Beyond Oil

Moving Beyond Oil

The scientific literature backs up a key assertion: The world needs to reduce its dependence on oil to cut greenhouse gas emissions as much as is needed to contain climate disruption.

In California, the oil industry has long resisted efforts to reduce its pollution. That pollution includes ground-level health-threatening air pollution, water pollution, and climate pollution.

One way the oil industry resists pollution reduction efforts is to contribute heavily to political campaigns and to wage its own campaigns against reasonable legislation and regulation.

The Secretary of State’s office recently incorporated into its website a power search tool designed by MapLight. This tool makes it possible to quickly and easily research campaign contributions to legislators.

To see the results of one recent search for contributions made to legislators and legislative candidates in the period between January 1, 2014 and September 15, 2015, click here. These results do not include all oil industry contributions that influence candidates. For instance, these results don’t include all oil industry money funneled to political parties or Political Action Committees that benefit the candidates.

If your Senator or Assembly member is on this list, give the legislator’s office a call and ask why that legislator accepted oil money. Your question will signal that constituents care about the role oil money plays in politics.

You can find who your legislators are by going to findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov. Then you can find their contact info at assembly.ca.gov or at senate.ca.gov.