If you listen closely, you can probably also hear the heavy breathing of Darth Cheney here as well. The special interest energy forces are coming out with everything they have to prevent change. They like wasted energy. They prefer business as usual. They don't want the US or any country to be more efficient because then where would they round up platinum retirement plans. This group loves waste and does not have the best interest of America in mind when they throw millions of dollars around to smear opponents. All they care about are their obscene profits.
America's oil, gas and 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.
