The Koch brothers are doubling down on their offense against Pope Francis’ efforts to curb the effects of climate change. Earlier this week, the Kochs lashed out at the pope’s stance and spouted misleading rhetoric and junk science.
A Koch-funded think-tank, the Heartland Institute, today continued to attack the pope for working with world leaders and the United Nations on climate change in a American Spectator post entitled, “Francis is Out of His Element.” Their case boils down to protecting oil billionaires so they can drill for fossil fuels at faster rates…sound familiar?
H. Sterling Burnett, a research fellow at the Institute, takes it further and argues the pope is being swayed by people who support forcible population control programs:
“Those pushing for bans on fossil fuel use think too many humans are the environmental problem. Many of them worship the creation, not the Creator. The same people pushing the pope to join the fight against climate change support forcible population control programs such as those operating in China. That is not a Christian position.”On its website, Heartland even insists that the pope is listening to “false witnesses:”
“Climate alarmists have misrepresented the facts, concocted false data, and tried to shut down a reasonable, scientific debate on the issue of climate change. This conduct violates the Eighth Commandment: ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'”
Ironically, not only is Heartland using false facts to shroud their argument for the Koch agenda, but the brothers have been bearing false witness on climate change for thirty-odd years. The fight they’ve picked with Pope Francis isn’t going to end well for them.