On day 45 of Gulf oil spill, Courage Campaign calls on companies to join clean up effort
National Desk
June 04, 2010
Former oil executive and Courage Campaign founder says California's Dirty Energy Proposition backers have "officially lost all credibility."
LOS ANGELES -- Led by former Occidental Petroleum executive Rick Jacobs, the Courage Campaign has called on the oil companies financing a proposed ballot initiative to allow for increased pollution in California, to make at least an equal investment in cleaning up the "Deepwater Horizon" oil spill, and helping affected families, businesses, and communities along the Gulf coast.
"Amidst the worst ecological disaster in American history and the crippling of the Gulf Coast's economy, the oil industry continues to bankroll a campaign to bring even more pollution to California," said former Occidental Petroleum executive and Courage Campaign founder Rick Jacobs. "Before the oil companies spend another dime of their record profits on their dirty energy proposition, they should match what they've already spent to foul California on helping the thousands of families, businesses and communities being hurt by their unchecked greed on the Gulf Coast."
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Oil and Gas Industry spent more than $132 million lobbying Congress in 2008 alone, on industry priorities like lifting the ban on drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as against national clean energy legislation. Of the more than $250 million they've given to candidates since 1990, 75% of that money has gone to Republicans.
To date, at least 15 oil and energy companies have contributed almost $1.6 million towards a ballot initiative to indefinitely suspend California's landmark Clean Energy law, AB 32. The industry's three largest funders of the initiative -- Valero, Occidental Petroleum, and Tesoro -- rank #22, #47, and #27 respectively on the Political Economy Research Institute's list of the top 100 Corporate polluters in America.
In April of 2010, the Courage Campaign along with CREDO Action launched an online boycott of Valero gas stations in protest of their funding of the Dirty Energy Proposition. To date, more than 40,000 Californians are actively participating in the boycott.
"As oil continues to spill unabated in the Gulf of Mexico, the sudden and deafening silence from the backers of California's Dirty Energy Proposition and the politicians they bankroll is very telling," Jacobs added. "Then again, the industry's usual response of 'trust us -- we know best' has officially lost all credibility."
Over the coming weeks, Courage Campaign members will be sending letters to the CEOs of the companies backing the California Dirty Energy Proposition calling on them to match their investments in more pollution for California, with an equal investment towards cleaning up the Gulf Coast.
LOS ANGELES -- Led by former Occidental Petroleum executive Rick Jacobs, the Courage Campaign has called on the oil companies financing a proposed ballot initiative to allow for increased pollution in California, to make at least an equal investment in cleaning up the "Deepwater Horizon" oil spill, and helping affected families, businesses, and communities along the Gulf coast.
"Amidst the worst ecological disaster in American history and the crippling of the Gulf Coast's economy, the oil industry continues to bankroll a campaign to bring even more pollution to California," said former Occidental Petroleum executive and Courage Campaign founder Rick Jacobs. "Before the oil companies spend another dime of their record profits on their dirty energy proposition, they should match what they've already spent to foul California on helping the thousands of families, businesses and communities being hurt by their unchecked greed on the Gulf Coast."
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Oil and Gas Industry spent more than $132 million lobbying Congress in 2008 alone, on industry priorities like lifting the ban on drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as against national clean energy legislation. Of the more than $250 million they've given to candidates since 1990, 75% of that money has gone to Republicans.
To date, at least 15 oil and energy companies have contributed almost $1.6 million towards a ballot initiative to indefinitely suspend California's landmark Clean Energy law, AB 32. The industry's three largest funders of the initiative -- Valero, Occidental Petroleum, and Tesoro -- rank #22, #47, and #27 respectively on the Political Economy Research Institute's list of the top 100 Corporate polluters in America.
In April of 2010, the Courage Campaign along with CREDO Action launched an online boycott of Valero gas stations in protest of their funding of the Dirty Energy Proposition. To date, more than 40,000 Californians are actively participating in the boycott.
"As oil continues to spill unabated in the Gulf of Mexico, the sudden and deafening silence from the backers of California's Dirty Energy Proposition and the politicians they bankroll is very telling," Jacobs added. "Then again, the industry's usual response of 'trust us -- we know best' has officially lost all credibility."
Over the coming weeks, Courage Campaign members will be sending letters to the CEOs of the companies backing the California Dirty Energy Proposition calling on them to match their investments in more pollution for California, with an equal investment towards cleaning up the Gulf Coast.
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