"The biggest influence groups for oil and coal spent a combined $115 million last year to burnish their images and shape public opinion on energy, expenditures that dwarf amounts they have previously reported for federal lobbying."
John M. Broder reports a feature-length profile of U.S. Chamber of Commerce president Thomas J. Donohue, whose legendary pugnacity has been focused on legislation to curb climate change.
"A corridor of land protected by Puerto Rico's last governor hosts dozens of rare and endangered species .... Now new Gov. Luis Fortuno has revoked the reserve as part of a drive to bring jobs and investment for the U.S. territory's struggling economy."
"Facing the possibility of a $27 billion pollution judgment against it in an Ecuadorean court, Chevron launched an aggressive lobbying and public relations campaign to try to prevent the judgment as well as reverse a deeply damaging story line."
The nomination of Paul Anastas, known as the "father of green chemistry," to head EPA's Office of Research and Development, is being held up by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA). Vitter's action raises questions about his close ties to the formaldehyde industry.
"Energy industry officials have dominated witness tables at hearings on climate legislation, appearing more often than representatives of any other groups invested in energy policy, according to a new analysis."
"West Virginia political leaders promised Tuesday to speak "with one voice" to clarify the Obama administration's proposals to more strictly regulate mountaintop removal coal mining."
"Greenpeace is demanding that Newsweek disclose how much money it has made selling the oil industry's biggest lobbying group advertising deals that included the ability to co-host energy policy forums and seat the association's president as a panelist beside members of Congress."
EPA announced Thursday the Obama administration's appointment of four regional administrators. They are for Region 2 (NY, NJ, PR, VI, Tribal Nations), Region 3 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV), Region 6 (TX, LA, AK, NM, OK, Tribal Nations), Region, and Region 9 (CA, HI, AZ, NV, Territories, Tribal Nations).
"Big greenhouse polluting companies around the world, employing thousands of lobbyists, are exerting heavy pressure on governments to weaken climate change laws at home and slow progress on an international climate agreement in Copenhagen, a global investigation reveals."
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