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Climate change

Climate Activists Mislead Public on Wildfires, ICJ Flawed Climate Change Ruling

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As the five-year anniversary of the Jasper wildfire approaches, climate activists continue to conflate climate change and wildfires to sway public opinion, according to the Friends of Science Society. Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on climate change has been criticized for its flawed methodology and reliance on "phantom experts." In a new video, the Friends of Science Society argues that the ICJ failed to properly assess the evidence and relied on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as the sole authority, despite the IPCC's own limitations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The IPCC has not detected or attributed fire occurrence or area burned to human-caused climate change, as reported in the Climate Policy Substack by Roger Pielke, Jr. in 2023.
  • A January 2025 Climate Change Risk Assessment report for the Municipality of Jasper downplayed residents' concerns about wildfire, stating that the actual risk of fire is less than the public perception.
  • Retired forester Ken Hodges, who investigated the Jasper wildfire, had scathing comments on the disaster and had independently advocated for years for aggressive action to address the due to hectares of standing deadwood in the park.
  • Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe and an article by Chris Hatch in claim that journalists are failing to tag climate change as the 'why' of wildfires, despite polls showing declining public interest in climate change, with only 14% of Canadians listing climate change as a priority.
  • Canada's Privy Council operates a "nudge" unit and spent $720 million over two years to use psychological tactics to shape Canadian behaviors and attitudes, including climate change.
  • The International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on climate change has been criticized for its flawed methodology and reliance on "phantom experts," with legal scholars Michael A. Becker and Cecily Rose exposing the non-transparent process in a Dec. 03, 2024 commentary.
  • A report by Ross McKitrick estimates that the reduction in global warming is 0.007 ÃCelsius (seven thousandths of a degree C) by 2100.
  • About 60% of the reduction will come from natural climate variability, while about 40% will come from policy actions, Friends of Science Society claims.

Statistics:

  • Only 14% of Canadians listed climate change as a priority (Source: unknown).
  • Climate scientists estimate that the reduction in global warming will be 0.007 ÃCelsius (seven thousandths of a degree C) by 2100 (Source: Ross McKitrick, unknown).
  • $720 million was spent by Canada's Privy Council over two years to use psychological tactics to shape Canadian behaviors and attitudes, including climate change (Source: unknown).
  • The IPCC's AR6 Working Group I Physical Sciences report of 2021 mentions the words 'climate emergency' and 'climate crisis' only once, each, in relation to media coverage (Source: IPCC).
  • About 60% of the reduction in global warming will come from natural climate variability (Source: Friends of Science Society).

Sources:

  • "The IPCC has not detected or attributed fire occurrence or area burned to human-caused climate change." (Source: Roger Pielke, Jr., Climate Policy Substack, 2023)
  • "Parks Canada expressed that the actual risk of fire is less than the public perception." (Source: January 2025 Climate Change Risk Assessment report for the Municipality of Jasper)
  • "Canada is spending about between 2020-2030." (Source: unknown)
  • "Only 14% of Canadians listed climate change as a priority." (Source: unknown)
  • $720 million was spent by Canada's Privy Council over two years to use psychological tactics to shape Canadian behaviors and attitudes, including climate change. (Source: unknown)
  • The IPCC's AR6 Working Group I Physical Sciences report of 2021 mentions the words 'climate emergency' and 'climate crisis' only once, each, in relation to media coverage. (Source: IPCC)
  • "About 60% of the reduction will come from natural climate variability, while about 40% will come from policy actions." (Source: Friends of Science Society)

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