Protesters advocating for new policies to combat global climate change close an intersection September 23, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Following a global climate strike over the weekend, climate activists in Washington, D.C., raged on and flooded the district Monday as the United Nations Climate Action Summit took place in New York.

Participating groups issued several demands, including the passage of the Green New Deal, the halt of deforestation by 2030 and an end to fossil fuel extraction.

The protest, dubbed “Shut Down D.C.,” aimed to bring the city to “a gridlocked standstill.” While the protesters may have successfully shut down downtown D.C.’s rush-hour traffic, environmental advocacy groups cannot shut down ⁠— or even rival ⁠— the fossil fuel industry’s multi-million-dollar spending to shape energy policies.

The groups’ demand for government action against climate change stands in contrast with the Trump administration’s recent plan to roll back federal oversight on the emissions of methane gas, a huge contributor to global warming. The proposal drew opposition from environmental activists and even some carmakers and fossil fuel companies.

Faced with a pressing climate crisis, the country’s political climate is shifting as many Democratic presidential hopefuls are rejecting contributions from fossil fuel executives. Within the energy industry, some companies are investing in clean energy research and carbon removal.

But oil extraction and exploration shows no signs of slowing down, as fossil fuel companies are set to add hundreds more natural gas power plants, USA Today reported. Meanwhile, the industry has contributed millions to President Donald Trump’s joint fundraising committees, Trump Victory and Trump Make America Great Again Committee.

Trump Victory received $2.9 million from the oil and gas industry, including a total of $721,200 from CEO of Energy Transfer Partners Kelcy Warren and his wife, Amy Warren.

The energy and natural resources industry has given almost $30 million — more than twice as much as the environmental groups’ spending during the same period — to mostly Republican candidate campaigns, party committees and outside spending groups during the 2020 election cycle.

Paul Foster, founder of Western Refining, gave $1 million to Engage Texas, a super PAC formed earlier this year to register more Republican voters in the state. The group mustered almost $10 million in a few months from the state’s largest GOP donors, including oil company Energy Transfer Equity and J. C. Walter III, chairman of Walter Oil & Gas Corp.

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Marathon Petroleum, an Ohio-based petroleum refining company, now owns the company that acquired Western Refining. In an effort to fund Republican candidates in congressional races, Marathon Petroleum affiliates gave $407,420 to the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Koch Industries, a long time investor in oil and gas, gave $1 million to the Koch brothers-founded Americans for Prosperity. The super PAC has so far spent $74,366 during this election cycle advertising in favor of Republicans and targeting Democrats.

Affiliates of Koch Industries also gave House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) $12,800. Scalise attended a fundraiser hosted by oil and gas lobbying firm BGR Group last week and hosted an industry dinner the following day, The Intercept reported.

Pro-Trump super PAC America First Action received $750,000 from oil mogul Javaid Anwar, CEO of Texas-based Midland Energy.

The American Petroleum Institute and the National Propane Gas Association, two of the leading industry trade groups, are also sponsoring the National Clean Energy Week Policy Makers Symposium on Thursday. Among the keynote speakers are senators sitting on the Environment and Public Works Committee and representatives from the Department of Energy.

Unlike the energy industry, which comprises dozens of giant fossil fuel companies, most of the environmental advocacy groups are nonprofits such as NextGen America. The organization is founded and funded by billionaire and now Democratic presidential contender Tom Steyer. It launched a multi-million-dollar ad campaign mainly focused on fighting climate change and impeaching Trump before Steyer entered the race.

Affiliates of the groups have collectively spent $11.9 million contributing to candidates and outside spending groups so far, with Steyer single-handedly giving $10.4 million to his own super PAC Need to Impeach.

NextGen Climate Action, a super PAC Steyer founded, also gave $1.3 million to For Our Future, another super PAC established by NextGen America and labor unions.

Other environmental groups lack the spending force Steyer has. League of Conservation Voters, one of the top-spending groups, spent $263,530 on independent expenditure and gave $287,927 mostly to Democratic congressional candidates such as Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Dan McCready, who lost his bid against Dan Bishop in the recent North Carolina special election.



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