Really, Google?

No one could’ve seen this one coming. Now Google, beloved Google, has joined the growing list of companies who are not making enough effort to aid the climate crisis, despite their previous claims to want to aid the problem. News broke this morning that Google has reportedly made “substantial contributions” a multitude of other companies that have made their disbelief of climate change incredibly well known. This leaves many wondering the question, if Google has historically been concerned with the climate crisis and attempting to help those fighting against it, why are they supporting deniers? Perhaps the company thought that the addition of these companies would go unnoticed amidst the expansive list of other companies they contribute to, but it did not.
When the United States left the Paris Agreement, we set a terrible example for other nations and allowed ourselves to continue killing our Earth. One company which played a large role in swaying this decision was Competitive Enterprise Institute. CEI has been a known conservative company, who aided the anti environmental climate change policies of the Bush administration years ago. Again, CEI has played yet another part in the Trump administration’s decision to leave the Paris Agreement. The question still remains, why would Google support such an open climate change denying company? Who knows. CEI is not the only beneficiary of Google’s new contributions though.
Other companies such as the Heartland Institute who have infamously criticized Greta Thunberg’s efforts to stop the climate crisis. It’s interesting that one company that is not afraid to blantantly criticize an intelligent teenage girl, but at the same time that teenage girl is absolutely fearless in the face of insult (as her famous death glare shows). The list goes on for about a dozen other companies supporting the removal of climate saving regulations and laws.
Google’s response to the public outcry? Weak. They say that despite their contributions, they do not endorse their agendas, rather agreeing with their technology policies. Google’s spokesperson has also said that the company wants to be open with their users regarding their polictical involvement, yet decline to answer how much they actually contributed to each company.
To say that you agree to disagree on a debate with a friend or coworker, but to do so on an international platform as one of the world’s most well known companies is an entirely different thing. Something that never should and never should have happened. Although Google is not the first to do so, it does not excuse their actions. If anything, it makes the entire situation significantly worse because they argue what they are doing is ok because other companies are too. This thinking is what helped lead the climate crisis to the point where it is at now: next to irreparable.