Hill Heat: Oil and Coal Industries Spending Two Million Dollars a Day to Shape Political DebateScience Policy Legislation Actiontag:www.hillheat.com,2005:TypoTypo2008-08-21T08:29:32-04:00Brad Johnsonurn:uuid:1da265a5-7775-44c4-997b-b012f60c5ab52008-08-21T07:44:00-04:002008-08-21T08:29:32-04:00Oil and Coal Industries Spending Two Million Dollars a Day to Shape Political Debate<p>A report from the Public Campaign Action Fund on <a href="http://www.campaignmoney.org/oil-and-coal-report">2008 spending by oil and coal industries</a> finds that they are on track to spend about one billion dollars this year on lobbying, political contributions, and advertising. The <a href="http://www.campaignmoney.org/files/oil_and_coal_report_2008.pdf">full report</a> amasses the following expenditures:</p>
<center><table border=1><tr><th colspan=4>2008 <span class="caps">SPENDING BY OIL AND COAL INTERESTS</span>, BY <span class="caps">CATEGORY</span></th></tr>
<tr><td><i>Amounts in millions</i></td><td>Coal/Electric Utilities</td><td> Oil/Gas</td><td> Total</td></tr>
<tr><td>Political
Contributions </td><td>$16.5</td><td> $20.9</td><td> $37.4 </td></tr>
<tr><td>Lobbying
Expenditures</td><td> 73.7</td><td> 55.3</td><td> 129.0 </td></tr>
<tr><td>Paid Media</td><td> 7.4</td><td> 201.2</td><td> 208.6 </td></tr>
<tr><td>Other Political
Spending</td><td> 40.0</td><td> 12.2</td><td> 52.2 </td></tr>
<tr style='font-weight:bold'><td>Total</td><td> $137.6</td><td> $289.6</td><td> $427.2 </td></tr> </table></center>
<p>Lobbying expenditures and political contributions come from <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org">Center for Responsive Politics</a> data compiled from public disclosures. Paid media figures are from <span class="caps">TNS</span> Media Intelligence, the industry standard for tracking media
spending.</p>
<p>The “other political spending” comes from the coal industry group <a href="http://www.hillheat.com/articles/2008/02/29/abec-campaigning-in-ohio">Americans for Balanced Energy Choices</a> / American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ABEC/ACCCE) and from Newt Gingrich’s 527 corporation, American Solutions for Winning the Future (ASWF).</p><p>A report from the Public Campaign Action Fund on <a href="http://www.campaignmoney.org/oil-and-coal-report">2008 spending by oil and coal industries</a> finds that they are on track to spend about one billion dollars this year on lobbying, political contributions, and advertising. The <a href="http://www.campaignmoney.org/files/oil_and_coal_report_2008.pdf">full report</a> amasses the following expenditures:</p>
<center><table border=1><tr><th colspan=4>2008 <span class="caps">SPENDING BY OIL AND COAL INTERESTS</span>, BY <span class="caps">CATEGORY</span></th></tr>
<tr><td><i>Amounts in millions</i></td><td>Coal/Electric Utilities</td><td> Oil/Gas</td><td> Total</td></tr>
<tr><td>Political
Contributions </td><td>$16.5</td><td> $20.9</td><td> $37.4 </td></tr>
<tr><td>Lobbying
Expenditures</td><td> 73.7</td><td> 55.3</td><td> 129.0 </td></tr>
<tr><td>Paid Media</td><td> 7.4</td><td> 201.2</td><td> 208.6 </td></tr>
<tr><td>Other Political
Spending</td><td> 40.0</td><td> 12.2</td><td> 52.2 </td></tr>
<tr style='font-weight:bold'><td>Total</td><td> $137.6</td><td> $289.6</td><td> $427.2 </td></tr> </table></center>
<p>Lobbying expenditures and political contributions come from <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org">Center for Responsive Politics</a> data compiled from public disclosures. Paid media figures are from <span class="caps">TNS</span> Media Intelligence, the industry standard for tracking media
spending.</p>
<p>The “other political spending” comes from the coal industry group <a href="http://www.hillheat.com/articles/2008/02/29/abec-campaigning-in-ohio">Americans for Balanced Energy Choices</a> / American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ABEC/ACCCE) and from Newt Gingrich’s 527 corporation, American Solutions for Winning the Future (ASWF).</p>
<p>It does not include other industry and political groups that have not disclosed their spending:</p>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/node/2905">Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth</a>
</li><li><a href="http://getenergysmartnow.com/?tag=american-council-for-capital-formation">American Council for Capital Formation</a>
</li><li><a href="http://newmexicoindependent.com/view/ad-watch-pro">American Energy Alliance</a>
</li><li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/04/03/kenneth-green/">American Enterprise Institute</a>
</li>
<li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/07/27/koch-hot-air/">Americans for Prosperity</a>
</li><li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/07/24/udall-cuba-drilling/">American Future Fund</a>
</li><li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/05/09/right-wing-gore-cyclone/">Business & Media Institute</a>
</li><li><a href="http://www.grist.org/news/2008/07/15/caae/">Coalition for Affordable American Energy</a>
</li><li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/30/right-wing-organization-paying-kids-for-denying-global-warming/">Competitive Enterprise Institute</a>
</li><li><a href="http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=121858967486150700">FreedomWorks</a>
</li><li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/15/heartland-vp-yankee-taxes-on-global-warming-will-lead-to-another-civil-war/">Heartland Institute</a>
</li><li><a href="http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/2008/08/19/while-congress-is-on-vacation/">Institute for Energy Research</a>
</li><li><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/06/11/fossil-ten-senators/">National Association of Manufacturers</a>
</li><li><a href="http://energysmart.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/chambering-a-round-against-future-commerce/">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a>
</li></ul>