Price gouging is just the tip of the iceberg. Oil and coal companies contribute millions to republican--and key democratic--campaigns, so legislation that promotes clean and affordable energy is weakened or blocked altogether. Or even worse, they promote backwards policies like the massive program of subsidies for "liquid coal" which, if passed, would cost taxpayers billions and heat up the climate.

Here's how it works:

The industry looks carefully at how many votes they need to be sure legislation that limits their power and their profits won't pass.

They choose specific representatives who have a long history of promoting their interests.

Then, they use their campaign donations and their constant lobbying to make sure these folks scuttle bills that combat high prices and the climate crisis.
But they're only successful when they think voters aren't watching and won't hold them accountable.

This month Congress is voting on a series of bills that will determine our energy policy going forward. Will it remain captive to big business? Will consumers get shafted and the climate continue to cook? Or will we have clean energy, good jobs, and affordable fuel?

You can help Moveon counter any misleading ads from the gas and oil industry here

This isn't going to be easy. And the oil lobby certainly wields a lot of influence: even having the Dems in power doesn't necessarily guarantee success.

But perhaps, more importantly, the coal industry's efforts will cripple efforts to fight global warming. Also from Moveon:

The idea of turning coal into liquid to fill our gas tanks should just be a bad joke. But because the coal industry pours millions into lobbying Congress every year, this joke could turn into a real nightmare.

The senate is about to vote on a big bill dealing with energy and the climate crisis. Massive subsidies for coal were defeated in committee. But we're not out of the woods yet, since one of the coal-friendly senators could sneak them back in again as an amendment just before the final vote.

Can you call your senators today to tell them to vote against liquid coal if it's added to the bill at the last minute?

Liquid coal is a giant step backward in our fight against global warming--it produces twice as many greenhouse gases as conventional gasoline. Proposals to capture that pollution before it adds to global warming are still a pipe dream.

We have to reduce the greenhouse gases already in our air to stave off the worst effects of climate change--disease, drought, rising seas--so you'd think a giant program to make liquid coal a cornerstone of our economy would be too outrageous to consider. But continued pressure from the coal industry means key legislators introduce it over and over again.

Even the Roanoke Times, in the heart of coal country, condemned government promotion of liquid coal:

Coal-to-liquid technology is expensive, harmful to the environment and inefficient. The federal government should take no part in subsidizing it...Liquefying coal is not the answer to either energy independence or a cleaner environment.
Some senators are standing strong against this false promise--Jon Tester from coal-rich Montana has said there should be no liquid coal without proven ways to capture the greenhouse gases.

But others are risking our future with dirty energy bills instead of supporting clean and affordable alternatives--like solar and wind.

And you can signup for Moveon's emails (they're actually pretty interesting, and you don't have to donate if you don't want to) here. We can use all the help we can get.