In Chronicles two years ago I defended the American Legislative Exchange Council against assaults by George Soros-funded groups seeking to shut down debate. ALEC works with local and state legislators to craft “model legislation,” such as for gun rights and voting integrity, that outrage the Left.

Now tech oligarchs so rich they make Soros look an EBT card user are assaulting ALEC over the “climate change” nonsense. National Journal reported:

“Google plans to sever its relationship with the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council following a wave of public scrutiny about the conservative group’s climate-change views.

“Google Chairman Eric Schmidt indicated in an interview Monday with NPR’s Diane Rehm that Google would drop its ALEC membership ‘in the future,’ but did not specify a date.”

And the Washington Post reported:

“Google isn’t the first to turn its back on ALEC. In August, Microsoft told climate change activists that it was dropping its support because ALEC’s stance on climate change and several other issues ‘conflicted directly with Microsoft’s values.’”

“Climate change” is an example of what the great conservative philosopher Richard Weaver called “devil terms,” meaning things so horrible they can’t be discussed, meaning today such things as inequality, Eurocentrism and Christianity. He contrasted them with “god terms,” things so wonderful they can’t be contradicted, meaning today such things as multiculturalism, diversity and same-sex “marriage.”

“Climate change” is a meaningless phrase imposed on us about eight years ago when “global warming” became dubious in the midst of what now in late 2014 is 18 years without any global warming. Of course the climate “changes.” It always has and always will, the main factors being not humans, but changes in sunspots and the temperature of the earth’s core. But how is the climate changing? Are humans causing the change? And can anything be done about it except enrich Al Gore and his pals who have profited big time from investments in alternative energy?

There’s also the Hypocrisy Factor. Google oligarch Schmidt just dropped some small change, $22 million, on the Holmby Estate in Hollywood. According to Forbes, “The 9,000-square-foot mansion is set on 1.3 acres and situated steps away from the Spelling Manor and Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion.”

How big is the “carbon footprint” on that massive compound? Even if he buys solar panels and goes green, the previous construction of the compound consumed enough carbon – and supposedly “changed” the climate – more than entire provinces of Bangladesh. And the solar panels only will shift the “carbon” expense from power plants in Southern California to the panel factories in China, where they keep building dirty coal plants to power their factories – including factories that churn out the Android phones that keep Schmidt and the other Google moguls living a life beyond the dreams of avaricious carbon splurging.

And of course, his Hollywood compound is in addition to whatever massive compound he already sprawls itup in Silicon Valley.

Then there’s Microsoft, whose co-founder and top honcho is Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, currently worth $80.4 billion – despite Windows 8 being a kludge. The New York Times recently described “his 66,000-square-foot home on the eastern bank of Lake Washington” in Washington state. According to Seattle Curbed:

“1. The mansion took seven years to building and cost $63M.

“2. The swimming pool runs 60-feet-long and includes underwater music system. A locker room has four showers and two baths.

“3. The home includes a 2,500 square-foot gym…

“4. The dining room is 1,000 square-feet large. Chances are the apartment you’re reading this inside isn’t even 1,000 square-feet. [Mine’s 600 square feet – J.S.]

“5. When a guest arrives, they are given a pin that interacts with sensors in each room in the house. Depending on their preferences, the temperature, music and lighting will change in the house wherever they are.”

Creepy.

Gates also owns another massive compound in Del Mar Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe, north of sybaritic San Diego. So his “carbon footprint” is greater than that of Kazakhstan.

These tech oligarchs’ assaults on little ALEC are just more hypocrisy. They will frolic in massive mansions and cavernous compounds while the rest of us will be forced to live in “low carbon footprint” hovels and pull rickshaws as we await the Obamacare death panels.