A database published by F Minus reveals that more than 1,500 lobbyists who work on behalf of the fossil fuel industry have also been hired by taxpayer-funded local governments, universities, and environmental organizations that claim to be addressing the climate emergency.
Launched in July 2023, F Minus is using a revolutionary database of state-level lobbyists for upstream and midstream oil, gas, and coal interests to demonstrate the extent to which these influence peddlers are also representing people, schools, communities, and businesses being harmed by the climate crisis.
The Environmental Defense Fund employs lobbyists that are also representing ExxonMobil, Calpine, and Duke Energy, all major gas producers that share responsibility for causing climate-related damages.
Calpine, the biggest generator of gas-fired electricity in the country, shared eight lobbyists with the Environmental Defense Fund. Calpine claims that gas is “clean-burning” while EDF warns that methane from extracting, transporting, and burning gas will make the climate crisis worse.
Colleges and universities—whose students are pushing for divestment from fossil fuels—continue to employ lobbyists who also work for ExxonMobil, the Koch Companies, and other funders of climate denialism.
Some of the country’s most climate-conscious local governments–and communities being hardest-hit by the climate crisis–employ lobbyists who also work for the fossil fuel industry.
Research by F Minus reveals thousands of towns, cities, and counties whose employment of fossil fuel lobbyists is radically at odds with their own plans to deal with the crisis.
Open Secrets revealed that oil and gas industry spent $124.4 million on federal lobbying amid record profits in 2022, but the fossil fuel industry is pouring millions more into state and local public affairs activities, often in association with the same decision-makers who are the targets of their influence operations.
These apparent conflicts are only possible because of the immense influence of money in politics and the failure to ensure that our government serves the people, instead of wealthy special interests.
In a democracy, politicians are expected to represent each person equally, regardless of their financial status.
The principle of “one-person, one-vote” means that no matter who we are, our rights to health care, education, housing, and other basic needs are equally important.
Money in politics complicates this system. When politicians receive large financial contributions from organizations, corporations, campaigns, or individuals, they are inclined to be more responsive to their needs. This puts the voices of everyday Americans at a disadvantage.
The involvement of money in our elections is a huge barrier for everyday Americans who run for public office but lack significant financial resources.
Every person should have the right to run for public office — but because of the role money plays in our elections, not everyone has an equal shot and corruption has been perpetuated by derailing efforts promoting transparency, limiting SuperPACs, and eliminating dark money.
Tapping into the resources of government, academia, and environmental groups is like turning our protectors into enemies by inserting double agents at a crucial policy point.
“It’s incredible that this has gone under the radar for so long, as these lobbyists help the fossil fuel industry wield extraordinary power,” said James Browning, who created the state lobbyist database for F Minus. “Many of these cities and counties face severe costs from climate change and yet elected officials are selling their residents out. It’s extraordinary.
“The worst thing about hiring these lobbyists is that it legitimizes the fossil fuel industry,” said Browning. “They can cloak their radical agenda in respectability when their lobbyists also have clients in the arts, or city government, or with conservation groups. It normalizes something that is very dangerous.”
The fossil fuel industry has made trillions of dollars while lying about the scientific proof that they are destroying Earth’s capacity to sustain life. It should be no surprise that they are also turning our government and other resources against us, as we have permitted vulnerabilities to persist as wealthy special interests rig the political system in their favor.