European polluters financing Senate global warming deniers and climate bill blockers
Major European polluters are contributing generously to the campaigns of global warming deniers and climate bill blockers in the 2010 U.S. Senate race, according to a new report from Climate Action Network Europe.
The companies examined in the report include Belgium's Solvay; Britain's BP; France's Lafarge and GDF Suez; Germany's Bayer, BASF and E.ON; and Luxembourg's Arcelor-Mittal. Their support for Senators blocking climate action amounts to $240,200 -- almost 80 percent of the companies' total spending in this year's Senate race.
"These European companies are simultaneously lobbying against aggressive emissions reductions in Europe -- and are arguing that such reductions should not be pursued until the United States takes action," the report says.
Among those global warming deniers representing Southern states who received contributions from European polluters:
* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) - $1,000 each from Bayer E.ON;
* Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) - $4,000 from BASF, $2,000 from BP and $1,000 from Bayer;
* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) - $5,000 each from Bayer and Lafarge, $2,000 from BASF and $1,000 from BP;
* Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) - $3,500 from Lafarge and $2,000 each from BASF and BP; and
* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) - $5,000 from BASF and $2,500 from GDF Suez.
Among those recipients from Southern states who helped block action to curb greenhouse gas pollution:
* Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) - $2,000 from Bayer;
* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) - $10,000 from Solvay and $1,000 from Bayer;
* Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) - $2,500 from GDF Suez and $2,000 from Bayer;
* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) - $15,000 from BASF, $10,000 from Solvay, $7,000 from Bayer, $6,000 from Lafarge, $4,500 from GDF Suez, $4,000 from BP and $1,000 from Arcelor-Mittal;
* Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) - $1,000 from E.ON;
* Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) - $2,000 from BASF and $1,000 each from Bayer and BP; and
* Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) - $2,500 from Lafarge.
Also listed in the CAN report is U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, a Louisiana Democrat who's challenging Sen. David Vitter and who helped block the climate bill, and Trey Grayson, the Kentucky Secretary of State who lost to Rand Paul in the GOP primary to replace Bunning, who's not running for re-election.
Melancon got $1,500 from BASF and another $1,000 from BP, while Grayson received $1,000 from E.ON.
The companies examined in the report include Belgium's Solvay; Britain's BP; France's Lafarge and GDF Suez; Germany's Bayer, BASF and E.ON; and Luxembourg's Arcelor-Mittal. Their support for Senators blocking climate action amounts to $240,200 -- almost 80 percent of the companies' total spending in this year's Senate race.
"These European companies are simultaneously lobbying against aggressive emissions reductions in Europe -- and are arguing that such reductions should not be pursued until the United States takes action," the report says.
Among those global warming deniers representing Southern states who received contributions from European polluters:
* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) - $1,000 each from Bayer E.ON;
* Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) - $4,000 from BASF, $2,000 from BP and $1,000 from Bayer;
* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) - $5,000 each from Bayer and Lafarge, $2,000 from BASF and $1,000 from BP;
* Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) - $3,500 from Lafarge and $2,000 each from BASF and BP; and
* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) - $5,000 from BASF and $2,500 from GDF Suez.
Among those recipients from Southern states who helped block action to curb greenhouse gas pollution:
* Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) - $2,000 from Bayer;
* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) - $10,000 from Solvay and $1,000 from Bayer;
* Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) - $2,500 from GDF Suez and $2,000 from Bayer;
* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) - $15,000 from BASF, $10,000 from Solvay, $7,000 from Bayer, $6,000 from Lafarge, $4,500 from GDF Suez, $4,000 from BP and $1,000 from Arcelor-Mittal;
* Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) - $1,000 from E.ON;
* Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) - $2,000 from BASF and $1,000 each from Bayer and BP; and
* Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) - $2,500 from Lafarge.
Also listed in the CAN report is U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, a Louisiana Democrat who's challenging Sen. David Vitter and who helped block the climate bill, and Trey Grayson, the Kentucky Secretary of State who lost to Rand Paul in the GOP primary to replace Bunning, who's not running for re-election.
Melancon got $1,500 from BASF and another $1,000 from BP, while Grayson received $1,000 from E.ON.
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Sue Sturgis
Sue is the editorial director of Facing South and the Institute for Southern Studies.