"What's Behind ALEC's Denial That It Denies Climate Change?"

"Critics say the organization is doing one thing while now saying another, to stop the exit of high-profile members."

"With more and more companies abandoning the American Legislative Exchange Council over its refusal to act on climate change, the prominent conservative organization finds itself in a bind: eager to stanch the exodus of high-profile members, yet at risk of alienating the powerful fossil fuel interests that make up its core membership.

'What they're wanting to do is speak out of both sides of their mouth,' said Nick Surgey, research director at the Center for Media and Democracy, a liberal watchdog group that focuses on corporate influence on public policy.

The departure of Google last fall over ALEC's position on global warming prompted the group to publicly refute allegations that it denies climate change. 'ALEC recognizes that climate change is an important issue,' and 'no ALEC model policy denies climate change,' it said. This month ALEC sent cease-and-desist letters to two progressive advocacy organizations demanding they retract statements that ALEC denies global warming."

Neela Banerjee report for InsideClimate News April 14, 2015.