Earth Equity News

Cap-and-Traders' Spending Surges on Ads. By Fredreka Schouten, USAToday, September 3, 2009. "Environmentalists and others supporting climate-change legislation are outspending the measure's opponents in the television advertising skirmish underway in advance of Senate action this month, new data show... The surge in spending during the lawmakers' August recess put the proponents ahead overall. They have spent $8 million in support of the measure since Jan. 1, compared with $7.4 million by those opposed... Even so, the ad blitz by environmental and liberal groups stands in contrast to lobbying patterns. Oil and gas interests have spent more than $82 million in lobbying during the first six months of this year, according to federal data compiled by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics. By comparison, environmental groups spent $9.8 million. The spending is not about to abate. Wednesday, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) launched a TV ad against Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo, the latest in a series targeting lawmakers who voted against the House version of the climate-change bill in June."