More Sponsors Jump Ship. Lilly Bails out of Heartland.

Pharmaceutical maker Eli Lilly (LLY), BB&T Bank (BBT), and PepsiCo (PEP) have all confirmed that they will not continue funding the Heartland Institute, joining GM, State Farm, and numerous other leading corporations in deserting an organization that produces radical attacks on climate science and scientists. The defections come aftergrowing pressure from corporate accountability and environmental groups, which have collected more than 150,000 signatures on a petition saying:

“All corporations should immediately pull their funding from the Heartland Institute in light of Heartland’s ongoing and extreme support of climate change denial.”

The coalition of groups — Forecast the Facts, the Sierra Club,350.org, SumOfUs, the League of Conservation Voters, and Greenpeace — plans to continue pressuring Heartland’s remaining sponsors, including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Comcast.

Statements From Coalition Members

“More than 100,000 Americans are telling corporations to stop polluting our democracy by supporting organizations like the Heartland Institute,” said Daniel Souweine, Campaign Director of Forecast the Facts. “Heartland’s remaining funders would be wise to heed their calls. Heartland’s radical agenda stains the reputation of any business that wants to be considered a responsible corporate citizen.”

“Corporate funders have been jumping ship from theHeartland Institute for years. Heartland’s anti climate science agenda was too extreme even for Exxon, which stopped funding Heartland and other front groups in 2007 ‘whose position on climate change could divert attention’ from the discussion of responsible energy production,” said Kert Davies, Greenpeace Research Director, “Heartland’s desperate billboard stunt is just the most recent offense, and its few remaining funders should understand that there will be more to come.”

By Peter Sinclair@Climate Denail Crock of the Week