Union Of Concerned Scientists Issues New Climate Change Report

The Union of Concerned Scientists is out with a new report exposing Big Oil's strategy to pull the wool over our eyes when it comes to global climate change. Looking at 28 U.S. companies on the S&P 500 that have publicly expressed concern over climate change and carbon emissions – the UCS found that at the same time – these companies are behind the scenes funneling huge amounts of money into causes and organizations devoted to discrediting climate change. As one of the contributors to the report – Francesca GRifo with the UCS said, "The actions of many of these companies come right from the tobacco industry playbook, where the end goal is delaying sensible regulations that protect our health and safety." Between 2007 and 2009 – just as Congress was debating crucial climate change legislation – the energy sector increased their lobbying by 92% - just enough to get a minority of Republicans in the Senate to filibuster legislation that would have put in place a cap and trade system to reduce carbon emissions. Corporations using their massive financial war chests to influence lawmakers used to be called bribery – now it's business as usual in the post-Citizens United world – a world that is getting hotter and hotter with carbon dioxide now passing the ominous 400 parts per million milestone.