Marc Morano, the executive director of ClimateDepot.com, is one of climate denial's most prolific media-heads. In 2012, Morano was named the Climate Change Misinformer of the Year by conservative watchdog group Media Matters for America.
ClimateDepot, who's sole purpose is to spread misinformation about climate change, is a project of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), a conservative think tank which has received funding from ExxonMobil, Chevron, and foundations which challenge climate science.
Morano is considered a central player in orchestrating the Climategate scandal. Weeks before the 2009 United Nations Conference on Climate Change, a hacker stole a large amount of files, including private data and emails, from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. The data was then shared with climate skeptics, including Morano. These skeptics went on to cherry-pick information and sound bites from the emails in an effort to indict climate scientists for deliberately manipulating data and misleading the public.
In less than 48 hours, Climategate became the top story in international news. During the scandal, Morano said, "I seriously believe we should kick them [climate scientists] while they're down. They deserve to be publicly flogged." Multiple independent investigations have found no fraudulent activity, and all of the scientists have since been exonerated. Climategate helped seed doubt in public opinion leading up to the biggest climate negotiations in world history.
Prior to running ClimateDepot, Morano served as the communications director for Senator James Inhofe from 2006 to 2009. During his tenure, Morano helped author the infamous report "More Than 700 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims." The report was debunked. Research found the list contained at least 84 signees had taken industry money, 49 retirees, 20 economists, and 70 with no expertise in climate science.
Despite having no credentials in climate science -- Morano holds a B.A. in political science -- he is touted as a climate change expert and makes frequent public appearances on conservative media outlets such as Fox News and the Rush Limbaugh Show. The Heartland Institute lists Morano as an expert, and he frequently speaks at their annual climate change conference.
Over the years, he has filled the airways with extraordinary and unfounded claims. Most recently, Morano said climate change predictions were failing, comparing them to "medieval witchcraft, where we used to blame witches for controlling the weather."
Media Matters has a stellar compendium of his most grievous accusations against climate science.
