A recent report by Oren Cass of the Manhattan Institute dismisses scientific evidence on the impact of climate change with a simplistic solution: when global temperatures rise, people just need to turn on their air conditioners.
Since its founding in the late 1970s, the Manhattan Institute has released several controversial studies. However, it has also been respected for its expertise on issues like urban policing and school choice. These studies have been welcomed by politicians and scholars across the socioeconomic spectrum.
So why this sudden, crass report? A major concern in Washington is that think tanks are meant to provide independent expertise to those in power. Yet, they also need to remain politically relevant. To stay relevant, they require access. And, of course, they must answer to wealthy donors—such as the Feinberg family—who hold influence with President Trump. This situation leaves think tanks like the Manhattan Institute, currently ranked 39th in the U.S., with a difficult choice: align with Trump or risk losing influence in a Washington where he holds significant power. Mark Dubowitz, the head of the Manhattan Institute and a self-described political independent, told the New York Times, “Our mission has been to provide research and policy options to three administrations to defend American interests and global leadership.” Larry Mone, the president of the think tank, echoed this sentiment, adding, “When we think the administration is right, we write about it. When we think they are wrong, we write about it.”
This report seems to ignore the gravity of climate change entirely.
At best, it undermines scientific facts. At worst, it casts doubt on the Institute’s editorial standards. Strangely, the report uses a photo of Vilano Beach in St. Johns County as an example of climate adaptation. Yet, Vilano Beach is one of the very communities in Florida currently losing homes to the ocean at an alarming rate.
