Heartland Institute

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The Heartland Institute
Type 501(c)(3)
Headquarters 19 South LaSalle Street Suite 903
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Key people President and CEO: Joseph L. Bast
VP: Diane C. Bast
Chairman: Herbert J. Walberg
Area served Worldwide
Revenue US$2,747,328 (2006)[1]
Website www.heartland.org

The Heartland Institute is a conservative, free-market oriented public policy think tank based in Chicago, Illinois. It is a non-profit organization, designated 501(c)(3) by the IRS. Contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations make up the bulk of its funding.

The Heartland Institute's research covers a variety of issues including government spending, taxation, healthcare, and the environment, and was focused on policies only relevant to the Midwestern United States. Though since, they have become nationally focused. In addition to research, the Heartland Institute features an Internet application called PolicyBot which serves as a clearinghouse for research from other think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation, American Legislative Exchange Council, and Cato Institute. The Institute's president and CEO is Joseph L. Bast and the vice president is Diane C. Bast.

The Heartland Institute's publications include School Reform News, Budget and Tax News, Environment News, Health Care News, Lawsuit Abuse Fortnightly, and Info Tech and Telecom News. These are primarily aimed at state legislators. School Reform News, Budget and Tax News, Environment News and Health Care News are arranged in newspaper format and include articles by experts drawn mostly from other free-market think tanks.

Contents

[edit] Global warming

The Institute was a member organization of the Cooler Heads Coalition which questioned the impact of global warming and claimed that climate control policies hurt consumers.[citation needed] The Board of Directors for the Heartland Institute includes Thomas Walton,[2] Director, Economic Policy Analysis, General Motors Corporation.[3]

Heartland's publications make the following assertions about climate change:

  • "Most scientists do not believe human activities threaten to disrupt the Earth's climate."[4]
  • "The most reliable temperature data show no global warming trend."[4]
  • "A modest amount of global warming, should it occur, would be beneficial to the natural world and to human civilization."[4]
  • "The best strategy to pursue is one of 'no regrets'."[4]

In March 2008, the Heartland Institute sponsored a gathering of global warming skeptics in New York City, at which the participants criticized the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore.[5][6]

[edit] Tobacco

The Institute has been actively involved in debate over tobacco policy, opposing restrictions on smoking[7].

[edit] Criticisms

Heartland has been criticized[8][9] for employing executives from such corporations as ExxonMobil, General Motors, and Philip Morris on its board of directors and in its public relations department.[2]

[edit] Heartland Institute's list of 500 scientists

On April 29, 2008, environmental journalist Richard Littlemore revealed that a list of "500 Scientists with Documented Doubts of Man-Made Global Warming Scares"[1] included at least 45 scientists who neither knew of their inclusion as "coauthors" of the article, nor agreed with its contents.[2] Many of the scientists asked the Heartland Institute to remove their names from the list; for instance, Dr. Cutter from the Old Dominion University was reported by Littlemore as saying,

“ I have NO doubts ..the recent changes in global climate ARE man-induced. I insist that you immediately remove my name from this list since I did not give you permission to put it there. ”

However, the Heartland Institute refused to remove any names from the list, and insisted that

“ The point should be obvious: There is no scientific consensus that global warming is a crisis.[3] ”

[edit] Funding

The Heartland Institute receives donations from approximately 1,600 individuals, foundations, and corporations. No single corporate entity donates more than 5% of the operating budget according to brochures from the company[10].

In a statement made by Dr. James McCarthy on March 28, 2007 to the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight (House Science Committee), it was disclosed that Exxon-Mobil contributed at total of $560,000 to the Heartland Institute between 1998 and 2005[11].

[edit] References

  1. ^ IRS Form 990 (2006), The Heartland Institute
  2. ^ a b http://www.heartland.org/FAQArticle.cfm?faqId=3
  3. ^ Thomas F. Walton Biography
  4. ^ a b c d Heartland Institute's "Instant Expert Guide: Global Warming" retrieved 4 March 2008
  5. ^ Cool View of Science at Meeting on Warming, by Andrew C. Revkin. Published in the New York Times on March 4, 2008; accessed March 4, 2008.
  6. ^ Tobacco and oil pay for climate conference, by Steve Connor. Published in The Independent on March 3, 2008; accessed March 4, 2008.
  7. ^ Talking Points on the Proposed Chicago Smoking Ban
    by Joseph L. Bast - by Joseph L. Bast - The Heartland Institute
  8. ^ Sock Puppets of Industry
  9. ^ [http://www.buffalobeast.com/81/wind.htm A Mighty Wind: Wind Power Threatens Corporate Bottom Line]
  10. ^ http://www.heartland.org/FAQArticle.cfm?faqId=7
  11. ^ http://gop.science.house.gov/hearings/oversight07/March%2028/McCarthy.pdf

[edit] External links