NWF Campus Ecology Releases New Student Guide on Dirty Energy Politics

National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program is pleased to announce the release of our new resource, “A Student’s Guide to How Corporate Oil, Gas and Coal Money Influences U.S. Energy Policy”.

The guide is designed to take students behind the curtains of American politics and policy development to shed light on the handful of fossil fuel-based companies that are pouring money into Congress and the media in an attempt to undermine America’s ability to confront the climate change crisis.

The report describes how the energy industry bankrolls the campaigns of incumbent Congressional representatives holding key energy and environment committee assignments. The guide also covers how political action committees (PACs), super PACs, so-called nonprofit “social welfare groups” and other entities contribute to campaigns and run independent expenditure ads, some without public disclosure of donors. 

This guide also puts out a call to action for students to push back against the huge influence of big oil, gas and coal money and demanding a clean and just energy future by staying informed, learning about the positions their elected officials take and their votes on key environmental and energy legislation and asking that they stop taking handouts from the dirty energy industry.

Report highlights include:

• A closer look at how the fossil fuel industry influences U.S. energy policy
• Top Congressional funders from the oil and gas industry
• What students can do to take action

The report is being released in conjunction with Energy Action Coalition’s Power Vote National Day of Action on which students and youth activists across the country will join together in calling for the end of dirty money political contributions by big polluters. More than 50 events, including rallies and voter registration drives, have been registered on the Power Vote website, and thousands have signed the Power Vote pledge promising to vote for a clean energy future in this election.

“Young voters are mobilizing in record numbers with the Power Vote campaign to use their people power to confront Big Polluters’ dirty money and demand the clean energy and climate solutions that our generation needs,” said Maura Cowley, Executive Director of Energy Action Coalition, the youth coalition running Power Vote.

Since its inception in 1989, NWF’s Campus Ecology program has earned respect as a national leader in the campus sustainability and climate action movement.

Check out more resources for students at CampusEcology.org.