Political ads: Weapon in climate change war?

The Supreme Court ruling makes it possible for businesses, unions and interest groups to take aim at political candidates because of their stance on a specific issue.

It is impossible to predict spending on candidate-specific climate change ads, but energy interests spent about 10 times as much as environmental interests in the last election year, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.

In 2008, corporations in the broad energy sector made US$77.7 million in political contributions, with US$35.5 million coming from the oil and gas industries. Republican candidates, most of whom oppose carbon-capping legislation, received 66 percent of the total.

By contrast, environmental groups spent US$5.5 million on political contributions in 2008, with 87 percent of that going to Democrats.

In addition, the Service Employees International Union contributed US$2.7 million, with 95 percent given to Democrats. The union and environmental groups together donated US$8.2 million, a bit more than one-tenth the energy sector's tally.

But this is more than a simple financial contest. One energy lobbyist noted that many big corporations, including energy firms and automakers, have joined the push for a bill to cap greenhouse emissions and trade allowances for them.

“Nobody wants to not be green,” said Josh Zeib, a lawyer and lobbyist with the firm Bracewell and Giuliani, which handles energy industry clients.

“Nobody wants to wander out alienating the public and legislators and making things worse, and that risk is out there for companies who move too aggressively” in political advertising, Zeib said in a telephone interview.

This year, neither he nor other corporate sources saw a big influx of advertising money targeting climate change.

One oil industry source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the impact of the Supreme Court's decision would be minimal.

“At this time we don't plan on using corporate funds for this purpose,” the source said. “Everybody's tightening their belts and looking where they can be economical in their spending.”

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