Climate-Change Denier Think Tank ALEC “Fired”

Eric Schmidt, Google’s Executive Chairman, has been on a book promotion tour the last few weeks. On NPR’s Diane Rehm show earlier this week he out-and-said the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was “literally lying” about the reality of climate change. (Schmidt did not specify a date by which his company’s membership in ALEC would be ended.)

When Rehm asked why Google became involved in ALEC, he said: “Well, the company has a very strong view that we should make decisions in politics based on facts—what a shock. And the facts of climate change are not in question anymore. Everyone understands climate change is occurring, and the people who oppose it are really hurting our children and our grandchildren and making the world a much worse place. And so we should not be aligned with such people—they’re just, they’re just literally lying.”

The National Journal reported: “More than 50 public-interest organizations sent a letter to Google’s executives asking it to divorce itself from ALEC, in part for its positions on environmental policy. The coalition also highlighted ALEC’s stance in support of the pending $45 billion Comcast-Time Warner merger ‘with little to no regulatory conditions,’ as well as its opposition to net neutrality.” Letter signatories include the Sierra Club, the American Federation of Teachers and Common Cause.

Just yesterday both Facebook and Yelp announced they are exiting dues-paying members of ALEC. Last month Microsoft disassociated itself with ALEC for unspecified reason.

ALEC’s advocacy for (1) the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger which would create “faster” and not as fast lanes for Internet users rather than maintain equal speed for all users, called net neutrality; and (2) disapproval of  renewable energy investing, claiming jobs will be lost, are cited as reasons for these corporate “defections.”

Easy enough to image on the renewable energy side of the political debates both the fossil fuel industries are ALEC funders as are certain entrenched utility companies and Koch Brothers interests.

I’ve posted several times about Google’s leading-edge commitment to reduced carbon emissions and sustainable building. Type Google into the Search window if looking for more.