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Industry Ponies Up for Climate Change Fight

Environmentalists appear ill-prepared as issue heads to Senate

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 31, 2009 9:05 AM CDT

(Newser) – When the oil and coal lobbies came to Athens, Ohio, they held rallies full of screaming supporters, sponsored free lunches and free concerts, and gave away T-shirts praising coal power. When the environmentalists came to Athens, they held a sedate panel discussion and handed out stickers. Environmentalists seem ill-equipped for the battle over cap-and-trade legislation, the Washington Post reports, unable to switch gears from sounding the climate change alarm to building Senate support.

Once the House passed its version of the cap-and-trade bill, “clean-energy types made a mistake and slacked off,” says one climate campaigner. “And the other side really kept making its case.” The other side also has far more resources. Oil and natural gas groups have spent $82.1 million on lobbying this year; environmental groups have spent $6.6 million. Environmentalists say that money’s behind those energetic rallies—that the crowds are more “astroturf” than grass roots.

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

Sierra Club member Bob Greenbaum, left, talks to a man as he and Pat McKenna, right, demonstrate in front of the US Courthouse in Cleveland Thursday, June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

In this Feb. 7, 2007, file photo Sunflower Electric Cooperative's coal-fired power plant churns out electricity in Holcomb, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, file)

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An ad opposing Cap and Trade from the National Association of Manufacturers. NAM is spending millions to air ads decrying the legislation in 13 states. (NAMvideo)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 11 comments

NewserScooter

Sep 3, 2009 5:00 AM CDT

WTH does the fantasy of the rapture have to do with anything? The science of climatology suggest that the planet is not warming. Some glaciers in Alaska are advancing and knocking trees over. Some are retreating. As they have for the last 10,000 years. All the inner planets of the solar system were warming in the 80's and 90's. Coal or any other energy will have little to do with this. I suggest you give up your religious ideology of Gore, and read the primary sources and scientific publications out there on-line. Reality is more interesting then the models fabricated by Gore's people for a purely political purpose.

NewserScooter

Sep 3, 2009 4:50 AM CDT

The people are the lobbyists. They is US.

Doctor-Zaius

Sep 2, 2009 11:08 AM CDT

Don't worry, I will.

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climate change • cap and trade • lobbyists • lobbying blitz • energy bill

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Industry Ponies Up for Climate Change Fight