LA Times, Energy Secretary Join US Chamber of Commerce Critics

In an editorial today, the LA Times unleashes on the US Chamber of Commerce, calling the organization “a standard-bearer for polluters.” 

The editorial continues: “Backers of the cap-and-trade climate bill argue that it would create green jobs and ultimately benefit the economy; opponents are equally enamored of predicting economic doom. There are too many variables and unforeseeable impacts for such forecasts to be very useful. What's practically certain is that reinventing our energy infrastructure would be expensive, but cheaper than cleaning up the mess that would result if we didn't.

“There are two ways of handling the coming climate changes, which, according to a recent U.S. government review of the available science, will jeopardize water supplies, destroy transportation infrastructure, blight crops and harm human health: We can impose a price on carbon and thus make those who produce or benefit from it pay a little now, or we can force all taxpayers to fund the far higher cost of repairing the damage later. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is trying to sell the latter approach. Don't buy it.”

Late last week, Energy Secretary Steven Chu entered the fray, calling the actions of companies like Apple, Exelon, PG&E and the others who have quit the chamber “wonderful,” and saying more companies should follow their example.

“I think companies like that - Exelon and others - are saying we have recognized the reality," he told reporters. "They are saying we can't be a party to this denial and foot-dragging.”

-- Suzanne Bopp