President Obama spoke today, as he did in the 2013 State of the Union speech, about limiting greenhouse gas emissions. He announced executive actions he can take. But MapLight, a group tracking how money flows through political bodies, points out that since 2007, attempts to pass legislation for a market-based system to limit greenhouse gas emissions have died in the Senate. Why? One hint: companies in utilities, chemicals, coal mining, oil and gas and other industries opposing such legislation have given senators $25.1 million in the 2009-2012 period. Groups that would favor such legislation have given $4.2 million.
President Obama spoke today, as he did in the 2013 State of the Union speech, about limiting greenhouse gas emissions. He announced executive actions he can take. But MapLight, a group tracking how money flows through political bodies, points out that since 2007, attempts to pass legislation for a market-based system to limit greenhouse gas emissions have died in the Senate. Why? One hint: companies in utilities, chemicals, coal mining, oil and gas and other industries opposing such legislation have given senators $25.1 million in the 2009-2012 period. Groups that would favor such legislation have given $4.2 million.