Mirabile Investment Corporation (MIC), a major owner of Burger King franchises in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, decided to sell climate change denial along with their high fat, sodium, and calorie menu options. The store signs for MIC Burger King franchises were used to sell bull manure with their miscellaneous beef byproducts, announcing that "Global Warming is Baloney." (Fried bologna is a delicacy in the south... ).
Why Exxon and other greenhouse gas polluters want to engage in climate change disinformation campaigns is obvious. Their profit margins are at risk by curbing carbon and methane emissions from regulation, conservation, and development of clean alternative fuel sources. However, it is less clear why a corporation that sells fast food would enter the global warming debate other than hoping for a little publicity.
The story gained some notoriety last week when the Memphis Flyer newspaper (Memphis is the hometown of MIC) ran several articles about the signs. (Hat tip to Americablog for picking up on the story.) The striking feature of that story is that reporters were unable to get an accurate answer to the basic question of how many MIC Burger King locations were going to sport the climate change denial baloney. The manager of one MIC location noted that the sign was intentional and reflected the opinion of the Burger King Corporation.
BK: The sign was put up yesterday.
Davis: And it's not a mistake?
BK: No.
Davis: It reflects the opinion of BK international?
BK: Yes. Would you like to talk to the home office? I can give you a number.
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As noted by the Guardian, Burger King Corporation distanced itself from the actions of the MIC franchises. The reporter at the Memphis Flyer received the following email from Susan Robison, the vice president of corporate communications at the Burger King Corporation:
This statement ["Global Warming is baloney"] does not reflect a Burger King Corp. (BKC) opinion or view. The two restaurants where these signs appeared are independently owned and operated and were not authorized to display this statement. The signs have since been removed. BKC believes in operating as a socially responsible company and is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where it lives and works.
FYI: The signs appeared on more than 2 restaurants.
For such a socially responsible company, committed to having a positive impact on communities, I am sure they would never refuse to pay farm workers even a penny more per pound for tomatoes.
MIC is refusing to take the signs down as a matter of principle. In a masterpiece of poorly chosen words, MIC's marketing president, John McNelis fired back:
"I would think [Burger King] would run from any form of controversy kinda like cockroaches when the lights get turned on," said Mr McNelis.
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Perhaps the braintrust at MIC did not see that associating a fast food corporation with cockroaches might not be the best choice of metaphor. This is particularly true for Burger King which was ranked number 1 in Dateline's investigation of food safety violations.
So which fast food chain finished number one on Dateline’s dirty dining list? It’s Burger King. The 100 Burger Kings we sampled rang up a whopping 241 total critical violations. Health inspectors cited a Virginia Burger King for 14 separate critical violations: employees not washing their hands, uncovered food in the fridge, grime and debris found on this ice chute, and on the drink machine at the drive-thru widow. We observed one employee scooping ice into a cup with his bare hands, an apparent critical violation.
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McNelis then went on free speech rant and gave Burger King the proverbial finger.
"By the time the Burger King lawyers work out how to make that stick we'd be in the year 2020."
This food fight is amusing to watch and some of the comments from big-brained conservatives are even funnier.
I have not eaten at a Burger King in almost 10 years (been on a health kick) - but I WILL CERTAINLY BUY ONE WHOPPER A DAY FOR THE NEXT MONTH just to show my support. Why is it that liberals can make some assanine statement and get praised for their stand but every time a conservative makes a statement he has to get crucified? Thanks for being bold and being AMERICAN, Burger King. By American, I mean you use your freedom of speech. Thanks! I almost thought they had succeeded in taking that one away from us! OK - gotta run now - going out to buy my Whopper!
Why stop at one a day for a month? Put your saturated fat where your mouth is - go for three a day for at least a year.
"Global warmers predict that global warming is coming, and our emissions are to blame. They do that to keep us worried about our role in the whole thing. If we aren't worried and guilty, we might not pay their salaries. It's that simple."
Kary Mullis, Winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Note: Kary Mullis is also on record as being a skeptic on whether HIV causes AIDS.
"No one has ever proven that HIV causes AIDS. We have not been able to discover any good reasons why most of the people on earth believe that AIDS is a disease caused by a virus called HIV."
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No surprised here that the author has dreams about the BK mascot. If he believes the global warming hoax is real science, Davis most likely believes the BK mascot is real too! Not only do I applaud Burger King, I'm going to make a special trip to Memphis this weekend to visit both of these locations with a group of Gifted & Talented school kids.
For this honesty in the face of mindless liberal arrogance, I declare Burger King my preferred choice anytime fast food is an option. Note to the editor of the Memphis Flier: You might consider a remedial journalism course for Chris Davis.
Careful not to drive off the edge of the earth when you make those special trips.
Me? I'm now a Burger King customer! At least some manager somehwere had the balls to put in writing what (almost) everyone know is true. For those of you out there who DO believe in human-caused global warming, catch uup on your reading. Read Ian Plimer's new book, "Heaven and Earth - Global Warming:The Missing Science."
Plimer is widely known for savaging creationism. Perhaps BK should show their big balls by putting "Creationism is Bunk" on their signs in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Too many of you here could have a liberal politician piss in YOUR pocket and believe it when told, "It's only rain." GET REAL! Some atmospheric science experts have changed their minds about AGW happening: after decades, the data does not support man-made global warming. (BTW, that 'DATA' is defective worldwide - i.e, station thermometer readings taken near air conditioning units, and so on.) Sadly, too many of you will avoid doing some serious study - and clear, logical thinking - about AGW. Are you really going to keep on saying, "Yeah, it's raining!"
Those dang air conditioners must be causing the disappearance of polar ice as well.
Burger King CEO John Chidsey is on record as saying that climate change is "an overriding issue of importance for the global community, business community and people in general." However, the importance of climate change has not translated into meaningful action. Their Climate Counts corporate score is 0.
Change from previous year's score: No Change
Review: 0/22 points. Climate Counts found no public information to indicate that Burger King has started to measure the impact it has on global warming (i.e., its greenhouse gas emissions or climate footprint).
Reduce: 0/56 points. Climate Counts found no public information to indicate that Burger King has reduced its impact on global warming (i.e., its greenhouse gas emissions or climate footprint).
Policy Stance: 0/10 points. Climate Counts found no public information to suggest that Burger King supports public policy that addresses climate change.
Report: 0/12 points.Climate Counts found no information on any efforts that Burger King has made to address climate change.
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For those in Tennessee, Arkansas, or Mississippi, here is a list of MIC Burger King franchises to avoid if you are desperate for little junk food.
