230,000 activists from Sierra Club, Forecast the Facts, SumOfUs, RootsAction and the Center for Media and Democracy have joined together to urge Google to end its alliance with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). This objection comes just as Google is participating as a corporate member in its first States and Nation Policy Summit in Washington DC.
Oddly enough, Google has joined the right wing think tank at the same time many other corporate giants like Kraft, McDonalds, and GE are cutting ties. The partnership is strange given that Google has publically made a commitment to move toward 100% renewable energy to combat climate pollution and ALEC is a major climate change denier and attacks efforts to make renewable energy more affordable and accessible.
ALEC receives “dirty” money from Koch Industries, BP, ExxonMobil, and Peabody Energy – just as Google does.
Sierra Club Director Michael Brune said “Google should Google ALEC’s agenda” since the usually forward thinking, innovative, creative force is teeming with such a conservative, eco-unfriendly organization.
The “Don’t Fund Evil” campaign was launched by the climate accountability group Forecast the Facts in July. The campaign has called out Google for the company’s financial support of climate deniers including Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Heritage Action, and now ALEC.
