I ran across this article in Mother Jones highlighting that Google hosted a fundraiser for Republican Senator James Inhofe. We all know James Inhofe believes climate change is a hoax. He wrote a book "The Greatest Hoax" saying climate science is "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." In an interview, James Inhofe stated that in his crusade against climate science he was "doing the Lord's work." He has tried to criminalize the actions of and prosecute leading climate scientists. He has referred to the EPA as a "Gestapo Bureaucracy." And Google, a huge corporation that boasts how it wants to do something about climate change, hosts a big fundraiser for him? He also stands against any and everything in ordinary people's interests, and in support of any and everything in corporate interests. The company initially refused to comment, but Google's eventual response to criticism from environmentalists was as follows:
"We regularly host fundraisers for candidates, on both sides of the aisle, but that doesn't mean we endorse all of their positions. And while we disagree on climate change policy, we share an interest with Senator Inhofe in the employees and data center we have in Oklahoma."
If Google disagrees with his position on climate change, what political positions of James Inhofe do they agree with to justify a big fundraiser? Do they agree with his staunch opposition to marriage equality? His strong opposition to women's reproductive rights? His trickle down, race to the bottom economic policies? His endorsement of birther nonsense? Do these policies benefit Google employees working in the Oklahoma data center or do they benefit Google executives? What James Inhofe policies justified a big fundraiser? I can take a good guess - a low top tax rate, offshoring U.S jobs, corporate tax breaks, and lax regulations. Yes, the article correctly notes Google has invested a lot in renewable energy. In fact, Google has publicly stated it wants to do something about climate change. But it is a complete double standard for Google to present itself as committed to climate change, while hosting a big fundraiser for James Inhofe. The company's in house renewables projects certainly help, but the benefit is miniscule compared to the climate damage most Republicans and particularly Republicans like James Inhofe have done simply by preventing or even rolling back action and promoting climate change denial. The Mother Jones piece also links to a Washington Post article reporting Google was the single largest donor to an annual fundraiser dinner for the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute. This organization has filed multiple lawsuits in an effort to discredit climate science. The organization referred to climate scientist Michael Mann as the "Jerry Sandusky of climate science" resulting in a libel suit. I don't trust corporations to ever act in the public interest, unless it is also in their own interest. I think pretty much all corporate CEO's subscribe to the 1920's motto "What's good for General Motors is good for the country." A few exceptions - Costco being one of them. That's made me suspect all along Google's environmental claims were basically public relations. This news just confirms what I thought all along. This also raises a larger point of how we can hold corporations accountable when they fund politicians with policies that benefit corporations at the expense of everyone else. So we have the new Google, or maybe Google exposed, or Google versus Bing based on the James Inhofe climate denial. ****Thank you to ClimateBrad for his comment Silicon Valley 350 and Forecast the Facts are organizing a friendly protest and petition delivery this Wednesday morning. Information can be found here on Facebook.***YouTube Video
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["Green Diary Rescue" is Back! http://www.dailykos.com/news/Green%20Diary%20Rescue]
After a hiatus of over 1 1/2 years, Meteor Blades has revived his excellent series. As MB [explained http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/09/1191683/-Green-Diary-Rescue-A-weekly-series-of-what-s-happening-on-the-eco-front?showAll=yes], this weekly diary is a "round-up with excerpts and links... of the hard work so many Kossacks put into bringing matters of environmental concern to the community... I'll be starting out with some commentary of my own on an issue related to the environment, a word I take in its broadest meaning." "Green Diary Rescue" will be posted every Saturday at 1:00 pm Pacific Time on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.
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