Advertiser walks away from anti-science Heartland

Posted by Greg Laden on May 6, 2012
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This just in:

Diageo announces it is to end funding of Heartland Institute
Diageo, one the world’s largest drinks companies, has announced it will no longer fund the Heartland Institute, a rightwing US thinktank which briefly ran a billboard campaign this week comparing people concerned about climate change to mass murderers and terrorists, such as Osama bin Laden, Charles Manson and Ted Kaczynski.

On Thursday, a billboard appeared over the Eisenhower Expressway in Illinois showing a picture of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber who in 1996 was convicted of a 17-year mail bombing campaign that killed three people and injured dozens. The caption read: “I still believe in global warming. Do you?” A day later it was withdrawn.

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Comments

  1. #1 Amoeba
    May 6, 2012

    Eli Rabett said seppuku. Let’s hope it’s fatal.

  2. #2 Amoeba
    May 6, 2012

    I hope seppuku’s catching among deniers.

  3. #3 Phil
    May 7, 2012

    I don’t see why a drink company would fund climate denial any way other than the personal politics of the board of directors.

  4. #4 Greg Laden
    May 7, 2012

    Phil: Heartland does other kinds of lobbying and public disinformation. For instance, cigarette companies funded them to make the case that cigarettes were harmless. I’m not sure what a soft drink company would be looking for specifically, but I’m sure the’re’s something.

  5. #5 Barry
    May 8, 2012

    Diageo is an alcoholic beverage company. According to a spokeswoman in the above article, “Diageo’s only association with the Heartland Institute was limited to a small contribution made two years ago specifically related to an excise tax issue. Diageo has no plans to work with the Heartland Institute in the future.”