Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Heartland Institute it's Time to pop the Champagne!

The owner of Moët & Chandon, Diageo Brands, has announced it will cut funding to the Heartland Institute over their idiotic Unabomber Global Warming billboard on the Ike (the perennially under-construction Eisenhower Expressway).

Heartland, ran an unabashedly emotional appeal, precisely because the overwhelming evidence indicates man-made climate change is an occurring phenomenon. Heartland is also standing by their original "experiment" by keeping the statement, "most prominent advocates of global warming aren’t scientists. They are murderers, tyrants, and madmen" proudly displayed on their website.

Fortunately, Heartland has been steadily losing funders and supporters. Back in March, General Motors confirmed it ended funding and it's 20 year association with the Heartland Institute.

Of course, dozens of companies still donate to Heartland Institute including a nice little Koch. The Charles G. Koch Foundation reportedly donated $200,000 in 2011. But, One-Fifth of their 2011 funding came from One Anonymous Donor,
"Our climate work is attractive to funders, especially our key Anonymous Donor (whose contribution dropped from $1,664,150 in 2010 to $979,000 in 2011 - about 20% of our total 2011 revenue). He has promised an increase in 2012…” [See the Story: Heartland Institute Exposed: Internal Documents Unmask Heart of Climate Denial Machine over at DeSmogBlog for more details of the chicanery of the Heartland Institute.]
So the loss of Diageo and General Motors funding won't affect their mission of lying to sow doubt about man-made climate change. And there is absolutely no conflict of interest from having Koch Industries, one of the worst most profligate polluting Conglomerates in the United States, or any Corporation heavily invested in undercutting the EPA or environmental laws, providing Heartland funding.

But, Heartland please keep up the billboards along the Ike! You're helping the Illinois economy, hurting yourselves and making more people view climate change deniers, such as yourself, as dangerous loons.

Image created by NewsCorpse.

7 comments:

  1. So what is the right temperature for the earth?

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  2. @ silverfiddle;
    About 5.4°F less than the last 12 months. As a farmer I can tell you food crops have a narrow range to do well in, above that and the tomato does not "set" fruit, corn produces fewer and smaller kernels, cattle gain weight slower, and so on. Humans can be killed by a fever of as little as 5 degrees, plants are somewhat like us, higher temps mean less fruit, increased weakness to disease, pests, competition from invasives. Moving food crops to cooler regions will not work, proper soil types and equivalent day light do not exist in enough locations to transfer production.

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  3. Yellow Fringe, There you go confusing poor Silverfiddle with facts. Although I admire your ability to be concise and to-the-point- Maybe you can even get through to Silver.

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  4. You are seriously saying the global temperature has risen over 5 degrees in the past year? or even 10 years?

    You've got to be joking?

    Averaged over all land and ocean surfaces, temperatures have warmed roughly 1.33°F (0.74ºC) over the last century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

    http://www2.ucar.edu/climate/faq#t2506n1341

    So according to you, the earth has been too hot for a long time.

    I don't want to confuse you, but you do realize that the earth does not enjoy a uniform temperature, so presumably, while your geographic area is too hot to grow tomatoes, it's probably just right for those south of you.

    Would you really be so selfish as to lower the earth's thermostat 5 degrees, and thereby blow it for them?

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  5. Averaged April temps were 5.4°F above the 20th century average for April, and 1.6° above the previous 06 record for April. You are not confusing me at all when you speak of non uniform tempes, I learned about that in weather school in the Air Force, and occluded fronts too. The ref you make is good, acknowledging the temp rise over the combined surfaces of the earth, but you assumed that I meant the same, my figures are for US (48) WHICH IS WHERE I FARM.
    And by the way, don't talk to me, today the state of Kansas passed a new tax law, farm income is not taxable, I don't pay taxes any more cause the GOP here says I am now one of those job creators, the protocol that goes with being a non tax paying job creator does not give you the right to speak to me if I forbid it.

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  6. Nicely done, Fringe! I noticed Silverfiddle had attempted a pivoting lunge using "global temperature". It's a standard conservative maneuver to alter the field of battle so they can obfuscate the issue and muddy the waters.

    Most right-wingers are duped but Silverfiddle is a duper.

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  7. OK, so how do you turn down the temperature in just your area and just for certain times of the year?

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