Profile image screenshot from YouTube, John Dale Dunn speaking at the Heartland Institute’s 12th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC12).
John Dale Dunn
Credentials
- J.D., Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska (1979).1“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- M.D., Creighton University (1971).2“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- B.S., biology, Creighton University (1967).3“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
Background
John Dale Dunn is a practicing physician and has worked as a civilian emergency medicine faculty physician at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood Texas since 2003.
John Dale Dunn is also a policy advisor for the Heartland Institute and the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH).
From 1989 to 1995 he was an instructor on environmental law at Howard Payne University, in Brownwood, Texas from 1989 – 1995. He has been a reviewer for the Annals of Emergency Medicine since 1991 and of Military Medicine since 2006.4“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
Stance on Climate Change
“I assert that warm is good for human health and that global warming, even the most extreme estimates, will not create heat illness or death increases and certainly no changes that are more important than the basic public health measures of vector control, water, nutrition, sewage and water quality, and housing quality.”5“First International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 8, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/p3f7V
Key Quotes
“United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-sponsored and funded ‘human health effects science’ research is unreliable and makes irresponsible and outrageous claims about how air pollution causes thousands of deaths.”6“John Dale Dunn & Steve Milloy: The EPA’s Faulty Science Can Be Stopped,” www.AmericanThinker.com, April 19, 2012.
“The internal documents obtained under FOIA revealed the EPA and enviros were looking for a hook and decided the hook they were looking for was the health of children […] Why not? Nothing better to get politicians moving than marching and chanting women in matching t-shirts on a tear, worried about and advocating for their babies.”7“Memo Reveals Bogus EPA Climate Strategy,” The Heartlander. January 30, 2015.
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.8Robin 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
Dunn 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 2008.9Graham 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:10mnh18-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!”
November 9, 2017
Dunn was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s “America First Energy Conference” at the Marriott Hotel in Houston, Texas. Dunn spoke on Panel 4B: “Energy, Climate, and Human Health.” His presentation was titled “Noble Lies”:11“JOHN DALE DUNN,”America First Energy Conference. Archived November 21, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/h7KlZ
- See PDF and PowerPoint of presentation.
The event description read as follows:12“About,” America First Energy. Archived October 11, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8bTTJ
“At the America First Energy Conference, we plan to examine—one year and one day after Trump’s shocking Election Day victory—the following:
“Where does Trump’s America First Energy Plan stand?
“How much progress has been made in implementing it, and what remains to be done?
“What scientific and economic evidence is there that the plan is putting the nation on the right path for economic growth, environmental protection, or both?”13“About,” America First Energy. Archived October 11, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8bTTJ
In a fundraising letter obtained by DeSmog, Fred Palmer had promoted the event as having the goal to “review the scientific and economic evidence that exposes the fraud inherent in the Obama-era regulation regime” while discussing “the overwhelming benefits of fossil fuels to us all.”14October 2017 Fundraising letter by Fred Palmer. On file at Desmog.
Many of the other speakers have regularly spoken at the Heartland Institute’s past ICCCs. Notable speakers listed so far Joe Bast, Fred Palmer, Roger Bezdek, H. Sterling Burnett, Hal Doiron, Paul Driessen, John Dale Dunn, Myron Ebell, Heartland’s new President Tim Huelskamp, Craig Idso, David Legates, Jay Lehr, Anthony Lupo, Ross McKitrick, Steve Milloy, Todd Myers, John Nothdurt, David Schnare, and numerous others.15“SPEAKERS,” America First Energy. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OJWeX
As reported at the Houston Chronicle, speakers notably included two Trump Administration officials: Richard W. Westerdale II of the State Department and Vincent DeVito of the Department of Interior. David Bernhardt, deputy secretary of the Interior Department, was also formerly listed as a Heartland conference speaker, but apparently withdrew.16James Osborne. “Trump officials to appear at Houston event hosted by climate skeptics,” Houston Chronicle, November 2, 2017. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XPtYc
Scott Pruitt also addressed the conference in a recorded video, personally thanking Heartland for “what you’re doing to advance energy” and “for what you’re doing to advance natural resources.17“Scott Pruitt,” America First Energy Conference. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/X4F6m
The Climate Investigations Center put up a parody of the America First Energy conference website, complete with profiles on the individual speakers and highlighting their corporate funding and ties to groups such as the Cooler Heads Coalition (CHC).18“America First Energy Conference Stacked with Climate Change Deniers,” Climate Investigations Center, November 6, 2017. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mISrd
March 23, 2017
Dunn was a panelist at the Heartland Institute’s 12th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC12), appearing on Panel 4A) “Human Health Effects.”19“JOHN DALE DUNN,” Climateconference.heartland.org. Archived April 6, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/1hNLO
February 23, 2017
John Dale Dunn 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).20“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.21“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
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.22Graham 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.
July 7–9, 2014
Dunn was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s Ninth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC9) in Las Vegas, Nevada.23“Return of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,” DeSmog, July 7, 2014. Archived July 14, 2014.
He spoke on Panel 11: “Climate Change, Human Health, and Adaption” with Craig Loehle. Video is available below.
Panel 11: Climate Change, Human Health, and Adaption
Following the panel, Dunn took part with a Q&A also featuring Craig Loehle and Myron Ebell. Note that the Heartland Institute has since switched the Q&A video to “private” and it is no longer viewable on YouTube.
DeSmog has done in-depth research on the other speakers and sponsors from Heartland’s ICCC9, which can be found here.
December 14, 2012
John Dale Dunn disputes the relevance of a study that showed significant health benefits to banning smoking in a local restauraunt. Dunn argues that the study had a conflict of interest, and counters with a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Rand Corporation. 24John Dale Dunn. “Study on Smoking Bans Mischaracterizes Medical Data,” Heartlander. December 14, 2012.
According to Sourcewatch, the National Bureau of Economic Research has been called non-partisian, “but failed to identify a penny of the $10 million it receives in conservative philanthropic underwriting.”25“National Bureau of Economic Research,” SourceWatch. Accessed June 1, 2015.
May 21–23, 2012
Dunn was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7).26“Seventh International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 23, 2018.
His speech, titled “Does Global Warming Harm Human Health?” can be viewed below.
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.
March 8–10, 2009
Dunn was a speaker for the Second International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC2), hosted by the Heartland Institute. His presentation, titled “Human Health Effects of Warming and Cooling” can be viewed below.27“Second International Conference on Climate Change, Program,” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 23, 2018.
DeSmog researched the funding behind the conference and found that sponsor organizations had collectively received over $47 million from energy companies and right-wing foundations, with 78% of that total coming from the Scaife Family of foundations.
March 2008
Dunn was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s First International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC1) in New York.
His speech, titled “Climate Change and Human Health” can be viewed below.28“First International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 8, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/p3f7V
Affiliations
- The Heartland Institute — “Expert” and Policy Advisor.29“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- American Council on Science and Health — Policy Advisor.30“Scientific Advisors,” American Council on Science and Health. Archived January 10, 2010.
Publications
According to a search of Google Scholar, Dunn has published a number of papers in medical journals.
He does not appear to have published any papers related to climate, or climate change and human health.
Other Resources
Resources
- 1“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- 2“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- 3“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- 4“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- 5“First International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 8, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/p3f7V
- 6
- 7“Memo Reveals Bogus EPA Climate Strategy,” The Heartlander. January 30, 2015.
- 8Robin 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
- 9Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Deniers Defend New York’s American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,” DeSmog, February 6, 2018.
- 10mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF – Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That.
- 11“JOHN DALE DUNN,”America First Energy Conference. Archived November 21, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/h7KlZ
- 12“About,” America First Energy. Archived October 11, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8bTTJ
- 13“About,” America First Energy. Archived October 11, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/8bTTJ
- 14October 2017 Fundraising letter by Fred Palmer. On file at Desmog.
- 15“SPEAKERS,” America First Energy. Archived October 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OJWeX
- 16James Osborne. “Trump officials to appear at Houston event hosted by climate skeptics,” Houston Chronicle, November 2, 2017. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XPtYc
- 17“Scott Pruitt,” America First Energy Conference. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/X4F6m
- 18“America First Energy Conference Stacked with Climate Change Deniers,” Climate Investigations Center, November 6, 2017. Archived November 20, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mISrd
- 19“JOHN DALE DUNN,” Climateconference.heartland.org. Archived April 6, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/1hNLO
- 20“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
- 21“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
- 22Graham 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.
- 23“Return of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,” DeSmog, July 7, 2014. Archived July 14, 2014.
- 24John Dale Dunn. “Study on Smoking Bans Mischaracterizes Medical Data,” Heartlander. December 14, 2012.
- 25“National Bureau of Economic Research,” SourceWatch. Accessed June 1, 2015.
- 26“Seventh International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 23, 2018.
- 27“Second International Conference on Climate Change, Program,” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 23, 2018.
- 28“First International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 8, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/p3f7V
- 29“Heartland Experts: Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., J.D.”, The Heartland Institute. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- 30“Scientific Advisors,” American Council on Science and Health. Archived January 10, 2010.
