As many of you know, the US Chamber of Commerce is pushing back against any and all green energy legislation, and because of that, pro-green energy once associated with them, are now defecting out of the Chamber of Commerce, in protest of their lobbying effort against Cap and Trade (And all other major energy based initiatives being talked about in Washington).
The one major company that we all thought would pull out quick, was Toyota. Toyota produces energy efficient cars and trucks, they have produced the "dream" car of the environmental conscious, the Prius Hybrid. It just seemed like a shoe in.
But as many companies started to pull out, the one that we all thought would, just set idle.
And now they say they are planning on staying. More after the fold:
[Martha Voss, Toyota spokesperson] would not comment on the chamber's claims of quiet support, but she made it clear Toyota was not looking for an exit. "We are members of the chamber and we are not planning to leave so I guess if that is supportive, then we are as supportive as ever, yeah," Voss said. "We are not going to talk about private discussions with them."
The Moveon.org Campaign:
The complacent attitude taken by Toyota has set off a movement in the moveon.org community to push them to take a firm stance for green energy legislation, and to leave the Chamber of Commerce.
This movement has been a push from the left, a much needed I might add, and it still did not budge the supposed leader in automotive green energy.
So they tried every effort to get Toyota to move away from the Chamber of Commerce, and move towards support for the proposed plans.
From calls:
Dear MoveOn Member,
....
Can you call today and ask Toyota to quit the Chamber of Commerce? If you called last week, call again. Tell them you're disappointed by their statement and want them to reconsider. Here's the number:
Toyota
1-800-331-4331, press 4
To just plain old political pressure, to their biggest effort, the picture ads telling Toyota to stop opposing clean energy.
Dear MoveOn member,
In the last week, thousands of MoveOn members have called Toyota urging them to quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber is spending millions fighting clean energy, and a long list of companies including Apple and Nike have backed away in protest.1
Toyota responded to our calls by shutting off their voice mail.
If Toyota's really as green as they say, they should stop funding the Chamber's anti-climate lobbying. But it's clear that Toyota needs to hear it from their own customers.
If you own a Toyota, will you join our photo petition calling on Toyota to stop opposing clean energy?
These efforts have all but come up vain, as the guardian.co.uk is reporting, Toyota is standing firm with the Chamber.
Toyota is walking a thin line:
I have always supported the efforts by Toyota. Whether it be the production of hybrid cars, or gas-sipping trucks, to their continued effort to build new plants here in the U.S.
I use to joke that since GM and Ford have been shipping jobs off to China, if you buy a car, buy American by buying Toyota. But since this development, I don't think I could ever support Toyota again (Minus their continuous pursuit of a green based cars).
They are walking into firestorm, all over the support of the Chamber of Comm. But why?
Toyota is not talking, and the Chamber is boasting their victories in keeping some of their biggest members, and gaining more money [According to politico.com]
"There are some long-standing members that wanted to step up and help more, and I think there were some people who were [thinking about giving to us] and decided it was a good time to do it." U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue
While trying to marginalize the companies that have already left, because the Chamber's opposition to the climate change bills.
Donohue dismissed recent defections by Apple and at least four other companies, which quit over the Chamber’s opposition to Democratic climate change legislation — as essentially meaningless. "Members come and go all the damn time," he said.
This is who Toyota is continuing to support. A lobbyist organization, whose own President will not commit to whether the scientific evidence for Global Warming is valid.
Donohue refused to say if he believes the science behind global warming. "Is the science right? Is science not right? I don’t know," he said.
Is this what a green car company is supposed to do? No, a true green car company, whether or not they think that the proposal legislation is the best maneuver or not, would have jumped ship a long time ago, just for claims just like that from the President of the organization they support.
But this begs the question, what can we do? Toyota is still producing the most energy efficient cars, and are still supporting efforts for green jobs.
So do we disown them, and all move to Honda, or some other car company, as our rallying support in the car industry? Or do we just continue our futile effort to sway their support away from the Chamber of Com.?
That is a question I cannot answer, and I personally know that I will probably always buy a Honda (I own a '99 Honda Accord EX, that gets 30 MPG Highway, well not officially, but I have drove a lot in my previous job, and always measured what my MPG was).
All I do know is that Toyota is making some major mistakes by their support of the Chamber of Com., and there will be backlash for their support. To the extent, I don't know, but what I do know is that it is not worth the lobbying the Chamber of Com. will do for them.
This is not about cars, or MPG, this is about morals. Morals that support the efforts of green energy, and morals that want to make climate change out as a possible hoax, and not to continue to destroy this planet with harmful toxins.
Toyota, tell us, where do you stand?