In the past few days, many major companies have dropped their memberships in the US Chamber of Commerce because they feel the trade organization is out of touch with reality about cap and trade policy.
US Chamber of Commerce
According to the Wall Street Journal, Exelon Corp. on Monday became the third big utility in the past week to quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the influential business group’s stance against federal climate-change legislation.
The decision by Exelon, one of the nation’s biggest nuclear power-plant operators, to quit the Chamber follows similar moves by PG&E Corp. and PNM Resources Inc. and highlights a growing rift between the nation’s power sector and other industries over climate policy.
The article notes that Exelon said the U.S. government needs to set climate-change policy promptly, in part to allow energy markets to attach a price to cutting a ton of carbon-dioxide emissions. The House in June passed a bill that would require the U.S. to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 17% from 2005 levels by 2020, and create a market-based program called “cap and trade” in which companies could buy and sell the right to emit carbon dioxide.
“The carbon-based free lunch is over,” Exelon Chairman and Chief Executive John W. Rowe said in a statement. “But while we can’t fix our climate problems for free, the price signal sent through a cap-and-trade system will drive low-carbon investments in the most inexpensive and efficient way possible.”
Exelon, PG&E and PNM all operate nuclear power plants and emit far less carbon dioxide than some of their peers, particularly companies that operate large fleets of coal-fired power plants. Coal plants produce roughly twice the greenhouse-gas emissions of similarly sized natural-gas-fired plants. Nuclear power plants emit almost no greenhouse-gas emissions, and so stand to benefit from legislation that would cap emissions.
In addition to these energy giants, Nike Inc. said Wednesday it was resigning a seat on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, citing disagreement with the group’s stance against proposed climate-change legislation. But the company said it planned to remain a member of the chamber.
A Chamber spokesman said its position “reflects the diversity of its membership and the broad business community.” If public opinion continues, the Chamber will hopefully take a neutral position. Over time, their opinion can do a total about-face as more and more companies follow suit.
Business can help spearhead major policy changes, and hopefully enough voices speak out so the do-nothing Congress is forced to protect the citizens from global warming.
Here’s to a greener tomorrow…today.
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and environmentally-friendly promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive eco-friendly advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for any company interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.
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