The Climate Realism Show

Join The Heartland Institute’s world-class climate and energy experts every Friday for an in-depth look at the latest climate science, policy developments, and environmental news. Our team of meteorologists, researchers, and policy analysts cuts through the media hype to deliver fact-based climate realism you won’t find anywhere else. From debunking climate alarmism to exploring real-world energy solutions, we provide the balanced perspective and scientific rigor that’s missing from today’s climate conversation. Tune in live at 1pm ET or catch up on our extensive archive of episodes featuring leading experts, groundbreaking research, and our popular “Crazy Climate News” segment.

Latest Episode

Earth Day 2026 came and went without the energy and attention of past years. There was less climate scolding and fewer denunciations of the “high-carbon lifestyle” than in years past. As Heartland’s Anthony Watts said, “Earth Day today feels increasingly detached from the kind of environmental problems that gave rise to it in 1970.” Is this the year climate realists — who know Earth Day is about ecology and genuine environmental protection — begin to take the holiday back from the radicals?

The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, Sterling Burnett, Jim Lakely, and special guest Marc Morano of CFACT will talk it over, as well as cover the Crazy Climate News of the Week. In 2023, two South Florida counties spent $100 million in taxpayer dollars on electric buses that were eventually going to replace the entire fleet. None of them have been in service for more than a year and … we told you so. Climate alarmists are so desperate to get their message out that they are resorting to OnlyFans. And do you remember the D.C. sewage spill in the Potomac? The New York Times remembers, but fails to mention that the main cause of one of the worst river pollution events in American history was environmental radicalism as government policy.

We will be LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Participate in the show by leaving your comments and questions in the chat.

Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
3:57 Electric Avenue Is Closed
17:40 Stripping to Save the Planet
24:22 Green Is the New Brown
34:34 Climate Hugs for Everyone
42:29 Taking Earth Day Back
51:15 Q&A

Earth Day 2026 came and went without the energy and attention of past years. There was less climate scolding and fewer denunciations of the “high-carbon lifestyle” than in years past. As Heartland’s Anthony Watts said, “Earth Day today feels increasingly detached from the kind of environmental problems that gave rise to it in 1970.” Is this the year climate realists — who know Earth Day is about ecology and genuine environmental protection — begin to take the holiday back from the radicals?

The Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, Sterling Burnett, Jim Lakely, and special guest Marc Morano of CFACT will talk it over, as well as cover the Crazy Climate News of the Week. In 2023, two South Florida counties spent $100 million in taxpayer dollars on electric buses that were eventually going to replace the entire fleet. None of them have been in service for more than a year and … we told you so. Climate alarmists are so desperate to get their message out that they are resorting to OnlyFans. And do you remember the D.C. sewage spill in the Potomac? The New York Times remembers, but fails to mention that the main cause of one of the worst river pollution events in American history was environmental radicalism as government policy.

We will be LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook. Participate in the show by leaving your comments and questions in the chat.

Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metals

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
3:57 Electric Avenue Is Closed
17:40 Stripping to Save the Planet
24:22 Green Is the New Brown
34:34 Climate Hugs for Everyone
42:29 Taking Earth Day Back
51:15 Q&A

236 36

YouTube Video UExnbm5Qbkw5T0w3R01heHNzUDMtU2NnTjlQVk9qbDVzcS5FOTM0MjQ2Q0ZDQURDRUFE

Taking Back Earth Day – The Climate Realism Show #199

The Heartland Institute April 24, 2026 6:48 pm

Meet Your Hosts

Jim Lakely

Jim Lakely

Host
Vice President at The Heartland Institute, bringing policy expertise to climate discussions.
Anthony Watts

Anthony Watts

Meteorologist
Senior Fellow at The Heartland Institute and meteorologist with decades of climate research experience.
Sterling Burnett

H. Sterling Burnett

Climate Expert
Director of Climate & Environmental Policy at The Heartland Institute with extensive energy policy background.
Linnea Lueken

Linnea Lueken

Research Fellow
Research Fellow focusing on climate and energy policy analysis and environmental science.
"Very insightful program. The show helps me understand and articulate topics not discussed on Legacy Media."
--BruceEnglish-bc7kl

Featured Episodes

Episode #163 | June 27, 2025

Two of the most prestigious physicists in America have written a new paper explaining why greenhouse gases (GHG) produced by human activity — namely carbon dioxide — cannot cause dangerous warming on the planet. Based on their findings, Dr. Will Happer and Dr. Richard Lindzen urge Congress to repeal all Net Zero subsidies, all laws requiring GHG emission reductions, and all restrictions on fossil fuel development and infrastructure.

Our special guest this week is Dr. Will Happer, who will break down how he and Dr. Lindzen reached this conclusion — and why continuing to push Net Zero without scientific justification is a recipe for economic disaster.

Episode #156 | May 9, 2025

A new paper by Dr. Judith Curry, one of the world’s most prominent scientists skeptical of a looming human-caused climate catastrophe, and economist Harry DeAngelo cautions investors and the public that “the apocalyptic climate narrative is a seriously flawed guide for public policy.” Why? “Because it radically overstates the risks to humanity from continued global warming.” Wide-scale suppression of fossil fuel use will not measurably change future temperatures, but “a sharp decline in quality of life would surely ensue.”

We are proud to welcome Dr. Curry back to the show to dig deeper into her paper. We will also cover the Crazy Climate News of the Week, including a “die-in” at NOAA, how the polar ice crisis narrative is melting, Bernie Sanders wanting to ban gasoline cars but still flying private jets, and why climate change is not causing kids to miss more school days.

Episode #151 | March 28, 2025 

The scientific community and the media are focused almost exclusively by how greenhouse gas emissions affect the climate — from power plants to automobiles to your fireplace to your gas stove, and even cow farts. But what about that big ball of gas in the sky? Why does it get short shrift when it comes to the causes of climate change? The

Heartland Institute’s Anthony Watts, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely discussed this topic, asked for by many of the show’s fans, with one of the leading solar and climate experts in the world: Dr. Willie Soon.

Episode #144 | February 7, 2025

President Trump has struck the Biden administration’s climate and energy policy like a hurricane – from increasing energy exploration and extraction, to letting 1,000 employees at the Environmental Protection Agency know they could be fired at any time, to taking all mentions of climate change from the website of the Department of Agriculture, and more. But what will be the Trump Effect on the global climate agenda? Will the dedication to reorder the economies and societies of the world to “save the planet” being to crumble? And if so, which country will give up first?

 

Stay Updated

Get notified about new episodes and climate realism news
Marketing by