[Vision2020] Was "Something DEFINITELY Different": Obama's Cimate Bill Hit by $45m PR Campaign From Oil, Gas and Coal Industry Lobbying

[Ted Moffett]

I of course am not deliberately sending the same post over and over...
Digital gremlins at work...

But in all seriousness, I have failed to drive my point home about
anthropogenic warming, without a doubt, given the nature of the responses,
and/or the lack thereof, on Vision2020, or in general in the political arena
in the US:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/12/us-climate-bill-oil-gas
 Barack Obama's key climate bill hit by $45m PR campaign

Surge in oil, gas and coal industry lobbying against Democratic leadership
on 'cap and trade' legislation
 *Suzanne Goldenberg* <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/suzannegoldenberg>,
US environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk <http://www.guardian.co.uk/>, Tuesday 12 May 2009 23.11 BST
Article history<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/12/us-climate-bill-oil-gas#history-link-box>

America's oil <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/oil>, gas and
coal<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/coal>industry has increased
its lobbying budget by 50%, with key players spending
$44.5m in the first three months of this year in an intense effort to cut
off support for Barack Obama's plan to build a clean energy economy.

The spoiler campaign runs to hundreds of millions of dollars and involves
industry front groups, lobbying firms, television, print and radio
advertising, and donations to pivotal members of Congress. Its intention is
to water down or kill off plans by the Democratic leadership to pass "cap
and trade" legislation this year, which would place limits on greenhouse gas
emissions.

A defeat for the bill would have global consequences. The international
community is depending on America, as the world's biggest per capita
polluter, to set out a firm plan for getting off dirty fuels in the months
before crucial UN negotiations in Copenhagen in December.

Without such action, the chances of getting a deal that scientists say is
vital to limiting dangerous climate
change<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/climate-change>are much
reduced.
    Suzanne Goldenberg reports on US fossil fuel firms PR blitz Link to this
audio<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/audio/2009/may/13/us-environment-bill>

Those high stakes have intensified the fight for control over America's
energy future. "There are an awful lot of people who have an awful lot to
gain and lose and they have been acting accordingly," said Evan Tracey,
founder of the Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG), who has tracked the
proliferation of climate change ads.

But it is an unequal contest. Liberal and environmental organisations, as
well as the major corporations that support climate change legislation, say
they are being vastly outspent by fossil fuel interests.

"These guys are spending a billion dollars this year convincing Americans
that they are clean, green, cuddly and warm," said Bob Perkowitz, founder of
the eco- America PR firm. Perkowitz is to brief the White House yesterday on
a new environmental messaging strategy. "The enviros are getting their
message out, but they are being outspent by 10 to one." he said.On
advertising, the ratio is about three to one. The oil and coal industry
spent $76.1m on ads from 1 January to 27 April, according to CMAG data seen
by the Guardian. Environmental groups, led by Al Gore's Alliance for Climate
Protection, the Environmental Defence Fund and the Sierra Club, spent $28.6m
on ads in the same period, Tracey said.

Despite its global significance, the fate of the draft "cap and trade" bill
now lies in the hands of just a dozen Democrats, who have yet to back
Obama's energy transformation. The Democratic leadership cannot take their
support for granted. Seven of those pivotal Democrats received campaign
donations in excess of $100,000 from the oil and gas industry, coal
producers, and electricity firms during last year's elections, according to
an analysis provided to the Guardian by the Centre for Responsive Politics.
 Another two received more than $90,000 last year.

Environmentalists say those Democrats, who hold the balance of power on the
committee, pose a far greater threat to the chances of passing climate
change legislation than a full vote in the House of Representatives. "If
they can get that bill through the subcommittee what is going to emerge is a
piece of legislation," said Tony Kreindler of the Environmental Defence
Fund. "So this is ground zero for the vote."

---------------------------------

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 8:37 PM, John Pool <jpool at moscow.com> wrote:

>  I too am getting this message about once per day. I just figured it was
> Ted who, wanting to drive his point home, kept resending it. It probably has
> something to do with global warming.
>
>
>
> John Pool
>
>
>
> *From:* vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:
> vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] *On Behalf Of *Warren Hayman
> *Sent:* Wednesday, August 25, 2010 8:09 PM
> *To:* Ted Moffett; Tom Hansen
> *Cc:* Moscow Vision 2020
>
> *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] Something DEFINITELY Different
>
>
>
> Is anyone else getting this message about once per day or so, or is it my
> computer?
>
>
>
> Warren Hayman
>
>
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
>
> *From:* Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com>
>
> *To:* Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com>
>
> *Cc:* Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>
> *Sent:* Saturday, August 21, 2010 2:44 PM
>
> *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] Something DEFINITELY Different
>
>
>
> Another alternative for a final "resting" place:
>
>
>
>
> http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Jerry-Garcias-legacy-still-lives-on-in-SF-99662599.html
>
>
>
> *1996:* Half of Garcia’s ashes are spread into the Ganges River in India,
> while the other half are poured into San Francisco Bay.
> ------------------------------------------
>
> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>
>
>
>
> On 8/21/10, *Tom Hansen* <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
>
>  Greetings Visionaires –
>
>
>
> Over the years I have posted some rather . . . strange (for lack of a
> better term) . . . comments.
>
>
>
> I hear what you’re saying’.  You’re probably thinking, “No!  Not Tom
> Hansen.  Not hard-charging thoughtful Tom ‘Brad Pitt’ Hansen!”  Well, you
> would be wrong (but thanks for comparing me to Brad Pitt, anyway).
>
>
>
> This one will make those pale in comparison.
>
>
>
> A few months ago, Rodna (that’s my significant other) and I joined the
> Neptune Society.
>
>
>
> Instead of going into long, boring details explaining the Neptune Society
> to y’all, I’ll let you read about it for yourselves . . .
>
>
>
> “The Neptune Society”
>
> http://www.neptunesociety.com/
>
>
>
> The two things about the Neptune Society that appealed to me are:
>
>
>
> 1)  It’s a lot less expensive than a funeral and a casket (a one-time
> payment of just under $3,500 covers both of us – absolutely no more
> payments)
>
>
>
> 2)  Cremation and ashes seem a lot more appealing to me than slowly
> degenerating into worm dung.
>
>
>
> Well . . . enough with the preface to this posting.
>
>
>
> Since the Neptune Society cannot legally store the urns (a law that was
> passed back in 2007), you guessed it . . .
>
>
>
> The urns were delivered to us yesterday.  Here is a photo of one of them.
>
>
>
> http://www.TomandRodna.com/Stuff/The_Urn.jpg<http://www.tomandrodna.com/Stuff/The_Urn.jpg>
>
>
>
> And, just like any other product, this came with a short paragraph of
> instructions
>
>
>
> [image: The_Urn_Label.jpg]
>
>
>
> Yes.  That’s right, V-peeps.  No matter what kindnesses I share (or have
> shared), feelings I provoke (or have provoked), or relationships I take
> pleasure in (or have enjoyed) in the past 59 years along with the next 30
> years (hey, I ain’t leavin’ any time soon) . . . after all is said and done,
> it’s the “plastic bag provided with the urn” for yours truly.
>
>
>
> Not only that, but I will be toting it with me until . . . well . . . you
> know.
>
>
>
> So, I have decided that if I am going to be responsible for maintaining the
> urn, its contents, and the “plastic bag provided with the urn”, I might as
> well give my final residence a name.
>
>
>
> Any ideas?
>
>
>
> Hey, I told you this was going to be weird.
>
>
>
> Tom Hansen
>
> Moscow, Idaho
>
>
>
> “Death is just nature’s way of telling you to slow down.”
>
>
>
> - Dick Sharples
>
>
> =======================================================
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>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>               http://www.fsr.net
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> =======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
>
>
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