As I explained yesterday, it's foolish to dismiss the potential impact of the Heartland Institute conference. The organizers have a powerful framing strategy, one that resonates strongly with conservative media outlets and many Americans. It's these kinds of successful PR strategies that continue to reinforce the "Two Americas" of global warming perceptions in the United States, with Democrats growing ever more concerned and convinced of the problem while Republicans remain skeptical, resulting in massive partisan differences in poll results across questions about global warming
Consider above the message of the Heartland Institute as featured prominently in a clip from the Glenn Beck show at the Headline News Network: the science remains uncertain and the liberal media along with liberal Hollywood leaders like Al Gore are seeking to censor rival ideas. It's the same framing and message across the major conservative news outlets, consider this clip from Fox & Friends this week, featured at the blog Think Progress.
I discuss more on the message strategy of the Heartland Institute and its likely impact today on PRI's The World.
You hit the nail on the head. To global warming deniers, it's not about science. Climate has been rolled into the culture wars.
It is scary, it looks and smells like the Creation/ID debate in the US.