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Oiling The MachineFossil Fuel Dollars Funneled into the U.S. Political ProcessExecutive Summary Oil, coal, gas and auto industry interests have funnelled substantial funds into U.S. federal elections since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. During that same time the Clinton Administration has failed to reduce U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels, and has so-far failed to support strong international targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. At the Rio Summit it was agreed to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2000 at 1990 levels. Instead, greenhouse gas emissions are forecast to rise by 13% by the year 2000 and escalate further post-2000. The Clinton Administration does not appear to even be discussing CO2 emissions reductions targets. Without a position on a reduction target the President and Vice President's concern for climate change is empty rhetoric. Supporting early action by industrialized nations is essential to prevent dangerous climate change. Around 98% of US CO2 emissions come from the combustion of coal, oil and gas; with oil accounting for over 40%, coal 35% and natural gas 22% of energy related emissions. The United States alone produces about a quarter of global CO2 emissions.
This report assesses
the: Source data was supplied by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) By failing exert leadership on this issue, the Clinton administration has bowed to the Republican-controlled Senate, playing directly to the industry-promoted agenda to derail international climate control agreements. On June 12, 1997, the Republican-dominated Senate adopted, by a vote of 95 to zero, Resolution 98, recommending that the United States should not sign a international agreement unless it contains specific new commitments for developing countries. This Resolution is inconsistent with the Berlin Mandate, agreed by the U.S. government, upon which new agreements must be based
Conclusions:
Key Companies
Oil
and Gas Sector Total
Oil and gas interests have donated $ 53.4 million since 1991 to candidates and their parties. $20.8 million was donated in the 1995/6 period alone of which 77% went to the Republicans. Oil Companies Eight major oil companies, together with the Petroleum Marketers Association, donated $12.5 million to Congressional candidates and the parties in the last 6 years; 75% of this donation went to Republicans. Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), Chevron, Exxon and Amoco alone gave more than a million dollars each during this period, with ARCO topping the league table with $3.4 million in donations. Enron, a natural gas company, also gave over $1million. Altogether these these fossil fuel producers gave over 70% of their contributions to Republicans. The Republicans received a total of $9.3 million from the oil companies and their marketers, and the Democrats received a total of $3.2 million. These figures include PAC (Political Action Committee) donations which are given to individual candidates plus soft donations which are given to the two political parties. Coal Companies Two international coal companies alone - Cyprus Amax and Peabody - plus the National Mining Association (replacing National Coal Association in the earlier years) gave a total of $1.3 million; 80% of this total went to the Republican Party and their candidates. Automakers The Big Three automakers (Chrysler, Ford and General Motors) gave $3.2 million in donations; together with a major donation from the National Auto Dealers Association of $5.9 million gives a total of $9.1 million. 65% of this total went to Republicans. 72% of the National Auto Dealers Association contribution went to Republicans ($4.3 million). Key Senate Committees Greenpeace evaluated sectoral donations to members of three Senate committees: Energy and Natural Resources, Environment and Public Works, and Commerce, Science and Transportation. These three committees play a key role in climate policy issues. Committee membership comprises 50 Senators, taking into account duplication. Oil, mining and transportation interests have donated $ 11.7 million dollars to the current Senators from these three committees between 1992 - 1996. This group of 50 Senators represents half of the Senate. 77% of those donations went to Republican senators. Oil and gas contributions made up $7.8 million, or two-thirds of the total, of which 80% went to Republican Senators. Eight Senators received their highest donation from the oil and gas sector, all are Republican Senators: Nickles (Oklahoma), Thomas (Wyoming), Burns (Montana), Murkowski (Alaska), Inhofe (Oklahoma), Kempthorne (Idaho), Allard (Colorado), and Bailey Hutchison (Texas). Senator Murkowski is the Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Nineteen Senators (38%) had a donation from oil and gas companies within their top three donations, only two of those were Democrats. The Republican senators received over 70% of total donations in each of the three Committees. Oil and Gas Sectoral Totals The Oil and Gas sector includes production, marketing and downstream activities, including companies involved in refining, distribution and transmission. $53.4 million dollars have been give in donations by this sector since 1991. In the 1995/6 period the total donation amounted to $20.8 million of which 77% went to Republicans.
Mining industries have given approximately $6.7 million in donations since 1991. This total also includes metal mining, non-metal mining and mining service industries. In 1993/4 around half of the money came from coal mine operators.
Hard donations include both PAC (Political Action Committee) donations to individual candidates and individual hard donations (over $200); soft donations are those monies going to political parties. Major Oil and Gas Companies These companies represent the 'seven sister' major multinational oil companies. Also included is Atlantic Richfield company - ARCO - which tops the league table of politican contributions from oil companies with donations of $3.5 million since 1991.
* Petroleum Marketing Association. Figures include the hard donations through the Political Action Committee (PAC) and soft donations to political parties. The Oil Agenda All of these oil companies are members of the Global Climate Coalition with the exception of BP. However BP and the other seven oil companies are members of the American Petroleum Institute, one of the sponsors of the 'Global Climate Information Project' the lobby group currently running a $13 million advertising campaign intended to derail agreement at the Climate Summit in Kyoto. In an aggressive campaign started mid-1997 these groups contend that tougher climate controls for industrialised countries are unfair, and that developing countries are being let off the hook. On June 12, 1997, the Republican-dominated Senate adopted, by a vote of 95 to zero, Resolution 98, recommending that the United States should not sign a international agreement unless it contains specific new commitments for developing countries. This Resolution is inconsistent with the Berlin Mandate, agreed by the U.S. government, upon which new agreements must be based. The politics of the oil industry are blatant. The Head of the Global Climate Coalition has been reported recently admitting that requiring new commitments for developing countries could be a treaty killer. Exxon Chairman and CEO, Lee Raymond, warned developing countries on Oct 13, 1997, that supporting tougher climate controls could strangle economic growth - a major concern for developing countries. Texaco, Mobil and Exxon, along with Australian fossil fuel company, BHP (Broken Hills Propriety Ltd) have also put funding into a controversial economic modelling exercise by the Australian government, currently being used to justify Australia's obstructive position in climate treaty negotiations. BHP is an Australian company with major assets in coal and oil; it is active in the current U.S. industry anti-climate advertising campaign. Political Donations by Party Republican : Democrat The eight oil companies and the Petroleum Marketers Association gave three-quarters of their political donations to the Republicans. It all but one case, over 70% of each company or organisation's total contribution was directed to the Republicans. This has been a consistent pattern and generally became more pronounced in the 1995/6 period..
Figures inlude hard (PAC) and soft donations candidates and parties, US dollars. * The Petroleum Marketers Association only includes PAC donation Major Coal Companies Two international coal companies alone, plus their national Association gave a total of $1.3 million since 1991 to the political process. In total 80% of this went to Republicans. These two companies and the National Mining Association are among the highest political contributors within the Mining sector.
These figures cover hard (PAC) donations only. 1. National Coal Assocation 1991-4, National Mining Assocation 1995/6 Breakdown by Political Party : Republican: Democrat
These figures cover hard (PAC) donations only. * National Coal Association 1991-1994, National Mining Association 1995/6 Major Auto Companies: The Big 3 The Big Three automakers and the National Auto Dealers Association put $9.1million dollars to political parties and their candidates since 1991. The Association contributed over half of that sum with donations well over $1 million each period, and $2.3 million in 1995/6 alone. While Chrysler, Ford and General Motors tended to be more 'even' about the way their funds were dispersed to the two political parties in the earlier years of the decade, this changed in the 1995/6 period with all three companies giving over 70% of their donations to Republicans. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors are all members of the Global Climate Coalition and like their oil counterparts send representatives to climate treaty negotiations. In the months in the lead up to the Kyoto Climate Summit, the Chairman of Ford and the Vice President of Chrysler have taken a high profile role championing delay in climate protection. Their companies also signed a three-page advert, placed by industry and lobbying organisations, specifically designed to influence President Clinton's October 6 Whitehouse Conference:"The Global Climate Treaty Doesn't Make Sense for America - Or The World".
* National Auto Dealers Association 1.These figures are for General Motors only, including GM subsidiaries increases these contributions to $151,399 (1991/2) and $503,325 (1995/6) Breakdown by Political Party : Republican: Democrat
Figures include hard (PAC) and soft donations. * National Auto Dealers Assn: these figures include PAC donations only Senate Committee Donations Half of the Senate are involved in the Energy and Natural Resources, Environment and Public Works, and the Commerce, Science and Transportation Senate Committees - all of which have a role in climate policy decisions. Greenpeace analyzed the contributions to the Senators involved in each of these committees from the Oil and Gas, Mining and Transportation sectors as a whole. Around $11.7 million dollars in donations has gone to the individual Senators, with eight Senators - all Republican - receiving their highest donation from Oil and Gas companies. Nineteen received one of their top three donations from the Oil and Gas sector, two of the latter were from the Democrats. Oil and gas contributions made up $7.8 million, or two-thirds of the total, of which 80% went to Republican Senators. The eight Senators
received their highest donation from the oil and gas sector: Summary Table
Energy and Natural Resources Senate Committee
Senators in Bold received one of their top three donations from the Oil and Gas sector, those marked with an asterisk received their top donation from this sector. Environment and Public Works Senate Committee
Senators with their names in bold received one of their top three donations from the Oil and Gas sector, those marked with an asterisk received their top donation from this sector. Commerce, Science and Transportation Senate Committee
Senators with their names in bold received one of their top three donations from the Oil and Gas sector, those marked with an asterisk received their top donation from this sector. Appendix 1 Companies and Sector Associations: Oil:
Gas:
Coal:
Auto:
Associations:
Funding Sectors: Oil and gas Committees: Energy and Natural
Resources * the donations are going to sitting Senators, some of whom started office after 1992. Appendix 2 Examples of the fossil fuel industry lead advertising campaign | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||