In this episode, we descend into the unfiltered chaos of the Heartland Institute, a self-described think tank that's spent the last 40 years defending Big Tobacco, denying climate change, and comparing climate scientists to the Unabomber. Yes. That actually happened.

We trace how this shady libertarian PR machine evolved from lobbying against secondhand smoke regulations to becoming one of the loudest voices in global climate denial. From hosting annual "climate realism" conferences to sponsoring a teenage anti-Greta, the Heartland Institute has built a legacy of misinformation disguised as policy.

Important links:

1. The terrible Heartland Institute - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartland_Institute

2. ⁠Tobacco Tactics report - https://www.tobaccotactics.org/article/heartland-institute/

3. ⁠Source Watch on the Heartland Institute - https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heartland_Institute_and_tobacco

4. ⁠National Center for Science Education report destroying NIPCC - https://ncse.ngo/files/nipcc.pdf

5. ⁠Sydney Morning Herald's exposé - https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/the-climate-change-smokescreen-20080802-gdsosa.html

6. ⁠CORRECTIV's exposé - https://correctiv.org/en/top-stories/2020/02/11/the-heartland-lobby/

7. ⁠The glorious Unabomber billboard - https://web.archive.org/web/20180724085146/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2012/05/billboards-liken-belief-in-climate-change-to-mass-murder/1#

Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.

Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week.

Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!