Google ditches ALEC, finally. Facebook, Yahoo, and Yelp follow suit
Google just quit ALEC, and Chairman Eric Schmidt explained why, in very forthright terms:
Google’s controversial decision to fund the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was a “mistake,” company chairman Eric Schmidt admitted on Monday, saying the group is spreading lies about global warming and “making the world a much worse place.”
Facebook followed suit, as did Yelp, Yahoo, and some other tech companies.
The reasoning for dropping ALEC is virtually identical to that I and my fellow Google Science Fellows explained in the open letter and associated essay to Google back in August 1, 2013, in an effort to get the company to drop its active fundraising for Senator James Inhofe:
Climate change is a grave moral challenge that cannot be addressed without smart government policy, corporate innovation, and public participation. Leaders and citizens must collaborate in ways that transcend differences, and call out those who impede progress by denying the reality of the problem.
Recently, Google Inc. failed in this duty by hosting aJuly 11, 2013 fund-raiser in support of Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe’s re-election campaign. The political gridlock that has derailed efforts to address climate change in the US owes much to Senator Inhofe. His denial of the problem and fact-free assaults on the scientific community are designed to promote political dysfunction, to destroy the reputation of scientists, and to undermine our ability to find common ground.
Such strategies conflict with Google’s successful evidence-based, problem-solving culture, and are arguably contrary to its corporate philosophy of “Don’t Be Evil.”
Read more…
Pretty simple actually. Don’t lie, and don’t tolerate, enable, and support those who do, even if it’s advantageous to you in the short run. My kindergarteners are starting to understand that. Hopefully more companies will, too.
Further reading
My June 18, 2012 blog post on intellectual honesty.
My July 3, 2014 blog post on academic integrity and what it means.
