What do members of a sovereign citizen-style shadow government group, rank and file Republicans and a mining company all have in common?

Well, if they’re in Montana, then they’re all supporters of a speaking tour by British climate science denier Lord Christopher Monckton.

Monckton is in the middle of a series of talks in the state covering climate change and the UK’s vote to exit the European Union.

The hereditary peer has long held the debunked views that human-caused climate change is largely a scam and that the science is enabling the likes of the United Nations to put in place an all powerful world government.

Monckton has no science qualifications and his proclamations on climate science have been repeatedly ridiculed and dismissed by genuine climate scientists.

Despite this, Monckton’s inflammatory bluster and his inherited title of “Third Viscount Monckton of Brenchley” apparently make him irresistible to some.

Taking credit for organizing parts of Monckton’s tour is Republican activist Dan Happell, who is promoting an upcoming interview with Monckton on his “Connecting the Dots” webcast.

Ted Cruz “Leader”

So what’s “Connecting the Dots” and who is Dan Happell?

Connecting the Dots is part of the Republic News Network — a project of the Republic for the United States of America, a group claiming to have created an alternative government which, amongst a great many other claims, says you shouldn’t have to pay income taxes because they’re an illegal instrument of an America enslaved by international banking cartels.

Happell was a failed candidate for chair of the state’s Republican party last year. Earlier this year, he was a member of Republican Presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s “Montana Leadership Team” and was listed as an “Agenda 21” speaker.

Agenda 21 was a set of non-binding United Nations guidelines to promote sustainability that has morphed in the minds of some conservatives into an evil plan to control all aspects of your life.

Happell also works with conspiracy theorist G. Edward Griffin as a “leader” on Griffin’s Freedom Force International.

Monckton has shared a platform with Happell before — at a 2011 conference in California, where Monckton displayed a large Nazi swastika image beside a quote from an Australian government climate policy advisor.

In a puffball interview on Voices of Montana, Monckton rifled through his usual anecdotes with host Jon Arneson.

Arneson appeared impressed that Monckton had attended a real scientific conference with scores of actual scientists in attendance, rather than understanding that Monckton himself had helped organize the obscure gathering, which consisted almost entirely of the usual cheerleaders for his claims.

Tintina Resources Hosting Monckton

So who else is hosting Monckton?

During the interview, Arneson listed the Lord’s itinerary, which included a “mining power lunch” on 3 October at Tintina Resources, a company currently trying to get approval for a large copper mine in the center of the state.

One of Monckton’s first appearances was at the Fall meeting of the Gallatin County Republicans.

Is it surprising that America is now more polarized on climate change policy than ever before, when GOP groups continue to listen to non-experts like Monckton?

DeSmog emailed Tintina Resources and representatives of Gallatin County Republicans to ask why they were hosting Monckton, but heard nothing back.

More concerning perhaps, is that Monckton will also be sharing his non-expertise on global warming with students of Montana Tech on 6 October.

When some at the prestigious University College London realized that Monckton’s “science conference” had reserved one of its rooms for the gathering, they cancelled the booking.

Perhaps Montana Tech is not quite so discerning?
 

Main image: Lord Christopher Monckton. Credit: Flickr/Don Irvine.