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Google CEO Has Links to Climate Change Deniers

Google boss Eric Schmidt donated almost $30,000 to climate change deniers.

Google's Eric Schmidt put his foot down this week and said that the company would sever ties with the legislators who were "literally lying" about the planet's changing climate and end the company's membership in ALEC, the conservative policy action group.

But what he can't undo is the $29,000 in campaign contributions he gave to some of the lawmakers he is now denouncing as charlatans — part of the nearly $700,000 Googlers have given to the "climate denier caucus."

The San Francisco Chronicle reported the donations and also reported that Google's breakup with ALEC is a "business decision," as Google invests ever more-heavily in solar and wind projects — $1.5 billion in investments that the likes of ALEC and its funders, Exxon, Chevron and the Koch brothers, are trying to undo.

Google had been a member of ALEC for some time before denouncing the group and stomping out, observers noted.

An ALEC spokesman told the newspaper that the group does not deny climate change, but rather is opposed to aggressive efforts to mandate clean energy by the government.

Schmidt donated to the likes of Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, whose Web site suggests that some scientists think global warming "regardless of its cause," could actually help life on earth.

Schmidt, whose company declined to comment on the contributions, donated to both Republicans and Democrats, leaving some to note that he is merely "playing the influence game" -- like "everyone else," the newspaper reported.

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