I used to love the Coca-Cola Polar bear TV ads at Christmastime. I marveled at the quality of the CGI animations when they first came out, like this one:
They were fun and entertaining to watch, even though not reality based because papa polar bear would just as soon rip the heads off the cubs as he would to have a Coke. But there was never a hint of any political message. Just good clean fun and lightly pushing a uniquely American product I enjoyed.
But recently this started showing up on WUWT, courtesy of Google Ads:
You might even see it show up below this entry. Coke and Christmas always went together. To find out Coke has surrendered their famous Christmas polar bear ads to a political cause is like the day I found out Santa Claus wasn’t real.
This is where it takes you:
But it gets worse, on that page is a link to the real group behind it:
Egads! It’s the scummy WWF, purveyors of the 9/11 video ad showing airplanes hitting New York City.
Message to the Coca-Cola Company.
I don’t need your political views to quench my thirst. I now choose Pepsi* Tea, a company that has the good sense to not try hanging their hat on questionable causes or tactless eco-political organizations.
Maybe WUWT readers can enlighten the Coca-Cola company via their contact page on just how well polar bears are doing these days. See below.
A few countering reports:
Global warming leads to too many polar bears
Christian Science Monitor, May 3rd, 2007 – Despite global warming, an ongoing study says polar bear populations are rising in the country’s eastern Arctic region.
Science Daily May 10th, 2008 – Federal Polar Bear Research Critically Flawed, Forecasting Expert Asserts
National Post March 6th, 2007 – Polar bear numbers up, but rescue continues
WUWT May 9th 2009 – The “precarious state of the U.S. polar bear population”
Dr. Mitchell Taylor, a biologist with Nunavut Territorial government in Canada wrote this letter (PDF) on April 6th, 2006 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
Some excerpts:
At present, the polar bear is one of the best managed of the large arctic mammals. If all the arctic nations continue to abide by the terms and intent of the Polar Bear Agreement, the future of polar bears is secure.
…
Polar bears are believed to have evolved from grizzly bears during the Pleistocene era some 200-250,000 years ago (Amstrup 2003). Polar bears were well developed as a separate species by the Eemian interglacial approximately 125,000 years ago. This period was characterized by temperature fluctuations caused by entirely natural events on the same order as those predicted by contemporary climate change models. Polar bears obviously adapted to the changing environment, as evidenced by their presence today. That simple fact is well known and part of the information contained in the reference material cited throughout the petition, yet it is never mentioned. This fact alone is sufficient grounds to reject the petition. Clearly polar bears can adapt to climate change. They have evolved and persisted for thousands of years in a period characterized by fluctuating climate. No rational person could review this information and conclude that climate change pre-destined polar bears to extinction.
…
The petition admits that there is only evidence for deleterious effects from climate change for one polar bear population (Western Hudson Bay [WH]) at the southernmost extreme of polar bear range (Fig. 1). The petition argues that the likelihood of change in other areas is reason enough to find that polar bears should be regarded as a species at risk of imminent extinction. I hope the review considers the precedent set by accepting this argument. Climate change will affect all species to some extent, including humans. If the likelihood of change is regarded as sufficient cause to designate a species or population as “threatened,” then all species around the world are “threatened.”
Some data. With hunting no longer allowed, bear populations have increased 4-5 times:
Fig. 1. Circumpolar distribution of polar bear populations. The Western Hudson Bay population (WH), for which data on negative impacts of climate change exist, is highlighted. Polar bears of WH comprise approximately 4% of the world total population polar bears.
* From comments: Turns out that Pepsi is involved in a carbon fund, looks like tea for me now.
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Glenn (17:27:40) :
Frank Kotler read the links I gave, and he gets it. If you read them, you probably will too. Polar bears like to eat people. The strategies that work for other wild animals won’t work with then, as the author of one of the articles almost found out the hard way.
Regards
All it takes is one environmentalist marketing executive (or a marketing executive sleeping with a environmentalist) with a catchy power point to take an entire corporation down this road.
yonason (18:09:40) :
“Frank Kotler read the links I gave, and he gets it. If you read them, you probably will too. Polar bears like to eat people. The strategies that work for other wild animals won’t work with then, as the author of one of the articles almost found out the hard way.”
Yes, I wasn’t specifically referring to polar bears here. I did mention an express rifle in the other thread specifically in regard to polar bears. Don’t leave home without one.
Ok, I sent them this through their idea submission form:
How about Coke getting OUT of the political arena?
How about NOT advancing incorrect science? How about getting ahead of the curve and taking the climategate emails seriously? People who are informed, who read the emails, who follow http://wattsupwiththat.com/ and http://climateaudit.org/ think those who are going on to the same old drumbeat about global warming and declining polar bear numbers are simply nuts! This is the biggest scientific and political scandal since the Catholic Church attacked Galileo. (Please see: http://www.crichton-official.com/speech-alienscauseglobalwarming.html for more examples of when “consensus” was wrong for years!) People who believe in science aren’t going to buy from companies who continue to spread lies and disinformation. So GET out of this game before it hurts your bottom line. And with the internet, the truth will come out in spite of the gatekeepers. In the meantime, I may just drink tap water even though I prefer Coke over any other soda. I don’t want a dime of my money going to support this corruption.
diana (19:13:40) :
What color are the offspring, and can they also mate with both subspecies?
Someone asked for a list of other businesses supporting AGW.
One list is here:
http://www.us-cap.org/
I have already written John Deere telling them that if cap and trade passes, I will never again buy their equipment.
And as someone said about Coke and Pepsie: “A pox on both your houses.”
As the world’s number one obese nation we need to get back to water [and as someone said, NOT the tap water bottled by these two companies]
Glenn (19:30:25) :
“yonason (18:09:40) :
Yes, I wasn’t specifically referring to polar bears here. I did mention an express rifle in the other thread specifically in regard to polar bears. Don’t leave home without one.”
Ok, good. I was just making sure we were on the same page.
Regards.
Gee…imagine a polar bear drinking a cola…they must surely know the truth about CO2…sodas are loaded with them
Rereke Whakaaro (19:42:58) :
At least for this one article Wiki doesn’t show the usual nut job alarmist propaganda: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly%E2%80%93polar_bear_hybrid
When the confirmed case occurred in 2006 the news articles alleged that the hybrid was 1.) unprecedented and 2.) the result of global warming. Neither of which seem to be true on further review, or at least, have since been scrubbed from the Wiki article. Connolley must be falling down on the job 😉
If you don’t like tea or coffee because of their bitter taste, try rooibos “tea”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooibos There’s an instant brand called ReddRox.
There are many animals where the males will attempt to kill the young of the species. In some cases they’ll only attack offspring that’s not their own.
Domestic housecat males will often kill their own offspring, but the “Siamese” breed usually does not – especially the original variety with the stockier build and “puffy” cheeks. (Often called “applehead” Siamese.) I had one for many years who would protect birds and mice from other cats. Unusual for a cat, Shalimar wouldn’t eat or drink milk or any other dairy product. (His companion, Mischief, *loved* anything dairy but one lick would have her making “cat-pats” in the litterbox.) He was also leash trained and would urinate in a toilet- insisted on perching on the edge of the litterbox too. The one thing one did not do with that cat was touch him while walking outdoors. He’d bite and scratch, I still have the scars from that lesson. Indoors he was always gentle as can be.
John in GA (16:00:24):
Hi John, you forgot about their other brands such as:
Barq’s, Dasani water, Glacéau, Fanta, Fresca, Full Throttle, Fuze, Hi-C, Lift, Minute Maid, Monster Energy, Oasis, Odwalla, Powerade, Pibb, Relentless,
Sprite, Tab, Thums Up, Urge and Vault. And don’t forget the other Cokes (some discontinued) such as: Cherry Coke, Diet Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke, Coca-Cola Orange etc.,
Fructose AND aspartame production (diet drinks).
full list of brands Wiki
Phew! I’m off for a Coke and rum. ;o)
“Experts estimate that around 1,000 of the world’s 22,000-25,000 remaining polar bears are killed each year.”
Has any one suggested giving them defensive driving courses? Or perhaps swimming lessons are in order.
over 500 bear are still shot every year with legal goverment issued permits largely canadian
Phew! I’m off for a Coke and rum. ;o)
Rum and Coke (as opposed to Coke and rum) will minimize your carbon footprint.
Staying calm is also important, since animals can “read” what goes along with a distressed state.
Actually it is smell.
And if humans paid more attention they could do the same trick. In any case even for the untrained “the smell of fear” is unmistakable.
Enjoy the Cola seen on NBC’s “The Office”, Scranton PA’s Crystal Club Cola
John in GA (16:00:24) :
I agree one hundred percent. David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell did the energy conversions for corn to bio-fuel. Corn requires 29 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced; When Congress mandated bio-fuels, Monsanto and Cargill reported record earnings (2008) while feed corn prices doubled here in the USA and third world countries rioted.
If the politicians really wanted to do something useful they would ban bio-fuels and soft drinks and get rid of concentrated feed lot operations. Corn is bad news for the soil too. There is a PEW Trust Report that goes into the problems with the current industrialization of agriculture. It is significant that they state:
“…According to a recent Tufts University study, the overproduction of agricultural crops such as corn and soybeans due to US agricultural policy since 1996 has, until recently, driven the market price of those commodities well below their cost of production” (Starmer and Wise, 2007 ) http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Industrial_Agriculture/PCIFAP_FINAL.pdf
This goes back to the VP of Cargill, Dan Amstutz, and the World Trade Organization, Agreement on Ag (1995) and Amstutz’ “Freedom to Farm Act” (1996) Taxpayer subsidies for corn and other comodity grains have had vast repercussions by undercutting third world farmers and bankrupting them. Taxpayer subsidized grains allows a financial advantage for artificial confinement operations, despite the fact that grass fed livestock is actually cheaper if grain was not tax payer subsidized.
“The present system of producing food animals in the United States is not sustainable and presents an unacceptable level of risk to public health and damage to the environment, as well as unnecessary harm to the animals we raise for food.
The “Green Revolution,” the worldwide transformation of agriculture that led to significant increases in agricultural production from 1940 through the 1960s. This transformation relied on a regime of genetic selection, irrigation, and chemical fertilizers pesticides developed by researchers such as Norman Borlaug and funded by a consortium of donors led by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations.
The Green Revolution would later prove to have unwanted ecological impacts, such as aquifer depletion, and groundwater contamination, and excess nutrient runoff, largely because of its reliance on monoculture crops, irrigation, application of pesticides, and use of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers (Tilman et al., 2002). These unwanted environmental consequences now threaten to reverse many of the yield increases attributed to the Green Revolution in much of North America.” http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Industrial_Agriculture/PCIFAP_FINAL.pdf
Unfortunately tax payer subsidized corn is a big money maker for the multinational corporations and they are not about to change poisoning people with high fructose corn syrup, mandating biofuel made from corn and using cheap corn for concentrated feed lot operations.
http://www.skepticalscience.com/Christmas-cartoon-on-melting-North-Pole.html
M. Simon (05:07:07) :
Staying calm is also important, since animals can “read” what goes along with a distressed state.
“Actually it is smell.
And if humans paid more attention they could do the same trick. In any case even for the untrained “the smell of fear” is unmistakable.”
Perhaps, but animals read more than smell. Sight and sound are also employed by animals in locating and identifying as well as in determining behavior in other animals for that matter.
Steve Oregon (11:25:58) :
http://www.skepticalscience.com/Christmas-cartoon-on-melting-North-Pole.html
____________________________
Wow, whoever runs that website should be sued for false advertising… unless it’s a really clever spoof of course.
I found this page particularly amusing: http://www.skepticalscience.com/Arctic-sea-ice-melt-natural-or-man-made.htm – it “debunks” any questions about natural cycles and variability around sea ice extent. Gee wiz – I wonder why it hasn’t been updated with the 2008/2009 data(?)
I’ve got an interesting polar bear pic for the support fund on my blog on December 12, 2009: papa polar bear eating a youngster, as they sometimes do.
BTW, this is the guy who created SkepticalScience.com: http://www.cartoonebooks.com/author.php?authora=2
Sustainability? Save the polar bears from SUV’s????
Can you say disengenuous???
Coke supports Drag Racing…
The association between NHRA and Coca-Cola North America, with support from Coca-Cola Enterprises, includes a two-year partnership extension through the 2013 season, representing one of the longest running series sponsorships in motorsports. The new series will be called the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
http://www.allbusiness.com/food-beverage/food-beverage-overview/10177746-1.html
Coke supports NASCAR…
Coca-Cola is extending its relationship with NASCAR as the official non-alcoholic beverage provider through the 2017 season, continuing their 40-year partnership.
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/117038
Coke supports Monster Trucks….
Coca-Cola monster delivery truck at the 2004 Power Stroke Diesel 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. Taken 8-6-2004 with a Cannon Digital Rebel camera.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1176216091027916608WsASGn
Coke supports Motorcyle Racing…
Coca Cola are backing motorcycle racing with the announcement that Coca Cola Zero will sponsor Michael Rutter in British Superbikes, and back the North West 200 races in May.
This is the first official image of the bike Michael Rutter will race for the Coca Cola NW200 team.
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2009/January/5-11/jan0809-coca-cola-zero-sponsor-rutter-and-nw-200/
oh my goodeness…
coca-cola “a fine american product”…
ask the third world slave workers who brew this stuff how they feel about it…
when they get shot at as soon as they try to organize in labour unions…
enjoy your coke then…
some blood stains may benefit to the overall crazyness that is called christmas…
at least the color is the same…
Wowsa, one thing is for sure, they can’t read in Coke customer service and it looks like they will be spouting the robotic global warming line of thought for a long time to come no matter what questions are out in the open now.
—————————-
Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company, Ms. xxxxx.
At The Coca-Cola Company, we recognize that the implications of climate change are profound and wide-ranging, with expected impacts on biodiversity, water resources, public health, business and agriculture. We believe business can play a powerful role in helping drive climate solutions through innovation and competition, as well as by taking measures to reduce our own carbon footprint.
We are committed to working alongside government and civil society to address the root causes of climate change, and one way we have demonstrated that commitment is through our endorsement of the Copenhagen Communiqué.
We are among more than 500 companies in more than 60 countries that have endorsed the Copenhagen Communiqué, which calls on world leaders to agree to “an ambitious, robust and equitable global deal on climate change that responds credibly to the scale and urgency of the crisis facing the world today.” The signatories to the Communiqué agree that business will suffer if credible solutions are not found.
For our part, the Coca-Cola system continually works to reduce our carbon footprint by implementing new technologies and conservation measures for our refrigeration equipment, our packaging, our fleet and our bottling operations. For more information on these efforts, please visit the Environment section of our corporate web site.
Feel free to contact us if you have further questions.
Sheila
Industry and Consumer Affairs
The Coca-Cola Company
[THREAD ID:1-I9JJBP]
—–Original Message—–
From: xxxxxxxxx
Sent: 12/24/2009 10:28:23 PM
To: cokesubmit@xxxxxx
Subject: CokeSubmit Web Form
How about NOT advancing incorrect science? How about getting ahead of the curve and taking the climategate emails seriously? People who are informed, who read the emails, who follow http://wattsupwiththat.com/ and http://climateaudit.org/ think those who are going on to the same old drumbeat about global warming and declining polar bear numbers are simply nuts! This is the biggest scientific and political scandal since the Catholic Church attacked Galileo. (Please see: http://www.crichton-official.com/speech-alienscauseglobalwarming.html for more examples of when “consensus” was wrong for years!) People who believe in science aren’t going to buy from companies who continue to spread lies and disinformation. So GET out of this game before it hurts your bottom line. And with the internet, the truth will come out in spite of the gatekeepers. In the meantime, I may just drink tap water even though I prefer Coke over any other soda. I don’t want a dime of my money going to support this corruption.