Madonna criticized over links to polluters

She provided the finale to this past week's Live Earth concerts, even writing a special song to mark the worldwide musical event. But instead of being lionized, Madonna found herself accused of hypocrisy after allegations that she has financial links to some of the world's biggest polluters. The Ray of Light Foundation, a charitable fund established by the star to support her favorite causes and named after one of her biggest selling hits, has $4.2 million worth of shares in a string of companies including Alcoa, the US aluminium giant, the Ford Motor Company and Weyerhaeuser, an international forest products company. All have been criticized by environmentalists. Alcoa was ranked number nine on a list of all-time toxic companies drawn up by the University of Massachusetts' political research institute in 2002. Other companies linked to the foundation, including Northrop Grumman, the global defense and technology giant, and Kimberly-Clark, the huge health group, appear on the same list. The disclosure was made by FOX News, which obtained the foundation's most recent tax returns for 2005.