More on the news that PG&E has abandoned the US Chamber over climate change policies. In a blog post on PGE's company blog, PG&E states:
In a letter to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, PG&E Chairman and CEO Peter Darbee cited "fundamental differences" over climate change to explain why the company is pulling out of the organization, despite the Chamber's "long history as a positive force for America's businesses and its economy."
The letter criticized the Chamber for taking an extreme position on climate change, which Darbee said does not represent the range of views among Chamber members. In particular, he took the Chamber to task for its recent demand that there be a "Scopes monkey trial of the 21st century" to challenge the science on climate change:
"We find it dismaying that the Chamber neglects the indisputable fact that a decisive majority of experts have said the data on global warming are compelling and point to a threat that cannot be ignored. In our opinion, an intellectually honest argument over the best policy response to the challenges of climate change is one thing; disingenuous attempts to diminish or distort the reality of these challenges are quite another."
Frustration has also been publicly articulated by Nike, Johnson & Johnson in a letter and PNM Resources in comments to a reporter with Roll Call.
All of which makes even more interesting the questions about US Chamber President Tom Donohue's potential conflict of interest given role on the Union Pacific board of directors, which states that "Directors may not engage in any conduct or activities that are inconsistent with the Company's best interests."
UPDATE: PG&E's complete letter to the US Chamber is here.