Lobbyists across Oregon seem to be having trouble deciding whether to work in the interest of the climate, the fossil fuel industry or — strangely — both, according to climate research and advocacy organization F Minus. A new tool on the F Minus website shows top fossil fuel lobbyists in Oregon also lobby for organizations whose missions are aimed at addressing the impacts of climate change.
“Hiring a fossil fuel lobbyist is radically at odds with what these nonprofits and cultural institutions are saying about the climate crisis," James Browning, F Minus executive director, said.
Lobbyists for some of Oregon’s biggest polluters are also registered lobbyists for the conservation organization Wild Salmon Center, as well as health care organizations Health Share of Oregon and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), according to the dashboard. OHSU announced in November 2022 it had joined over 1,000 organizations in committing to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030.
A lobbyist representing Western States Petroleum Association, a trade association representing petroleum companies in five western states, also represents the American Red Cross, which provides disaster response across the West Coast. West Coast states have seen a remarkable increase in the severity and frequency of wildfires in recent years due to the ongoing impacts of climate change.
Nick Caleb, Breach Collective climate and energy attorney, said state law makes the practice legal, yet ethically problematic.
“In Oregon, there's no rule that prevents a lobbyist from acting as a mercenary for the fossil fuel industry while working for other, less antisocial clients,” Caleb said.
Local cultural organizations contract with lobbyists who represent fossil fuel companies as well, according to the F Minus dashboard.
Records show Portland Art Museum's registered lobbyist at Gallatin Public Affairs also represents Cascade Natural Gas and The Williams Co. — two fossil fuel companies that produce extraordinary carbon emissions. The Portland Art Museum recently exhibited works from multiple artists drawing attention to the climate crisis. Hito Steyerl's "This is the Future," was on display for the first half of 2023, offering a critique of global capitalism and AI as a response to climate chaos. The Portland Art Museum did not respond to Street Roots’ request for comment at the time of publishing.
NW Natural, which environmental advocates say misled the public about the impact of methane gas on the environment and the health of Oregonians, shares a lobbyist with multiple public health entities, including OHSU, Health Share of Oregon and Oregon Primary Care Association.
A coalition of more than two dozen environmental advocacy groups sent a letter to Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum Dec. 11, 2023, urging the Oregon Department of Justice to investigate NW Natural for false claims about the safety of methane gas. The letter was sent as a follow up to an August 2022 letter raising similar concerns.
“Both NW Natural and the American Gas Association have continued to pay consultants to cast doubt around the scientific basis for regulation,” the letter said. (The lobbyist for American Gas Association also represents the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation, a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on sustainable agriculture in Oregon, according to its website.)
Roy Kaufmann, Rosenblum’s communications director, confirmed the Oregon Department of Justice recently joined comments from several state attorneys general urging the Consumer Product Safety Commission to regulate gas stoves to mitigate the known health hazards they create and to increase consumer awareness of those hazards.
NW Natural denied the health impacts of cooking with methane in a 2022 response to the Multnomah County Board, saying the assertions are “problematic and inconsistent from a scientific perspective,” but provided no evidence to counter advocates’ claims.
Kaufmann said the Oregon DOJ takes public health issues seriously.
“We take allegations of consumer protection violations seriously, especially when they involve matters of public health. Our consumer protection lawyers are carefully reviewing the concerns raised in the stakeholder letter, as well as the new sources cited in the letter.”
Whether lobbyists can both work in the interest of the environment and the companies contributing to climate change is an ethical question for any organization to consider, according to Caleb.
“As someone who wants to see a livable planet for future generations, I find it ethically problematic to advance the interests of companies that are unapologetically destroying the climate for short-term profit,” Caleb said. “But in our current system it's up to other companies and organizations to decide whether they want to do business with people who are flexible like that.”
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