Analysis of sources of campaign contributions to members of Senate suggest Congress will be unlikely to take action on comprehensive climate legislation, indicates data collected by MapLight, a group that tracks money’s influence on politics.

Industries with interests in maintaining the status quo on greenhouse gas emissions — including chemicals, oil and gas, coal, airlines, and transportation — gave $25.1 million to Senators between January 1, 2009—December 31, 2012. Meanwhile interests in the environmental policy, alternate energy production and services, and nuclear energy sectors contributed $4.2 million during the period. In other words, top carbon-emitting industries gave near six times as much as industries that would support market-based climate legislation.





The findings, which are based on data from OpenSecrets, suggest that President Obama will have to follow through on this threat to advance climate policy without the help of Congress.

“I urge this Congress to get together, pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change,” Obama said during a climate change policy speech today. “But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will.”

Contributions to Senators from Interests That May Not Benefit from Market-Based Climate Legislation, as defined by MapLight

Gas & electric utilities $3,185,646 Electric power utilities $2,807,445 Chemicals $2,162,603 Coal mining $2,143,406 Independent oil & gas producers $2,061,058 Major (multinational) oil & gas producers $1,920,807 Oil & gas $1,540,206 Oilfield service, equipment & exploration $1,383,057 Natural gas transmission & distribution $1,270,501 Petroleum refining & marketing $1,242,672 Trucking companies & services $1,225,107 Airlines $1,196,573 Livestock $1,162,062 Forestry & forest products $1,048,825 Steel $779,041 TOTAL $25,129,009

Contributions to Senators from Interests That Would Benefit from Market-Based Climate Legislation, as defined by MapLight

Environmental policy $2,877,671 Alternate energy production & services $1,092,770 Nuclear energy $262,660 TOTAL $4,233,101

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