Steven Chu, the U.S Energy Secretary, commended Apple and the three other companies that left the U.S Chamber of Commerce because of its position on climate change legislation.
Apple, Exelon Corp, PG&E, and PNM Resources Inc. resigned from the Chamber amidst brouhaha over the latest greenhouse gas reducing regulations in Congress. The Chamber, headed by Tom Donohue,
has been criticized for opposing green legislation and publicly challenging the evidence for man-made global warming. Donohue, who sent a
bitter retort to Steve Jobs after Apple's departure, indirectly accused Apple of looking after its own interests, saying: "It's pretty clear because we've heard it from our own companies that a number of environmental groups are trying to apply some pressure on Chamber companies to apply pressure on us to change our views."
Secretary Chu had a different take on the Cupertino computer company. "I think it's wonderful," he said, that companies were exiting the Chamber of Commerce in opposition to its "foot dragging [and] denials." Chu urged others to follow suit, and urged the world's largest business federation "to realize the economic opportunity that the United States can lead in a new industrial revolution."
Greenpeace, the 2.8 million member organization, also took the time to congratulate Apple. "In the growing public spat between Apple and the Chamber we are definitely cheering for Steve," the non-profit activist group
said on its website.
The pressure seems to be softening the Chamber's controversial position -- the organization no longer plans to challenge the science of man-made global warming. But Donohue said: "We're not changing where we are. We're going to be very responsive to people's questions," saying the Chamber "thought long and hard about what was important here and we're not going anywhere."
