Donn D. Dears

Credentials

• B.S., Engineering, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1952).¹“Founder,” TSAugust. Accessed May, 2012.

Background

Donn D. Dears is president of TSAugust. He contributes to tsaugust.org, powerforusa.com, and carbonfolly.com. He is a retired GE company senior executive.

He has worked for GE as an engineer and later led an organization that serviced GE steel mills, electric utilities, refineries, oil drilling and production facilities, and open pit and underground mining operations.²“Founder,” TSAugust. Accessed May, 2012.

Dears was Venture Manager at GE where he negotiated joint ventures and acquisitions focused on the oil and power generation industries. He has also been the General Manager of GE’s Apparatus Service Division’s Programs Department.³“Donn Dears,” Linkedin Profile. Accessed May, 2012.

Stance on Climate Change

“…it’s clear to me that CO2 isn’t the main cause of warming, and is probably only a small, if not tiny factor in warming.

“This is where CO2 becomes part of a religion, because there is considerable scientific evidence that CO2 is not a major cause of global warming.

“My motivation in writing articles is to provide Americans with factual information about energy issues, because so much information in the media is factually incorrect – and even worse, distorted by an obsession with CO2.”⁴“Religion or Science,” Power For USA, January 31, 2012.

Key Quotes

October 9, 2017

Following EPA administrator Scott Pruitt‘s announcement that the Trump administration would be scrapping the Clean Power Plan, Dears issued the following statement via the Heartland Institute:⁵“PRESS RELEASE: HEARTLAND INSTITUTE EXPERTS REACT TO EPA SCRAPPING THE CLEAN POWER PLAN,” The Heartland Institute, October 9, 2017. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/B9m3e

“Scrapping the Clean Power Plan is another step toward abandoning the myth of anthropogenic global warming, and it follows President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. Eventually, the Trump administration should completely withdraw from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change treaty, as described in my book, Clexit.”⁶“PRESS RELEASE: HEARTLAND INSTITUTE EXPERTS REACT TO EPA SCRAPPING THE CLEAN POWER PLAN,” The Heartland Institute, October 9, 2017. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/B9m3e

May 4, 2012

“The major obstacle to achieving energy independence and the reindustrialization of America is politics – specifically, overzealous environmental groups such as Greenpeace.”⁷“The Gift that Keeps Giving Part II,” Power For USA, May 4, 2012.

June 1, 2008

“Clearly, we do not yet have the necessary proven technologies or technologies having sufficient scale to dramatically cut CO2 emissions. Forging ahead without the needed technologies will cause severe economic harm by cutting our supply of electricity and reducing America’s standard of living.”⁸Don Dears. “Cap & Trade Realities for CO2 Emissions,” George C. Marshall Institute, June 1, 2008.

Key Deeds

February 4, 2018

In January 2018, more than 200 scientists endorsed an open letter calling on the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) to remove climate change denier Rebekah Mercer from its board and to “end ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation.” The New York Times reported that those among the AMNH letter calling for Mercer to step down were Michael E. Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, and Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University.⁹Robin Pogrebin and Somini Sengupta. “A Science Denier at the Natural History Museum? Scientists Rebel,” The New York Times, January 25, 2018. Archived February 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/tAIv4

Dears was among a group of climate change deniers who responded with their own open letter, calling for the AMNH “not to cave in to this pressure.” The letter was signed by numerous individuals with ties to groups funded by the Mercer Family Foundation such as Will Happer of the CO2 CoalitionRichard Lindzen, a fellow at the Cato InstituteCraig Idso, the chairman of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change. There are a number of signatories affiliated with the Heartland Institute, which has received over $5.78 million from the Mercer Family Foundation since 2008.¹⁰Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Deniers Defend New York’s American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,” DeSmog, February 6, 2018.

The letter reads:¹¹mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF – Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That.

“The Earth has supported abundant life many times in the geological past when there were much higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is quite likely that future generations will benefit from the enrichment of Earth’s atmosphere with more carbon dioxide.

“Make no mistake, the agitators are not defending science from quackery — quite the contrary!”

March 2017

Dears is the author of Clexit for a Brighter Future, a book described as a follow-up to his 2015 book Nothing to Fear. He appeared on the Heartland Institute’s Daily Podcast to discuss his new book.¹²“Clexit for a Brighter Future,” Amazon. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/S4NOD ¹³“Donn Dears: Clexit for a Brighter Future,” MixCloud audio uploaded by user “Heartland Daily Podcast.” Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.

February 23, 2017

Donn Dears was a signatory of a petition (PDF) organized by Richard Lindzen of the Cato Institute urging President Donald Trump to pull the United States out of the United Nations international convention on climate change (UNFCCC).¹⁴“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.

“In just a few weeks, more than 300 eminent scientists and other qualified individuals from around the world have signed the petition below,” Lindzen wrote in the letter.

DeSmog investigated the list, and found that only a small handful of the signatories could be considered “even remotely ‘qualified’ or ‘eminent’ — but not in the field of climate science.” The list included individuals “interested in climate,” and one signatory who only identified as an “emailer who wished to sign the petition” while some signers provided no affiliation or address whatsoever.¹⁵Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Denier Richard Lindzen’s List of 300 “Scientists” Sent to Trump Is the Usual Parade of Non-Experts,” DeSmog, February 27, 2017.

January 5, 2017

Donn Dears was a signatory to a Cornwall Alliance open letter supporting Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator under the Trump administration.¹⁶“Open Letter Supporting Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator,” Cornwall Alliance, January 5, 2017. Archived January 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xMash

“Mr. Pruitt has also demonstrated understanding of and open-mindedness toward scientific insights crucial to the formulation and implementation of environmental regulation. He is prepared to hear all sides in debates over the risks and benefits of various activities that come under the purview of the EPA,” reads the letter.

On January 12, 2017, Senate Democrats raised conflict of interest concerns regarding Scott Prutt’s fossil fuel ties. Pruitt had spent years working to combat the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan.¹⁷Ben Jervey. “Mapping EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt’s Many Fossil Fuel Ties,” DeSmog, January 13, 2017.

In an open letter to the Office of Government Ethics, members of the Senate’s environmental panel commented:

“During his tenure as Attorney General of Oklahoma, Mr. Pruitt has blurred the distinction between official and political actions, often at the behest of corporations he will regulate if confirmed to lead EPA,” the letter said. “Public reporting based on documents produced by Freedom of Information Act requests illustrate how Mr. Pruitt and members of his staff have worked closely with fossil fuel lobbyists to craft his office’s official positions.”

Some notable signatories of the Cornwall Alliance letter, as of January 5, 2017, included:

• Tim Ball
• Charles G. Battig
• E. Calvin Beisner
• H. Sterling Burnett
• Kenneth Chilton
• Donn Dears
• John Droz
• James E. Enstrom
• Joseph Farah
• Steve Goreham
• Jay Grimstead
• William Happer
• Richard Land
• David Legates
• Richard S. Lindzen
• Anthony R. Lupo
• Rod D. Martin
• Anthony J. Sadar
• Willie Soon
• Roy W. Spencer
• David J. Theroux
• James A. Wanliss
• Anthony Watts
• Peter W. Wood
• Thomas H. Wysmuller
• Benjamin Zycher

May 21–23, 2012

Donn Dears was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7).¹⁸“Seventh International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 8, 2018.

DeSmog researched the co-sponsors behind Heartland’s ICCC7 and found that they had collectively received over $67 million from ExxonMobil, the Koch Brothers and the conservative Scaife family foundations.

Dears’ speech, titled “Why It Is Virtually Impossible to Cut CO2 Emissions by 80 Percent” can be viewed below.

May 1999

Established TSAugust which he describes as a volunteer organization focused on energy issues.¹⁹“Donn Dears,” Linkedin Profile. Accessed May, 2012.

Affiliations

• General Electric — Retired Executive.²⁰Homepage, www.donndears.com. Accessed May, 2012.
• The Marshall Institute — “Expert.”
• Carbon Folly — Author.²¹“About Author,” Carbon Folly. Accessed May, 2012.
• TSAugust — Founder, President, and Contributor.²²“Founder,” TSAugust. Accessed May, 2012.
• Power For USA — President/ Author.²³“About,” Power For USA. Accessed May 18, 2012.

Social Media

• @PowerForUSA/@donnonwordpress on Twitter.

Publications

According to a search of Google Scholar, Donn Dears has not published an article in a peer-reviewed journal on any subject.

Other Resources

Resources

• 1
  “Founder,” TSAugust. Accessed May, 2012.
• 2
  “Founder,” TSAugust. Accessed May, 2012.
• 3
  “Donn Dears,” Linkedin Profile. Accessed May, 2012.
• 4
  “Religion or Science,” Power For USA, January 31, 2012.
• 5
  “PRESS RELEASE: HEARTLAND INSTITUTE EXPERTS REACT TO EPA SCRAPPING THE CLEAN POWER PLAN,” The Heartland Institute, October 9, 2017. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/B9m3e
• 6
  “PRESS RELEASE: HEARTLAND INSTITUTE EXPERTS REACT TO EPA SCRAPPING THE CLEAN POWER PLAN,” The Heartland Institute, October 9, 2017. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/B9m3e
• 7
  “The Gift that Keeps Giving Part II,” Power For USA, May 4, 2012.
• 8
  Don Dears. “Cap & Trade Realities for CO2 Emissions,” George C. Marshall Institute, June 1, 2008.
• 9
  Robin Pogrebin and Somini Sengupta. “A Science Denier at the Natural History Museum? Scientists Rebel,” The New York Times, January 25, 2018. Archived February 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/tAIv4
• 10
  Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Deniers Defend New York’s American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,” DeSmog, February 6, 2018.
• 11
  mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF – Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That.
• 12
  “Clexit for a Brighter Future,” Amazon. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/S4NOD
• 13
  “Donn Dears: Clexit for a Brighter Future,” MixCloud audio uploaded by user “Heartland Daily Podcast.” Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.
• 14
  “PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
• 15
  Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Denier Richard Lindzen’s List of 300 “Scientists” Sent to Trump Is the Usual Parade of Non-Experts,” DeSmog, February 27, 2017.
• 16
  “Open Letter Supporting Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator,” Cornwall Alliance, January 5, 2017. Archived January 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xMash
• 17
  Ben Jervey. “Mapping EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt’s Many Fossil Fuel Ties,” DeSmog, January 13, 2017.
• 18
  “Seventh International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 8, 2018.
• 19
  “Donn Dears,” Linkedin Profile. Accessed May, 2012.
• 20
  Homepage, www.donndears.com. Accessed May, 2012.
• 21
  “About Author,” Carbon Folly. Accessed May, 2012.
• 22
  “Founder,” TSAugust. Accessed May, 2012.
• 23
  “About,” Power For USA. Accessed May 18, 2012.