Aug 30, 2010 by Adam Smith

The Washington Post reported today on the tough time that environmental groups are having getting comprehensive energy legislation across the finish line and to the president’s desk. What appeared to be their best chance in years to address climate change and push for renewable energy has been bogged down by partisan politics and, as advocates point out, the influence of Big Oil in our political process.

The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) OpenSecrets Blog highlighted this influence last week in its “Fueling Washington” series. And on Friday, when they profiled environmental group lobbyists, that influence was easily explained.

“The oil and gas industry has a lot of influence in Washington,” Environmental Defense Fund lobbyist John Mimikakis told the OpenSecrets Blog. “They have a lot access, when they attend fundraisers and write checks, they are able to spend more time with members of Congress and their staff and develop the kind of relationships that means that when you come back to talk about policy concerns they know who you are.”

Here are some numbers to highlight the contrast between the groups (with data provided by CRP):

The oil and gas industry’s largess is drowning out the organizations pushing for legislation to address our country’s energy needs. As Clean Energy Works spokesman David Di Martino pointed out to the Post, “The oil industry has tremendous reach and control in the United States Senate.”

It’s probably no wonder, then, that leading environmental groups have come out in support of the Fair Elections Now Act.

The League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Chesapeake Climate Change Action Network, Greenpeace, 1Sky, and the National Resources Defense Council have all endorsed the legislation.

On the introduction of the legislation in 2006, Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope explained it best, “Americans understand the connection between clean air, clean water and clean elections, and they don't want to see environmental safeguards sold to the highest bidder. The Sierra Club supports the Fair Elections Now Act to help make candidates more accountable to the public, instead of to special interests.”