When it needed a lobbyist in Ottawa to monitor the federal environmental review process for its Kami project, Alderon Iron Ore turned to Summa Strategies and a well-connected fellow named Tim Powers. You can find out information like this thanks to the federal registry of lobbyists. Powers’ registration number for
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The Sir Robert Bond Papers: Skinner and the useless provincial lobby law #nlpoli
Shawn Skinner used to be a provincial cabinet minister. Now he works for a construction company trying to get a major contract at Muskrat Falls. Skinner is the senior director of business development with Aecon. Presumably that job involves him meeting with or arranging meetings with people at Nalcor and
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: The Undemocratic Elected Senate & The Democratic Appointed One
90% of Americans support universal background checks for guns yet on Wednesday the American Senate struck down that legislation. That’s not very democratic, is it? Those in Canada who fervently cling to the idea that voting will make our Senate democratic almost completely ignore the problems that come with it,
Continue readingChadwick's Blog & Commentary: The Hobgoblins under the Lobbyist Bridge
Lobbyist. For some, the word conjures frightening images of nefarious trolls and ogres in Armani suits lurking under the bridges and in the woods in the dark night, snatching unwary politicians and dragging them down to whatever hell the gullible … Continue reading →
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: What To Expect When You’re Electing: Mitt Romney’s Energy Advisors
Romney and Bush.jpg In the last few months, the press has been drawing a lot of parallels between presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former Republican President George W. Bush. And they have plenty of reasons for doing so. Romney has already tapped many of the same Bush economic
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Romney, Obama Surrogates Spar Over Energy Policy
energy vote.jpg On Wednesday of this week, representatives from both the Obama and Romney campaigns debated issues of energy and environment, where the two campaigns’ differences on issues ranging from renewable energy subsidies to approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline were on full display. Speaking for the Obama campaign, spokesperson
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Dirty Energy Lobby Wins In EU – Shale Gas Now Considered “Green Energy”
lobbyist-payoff1.jpg In a headline that would appear to be ripped off the pages of The Onion, The Guardian UK this week reported “Gas rebranded as green energy by EU.” After billions of dollars spent in lobbying efforts over the years, the dirty energy industry in the European Union has managed
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: The Year In Dirty Energy: Coal
coal_mining.jpg Most children already have a fear of coal – after all, they are threatened during childhood that if they misbehave, Santa Claus will leave them nothing but a lump of coal in their stocking. The older members of society, too, have plenty of reasons to fear coal as an
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: The Year In Dirty Energy: Money, Corruption, And Misinformation
Handcuffed_to_Money.jpg It is said that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That statement has proven itself true time after time in both politics and business, but I would like to amend that statement slightly: Power corrupts, but money and power corrupt absolutely. This year has been no different. We’ve
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Harry Reid to Hillary Clinton: Drop Keystone XL Pipeline Plan
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Opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline have gained a new ally in the fight to prevent this disastrous oil boondoggle from moving forward: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D&ndas…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Lobby Planet report shows Brussels spinning with corporate influence
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THE maxim of the lobbyist is generally to be heard but not seen, although a new report on the concentration of lobbying in Brussels suggests you'd be hard pressed to go any…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Oil Lobbyists Targeting “Super Committee”
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As the so-called “Super Committee” works to figure out how to trim $1.2 trillion from the U.S. government’s federal deficit, the dirty energy industry has thei…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog - Clearing the PR Pollution that Clouds Climate Science: Oil Industry Steps Up Astroturf Efforts For 2012 Election
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The oil industry has put their astroturf and lobbying efforts into overdrive over the last few months, preparing for a bitter fight in the upcoming 2012 presidential election. In a…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog - Clearing the PR Pollution that Clouds Climate Science: American Petroleum Institute Dreams Of Placing Lobbyists In Every District
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Oil industry lobbyist and president of the American Petroleum Institute (API) Jack Gerard made his industry’s goal clear in a recent interview with Fortune Magazine…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog - Clearing the PR Pollution that Clouds Climate Science: Tom Ridge Claimed "I’m Not a Lobbyist" on Colbert Report, But The Facts Prove Otherwise
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Tom Ridge, on the Thursday, June 9 edition of the Colbert Report, claimed he is “not a lobbyist.” A quick glance at his resume shows that nothing could be further from the …
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