The list of groups and affiliations is long and growing. They have leaders like Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, and George Allen, and are backed by organizations such as the oil industry's American Petroleum Institute and the coal lobby group the American Coalition for Clean Coal Energy (ACCCE). Not surprisingly, the more we learn about these groups, the more we find out about their shady connections and methods.
As Ian Talley of Dow Jones described on Friday:
Astroturf groups, while meant to look, act and smell like community groups, are primarily funded by corporations, trade associations, political interests or public-relations firms.
He goes on to expose Americans For Prosperity, one of the most-active front groups:
The chairman of its affiliate organization, Americans For Prosperity Foundation (which unlike AFP can lobby politicians) is David Koch, co-owner of one of the largest private companies in the U.S., Koch Industries Inc. Among the conglomerate's revenue earners are its refining, oil pipelines and chemical units - including Koch Carbon, which produces greenhouse-gas intense products such as cement, coal, paper and petroleum coke.
Joining together with the National Association of Manufacturers and 10 other industry groups opposed to the climate bill, the American Petroleum Institute this month founded "Energy Citizens" to rally in 20 states across the U.S.
On Sunday, the Washington Post's David Fahrenthold also picked up on the "Energy Citizens" and the front-group dynamics:
A petroleum industry trade group is asking oil companies to recruit employees and retirees to attend rallies attacking climate-change legislation, an approach to grass-roots politics that resembles strategies used recently by some opponents of health-care reform.
Blogger Kevin Grandia was one of the first to uncover the revelations around API's funding of sham town hall events, when he reported that:
The email memo (download a PDF copy), which appears to come from the desk of American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard, asks API's member companies to recruit employees, retirees, vendors and contractors to attend "Energy Citizen" rallies in key Congressional districts nationwide. API is focusing on 21 states that have "a significant industry presence" or "assets on the ground."
Taking a page from the playbook of Astroturf campaigners currently crashing health care town hall events across the country, API hopes to similarly sully productive communications between Congressmembers and their actual constituents. Gerard states that API is ready to bus in company members and provide logistical support, and reveals that API has retained "a highly experienced events management company that has produced successful rallies for presidential campaigns, corporations and interest groups."
Similar scare tactics were carried out by the National Association of Manufacturers last week, which released an analysis that clearly exaggerates the cost associated with clean energy and climate legislation. NRDC economist Laurie Johnson remarks: "It's a story they've repeated over and over, against virtually every piece of environmental legislation. And every time history has proven them wrong." In her words, it's a case of "opinions masquerading as facts."
The problem with these groups is not that they are mobilizing activities or exchanging opinions. Everyone has a right to have and express his or her opinion. But the problem, as I see it, is that they are determined to sow fear and they are distorting where most Americans are on these issues.
Senator Specter (D-PA), who has attended a series of heated town halls, said on NBC's Meet the Press (as reported in the Washington Post): "I think we have to bear in mind that, although those people need to be heard and have a right to be heard, that they're not really representative of America, in -- in my opinion."
I couldn't agree more. America deserves to have a serious debate over important issues -- like health care and climate change. Unfortunately, this summer it seems like we are going to have less honest dialogue and more fake front groups.
Forty years ago, we had Woodstock and the summer of peace and love; now it looks like we're left with Astroturf and the summer of fakes and deception.
]]>Here's a re-cap of some of this week's highlights and some of the most memorable words that we heard and read:
For Earth Day, President Obama highlighted the economic opportunities around clean energy and global warming solutions.
President Obama said: "The choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy. The choice we face is between prosperity and decline. We can remain the world's leading importer of oil, or we can become the world's leading exporter of clean energy."
In Roll Call, Representative Sherrod Brown wrote a column, including the line: "Inaction is not an option" (See NRDC's Climate Director, Dan Lashof's blog on it. )
He went on to say: "If we care about the world in which we live and the generations that will follow us, then we must no longer dismiss the lethal risks global warming poses to our planet. We must craft an aggressive strategy to combat global warming, and we must do it now."
Business leaders, part of the group Environmental Entrepreneurs (www.E2.org) came to Washington to push the case for clean energy as an economic engine.
The CEO of SynGest and E2 member Jack Oswald was quoted in the Washington Post , saying, "What's going to give us the ability to expand as rapidly as possible is carbon legislation."
On the flip side, Politico ran a story that examined the opposition's approach to global warming, calling it 'schizophrenic.'
The title says it all: "GOP grapples with climate confusion."
And here's another key line: "Outside the Capitol, business groups - a key Republican constituency - are fractured in their opposition to climate change legislation."
Finally, Senator John Warner (VA- retired) testified to Congress about the importance of climate change from a national security perspective.
As he put it: "Global climate change has the potential, if left unchecked, of adding missions to the already heavy burdens of our military and other elements of our nation's overall national security."
So, what are we to think about all of these words? To me, it says that, after a long delay, Washington is moving again on clean energy and global warming. More and more business leaders, economists, and even politicians are recognizing that the right environmental decisions are the right economic ones.
To close it out, here are NRDC's President Frances Beinecke words from Earth Day: "With a president who shares our environmental priorities, a Congress poised to take action, and business leaders increasingly aware of the opportunity presented by a clean energy economy -- we have the tools to repower America."
(Thanks to Eric Young who contributed to this entry.)
]]>In December, I got the thrill of joining Robert Redford and several environmental groups for a press event to announce that we were taking legal action to put a stop to land leases in Utah. While this was an exciting event, I didn't really know what the outcome would be. Well, today, we found out.
We are grateful to Mr. Redford, the original "Sundance Kid," who has lent his voice and support to this issue. He said in a written statement:
"American citizens once again have a say in the fate of their public lands, which in this case happen to be some of the last pristine places on earth."
These vulnerable areas are near some of America's most beautiful Western landscapes: Arches and Canyonlands national parks, Dinosaur National Monument, and Nine Mile Canyon. Most people can picture the clay red arches and picturesque vistas that are part of the fabric of the West and are ingrained in our culture.
Sharon Buccino, the lead attorney for NRDC's legal action, declared:
"This bold action by Secretary Salazar reaffirms the priceless value of America's wilderness and signals a new day for Washington."
I couldn't agree more.
]]>After enduring about 15 minutes of listening to James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, spin a tale about the "unbounding results" of Bush's environmental record, the program settled into a lively panel discussion.
The other panelists were Bill Kovacs of the US Chamber of Commerce and Margaret Kriz of the National Journal. Bill was in the unenviable position of having to defend the Bush legacy. While he claimed that the Bush administration had made headway on climate change, water protection and energy efficiency, Peter and Margaret repeatedly pointed out that Bush's contributions fell far short by any objective measure.
Having just returned from a tour of mountain top mining in Kentucky, Peter was armed with his firsthand impressions of the Bush legacy. His descriptions of mountain tops being leveled and waterways filled with rocks and waste painted a clear picture of the "results" of the last eight years of Bush's policies, which have clearly favored industry and undermined the health of people and the planet.
One particularly poignant moment came toward the end when a woman called in and described going out at night with a flashlight and seeing silt in the air in her hometown near a power plant in North Carolina. She also talked about her husband who had lost a lung -- a stark reminder of the real life impact of the Bush record.
This human story, which sadly could be repeated in communities across the country, speaks to the unintended consequence of the Bush legacy -- the growth of the grassroots environmental movement and the millions of people who have joined the call to undo eight years of environmental neglect.
Next week, America will welcome a new President, who can take immediate steps to restore scientific integrity to federal agencies, fight against corporate interests, and, most urgently, make up ground on our climate crisis.
You can listen to the entire show here.
UPDATE: You can also listen to an abbreviated version of the show here:
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By coincidence, Fox News contacted us regarding Bush's legacy and wrote up two stories (here and here). It's not everyday that an environmentalist gets quality coverage from Fox.
With 13 days to go until America has a new president, we have plenty of time to add in some new entries into the timeline.
]]>After culling through hundreds of reports, press releases, news clips, Web sites and other materials, NRDC experts confirmed what many of us already suspected: The last eight years are among the worst in history for the environment.
We created the timeline to capture the "low-lights" of the outgoing administration-- eight years of willful neglect of America's environment, its land, air, climate, people and animals. From Bush's cronyism in political appointments to favoritism of industry insiders, it's hard to imagine a president more determined to undermine national treasures, threaten public health and endanger vulnerable animals.
Of course, November 2008 ushered in a breath of fresh air - with President-elect Obama and his dream "green team" of environmental and energy appointments on their way to Washington. Obama and the new Congress have their hands full as they go about restoring environmental protections and playing catch-up on climate change. Not to mention, moving America to clean energy, while jump-starting the economy. Then again, if what he's accomplished in his career is any indication, I wouldn't bet against Mr. Obama.
Take a look at the timeline below. You can scroll through pictures, use the map function, and even add comments. Have some fun! It's the least we can do now that our environmental nightmare under the Bush administration is nearly over...
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