The US Chamber of Commerce has long been dragging its heels on climate change, coming out against the Waxman-Markey bill and claiming that fossil fuels "are and will remain for decades to come the backbone of the US energy system".
Now cracks are starting to appear in the face with Nike and Johnson&Johnson slating the chamber for its hard line position in climate change legislation. Utility Pacific Gas & Electric has quit the chamber and, in an interview with Politico, General Electric has distanced itself from the chamber. GE spokesman Peter O'Toole damned the chamber with faint praise. "We're a member of the Chamber because a lot of our customers are there, a lot of our competitors, so we get a good perspective on issues of national import. The Chamber does not speak for us on climate legislation, but we are still a member."
As Brad Johnson at the Wonk Room blog says, it's a case of rats leaving the sinking ship.He details how the chamber has campaigned to resist climate change laws even down to the point of funding climate change deniers.
In the long run, this will do serious damage to the chamber because it will lose credibility as members leave. Restoring that will be a major challenge. That will be hard to restore.
no comment untill now