Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is an independent economic and social research organization based in Canada, established in 1974. Rooted in conservative and libertarian philosophies, it promotes free market principles and is known for its critical stance on public policy measures such as spending, taxation, and regulation aimed at addressing economic issues. The institute seeks to demonstrate that complex economic challenges can be effectively tackled through innovative market solutions. Its membership includes influential figures from various sectors, including academia and politics.
One significant area of focus for the Fraser Institute is climate change, where it challenges prevailing scientific consensus regarding human contributions to global warming. The institute argues that significant warming is not supported by certain data, such as weather satellite observations, and questions the reliability of computer models used to predict climate scenarios. Additionally, it emphasizes the existence of natural climatic variations and advocates for market-based environmental policies as solutions to environmental concerns in Canada. Through its publications, the Fraser Institute aims to contribute to the discourse on both economic policies and environmental issues, providing alternative viewpoints for consideration.
Fraser Institute
- DATE: Established 1974
Mission
Based in Canada and grounded in conservative and libertarian philosophies, the independent economic and social research and education organization the Fraser Institute espouses free market principles. This think tank is highly critical of scientific claims that support human contributions to global warming. It focuses on advocating for freedom and competitive markets and on opposing public policy solutions such as spending, taxation, and regulation for economic problems.
Significance for Climate Change
The Fraser Institute seeks to illustrate how complex economic problems should and can be solved with innovative market solutions. The institute was established by a group of academics and business executives in order to study the impact of markets and government interventions on individuals and society. Membership includes high-profile figures and individuals from a wide range of backgrounds such as Michael Walker, an economist from the University of Western Ontario; former Reform Party leader Preston Manning; former Ontario Conservative premier Michael Harris; and Barbara Amiel, wife of columnist Conrad Black. The institute is highly critical of some widely accepted scientific evidence on climate change. Its February 1, 2007, publication titled The Independent Summary for Policymakers: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, links directly to discussions included in the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) draft report.
The institute seeks to refute popular scientific views on climate change by pointing to various studies. The basis of its claim includes data collected by weather satellites indicating that no significant warming is occurring in the tropical (the portion of the atmosphere that accounts for half the world’s atmosphere), as well as a lack of global-warming-related perturbations in long-term precipitation trends, total snow-covered area, snow depth, or arctic thickness. The institute also argues that considerable natural climatic variation exists and that greenhouse gas emissions cannot be correlated to climate change. Finally, it asserts that computer simulations tend to be inherently uncertain and inaccurate at the regional level.
The Fraser Institute has published information dedicated to specific countries. In A Breath of Fresh Air: The State of Environmental Policy in Canada (2008), the Fraser Institute addresses Canadians’ concern for the environment and frustration with costly and intrusive environmental policies. The book outlines several market-based environmental policy solutions geared to improve the state of the environment and includes chapters dedicated to the discussion of air-pollution policy; water, forests, and fisheries management; and waste and recycling systems in Canada.
"About the Fraser Institute." The Fraser Institute, 2024, www.fraserinstitute.org/about-us. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
"Fraser Institute News Release: Business Investment in Key Sectors Linked with Higher Living Standards Significantly Weaker in Canada than in US for Decades." Financial Post, 24 Sept. 2024, financialpost.com/globe-newswire/fraser-institute-news-release-business-investment-in-key-sectors-linked-with-higher-living-standards-significantly-weaker-in-canada-than-in-u-s-for-decades. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
Rao, Aditya and Tracy Glynn. "Past Time to Stop Platforming the Fraser Institute. Canada Can Afford Its Own Health Care." Canadian Health Coalition, 16 Aug. 2022, www.healthcoalition.ca/past-time-to-stop-platforming-the-fraser-institute-canada-can-afford-public-health-care/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.