iQuit! Apple leaves cloud-berating U.S. Chamber of Commerce over climate

And the rush for the doors at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce continues!

Apple has become the latest company to resign from the United States Chamber of Commerce over climate policy.

“We strongly object to the chamber’s recent comments opposing the E.P.A.’s effort to limit greenhouse gases,” wrote Catherine A. Novelli, the vice president of worldwide government affairs at Apple, in a letter dated today and addressed to Thomas J. Donohue, president and chief executive of the chamber. Click here to read the letter. [PDF]

Yes, please do click there to read the letter; as these things go, it's pretty tough. After patting itself on the back for "working hard to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions by relying on renewable energy" at their facilities, Apple writes through Ms. Novelli:

For those companies who cannot or will not do the same, Apple supports regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and it is frustrating to find the Chamber at odds with us in this effort. [Emphasis added]

But then again, many other companies are finding themselves at odds with the Chamber on climate and energy these days: in just a few weeks, Nike quit the Chamber's board, Exelon, PNM Resources and PG&E quit the Chamber altogether, and Johnson&Johnson, General Electric, and the San Jose Chamber of Commerce have said the Chamber doesn't represent their views on climate. (H/T to Pete Altman at NRDC for keeping a running tally.) So far none of these companies have come back to the fold, which means they probably haven't been fooled by Chamber President Tom Donohue's recent statement claiming they had never yelled angrily at the clouds of climate science.

So if the Chamber really does support "strong climate legislation" (was this before or after the Chamber’s senior vice president for environment, technology and regulatory affairs (!) called for a Scopes Monkey Trial on climate science?), why are all these companies leaving the Chamber? Who exactly does the Chamber represent on climate, after all?

So, anyone wanna start a pool on who will leave the Chamber next?