Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt was the most explicit in his reasoning, indicating it was related to ALEC’s advocacy for climate denial and attacks on renewable energy. “Everyone understands climate change is occurring and the people who oppose it are really hurting our children and our grandchildren and making the world a much worse place,” he said on NPR’s Diane Rehm show. “And so we should not be aligned with such people — they’re just, they’re just literally lying.”
Others quitting ALEC seem to be similarly motivated, as activists have stepped up pressure on companies that strive to appear green while supporting an organization that encourages state legislatures to limit renewable energy, oppose the EPA, and teach climate denial in schools. ALEC also supports a wide variety of other far-right legislative initiatives.
This is the second major wave of companies to abandon ALEC, after many cut ties in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin’s killing in 2012. ALEC’s sponsorship of controversial “Stand Your Ground” laws brought widespread condemnation of the group and public pressure on companies to stop giving it money.
Tech Companies Are Dropping ALEC En Masse
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