‘Climate Forward’ Conference in NYT asks for Questions (wake ahead?)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- September 5, 2025

The New York Times, the climate alarmist paper of record, is sponsoring the “Climate Forward” conference in New York City on Wednesday September 24th. Will it be a wake? Consider the latest promotional push by Times reporter David Gelles:

“This has been perhaps one of the most consequential years ever for United States climate policy,” he notes, promising “frank discussions about what it all means.”

Announced Speakers

The announced speakers are fringe: Brian Schatz (Senate Democrat, Hawaii); Abigail Dillen (Earthjustice); Scott Strazik, (GE Vernova); Manish Bapna, (Natural Resources Defense Council); and Bob Mumgaard (Commonwealth Fusion Systems).

Where is everybody? Will Al Gore and John Kerry appear to rally the demoralized? Michael “Climategate” Mann? What about Angry Joe Romm? John Holdren? Jigar Shaw and Jennifer Granholm of Biden’s U.S. Department of Energy?

Trump Effect

Back to the climate conference. The “Trump Effect,” Gelles states,

has given many in the United States — and around the world — whiplash. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. had positioned itself as a global climate leader and was making strides to reduce emissions at home.

Trump has withdrawn from international efforts to address global warming while plowing ahead with a domestic agenda that will delay any transition away from fossil fuels. All of this has happened as global temperatures and planet-warming emissions continue their upward trajectories, and extreme weather is wreaking havoc from Texas to California and beyond.

Or not, as temperatures have moderated, and predicted hurricanes have lagged alarmist predictions so far (if so, it was in spite of climate change; if not, it was because of climate change).

Questions

The Times promotional piece then lists these (fair) questions:

• What does the Trump administration mean for the push to address climate change?
• What happens to climate action now?
• How will the rest of the world keep moving forward even as the United States steps back?
• Are net zero goals unrealistic?
• What can local communities do to combat global warming and protect the environment?

Answers? Climate politics is collapsing, and a new standard of human betterment (Alex Epstein to Chris Wright) is knocking at the door. It is time to change course from (futile, wasteful) mitigation politics/policy to anticipation and free-market adaptation to extreme weather, whatever the cause. Just as before the climate scare. Just like before the era of conditioned air. Just like for all of human history in the face of danger,

The piece ends:

Write to us at climateforward@nytimes.com and share your thoughts. We hope you’ll follow along on the day of the event. “We read every message, and reply to many!”

Readers respond!