Industrial Giants Now Worried About Global Warming

The debate on global warming, what is left of it, isThe partnership is taking a unique view of the global
often categorized as the far left versus business.warming situation. Instead of fighting it at every turn,
Such a characterization is incorrect as shown by thethey believe it not only exists, but is an opportunity.
US Climate Action Partnership.The partnership is calling for mandatory emissions
The debate on global warming is more or less over.reductions and caps. At the same time, it is trying to
The finer points are still contested, but there is littlefocus big business and government on the
debate the planet is warming, a development that willtechnological and economic opportunities available.
cause climate change. The debate, itself, however,Whining about global warming will not motivate big
has often been sidetracked by the parties involved.business to change its conduct according to the
Simply put, is this just one of those arguments thatPartnership. Given this assumption, the Partnership is
pits the left versus the right in our country. After all,taking another approach. It is arguing that this is an
can either side really agree on anything? Well, theeconomic opportunity for companies. By making
global warming debate is not a left versus rightmandatory emission restrictions, big business will be
argument as show by the US Climate Actionpresented with the economic opportunity to develop
Partnership.and sell new technology that addresses the new
The US Climate Action Partnership is pretty muchenvironmental situation.
what it sounds like - a group calling for mandatorySo, is all of this a lot of hot air? Well, it is always hard
caps on greenhouse emissions. So, what makes itto know with most of these partnerships. In the
different from any other group with the same goal?case of this one, however, the companies seem to
The parties comprising the Partnership. Ready to bebe acting. General Electric, for instance, has invested
surprised? The include some of the large corporationshundreds of millions into renewable energy platforms.
in the world including, but not limited to, Caterpillar,BP [British Petroleum] has opened up a subsidiary in
Alcoa, Dupont, General Electric, and Lehman Brothers.the US that deal only with renewable energy and
These companies are pillars in the business world, andinvested millions in solar and wind power. All and all,
hardly tie-dye wearing hippies.these companies seem serious.