Midday yesterday, we reported over at the Gaggle that Apple was the latest company to break its ties to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce due to the business association’s stance on climate policy. Before then, four other large companies, including PG&E and Nike, had also severed all or part of their relations with the chamber, blaming the organization’s lobby efforts and rigid opposition to the cap-and-trade legislation making its way toward the Senate, which it claims would be a job killer.
To explain its reasoning, Apple wrote a letter to chamber president Tom Donohue with a polite but firm resignation. “We would prefer that the chamber take a more progressive stance on this critical issue and play a constructive role in addressing the climate crisis. However, because the chamber's position differs so sharply with Apple's, we have decided to resign our membership effective immediately."
Caught with a bit of a PR problem, Donohue shot back a letter, obtained by NEWSWEEK, to Apple chief Steve Jobs with, shall we say, something of a passive-aggressive tone:
I am sorry to learn of Apple's resignation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It is unfortunate that your company didn't take the time to understand the chamber's position on climate change and forfeited the opportunity to advance a 21st-century approach to climate change.
Ouch. Then, later on:
Supporting innovation and technology is at the very heart of our efforts to combat climate change, and we will continue to fight for an approach that embraces their merits. It is a shame that Apple will not be part of our efforts.
We’re not looking to pick a fight or anything, but we were curious what Apple thought about the accusation that it didn’t fully understand the chamber’s position. When we called to ask, an Apple spokesperson directed us right back to its original statement (the one above) that it did indeed understand the chamber's position and that the chamber's motivations did indeed stray from Apple's. So for now, folks, it appears we’ve reached an impasse.
