Tell Best Buy: $100,000 To Minnesota's Tom Emmer Doesn't "Keep The Planet Healthy"

by Jess Leber · 2010-07-30 10:45:00 UTC
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In the last week, there's been a huge ongoing flap on Change.org's Gay Rights blog, where more than 20,000 people have vented their anger at Target, a supposedly gay-friendly company, for backing Minnesota governor candidate Tom Emmer, a virulent anti-gay conservative.

But Target is not the only company being hypocritical when it showers corporate cash on Emmer. And gay rights advocates aren't the only ones who should be disturbed.

I'm looking at you Best Buy.

Best Buy, you are most definitely not getting the best buy for your money when you give $100,000 to Minnesota Forward, the political action committee shilling for Emmer. And the environment? The deal it's getting is even worse.

For the record, Best Buy, which is headquartered in Minnesota, is usually a pretty green company. It supports climate legislation, is known as an energy efficiency leader, and already has reached its goal to make an 8 percent cut in its carbon footprint by 2012. Through its "Greener Together" program, Best Buy also has one of the best electronics recycling programs in the industry and has pioneered state and federal programs to reduce landfill waste. It even field tested that program in Minnesota.

All good stuff. So, why does Best Buy want to undercut all its hard work by supporting Tom Emmer for governor? Let's take a quick tour of Emmer's environmental record to understand why this contribution flies in the face of the policies Best Buy professes to support.

Tom Emmer, in addition to cheering on a rock band that advocates killing gays and lesbians, is a one-man bulldozer when it comes to the environment, as the group Alliance For a Better Minnesota points out. (Sign their petition to call out Best Buy.)

On electronics: Emmer voted twice against an electronics recycling program in Minnesota, and now that the program is law, is on a campaign to abolish -- get that, abolish -- the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which is set to implement the program.

On climate and energy: Emmer calls climate science "Al Gore's climate porn," and says green jobs are a "fancy marketing slogan." He voted against Minnesota's 25 percent renewable electricity mandate and swears if elected he would repeal it. Instead, he thinks too little is being done to develop the fossil fuels of the future.  Want to challenge his retrograde stances? Don't bet on it, he probably won't show up, just like he skipped out on a recent "green debate."

On health: He was a minority even among Republicans when he was one of only five state house legislators to vote against banning toxic BPA from children's toys and sippy cups. Last year, he also voted against a pilot program to collect and recycle toxic paint.

I could go on, but I will stop there. Given Emmer's record, this move definitely leads me to question Best Buy's environmental commitment. At the very least, I certainly want to know why Best Buy decided to donate such a large sum in his support.

Please email Best Buy to demand the company stand consistent with its own green policies and stop funding Tom Emmer and other political candidates with failing environmental track records. Alliance For A Better Minnesota's petition also asks Best Buy to explain whether it still supports environmentally-friendly recycling and renewable power, and to explain why it donated its corporate cash to support such an anti-green agenda.

Best Buy has actually shown it is susceptible to pressure, so your emails could really make a difference. In March, after tons of media attention, Best Buy denounced the climate change policies of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a business lobby group doing everything it can to undercut federal action on global warming, and of which Best Buy is a member.

Did Best Buy just show its true colors are no shade of green when it donated to Emmer? Tell Best Buy that if it wants to be known as a true environmental leader, these kinds of donations do not fly.

Photo Credit: Studio Mohawk, Flickr User

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Jess Leber is a Change.org editor. She most recently covered climate and energy issues as a reporter in Washington, D.C

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