Diageo, the parent company which owns Guinness, Johnny Walker, Smirnoff and Moet & Chandon says will no longer associate or fund Heartland Institute due to it's association with climate change deniers.
"Diageo vigorously opposes climate scepticism and our actions are proof of this. 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."
In February, hero US scientist,
Peter Gleick, admitted obtaining and publishing internal Heartland documents which showed that Diageo had given the thinktank $10,000 (£6,190) in 2010. The documents, one of which Heartland later claimed was a fake, said the thinktank was expecting another $10,000 from Diageo this year.
The Heartland documents revealed by Gleick also revealed the extent of it's contribution to funding and advancing the climate denial network. The reveal also showed the extent of Heartland's attempt to indoctrinate school systems into it's climate change denial agenda and the close ties it has to the Koch Brothers.
More serious to Heartland is the news that there is a mutiny of its Washington D.C. staff.
The Heartland Institute's failed billboard campaign attacking the existence of climate change is driving a surge of corporate donors to abandon the group and prompting a mutiny among its Washington-based staff, which is decamping for less volatile surroundings, according to sources.
At the center of the retreat is a contingent of insurance companies and trade groups that donated more than $1 million over the last two years to the libertarian group's Center on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate in Washington, D.C., for programs related to federal insurance reform.
Microsoft has also sent out a letter distancing itself from Heartland.
So as Heartland Institute is unraveling, the scientist Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute who was responsible for revealing Heartland's internal agenda is turning out to be a true hero to the environmental movement. More of this please.
UPDATE 5/8 Looks like 2 more have jumped the sinking ship. Insurers State Farm and Bermuda Insurers have had enough. Keep up the pressure..current client list below the orange scroll.
2:39 PM PT: from Lawrence Lewis in comments: here is current list of Heartland donors:
http://pinterest.com/...
Also notice Microsoft did NOT say they would withhold help just gave them a slap