Published on Sep 23, 2014
9/22/14: Google chairman Eric Schmidt announces Google is leaving the American Legislative Exchange Council, in response to a listener call to the Diane Rehm show.
Transcript:
LISTENER: Um, I’m curious to know if Google is still supporting ALEC which is that fund, they’re, um, lobbyists in DC that are funding climate change deniers.
ERIC SCHMIDT: Um, we funded them as part of a political [campaign—somewhat unintelligible] of something unrelated. I think the consensus within the company was that that was some sort of mistake and so we’re trying to not do that in the future.
DIANE REHM: And how did you get involved with them in the first place and were you, then, disappointed in what you saw?
SCHMIDT: Well, the company has a very strong view that we should make decisions in politics based on facts — what a shock. And the facts of climate change are not in question anymore. 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. And so we should not be aligned with such people — they’re just, they’re just literally lying.
Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice
Transition Studies 