Earlier this month, Google hosted a $2,500-a-plate fundraiser for one of the world’s most powerful climate change deniers, Senator Jim Inhofe. And just two weeks before that, Google poured $50,000 into the coffers of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a right-wing think tank that is also funded by the likes of the Koch brothers and ExxonMobil to put out faux "studies" that are used by policy-makers to deny climate change exists.
All this leaves us wondering what happened to Google, a company that had been a corporate leader in fighting for the environment?
A global outcry is starting to build now that people see Google moving away from its unofficial corporate motto -- "Don't be evil". Let's make sure Google knows that tens of thousands of its own users want it to cut off all support to climate change deniers.
Sign our petition telling Google to cease all funding to climate change deniers.
Simply put, Google is actively helping to fund the reelection of a senator who dismisses climate change as a "hoax", and who even goes to far as to say that global warming, should it exist, is actually good because it adds to our economy. Google’s support of CEI is just as harmful; the institute once ran ads saying that carbon dioxide is a positive factor in the environment and is best known for arguing that global warming is not a concern. CEI also launched multiple lawsuits aimed at discrediting the science behind climate change.
Google's funding is particularly perplexing considering Google has invested heavily in fighting climate change. Google was known to be a industry leader in promoting clean technology and reducing its operations' carbon footprint. It has spent billions of dollars on carbon offsets and other investments in clean technology. Just last month, Google's chairman said "You can lie about the effects of climate change,” says chairman Eric Schmidt, “but eventually you'll be seen as a liar."
So why the about-face? It turns out that, last year, Google hired a conservative former Congresswoman, Susan Molinari, to head up its lobby shop in DC. Since then, Google has been quietly passing donations to some of the most extreme politicians and right-wing causes.
But word is getting out and Google is on the defensive. It knows its positive brand image will be damaged if more people find out where Google's donations are going now. Now we need to make sure Google gets the message, loud and clear.
Tell Google: Stop funding climate change deniers.
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More Information:
Google hosts fundraiser for climate change denying US senator, Guardian, 9 July 2013
Inhofe Fundraises Off Environmental Protests at His Google Fundraiser, Time Swampland, 16 July 2013