ADVERTISEMENT Climate change lobby grows over 300 percent John Byrne

Published: Wednesday February 25, 2009





Print This Email This Industry outnumbers environmental, alternative energy advocates 8-1 The number of lobbyists seeking to impact national climate change policy has ballooned by more than 300 percent in five years as companies, investment houses and other groups seek to influence the governments response to global warming.



And despite the huge growth in the number of environmental, health and

alternative energy lobbyists, they are outnumbered by industry and

other interests 8-to-1.



Over 770 companies and organizations hired 2,340 lobbyists to push the

federal government on climate change, spending more than $90 million

in 2008, according to a new study by the Center for Public Integrity.

A group of 48 companies seeking to promote coal topped the spending

list last year.



Money is pouring into Washington on the issue of climate change,

Center Executive Director Bill Buzenberg said.



The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, a group of 48

companies, spent $10 million last year lobbying on climate change, more

than any other group focused solely on the issue.



More lobbyists mean greater obstacles for the White House as it seeks

to combat climate change.



Whats also clear is how difficult it will be for the Obama

Administration to get meaningful climate change legislation through

Congress in the face of such an enormous lobbying push by so many

special interests, Buzenberg said.



A public relations campaign this winter by the "clean coal" industry

bordered on the bizarre. Industry representatives created a flash game

that decked out lumps of coal in winter outfits and had them sing

holiday favorites like "Frosty the Coal Man," "Clean Coal Night" and

"Abundant, Affordable" (Adeste Fidelis).



Greenpeace and the Sierra Club have mocked the clean coal

technology, which aims to "recapture" carbon produced by burning coal.



President Obama has cheered clean coal as an environmental

breakthrough and a prospect for creating "green jobs," and featured it

as part of his energy plan on his campaign website.



According to the new report by the non-profit, Washington DC-based

research group:



* In 2003, 70 percent of the interests weighing in on climate were

energy companies and manufacturers. But by 2008, those sectors made up

only 45 percent of the total, despite their strong growth, because so

many new interests had joined in the fray.



* Finance, insurance and investment firms, with virtually no

presence in the climate debate on Capitol Hill in 2003, last year had

as many lobbyists as alternative energy firms about 130. Their

interest is in shaping the rules of a market-based cap-and-trade

system.



* Cities, counties and public agencies, with a handful of lobbyists

in 2003, by last year had more than 100, focused primarily on how

Congress might distribute potential revenue in a climate program.



The report, entitled The Climate Change Lobby includes a searchable

database of climate lobbyists, using disclosure reports filed with the

U.S. Senates Office of Public Records, and profiles of prominent

lobbyists.





Get Raw exclusives as they break -- Email & mobile Email - Never spam:







