Oil-funded protests staged to show 'energy citizens' ire against House climate change bill

(Photo of protest at Sen. Mark Warner's (D-Va.) office from Flickr and photographer formatted_dad/Michael

If you’ve been annoyed at the phony grass-roots protests of health reform, just wait till you see what’s coming on climate change.

Starting Tuesday in Houston, the American Petroleum Institute will bankroll at least 20 rallies across the country in coordination with Freedom Works (Dick Armey’s group that brought you the screaming health protestors) and many other industrial and conservative organizations. In an email that was leaked, API said it would do all the organizing (by hiring a professional events manager) and all the others had to do was “show up.”

The Astroturf “energy citizens” rallies are being staged at lunchtime, primarily in areas where Democratic senators have conservative constituencies. They are staged to give the impression there’s a groundswell of public opinion against Obama’s climate strategy.

The purpose is not to kill climate change legislation, API insists, but to make the Senate version of the bill more energy (read “oil”) friendly.

Talking points
Expect the usual half-truths, exaggerations and mostly downright lies.
A flier promoting the rallies says the House version of the climate bill, would:
• Cost 2 million jobs.
• Push gasoline prices over $4/gallon.
• Reduce energy security.
• Hurt American businesses’ ability to compete.

Talking points will include budget projections that were refuted by the Congressional Budget Office weeks ago.

Other organizations participating in the rallies include the American Farm Bureau, American Highway Users Alliance, National Black Chamber of Commerce, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, American Conservative Union, Americans for Tax Reform, and Council for Citizens Against Government Waste.

Another group, the Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (don’t be fooled by the word “clean”) has already begun a program of harassment at town meetings and other events.

Some companies are members of both the American Petroleum Institute and U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), which backs the legislation. ConocoPhillips is urging its employees to turn out for the rallies and Exxon backs them. Shell, on the other hand, says it does not support them.

Oil and coal companies are basically fighting for their lives here. Strong regulation of emissions and a shift to clean energy will hurt them badly. So their motivation is strong. And they have the money to do this.

Environmental groups don’t have the money to stage such events, but there will be some rallies to strengthen climate legislation and as well as plans to contact senators in person and by phone or email. We all need to lend a voice. The other side is going all out.

(Sources: Greenwire, The Guardian)