Solar Company Takes a Stand

The US Chamber of Commerce isn’t the only one seeing member companies flee because of an environmentally-unfriendly stance.

The New York Times reports that over at the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FSEIA), members are also starting to fall by the wayside.

Wait, the group’s name would indicate that it is promoting solar power, a renewable energy source. The entire industry is based on consumers’ desire to lower their carbon footprint, right?

You'd think -- which why it was so surprising when FSEIA announced it was supporting oil and gas drilling in Florida. Their reasoning -- such as it was -- was that this drilling would generate revenue for solar projects. Uh, doesn’t offshore drilling just negate the purpose of solar energy?

Ed Strobel, president of member company Sunshine Solar Services, sure thinks so. His company is taking a stand by resigning from the group.

“There are easier ways to finance solar energy than to do a deal with the devil,” he said.

Hats off to Strobel for taking a stand.

Photo courtesy Wayne National Forest, via Flickr.