Intel's Hypocrisy Exposed....Again

A few weeks ago, Intel's Government Affairs Manager assured me that Intel "remains committed to the principle that Oregon continues to lead on the critical issues of carbon reduction and climate change." He also said, "I hope and believe there will be legislation this year that delivers on that goal." This was after members of the Cascade Climate Network, myself included, had invited Intel to lobby in support of Oregon's Senate Bill 80 - a cap on greenhouse emissions in our state. Intel's reply, in essence, can be summed up like this: We can't lobby for SB 80 right now, but don't worry; we're confident Oregon will pass plenty of great global warming laws this year.

Well, a few weeks after Intel tried to reassure us that there was no need for them to lobby on behalf of SB 80, the bill is in tatters. SB 80 is no longer even a cap on greenhouse emissions - it simply instructs Oregon agencies to find ways of reducing emissions, and gives them a lot of discretion in the process. Hmm....looks like Intel was a little over-confident about the prospects for prospects on "the critical issues of carbon reduction and climate change" moving forward without their help. Of course, while refusing to step up in defense of SB 80, Intel was still lending its membership to the alliance of corporate interests bent on destroying climate policy in this state....

Intel helped kill SB 80. It's time to hold them accountable.

-Nick Engelfried