Companies, to Their Lobbyist: Wait, We Care About Climate

Chamber of Commerce faces enviro dissent

By Gabriel Winant, Newser Staff

Posted May 5, 2009 9:42 AM CDT

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Companies, to Their Lobbyist: Wait, We Care About Climate — Johnson & Johnson consumer products, Band-Aids, Listerine, Tylenol, Johnson's Baby Powder, Neutrogena Acne Wash, Rolaids and Visine, are shown in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, April, 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike Derer)

Cracks are appearing in big business’s monolithic opposition to federal moves to prevent climate change. Politico reports that major members of the Chamber of Commerce, including Nike and Johnson & Johnson, are complaining about the Chamber's resistance to measures like the cap-and-trade bill in Congress. A Nike spokeswoman says her company has been “vocal about wanting them to take a more progressive stance on the issue of climate change.”

Dealing with hundreds of issues, some disagreement is expected, says a Chamber official. “But on 95% of the issues, we have 95% of the support.” An environmental group director replies that, according to his analysis, more Chamber members officially support climate regulation than oppose it. “The US Chamber is representing the views of a small minority of its board members.”
(More Nike stories.)

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