Last week, Google boldly cut ties with a US right-wing corporate lobby group that campaigns tirelessly to prevent any real action to combat the climate crisis.
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt summed it up pretty well: “they’re just literally lying” about climate change.
This is big. Google deserves praise for its leadership. But behind the scenes, Google has donated a whopping $699,195 to the campaigns of climate deniers in the US Congress -- politicians intent on blocking any legislation to address climate change. So far, we’ve heard nothing from Google about whether this will continue. One thing’s clear -- Google’s newfound refusal to work with climate deniers isn’t in line with these donations.
Tell Google to stop funding climate deniers in the US Congress now.
Google cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a powerful, organised body of corporations that feeds model bills that benefit those corporations’ bottom lines to US legislators.
This is a great first step, but Google's got a long way to go. SumOfUs' new report "#DisruptDenial", released in collaboration with Forecast the Facts, reveals that Google is donating to climate-denying Senators and members in the US Congress. These climate deniers relentlessly block climate laws in the US -- the biggest barrier to climate action globally.
Chairman Schmidt’s strong words give us an opening to really pressure Google. The media spotlight’s on Google; the momentum for positive action on climate change is in our favour. Last week, we saw millions of people worldwide turning up to the People’s Climate Marches. Now all that’s missing is a strong, united voice asking Google to stop funding climate deniers in Congress.
At SumOfUs, we’ve consistently come together to pressure corporations to have better climate policy -- we campaigned for Google to leave ALEC, and we won. This time, we’re telling Google to take the next step, and stop cosying up to the very people who make any progressive climate action impossible.
Join us in telling Google to stop campaign donations to climate deniers now.
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More information:
#DisruptDenial Report: How Big Business is funding climate change denial in the 113th Congress and why they should stop, Forecast the Facts & SumOfUs, September 2014
Google pulls out of conservative group amid environmental pressure, LA Times, 23 September 2014