The Chamber of Commerce has fired back, bitchily, to Apple’s recent decision to leave the organization over its opposition to serious efforts to fight climate change.
On Tuesday, Chamber CEO Tom Donohue sent a letter to his counterpart at Apple, Steve Jobs, saying:
It is unfortunate that your company didn’t take the time to understand the Chamber’s position on climate and forfeited the opportunity to advance a 21st-century approach to climate change.
The day before, Apple had announced that it would be quitting the Chamber “effective immediately,” joining Exelon, Nike, GE, PG&E, and others in distancing itself from the group’s position on global warming.
Nike resigned as a member of the Chamber’s board, saying the board had no input on the Chamber’s climate change stance. That has triggered a debate at the Chamber’s decision-making process, in which critics have charged that group’s day-to-day staff often dictates policy to member companies.
The Chamber says it doesn’t oppose all efforts to fight warming — just the ones currently being considered in Congress. A chamber executive recently called for a 21st-Century “Scopes Trial” to consider the science behind global warming, though he later backed off.
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