View this email in a web browser.
Oil and gas industry rewards US lawmakers who oppose environmental protections – study
The oil and gas industry substantially rewards US legislators with campaign donations when they oppose environmental protections, according to a new analysis of congressional votes and political contributions. Oil and gas companies spent $84m on congressional campaigns in 2018. Researchers found a correlation between an increase in anti-environment votes and an increase in contributions. They documented how lawmakers’ scores from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) dipped and then were followed by campaign funding from the industry. [ read more … ]
Climate
‘Horrifying.’ CBS debate under fire for ignoring climate
CBS News moderators ignored climate change in the final presidential debate before the South Carolina and Super Tuesday primaries, when one-third of delegates are at stake. The candidates offered occasional views on the issue, but there was never a substantive climate discussion during the two-hour debate in Charleston, where sea-level rise is already fueling floods and making it one of the country’s riskiest home markets. [ read more … ]
Public power utilities back climate push for first time
The nation’s 2,000 community-owned electric utilities agreed for the first time yesterday that Congress needs to take action to address climate change. The American Public Power Association, meeting in Washington, unanimously approved a resolution in support of current bipartisan efforts to reach a consensus on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions causing global warming. [ read more … ]
BP to quit main U.S. refining lobby over carbon policy
BP will leave the main U.S. refining lobby and two other trade groups as new Chief Executive Bernard Looney spurs some of the oil sector’s most ambitious targets for curbing carbon emissions. BP said its view on carbon pricing and that of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) were “at odds and currently we have no areas of full alignment. [ read more … ]
EVs
U.S. auto dealers are avoiding EVs. Here’s why.
The head of Volkswagen Group of America Inc. recently stood before his dealers and told them he would cover half the costs of getting their facilities ready for electric cars, such as building charging stations. That declaration stood out for its generosity. Most automakers, including General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., claim to be invested in an electric future but are leaving it to dealers to pay for upgrades that can amount to tens of thousands of dollars. [ read more … ]
Me first –global EV policies boost sales as U.S. lags behind
Plug-in electric vehicle sales in European Union nations grew 54 percent last year as automakers ramp up production in response to new pollution rules, according to a new report from S&P Global Platts Analytics. That’s a marked contrast to the U.S., where analysts said EV sales dropped 9 percent. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.