,” Google Scholar.
“CFACT to debunk climate propaganda and provide balanced perspective at UN’s COP17 in Durban, South Africa,” Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, November 16, 2011. Archived November 21, 2014.
“2011 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990 - PDF): Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow,” retrieved from CFACT.org. Archived November 21, 2014.
Craig Rucker. “A Cancun Christmas Carol,” Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, December 3, 2010. Archived December 1, 2014.
“CFACTCOP 19 in Warsaw Poland,” YouTube.com, November 19, 2013.
“Chemical Manufacturers Association Minutes,” Chemical Industry Archives, March 16, 1989.
“Power Hour: the UN Global Warming Saga with Craig Rucker,” Center for Industrial Progress, February 8, 2013. Archived December 1, 2014.
Craig Rucker. “Not so bright lights,” Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, August 14, 2013. Archived December 1, 2014.
Craig Rucker. “Global warming? Washington should find the courage to do nothing,” Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, February 2, 2013.