Among the lobbyists working for both sides is one who advocates policies for NW Natural, a heavy greenhouse gas emitter, while also lobbying for the Portland-based Wild Salmon Center. (Bob White/Flickr)
More than two dozen Oregon lobbyists are advocating policies on behalf of industries that contribute to climate change while also representing those that fight and respond to climate challenges, according to a report from a lobbying watchdog group.
Researchers at the group, Pennsylvania-based F Minus, launched last summer, compiled a database that shows that more than 1,500 lobbyists across the country are working at the state level for the fossil fuels industry as well as for conservation groups, public health entities, social justice organizations and local governments trying to respond to environmental and health issues caused by the burning of those fuels.
“Climate change is a holistic problem,” F Minus founder and executive director, James Browning, said at a recent news conference. “The activities of some clients do affect others when they make climate matters worse.”