EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Aligns with Climate Deniers at Heartland Institute Keynote as Environmental Groups Demand Resignation

In a move that underscores a radical shift in American environmental policy, Lee Zeldin, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), delivered a keynote address on Wednesday morning at a conference hosted by the Heartland Institute, a think tank renowned for its long-standing rejection of established climate science. Speaking before a crowd of skeptics and industry advocates in Washington, D.C., Zeldin signaled a definitive break from the scientific consensus that has guided the agency for decades, characterizing the pursuit of climate mitigation as the product of "bad, flawed assumptions" and a "cabal" of global elites.

The appearance marks a significant milestone in the 14-month tenure of Zeldin, who was appointed by Donald Trump to lead the agency tasked with protecting human health and the environment. During his address, Zeldin explicitly rejected the "doom and gloom" projections of climate scientists and political figures such as John Kerry, Al Gore, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He asserted that the EPA under his leadership would no longer prioritize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions based on what he described as a "script" regarding the imminent end of the world. Instead, Zeldin advocated for a perspective that emphasizes the benefits of carbon dioxide, arguing that previous administrations ignored "what’s good and necessary about carbon dioxide for the life of the planet."

The Rhetoric of Defiance and the Heartland Alliance

The choice of venue for Zeldin’s speech is as significant as the content of the address itself. The Heartland Institute has been at the forefront of climate skepticism since the early 2000s, famously launching a billboard campaign in 2012 that compared individuals concerned about global warming to the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. The institute has historically received funding from major fossil fuel interests, including ExxonMobil and Shell, as well as the Mercer family, prominent donors to conservative and populist causes.

Zeldin’s speech leaned heavily into populist rhetoric, framing the scientific community and former government officials as a "ruling class" that had monopolized the definition of "truth." He told the audience, "What happened for years and decades in this country is that the elite, the ruling class, the people who would run the agencies… would decide exactly which model is the chosen model." By aligning himself with the Heartland Institute, Zeldin has effectively integrated the EPA into a network of organizations that view international climate agreements and domestic emissions regulations as existential threats to American sovereignty and industrial capacity.

Chronology of Deregulation: Zeldin’s First 14 Months

Zeldin’s appearance at the conference serves as a thematic summation of his first 14 months in office, a period defined by the systematic dismantling of Obama- and Biden-era environmental protections. Since taking the helm of the EPA in early 2025, Zeldin has overseen a series of actions that have fundamentally altered the agency’s operational footprint:

• January – March 2025: Shortly after confirmation, Zeldin initiated a massive reduction in the EPA workforce, targeting offices dedicated to environmental justice and climate research. Dozens of climate-related programs were shuttered, and career scientists were reassigned or encouraged to retire.
• Summer 2025: The EPA began a rolling series of "regulatory relief" measures, exempting thousands of industrial facilities from strict air and water quality reporting requirements. Zeldin argued these moves were necessary to "unleash American energy" and reduce the "administrative burden" on the private sector.
• September 2025: The administration released a controversial Department of Energy (DOE) report authored by climate skeptics, including Ross McKitrick and Judith Curry. The report challenged the necessity of regulating greenhouse gases, though it was widely panned by the broader scientific community as a "mockery of science."
• February 2026: In what is considered the most consequential move of his tenure, Zeldin finalized the repeal of the "Endangerment Finding." This 2009 legal determination, sparked by the Supreme Court case Massachusetts v. EPA, established that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare, providing the legal foundation for the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act.
• April 2026: Zeldin’s keynote at the Heartland Institute solidifies his administration’s stance, moving from policy rollback to the active promotion of climate skepticism as official government posture.

The Scientific Reality and the Endangerment Finding

The repeal of the Endangerment Finding has drawn the fiercest criticism from the global scientific community. For over 15 years, the finding served as the bedrock for regulations on vehicle emissions, power plant outputs, and methane leaks. By rescinding this finding, Zeldin has not only removed current regulations but has also created a legal vacuum designed to prevent future administrations from easily reinstating climate protections.

Scientific data continues to contradict the narrative presented at the Heartland conference. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and data from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century, with the vast majority of that warming occurring in the last 40 years. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have reached 420 parts per million, the highest in millions of years.

While Heartland Institute speakers like James Taylor and Anthony Watts argued at the conference that increased CO2 is "restoring more ideal conditions" for plant life, climate scientists point out that the associated heatwaves, rising sea levels, and acidification of oceans far outweigh any localized "greening" effects. The scientific consensus remains that carbon dioxide is a primary driver of the greenhouse effect, leading to the increased frequency of extreme weather events that cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually in disaster recovery.

Official Responses and Growing Opposition

The reaction to Zeldin’s speech was swift and polarized. Inside the Hotel Washington, Zeldin was hailed as a "rock star" and a "friend of sound science" by Craig Rucker, president of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT). The audience cheered at every mention of the Endangerment Finding’s repeal, viewing it as a victory over "regulatory overreach."

Outside the venue, however, the atmosphere was one of protest. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Action placed posters around the hotel, condemning Zeldin for "executing on the playbook of denial." Joanna Slaney, vice-president of the EDF, stated that Zeldin’s participation in the event was a "brazen betrayal" of the EPA’s mission to protect the public.

Last month, a coalition of more than 160 environmental and public health organizations signed a joint letter calling for Zeldin’s immediate resignation or firing. The letter argued that Zeldin has transitioned the EPA from a regulatory body into a "promotional arm for the fossil fuel industry." Public health advocates have expressed particular concern that the rollback of air quality standards will lead to thousands of premature deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, particularly in "fenceline" communities located near industrial hubs.

Broader Impact and Global Implications

The implications of Zeldin’s leadership extend far beyond U.S. borders. By rejecting the scientific basis for climate action, the United States has effectively abandoned its role in international climate diplomacy. This shift complicates the efforts of the Paris Agreement, as other major emitters may feel less pressure to meet their own reduction targets if the world’s second-largest emitter is actively promoting the benefits of carbon dioxide.

Domestically, the "Zeldin Doctrine" is expected to face a barrage of legal challenges. Environmental groups and several states, led by California and New York, have already filed lawsuits to block the repeal of the Endangerment Finding. Legal experts suggest that the administration’s reliance on the controversial DOE report and Heartland Institute rhetoric may be a liability in court, where "arbitrary and capricious" standards require agencies to base policy changes on a rational connection between the facts found and the choice made.

Furthermore, Zeldin’s speech highlighted the influence of "Project 2025," a policy blueprint for a second Trump term that advocates for the total restructuring of the federal bureaucracy. The Heartland Institute’s role as a contributor to this blueprint suggests that the current rollbacks are only the beginning of a larger effort to permanently diminish the federal government’s capacity to oversee environmental and public health standards.

As Zeldin concluded his remarks on Wednesday, he reaffirmed his commitment to the administration’s path, stating that his actions were exactly what the American public voted for. "What we are doing in the last 14 months is no surprise," Zeldin said. "It is what I pledged during my confirmation hearing… and thank God they did."

The divide between the EPA’s current leadership and the scientific community has never been wider. While the Heartland Institute celebrates a "restoration of realism," the rest of the world watches a pivotal agency undergo a transformation that could redefine the global climate trajectory for generations to come. For now, the EPA stands as an agency at war with its own foundational science, led by an administrator who views the consensus of the world’s scientists as a "script" to be discarded.