General Motors pulls funding from climate sceptic thinktank Heartland
Source: The Guardian
General Motors, the world's largest carmaker, has confirmed that it is pulling funding from the Heartland Institute, an ultra-conservative thinktank known for its scepticism about climate change.
The decision by the GM Foundation to halt its support for Heartland after 20 years underlines the new image the carmaker is seeking to project as part of its social responsibility programme. In the past GM has itself been associated with efforts to discredit climate change science, but in recent years it has been investing heavily in green technologies and cars including the electric/petrol hybrid, the Chevy Volt.
In a statement, GM said that it now runs its business "as if climate change is real and believe we have a role to play in developing new cars, trucks and technologies that can make a difference".
The funding cut just $15,000 a year is small beer for the institute, which has a multi-million dollar turnover, largely from a single anonymous donor. But it is a blow to the standing of the thinktank and to the leading role it plays as an advocate of climate change scepticism.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/30/climate-change-general-motors-heartland-institute
dballance
(5,756 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,361 posts)Thanks for the thread, Newsjock.
Mysfyt
(50 posts)refreshing to see a company be accountable for themselves.
thanks.
jimlup
(7,968 posts)I mean it is one thing to be guilty of "wishful corporate thinking" and quite another to be in out right denial. Further - denial is going to be very very costly. Companies like GM would do well to position themselves on the side of the FACTS.
PFunk
(876 posts)I.e higher gas mileage, alt, fuels, battery/fuel cell power-plants, etc. But I think it was the backlash against it's Volt that was the last straw.
MindMover
(5,016 posts)SemperEadem
(8,053 posts)that's $15g more that the kochsuckers have to fork over.