Heartland Institute

Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = The Heartland Institute
Non-profit_
vector_
Non-profit_type = 501(c)(3)
founded_date =
founder =
location = 19 South LaSalle Street Suite 903
Chicago, Illinois, USA
area_served = Worldwide
origins =
key_people = President and CEO: Joseph L. Bast Executive VP: Dan Miller VP: Kevin Fitzgerald
Chairman: Herbert J. Walberg
focus =
method =
revenue = US$2,747,328 (2006) [http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990_pdf_archive/363/363309812/363309812_200612_990.pdf IRS Form 990] (2006), The Heartland Institute]
num_volunteers =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan =
homepage = [http://www.heartland.org/ www.heartland.org]
dissolved =
footnotes =

The Heartland Institute is an American libertarian/conservative free market-oriented public policy think tank based in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1984, and is designated as a 501(c)(3)non-profit by the Internal Revenue Service.

The Heartland Institute is advised by a 15 member board of directors, which meets quarterly. As of 2008, it has a full-time staff of 30, including editors and senior fellows. [http://www.heartland.org/about/]

The Heartland Institute's research and advocacy cover a variety of issues including government spending, taxation, healthcare, tobacco policy, global warming, and free-market environmentalism. In its early years, it focused on policies relevant to the Midwestern United States; since 1993 it has focused on reaching elected officials and opinion leaders in all 50 states. In addition to research, the Heartland Institute features an Internet application called PolicyBot which serves as a clearinghouse for research from hundred's of other think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation, the American Legislative Exchange Council, and the Cato Institute. The Institute's president and CEO is Joseph L. Bast.

Publications

The Heartland Institute publishes five monthly public policy newspapers primarily aimed at state legislators. These include: "Budget and Tax News", which advocates lower taxes and balanced budgets for states and the federal government; "School Reform News", which calls for greater competition and school choice; "Environment & Climate News," which focuses on "market-based environmental protection"; "Health Care News", devoted to consumer-driven health care reform; and "Info Tech and Telecom News," which features research and commentary from similarly aligned think tanks such as the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the Progress and Freedom Foundation, and the Reason Foundation. The five monthly publications have a circulation total of nearly 200,000. [cite web |publisher=Heartland Institute |url=http://www.heartland.org/StaffDetail.cfm?expertId=48 |title=Staff: Joseph Bast |accessdate=2008-08-22]

Global warming

The institute is a member organization of the Cooler Heads Coalition, "an informal and ad-hoc group focused on dispelling the myths of global warming". [cite web |publisher=Cooler Heads Coalition |title=About GlobalWarming.org |accessdate=2008-08-22 |url=http://www.globalwarming.org/about ] The board of directors for the Heartland Institute includes Thomas Walton,cite web |publisher=Heartland Institute |url=http://www.heartland.org/FAQArticle.cfm?faqId=3 |title=Q: Who serves on the Board of Directors of The Heartland Institute? |accessdate=2008-08-22] , Economic Policy Analysis Director for General Motors. [ [http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/hearings/single_firm/bio/218655.htm Thomas F. Walton Biography ] ]

Heartland's publications make the following assertions about climate change:
*"Most scientists do not believe human activities threaten to disrupt the Earth's climate." [http://www.heartland.org/pdf/ieguide.pdf Heartland Institute's "Instant Expert Guide: Global Warming"] retrieved 4 March 2008]
*"The most reliable temperature data show no global warming trend."
*"A modest amount of global warming, should it occur, would be beneficial to the natural world and to human civilization."
*"The best strategy to pursue is one of 'no regrets'."

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. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/science/earth/04climate.html?bl&ex=1204779600&en=fbfa2e2586c552a8&ei=5087%0A 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.] [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/tobacco-and-oil-pay-for-climate-conference-790474.html Tobacco and oil pay for climate conference] , by Steve Connor. Published in "The Independent" on March 3, 2008; accessed March 4, 2008.]

In April 2008, environmental journalist Richard Littlemore wrote that the Heartland Institute's list of "500 Scientists with Documented Doubts of Man-Made Global Warming Scares" [ [http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21978 500 Scientists Whose Research Contradicts Man-Made Global Warming Scares] , by Dennis T. Avery. From the Heartland Institute website; published September 14 2007, accessed June 20 2008.] included at least 45 scientists who neither knew of their inclusion as "coauthors" of the article, nor agreed with its claims regarding global warming. Many of the scientists asked the Heartland Institute to remove their names from the list; for instance, Gregory Cutter of Old Dominion University wrote, "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." [ [http://www.desmogblog.com/500-scientists-with-documented-doubts-about-the-heartland-institute 500 Scientists with Documented Doubts - about the Heartland Institute?] , by Richard Littlemore. Published April 29 2008; accessed June 20 [2008] .]

In response, the Heartland Institute refused to remove any names from the list, writing that "They [the scientists] have no right—legally or ethically—to demand that their names be removed from a bibliography." The Institute did rename the list from its original title (chosen by its public relations department) to "500 Scientists Whose Research Contradicts Man-Made Global Warming Scares", to clarify that the scientists in question do not doubt global warming. Ultimately, the Heartland Institute concluded that "... the point should be obvious: There is no scientific consensus that global warming is a crisis." [ [http://heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=23207 "Controversy Arises Over Lists of Scientists Whose Research Contradicts Man-Made Global Warming Scares"] (press release). Heartland Institute. May 5, 2008.]

Tobacco

The Institute has been actively involved in debate over tobacco policy, opposing restrictions on smoking and criticizing science which documents the harms of secondhand smoke. [ [http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=11386 Talking Points on the Proposed Chicago Smoking Ban
by Joseph L. Bast - by Joseph L. Bast - The Heartland Institute ] ] In 2006, the Heartland Institute began a formal partnership with the National Organization of Tobacco Outlets to advocate for legislation favorable to the tobacco industry. [ [http://www.petroretail.net/uploads/featurearticles/2006/npnMarketPulse/111506_mp2.asp NATO assesses Nov. 7 results, aims to change public opinion about tobacco] , from NPN MarketPulse. Accessed June 20 2008.] Given the close financial and organizational relationship between the tobacco industry and the Heartland Institute, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights described the Heartland Institute as "an active partner of the tobacco industry". [ [http://www.no-smoke.org/getthefacts.php?id=74 Heartland Institute page] from Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights. Accessed June 20 2008.]

Heartland has been criticized for employing executives from such corporations as ExxonMobil and Philip Morris on its board of directors and in its public relations department. [Fleishman, Glenn. " [http://wifinetnews.com/archives/004765.html Sock Puppets of Industry] ", WNN WiFi Net News. February 1, 2005.] [Smith, Kit. " [http://www.buffalobeast.com/81/wind.htm A Mighty Wind: Wind Power Threatens Corporate Bottom Line] ". "The Beast" Issue #81: August 10–24, 2005.] The Heartland Institute disputes this criticism, stating that "no one on Heartland's board of directors works for a tobacco company (Roy Marden retired years ago) or for an oil company (Walter Buchholtz was on the board but no longer is)." [cite web |url=http://heartland.org/FAQArticle.cfm?faqId=25 |title=Frequently Asked Questions: Is Heartland a 'Front Group'? |publisher=Heartland Institute |accessdate=2008-08-22] Heartland states that it does not accept government funds and does not conduct "contract" research for special-interest groups. [Bast, Joseph L. [http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=10582 Welcome to The Heartland Institute!] ". "Heartlander". The Heartland Institute. April 13, 2007.]

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. [http://www.heartland.org/FAQArticle.cfm?faqId=7] MediaTransparency reported that the Heartland Institute received funding from politically conservative foundations such as the Castle Rock Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, the John M. Olin Foundation, and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. [ [http://www.mediatransparency.com/recipientgrants.php?recipientID=152 Heartland Institute Funding] , from MediaTransparency. Accessed June 20 2008.]

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 ExxonMobil contributed a total of $560,000 to the Heartland Institute between 1998 and 2005. [ [http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/File/Commdocs/hearings/2007/oversight/28mar/mccarthy_testimony.pdf Statement of Dr. James McCarthy] , p. 4,House Science Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, March 28, 2007. Accessed August 21, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.heartland.org Heartland's official website]
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Heartland_Institute Sourcewatch - More detailed funding information]