Energy Policy-Follow The Money
The threshold problem to energy independence is political, not technical. Governments are not doing what they can -- and that which scientists say must be done immediately -- because of the balance of power. Too much power for Big Oil, the auto companies, the utilities and coal companies. Too little power mobilized by the people in order to save the planet, the economy, and jobs.
What if in fact the United States was no longer addicted to oil? Can anyone seriously believe the United States would have invaded Iraq? Alan Greenspan among others has acknowledged that guaranteeing the Middle Eastern supply of oil was the underlying rationale for the war.
What if in fact the oil industry -- and that of other fossil fuel industries -- ceded its political power (or if that power was taken away)? Suddenly, the transition to a sustainable energy future would be much more achievable.
The United States, and the world, needs a massive infusion of resources into energy efficiency, renewable energy technology deployment, and research into new efficiency and renewable technologies.
The federal government has spent $700 billion to kill hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq, on a mission leading to the deaths of 4,000 U.S. soldiers and the maiming of thousands more. The Federal Reserve has conjured $200 billion to keep Wall Street functioning. Can there be any doubt that the United States could, tomorrow, begin spending $100 billion a year -- or much more -- to address global warming?
We can only hope that the recent demonstration at API is an early, small step, taking us to alternative power -- a new political balance of power and a new and urgently felt commitment to alternative energy investment and deployment.
Energy Policy-Follow The Money
Separate Oil & State is a US campaign to get oil money out of politics. The greatest barriers to clean energy are political, not technical—and these barriers are largely fueled by the oil industry. We know that in order to achieve a clean energy future, we have to expose and eradicate the political influence of the oil industry; we have to achieve a separation of oil & state.
Our addiction to oil is at the core of several of the most pressing issues of our time, including the health of our communities, global warming, war, and global debt.
The first step in ending our collective addiction to oil is reducing oil’s influence over our politicians. It’s time to ensure that our representatives represent us, not Big Oil.
Follow The Oil Money:
Clinton, Hillary D NY $249,050
Obama, Barack D IL $70,000
McCain, John R AZ $22,350
Compare votes in the U.S. Senate House
Murkowski, Lisa R AK $209,413, voted for big oil: 100%
Stevens, Ted R AK $173,890,voted for big oil: 100%
Sessions, Jefferson R AL $149,100,voted for oil: 100%
Shelby, Richard R AL $79,800,votes for big oil: 100%
Pryor, Mark D AR $112,350,voted for big oil: 67%
Kyl, Jon R AZ $203,499 74.7,voted for big oil: 88%
Lincoln, Blanche D AR $141,350,voted for big oil: 44%
McCain, John R AZ $22,350,voted for big oil: 57%
Feinstein, Dianne D CA $94,850,voted for big oil: 33%
Boxer, Barbara D CA $8,700,voted for big oil: 22%
Salazar, Ken (D) CO $88,800,voted for big oil: 56%
Allard, Wayne (R) CO $149,550-votes for big oil: 100%
Lieberman, Joseph (I0 CT $96,100,voted for big oil: 44%
Dodd, Christopher (D) CT $14,750,voted for big oil: 22%
Carper, Thomas (D) DE $47,560,voted for big oil: 33%
Biden, Joseph (D) DE $44,000,voted for big oil: 33%
Martinez, Mel (R) FL $83,000,voted in favor: 88%
Nelson, Bill (D) FL $55,900,voted in favor: 33%
Isakson, John (R) GA $104,714,voted for big oil: 100%
Chambliss,C.Saxby (R) GA $147,542,voted for big oil: 100%
Akaka, Daniel (D) HI $10,300,voted for big oil: 44%
Inouye, Daniel(D) HI $21,000,voted for big oil: 44%
Obama, Barack (D) IL $70,000,voted for big oil: 33%
Craig, Larry (R) ID $125,750,vote for big oil: 100%
Grassley, Charles (R) IA $95,300,voted for big oil: 100%
Lugar, Richard (R) IN $77,850,voted for big oil: 67%
Crapo, Michael (R) ID $71,839,voted for big oil: 100%
Bayh, B. Evan (D) IN $71,664,voted for big oil: 56%
Harkin, Thomas (D) IA $56,086,voted for big oil: 44%
Durbin, Richard (D) IL $46,200,voted for big oil: 44%
McConnell,Mitch (R) KY $277,108,voted for big oil: 100%
Roberts, Pat (R) KS $131,900,voted for big oil: 100%
Bunning, Jim (R) KY $119,269,voted for big oil: 100%
Brownback, Samuel (R) KS $90,240,voted for big oil: 100%
Vitter, David (R) LA $281,650,voted for big oil: 100%
Landrieu, Mary (D) LA $438,755,voted for big oil: 67%
Talent, James (R) MO $319,729,voted for big oil: 100%
Burns, Conrad (R) MT $391,130,voted for big oil: 100%
Coleman, Norm (R) MN $196,100,voted for big oil: 67%
Lott, Trent (R) MS $204,400,voted for big oil: 100%
Baucus, Max (D) MT $167,350,voted for big oil: 67%
McCaskill, Claire (D) MO $29,850,voted for big oil: 33%
Bond, Christopher (R) MO $133,850,voted for big oil: 100%
Wicker, Roger (R) MS $122,400,voted for big oil: 90%
Cochran, Thad (R) MS $104,300,voted for big oil: 100%
Cardin, Benjamin (D) MD $19,900,voted for big oil: 33%
Collins, Susan (R) ME $64,450,voted for big oil: 56%
Kennedy, Edward (D) MA $61,400,voted for big oil: 22%
Snowe, Olympia (R) ME $52,550,voted for big oil: 44%
Kerry, John (D) MA $31,180,voted for big oil: 22%
Tester, Jon (D) MT $6,200,voted for big oil: 33%
Klobuchar, Amy (D) MN $6,000,voted for big oil: 33%
Stabenow, Debbie Ann (D) MI $19,750,voted for big oil: 56%
Levin, Carl (D) MI $23,950,voted for big oil: 44%
Mikulski, Barbara (D) MD $8,860,voted for big oil: 44%
Sarbanes, Paul (D) MD $7,000,voted for big oil: 33%
Dayton, Mark (D) MN $250,voted for big oil: 60%
Burr, Richard (R) NC $217,969,voted for big oil: 89%
Domenici, Pete (R) NM $360,808,votes for big oil: 78%
Dole, Elizabeth (R) NC $197,429,voted for big oil: 100%
Sununu, John (R) NH $179,480,voted for big oil: 78%
Ensign, John (R) NV $225,613,voted for big oil: 100%
Bingaman, Jeff (D) NM $263,885,voted for big oil: 44%
Clinton, Hillary (D) NY $249,050,voted for big oil: 42%
Nelson, Ben (D) NE $119,300,voted for big oil: 67%
Menendez, Robert (D) NJ $48,150,voted for big oil: 50%
Reid, Harry (D) NV $118,250,voted for big oil: 33%
Schumer, Charles (D) NY $93,918,voted for big oil: 25%
Hagel, Charles (R) NE $93,150,voted for big oil: 100%
Conrad, Kent (D) ND $72,072,voted for big oil: 71%
Gregg, Judd (R) NH $33,000,voted for big oil: 56%
Lautenberg, Frank (D) NJ $26,200,voted for big oil: 33%
Dorgan, Byron (D) ND $32,418,voted for big oil: 57%
Corzine, Jon (D) NJ $15,250,voted for big oil: 20%
Inhofe, James (R) OK $480,156,voted for big oil: 100%
DeWine, Michael (R) OH $198,757,voted for big oil: 83%
Voinovich, George (R) OH $176,117,voted for big oil: 100%
Smith, Gordon (R) OR $122,925,voted for big oil: 67%
Coburn, Thomas (R) OK $46,700,voted for big oil: 89%
Brown, Sherrod (D) OH $4,750,voted for big oil: 50%
Wyden, Ron (D) OR $15,000,voted for big oil: 22%
Santorum, Richard (R) PA $385,580,voted for big oil:100%
Casey, Robert (D) PA $35,450,voted for big oil: 33%
Specter, Arlen (R) PA $152,878,voted for big oil: 56%
Whitehouse, Sheldon (D) RI $19,050,voted for big oil: 0%
Chafee, Lincoln (R) RI $64,975,voted for big oil: 33%
Reed, John (D) RI $5,500,voted for big oil: 33%
Thune, John (R) SD $402,450,voted for big oil: 89%
DeMint, Jim (R) SC $86,972,voted for big oil: 100%
Graham, Lindsey (R) SC $65,200,voted for big oil: 89%
Johnson, Tim (D) SD $43,150,voted for big oil: 43%
Cornyn, John (R) TX $1,154,905, 100%
Corker, Bob (R) TN $244,350,voted for big oil: 100%
Hutchison, Kay (R) TX $886,978,voted for big oil: 100%
Alexander, Lamar (R) TN $191,850,voted for big oil: 89%
Frist, William (R) TN $52,500,voted for big oil: 100%
Hatch, Orrin (R) UT $145,650,voted big oil: 100%
Bennett, Robert (R) UT $59,750,voted for big oil: 100%
Allen, George (R) VA $362,577,voted for big oil: 100% Barrasso,John (R) WY $69,400,voted for big oil: 100% And the above is just the Senate! It does'nt include Congress members. And we won't even talk about Pres.Bush or V.P Cheney If you were to add up all the money being handed over to the Senate and Congress,it would be chump change compared to what Bush and Cheny have made from big oil.
For far too long we have waited for our government, and government agencies to act on the issues of alternative energy. If American consumers,homeowners,and businesses want relief from obscene and ever rising utility bills we can't wait on our government. As long as the big oil,auto companies,and utility companies is handing out millions of dollars to our political leaders,alternative energy will continue to stay in the dark ages.
But consumers can "just say no" to politicians,big oil,auto companies and utility companies by installing your own electricity producing system.
Warner, John
Jeffords, James (I) VT $17,977,voted for big oil: 40%
Sanders, Bernard (I VT) $3,100,voted for big oil: 0%
Leahy,Patrick (D) VT $3,250,voted for big oil: 22%
Thomas, Craig (R) WY $209,777,voted for big oil: 100%
Enzi, Michael (R) WY $122,000,voted for big oil: 89%
Rockefeller,John (D) WV $79,050,voted for big oil: 43%
Byrd, Robert (D) WV $43,600,voted for big oil: 67%
Murray,Patty (D) WA $23,250,voted for big oil: 33%
Cantwell,Maria (D) WA $18,250,voted for big oil: 44%
Feingold, Russell (D) WI $11,896,voted for big oil: 22%
Kohl, Herbert (D) WI $0,voted for big oil: 44%
We certainly believe that all consumers, and Americans in particular, will need to do more to use much less energy. But we also believe that not all energy consumers are created equal – and in the short term, setting up the proper incentives in government is key to changing our collective course. In the United States and most industrialized countries, the Federal Government still strongly favors the oil industry with subsidies.