General Motors has decided to demonstrate its newfound belief that climate change is a real thing by pulling its longstanding funding from the climate-change-skeptical Heartland Institute think tank It's a symbolic move, really, as the company's annual $15,000 donation counts as "smal beer" among the institute's multiple billions, The Guardian reports. But canceling the funding points to a big-time change in attitude for the company, which has never been too hot on the idea of global warming (former vice-chairman Bob Lutz once called the notion a "total crock of shit").

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The company has officially changed its tune, The Guardian reports: "In a statement, GM said that it now runs its business 'as if climate change is real and believe we have a role to play in developing new cars, trucks and technologies that can make a difference'." Heartland also apparently sees the move as a PR maneuver rather than a monetary one: "In its response, the Heartland said that it regretted the loss of GM's support and called on liberal advocacy groups such as Greenpeace and the Huffington Post to stop 'attacking scientists who question the theory of man-made global warming and corporations and foundations that are willing to fund open debate on this important public policy issue'."